Overview of the Region’s Major Transportation Plans

Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)

The RTP is a community-driven, performance-based plan that considers the unique challenges and opportunities of the region and establishes spending priorities to allocate available surface transportation funding towards transportation infrastructure projects for Cape Cod over the next 20 years. The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the regional governing body established by federal law to oversee regional transportation planning funding distribution. The MPO guides the development of and endorses the plan.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

The TIP is a list of transportation projects to be implemented in the next five years. These projects utilized federal funding and may include roadway, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements. The cost of all projects in the TIP must be within anticipated federal, state, and other identified funding sources.

For a project to proceed to implementation from the TIP list, proponents must ensure that all designs are completed, and all permits and approvals are in place.

Cape Cod Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)

The UPWP is developed annually, and describes all significant transportation planning activities anticipated on Cape Cod over the 12-month period, regardless of lead organization and funding source. The major transportation planning areas include management and support of the planning process and certification activities, data collection and analysis, short- and long-range transportation planning, technical activities and regulatory review and planning assistance to towns.