Regional Transportation Plan

The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is a long-range plan that includes a review of the regional transportation system, issues of regional significance, relationships to other planning efforts, level of service standards, performance monitoring, current and future deficiencies, financial plan, regional transportation system improvement strategy and regional transportation plan implementation. In short, the RTP is a “blueprint” that guides the region’s state and federal transportation investments in the transportation system to reduce congestion, improve transit service and maintain freight access over a medium-long term time perspective.

In it, the goals and objectives and wide-ranging policies on which the Plan is based describe the major concepts that the region’s residents would like to achieve with the transportation system and reflects local desires for travel and transportation as expressed in these communities’ adopted comprehensive and master plans. This framework lays a foundation for the kinds of plans and projects that will provide the best transportation solutions.

With the help of our consultant SCJ Alliance and with WSDOT financial support, the Northeast Washington Regional Transportation Plan 2042 has been completed.

Transportation Improvement Plan

The Transportation Improvement Program(TIP) is the funding mechanism for capital improvements for a multimodal transportation network that includes projects such as pavement overlays, roadway widening, bridge replacement or repair, signal systems, safety enhancements, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transit improvements.

As the Northeast Washington Regional Transportation Planning Organization (NEW RTPO), state regulations require the development of a six-year Regional Transportation Improvement Program (Regional TIP) that must be updated, at least, every two years. The purpose of the Regional TIP is to outline the region’s transportation projects, financing plans based on demonstrated consistency between project implementation and regional planning goals.

The Regional TIP is formed from Six-Year Transportation Improvement Programs (Local TIPs) that are developed by NEW RTPO member jurisdictions. The State of Washington requires cities, towns, counties and tribes to submit a list of projects annually; the list constitutes a six-year financial plan for transportation project implementation.

Coordinated Public Transit- Human Services Transportation Program

NEW RTPO’s Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan (CPTHSTP) for the tri-county region, including the three Native American Reservations – Colville, Spokane and Kalispel reservations, seeks to improve transportation coordination in the region, address the transportation needs of older adults, persons with disabilities, veterans, and low-income individuals, and establishes priorities to inform funding decisions for specialized transportation services.

The plan includes information on existing transportation resources serving transportation-disadvantaged populations in the region, as well as transportation gaps faced by these populations. The plan also contains demographic data from the Census Bureau, documents innovative strategies and best practices from state, regional, and other local coordination efforts, and introduces new research and regional strategies to improve transportation service delivery and coordination.

Contact Frank Metlow for the most up-to-date schedule or for more details.

Unified Planning Work Program

The NEW RTPO annual Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is a required statement of how state funds will be used for transportation planning purposes. The UPWP lists all work to be addressed in a given state fiscal year (SFY) and identifies committed revenue sources from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The UPWP is developed and submitted for state review in the third quarter of each SFY for implementation at the beginning of the next SFY. (The state fiscal year runs from July 1st to June 30th.) The UPWP is based on the transportation planning priorities of the region. The intent of the UPWP is to provide a comprehensive, continuing and coordinated approach to regional transportation planning that supports local, state, and tribal planning activities and systems development. This planning addresses all modes of transportation.