Transportation Improvement Program
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) identifies the transportation projects and strategies that CRTPO and NCDOT plan to undertake over the next ten years. All projects receiving federal funding must be in the TIP. The TIP is the region’s way of allocating its transportation resources among the various capital and operating needs of the area, based on a clear set of short-term transportation priorities.
The TIP:
- Is updated at least every two years;
- Is realistic in terms of available funding and is not just a “wish list” of projects. This concept is known as fiscal constraint;
- Conforms with the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality (CRTPO is classified as nonattainment for ozone);
- Is approved by the MPO and the governor; and
- Is incorporated directly, without change, into North Carolina’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
- The process by which the NCDOT STIP is developed is known as NCDOT Prioritization.
NCDOT 2026-2035 STIP
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s long-range transportation plan – called the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – identifies the construction funding and schedule for state transportation projects over a 10-year period. NCDOT updates the STIP approximately every two years.
The Strategic Transportation Investments law mandates ongoing evaluation and improvement to ensure that the process responds to North Carolina’s diverse needs. This is accomplished by a prioritization work group consisting primarily of professional engineers and transportation planners.
The data-driven process to update the STIP is called Strategic Prioritization. The 2026-2035 STIP was developed using the P7 Prioritization cycle. The process to update the STIP for the years 2026-2035 was called Prioritization 7.0 or P7. It started in summer 2023 when NCDOT divisions and local planning organizations gather initial public input on projects, which were then be submitted for evaluation and scoring. The initial draft STIP was released in January 2025. After the draft STIP was released, partner MPOs and RPOs were able to provide feedback as well as members of the public. Federal Highway Administration approved the the STIP December 2025.
NCDOT 2026-2035 STIP MAP
The NCDOT 2026-2035 STIP MAP below is created and hosted by NCDOT.
2026-2035 STIP / TIP Maps
CRTPO 2026-2035 TIP Adoption Document
NCDOT 2026-2035 STIP
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s long-range transportation plan – called the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) – identifies the construction funding and schedule for state transportation projects over a 10-year period. NCDOT updates the STIP approximately every two years.
CRTPO 2026-2035 TIP
The project lists below were created by sorting the NCDOT Draft 2026-2035 STIP project lists for projects in the CRTPO Planning Area.
Updated June 2025
CRTPO 2026-2035 TIP Prioritization Projects
The project lists below were created by sorting project lists created by NCDOT Draft 2026-2035 STIP project lists for projects in the CRTPO Planning Area and funded by STI Prioritization. Projects were removed from the lists below if they are under construction, complete, or non active projects that were subdivided into sub projects.
2050 MTP Amendments
Following the adoption of the 2026-2035 STIP by NCDOT, a series of amendments to the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Amendments are required to ensure that the plan conforms to CRTPO’s TIP. Amendments are required to the 2050 MTP for the following reasons:
- To add new projects that were not previously in the 2050 MTP, but were identified in the DRAFT TIP;
- To move projects to a different horizon year in the 2050 MTP; and
- To change project extents in the 2050 MTP to match the limits in the DRAFT TIP.
The TIP is a subset of the 2050 MTP and both documents should match.
A list of 2050 MTP amendments that are recommended to conform to the 2026-2035 TIP is listed below.
Air Quality Conformity Determination
The Clean Air Act requires the CRTPO to demonstrate that its TIP and MTP conform to the Statewide Improvement Program (SIP). Transportation conformity is an important part of the CRTPO’s planning process. The Air Quality Conformity Determination Report will be posted here when it is complete. This report will certify that that the projects proposed within the 2026-2035 TIP are within the prescribed limits for air quality within the Charlotte region.
Fiscal Constraint
Federal regulations require MTPs, TIPs, and STIPs to be “fiscally constrained.” The requirement for fiscal constraint is met through the preparation of financial plans, the requirements for which are contained in the joint FTA/FHWA regulations for Statewide and Metropolitan Transportation Planning (23 CFR 450). These regulations specify that the the TIP must be fiscally constrained for the first four program years. Click here to view the CRTPO’s draft Funding Summary for the 2026-2029 program years.
