Each metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is required, under 49 U.S.C. 5303(j) , to develop a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)—a list of upcoming transportation projects—covering a period of at least four years. The TIP must be developed in cooperation with the state and public transit providers. The TIP should include capital and non-capital surface transportation projects, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and other transportation enhancements, Federal Lands Highway projects, and safety projects included in the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The TIP should include all regionally significant projects receiving FHWA or FTA funds, or for which FHWA or FTA approval is required, in addition to non-federally funded projects that are consistent with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). Furthermore, the TIP must be fiscally constrained.

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a detailed, 7-year budget plan that outlines which transportation projects are expected to be funded over the next seven years in the urbanized Pocatello-Chubbuck area, including parts of northern Bannock and Power Counties. It’s basically a list of planned road, bridge, or transit projects that will receive money from state or federal sources—or that are important enough to affect the whole region (called "regionally significant"). Each project includes cost estimates and scheduling details. The TIP follows the federal government’s budget calendar, which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.

Transportation projects tend to be costly and require extensive time for both planning and execution—often taking several years from start to finish. Agencies responsible for transportation must prepare well in advance to allocate funding and organize schedules, ensuring everything is in place when construction begins. Additionally, this kind of planning isn't optional—it's mandated. Federal funding cannot be used on transportation initiatives unless the projects are included in an approved Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) or the corresponding statewide plan.

• These projects are paid using tax dollars
• These projects have potential to impact you and your family

As a taxpayer and/or citizen, you have both the opportunity and the responsibility to see how public money is planned to be used—and to speak up if you support or have concerns about the proposed projects. You’re encouraged to ask questions and share your opinions. The BTPO team reviews all public feedback, shares it with the agencies involved, and makes sure the Policy Board sees it before any final decisions are made.

The TIP includes a wide range of details about transportation projects—some of which can be complex. While certain pieces of information might not matter to you, they could be important to someone else. For example, you might be most interested in what the project is about, while another person might focus on how much it costs, and someone else may care about who is funding it. The TIP brings all of this information together in one place so everyone can find what matters to them.

When the TIP is updated each year, there’s a period when the public can give feedback. You’re welcome to comment on anything in the TIP, but your input has the most impact when it focuses on the projects themselves—especially new proposals or changes to projects already listed. Start by checking for projects near your home, workplace, or daily route. Do you think these are the right projects? Is something missing that you believe is more important?

Remember, the TIP acts like a budget—it shows which projects are planned, how much they’ll cost, where the funding is coming from, and when and where the work will happen. Throughout the year, BTPO may also ask for public feedback on updates to the TIP, such as adding new projects, removing existing ones, or changing the details of a project. In those cases, your comments help shape those specific changes.

New Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) are adopted annually in coordination with ITD. BTPO projects out for a 7-year time period using its fiscal years (FY) which run from October 1 - September 30 annually. For example, TIPs will be from FY 2026 - 2032, FY 2027 - 2033, FY 2028 - 2034, etc.

Performance-based planning encourages BTPO and ITD to allocate resources to those areas where improvements are needed. Identified performance measures monitor the system's performance and should affect the allocation of additional resources. Congress approved five national priorities that cover the performance of the transportation system. Congress adopted two other performance priorities to evaluate the process of designing and constructing projects with Federal transportation funds. Each performance measure has an associated target goal. The ITD sets the targets for all performance measures except for transit safety and Transit Asset Management, which the Pocatello Regional Transit sets. BTPO has adopted and supports the ITD and PRT targets.

• Safety
• Pavement Condition
• Bridge Condition
• Travel Time Reliability
• Transit Asset Management
• Public Transportation Safety

Every year, BTPO staff, the Policy Board, and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), along with other state and local partners, develops a draft Transportation Improvement Program and then in accordance with BTPO's Public Participation Plan, public comment is sought during a 30-day time period. Following review of the public comments, the draft is revised and further considered by the TAC and Policy Board before being adopted by the Policy Board in September.

Prior year approved Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) can be accessed on the BTPO website here.