Project Prioritization

Transportation Project Prioritization Introduction

The Cape Fear Rural Planning Organization (CFRPO), in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), goes through a process to identify and prioritize transportation projects for inclusion in the state’s next Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). This process, known as “Prioritization”, is directly tied to the Strategic Transportation Investments law that passed the NC General Assembly in 2013.

The Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) law established a process for allocating transportation funding based on data-driven scores and local input. Statewide transportation capital funds are divided into three funding tiers: Statewide Mobility (40%), Regional Impact (30%), and Division Needs (30%). Projects compete for funding at the different tiers based on detailed eligibility criteria. Data-driven scores are calculated at all tiers, with competition at the Statewide Mobility tier entirely based on quantitative scores and competition at the Regional Impact and Division Needs tiers based on a combination of quantitative scores and local input. The prioritization process is a roughly 2-year process that occurs every two years. The result of the process is the programming of transportation funds to specific projects in the STIP (see below).

As information becomes available throughout this process, it will be added to this site to make the information widely available to the public.

We welcome your comments and feedback on the prioritization of transportation projects. Please feel free to attend any of our meetings, which are all open to the public, or to write/call us. We have a time for public comment at the beginning of each RTCC and RTAC meeting. You may reach CFRPO staff by email at [email protected] or by phone at (910) 274-0349. You may also send written correspondence to: Cape Fear RPO, Attn. Sam Boswell, 1480 Harbour Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401-7776.

Prioritization 7.0 - 2026-2035 Draft STIP P6.0 - 2024-2033 Current STIP P5.0 P4.0 P3.0 P2.0 P1.0

Prioritization 7.0 - 2026-2035 Draft STIP

Overview

Important dates to remember in the Prioritization 7.0 process (updated June 2024).

October 27, 2023	Final Project Submittals due in SPOT On!ine.
October 27, 2023	Area-Specific Weights due.
May 1, 2024	Local Input Point Methodology must be approved by RTAC and SPOT Office.
May 24, 2024	Release of P7.0 Quantitative Scores with draft Statewide Mobility funding results.
May 28-Aug 30, 2024	Regional Impact Local Input window.
Sep 23-Nov 29, 2024	Division Needs Local Input window.
January 2025	Draft 2026-2035 STIP Released.

Draft Project Submittals

There are several ways that projects get submitted for consideration/scoring in the Prioritization process:

Projects can be submitted by MPOs or RPOs, such as CFRPO;
Projects can be submitted by the 14 local NCDOT Division Offices; and
Certain types of projects that were scored in previous rounds of Prioritization will automatically be carried forward for re-scoring in P7.0 without requiring submittal by an MPO, RPO, or Division. This includes projects that were funded in P5.0 but not committed for funding, projects that are segment siblings of funded P5.0 projects, and projects that have completed or active planning/project development underway. As a one-time condition, 2 projects per planning organization that were submitted in P6.0 qualify to be carried forward.

As part of the Prioritization 7.0 process, CFRPO is permitted to submit up to 19 projects in each mode of transportation (highway, bicycle/pedestrian, transit, aviation, rail, and ferry) for scoring. The list of draft projects under consideration for submittal was discussed during the RTAC meeting on August 11, 2023. That meeting's agenda packet can be found HERE.

Final Project Submittals

On September 15, 2023, the Cape Fear RPO Rural Transportation Advisory Committee (RTAC) adopted the official list of projects to be submitted to compete for funding in Prioritization 7.0. That list of projects was added to a number of additional projects that automatically compete for funding, including those that were funded in the STIP but where funding is not committed and those that are unfunded but related to committed projects.

Project Quantitative Scores

On Friday, May 24, 2024, NCDOT released the Prioritization 7.0 Quantitative Scores. For eligible Statewide Mobility projects, NCDOT also indicated whether projects scored high enough to be selected for funding in the Statewide Mobility funding category in the Draft 2026-2035 STIP. Projects selected for funding in the Regional Impact and Division Needs categories will depend on funding availability and the Local Input Points assigned by RPOs/MPOs and NCDOT Divisions. Preliminary schedules for selected projects will be provided with the release of the Draft 2026-2035 STIP in January 2025.

The Regional Impact Local Input Point assignment window is from Tuesday, May 28th to Friday, August 30th. The Division Needs Local Input Point assignment window is from Monday, September 23rd to Friday, November 29th.

The P7.0 Quantitative Scores for projects within or connected to the Cape Fear RPO planning area can be viewed HERE.