The NCDOT has demonstrated fiscal constraint on the 2026-2035 STIP adopted on 7/9/2025. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization TIP is a subset of the STIP and by extension therefore demonstrates fiscal constraint.
NCDOT Safety Performance Measures
Effective April 14, 2016, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established five highway safety performance measures in accord with regulations set forth in the Federal MAP-21 and FAST Act transportation funding bills. These performance measures are:
- Number of fatalities;
- Rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled;
- Number of serious injuries;
- Rate of serious injuries per 100 million vehicle miles traveled; and
- Number of combined non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries.
These targets are established annually, are based on 5-year rolling averages, and are for calendar years. North Carolina state targets are set in agreement with our Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) goals. The SHSP goals are developed through collaborative efforts of a diverse group of stakeholders including state, regional, and local partners (including MPOs). The goal of the most recent (2024) SHSP is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by half by 2035, moving towards zero by 2050. NCDOT develops statewide targets for each of the five HSIP Traffic Safety measures, reported as a twelve (12) month performance period. A copy of the Safety Performance Measures – FHWA Assessment and 2026 Targets Memorandum – is included in the appendix of this document. According to the memorandum, North Carolina failed to meet its prior period (2025) targets in all five areas. Per HSIP, an MPO may either adopt its own planning area Traffic Safety targets or endorse statewide targets from its respective DOT.
The CRTPO, utilizing a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) planning grant, will develop a Safety Action Plan to identify a regional high injury network, recommend phased countermeasures, and set regionally specific targets to monitor regional performance. The roughly 24-month study is anticipated to kick off in early 2026.
Joint FHWA and FTA Approval of the North Carolina Department of Transportation 2026-2029 portion of the 2026-2035 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
In accordance with 23 CFR 450 subpart B the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) hereby find that the 2026-2029 portion of the 2026-2035 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is based on a transportation planning process that substantially meets the requirements of 23 CFR Part 450 Subpart A, B, and C; 49 U.S.C. Sections 5303 and 5304; and 23 U.S.C. Sections 134 and 135. This finding is based on the self-certification of the statewide transportation and metropolitan transportation planning processes and FHWA’s and FTA’s participation in those transportation planning processes including planning certification reviews conducted in transportation management areas and other metropolitan planning areas.
NCDOT 2026 – 2035 STIP Adoption Schedule
Future dates in the table below are preliminary and subject to change
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| NCDOT Released 2026-2035 Draft STIP | January 31, 2025 |
| DRAFT 2026-2035 STIP Public Comment Period | January 31, 2025 – April 4, 2025 |
| Division 12: DRAFT 2026-2035 STIP Public Comment Drop-In | February 24 – 28, 2025 |
| Division 10: DRAFT 2026-2035 STIP Public Comment Drop-In | March 17 – 21, 2025 |
| 2026-2035 STIP adoption by N.C. Board of Transportation | July 9, 2025 |
| CRTPO TCC recommend that the CRTPO Board approve the opening of a public comment period on the adoption of the draft 2026-2035 TIP; 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan amendments; and air quality conformity determination. | August 7, 2025 |
| CRTPO Board opens a public comment period | August 20, 2025 |
| CRTPO Public Comment Period: The draft 2026-2035 TIP; 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan amendments; and air quality conformity determination. | August 21 – September 19, 2025 |
| CRTPO Board Approval | October 15, 2025 |
| Federal Highway Administration approval of 2026-2035 STIP | December 2025 |
Public Comment Period
The CRTPO opened a 30-day public comment period to obtain public input on the Draft 2026-2035 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), amendments to the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), and the air quality conformity determination report.
The 30-day public comment period started Thursday, August 21, 2025, and concluded on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. The CRTPO advertised the public comment period in the local news (Charlotte Post, Hola News, and the Mecklenburg Times), on social media, press releases, and the project website. The 2026-2035 TIP webpage was viewed 577 times during the public comment period and 26 comments were received. The public was able to provide comments via survey, email, mail, and verbally during a CRTPO Board meeting.
The CRTPO Board adopted the 2026-2035 TIP and associated documents during its Wednesday, October 15, 2025, Board meeting at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.