Passed in 2013, the Strategic Transportation Investments law (STI) establishes a framework and process for NCDOT to efficiently enhance the state's infrastructure, while supporting economic growth, job creation, and a higher quality of life. This process encourages thinking from a statewide and regional perspective while also providing flexibility to address local needs. STI also establishes the Strategic Mobility Formula to allocate available revenues based on data-driven scoring and local input.
The Strategic Mobility Formula is a transparent, systematic, and data-driven process for prioritizing the major transportation in the state and making investment decisions. Projects are evaluated based on an analysis of existing and future conditions, the benefits the project is expected to provide, and how the project fits in with local priorities. Each of the six modes of transportation (highway, ferry, rail, public transportation, bicycle & pedestrian, and aviation) use a data-driven approach for ranking projects, which are then combined with local input to determine which projects will be funded each cycle.
The outcome of the Strategic Prioritization of Transportation (SPOT) process serves as input to the Draft State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is then combined with locally-designated projects and input from the Triangle West TPO Board to create the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) for the TPO.
The tabs below on this web page provide further information on various stages of development of the FY2026-2035 STIP and TIP.
To find out more about Triangle West TPO projects, contact Filmon Fishastion.
Prioritization is NCDOT’s decision-making tool for developing the State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is a listing of projects to be delivered within an upcoming ten-year work program. The Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) legislation has created a high degree of collaboration between NCDOT and TPOs in the development of their Transportation Improvement Program’s every two years through the Prioritization process.
The 7th iteration of Prioritization ran from June 2023 through January 2025. The projects that were awarded funding at the end of this process have been inserted into the FY2026-2035 STIP. See the links below for information on the projects that competed for funding and to see how the TPO’s Local Input Points were assigned.
A draft of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) was released in January of 2025. After a period of review, the STIP was brought back to the Board of Transportation in June for informational purposes and in July for adoption. It can be viewed using the link below.
To see projects located in your area, view the FY2026-2035 STIP map.
The Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) is a ten-year work program that lists all regionally significant and federally funded projects and transportation services in the MPO planning area. MTIP projects include highway, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian, and rail corridor improvement projects. Any project included in this MTIP must be consistent with the 2050 MTP; this ensures that the MTIP is fiscally constrained by estimated future revenues. The MTIP is also consistent with the first four years of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), as required by federal law.
Triangle West TPO sought public input on the FY2026-2035 MTIP from Monday, June 23 through Wednesday, July 23. The Triangle West MTIP was adopted on August 26, 2025.
The adopted MTIP can be found below:
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the regional transportation program for projects in the Triangle West TPO that have authorized federal funding and will begin implementation in the next ten years. The TIP is adopted every two years but may be amended as necessary to account for changes in funding, project schedules, and to remain consistent with the State Transportation Improvement Plan. See the link below for the schedule of amendments to the FY2026-2035 STIP.
The public is encouraged to review information about and leave comments on the draft amendment. The TPO will compile that feedback and provide it to the TPO Technical Committee when they make a recommendation for TIP adoption and to the TPO Board when they are considering all these projects to amend them to the TIP.
Amendment #1 to the FY2026-2035 TIP is now available for public review and comment through October 24, 2025. See below for the documentation, a summary of the amendment, and the link to provide your comments.
- FY2026-2035 Amendment #1 Full Documentation
- Summary: This amendment introduces two new projects that the City of Durham is adding to the STIP: the Central Durham Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and the Village Mobility Hub. Other updates to existing projects include adding additional funding to the Horton Road pedestrian project in the City of Durham, programming additional transit funds towards GoTriangle's Replacement Bus project, updating the cost estimates for the North-South BRT in Chapel Hill, and modifying the schedule for the Morgan Creek Greenway project in Chapel Hill.
- Use this link to provide your feedback on this amendment.