Local Input Point Methodology

On April 12, 2024, the Cape Fear RPO Rural Transportation Advisory Committee (RTAC) adopted the official methodology for assigning local input points to projects competing for funding in Prioritization 7.0 (P7.0). As part of that meeting, committee members received a presentation outlining the basics of local input points and the specific methodology that the Cape Fear RPO will implement for assigning points throughout the P7.0 cycle.

The RTAC-adopted methodology was then submitted to the NCDOT Strategic Prioritization (SPOT) Office, who notified the Cape Fear RPO on April 15, 2024, that the methodology was officially approved by NCDOT for the P7.0 cycle.

The Cape Fear RPO P7.0 Local Input Point Methodology can be viewed HERE.

Draft Point Assignments

Final Point Assignments

Projects Funded in the Draft STIP

P6.0 - 2024-2033 Current STIP

Overview

Prioritization 6.0 (P6.0) was originally scheduled to happen throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022, and was intended to direct project selection for the 2023-2032 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Due to cost increases and programming issues statewide, the P6.0 process was halted in August 2021. The sections below contain the draft and final project lists that were submitted to NCDOT, however there is no record pertaining to Local Input Point Methodology, Draft Point Assignments, or Final Point Assignments, as those phases of P6.0 never occurred.

NCDOT developed the 2024-2033 STIP using existing projects from the previously adopted 2020-2029 STIP. Projects with current construction schedules in the first three years (2024-2027), projects with right-of-way actively underway, and those with federal grants were programmed first; followed by a seniority approach of combined factors as oldest Prioritization cycle and highest scoring projects. There were no newly submitted projects from the P6.0 Prioritization cycle included in the 2024-2033 STIP.

Public Involvement - DRAFT STIP

After the release of the Draft STIP in August 2022, each of NCDOT’s 14 transportation divisions hosted a weeklong open house between September 1, 2022, and October 28, 2022. The purpose of these open houses was to inform citizens about projects in the Draft STIP and collect feedback. Additionally, multiple public input opportunities were available ahead of the development of the Draft STIP including the STI implementation process. Each open house allowed participants to study maps of projects in the Draft STIP and review proposed project schedules and information with Department staff. NCDOT also provided the ability for citizens to take an online survey as well as provide comments online, by phone or mail.

Current 2024-2033 STIP

Click HERE to view the current 2024-2033 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), approved by the Board of Transportation in June 2023.

Draft Project Submittals

There are several ways that projects get submitted for consideration/scoring in the Prioritization process:

Projects can be submitted by MPOs or RPOs, such as CFRPO;
Projects can be submitted by the 14 local NCDOT Division Offices; and
Certain types of projects that were scored in previous rounds of prioritization will automatically be carried forward for re-scoring in P6.0 without requiring submittal by an MPO, RPO, or Division. This includes projects that were funded in P5.0 but not committed for funding, projects that are segment siblings of funded P5.0 projects, and projects that have completed or active planning/project development underway.

As part of the Prioritization 6.0 process, CFRPO is permitted to submit up to 19 projects in each mode of transportation (highway, bicycle/pedestrian, transit, aviation, rail, and ferry) for scoring. The list of draft projects under consideration for submittal can be found HERE.

Final Project Submittals

On April 10, 2020, the Cape Fear RPO Rural Transportation Advisory Committee (RTAC) adopted the official list of projects to be submitted to compete for funding in Prioritization 6.0. That list of projects was added to a number of additional projects that automatically compete for funding, including those that were funded in the STIP but where funding is not committed and those that are unfunded but related to committed projects.

P5.0

Prioritization 5.0

On August 18, 2017, the Cape Fear RPO Rural Transportation Advisory Committee (RTAC) adopted the official list of unfunded projects to be submitted to compete for funding in Prioritization 5.0. That list of projects was added to a number of additional projects that automatically compete for funding, including those that were funded in the STIP but where funding is not committed and those that are unfunded but related to committed projects.
On February 16, 2018, the Cape Fear RPO RTAC adopted a local input methodology for how to prioritize local transportation projects competing for funding.
On April 3, 2018, NCDOT released the quantitative scores for all projects competing in Prioritization 5.0 along with project funded at the Statewide Mobility tier.
On May 18, 2018, the Cape Fear RPO RTAC, using its adopted local input methodology, adopted preliminary Regional Impact tier local input point assignments for the 1300 available local input points. Final Regional Impact tier local input point assignments for the Regional Impact funding tier were adopted on July 13th.
On August 30, NCDOT released the list of Prioritization 5.0 projects funded at the Regional Impact tier.
On October 19th, The Cape Fear RPO RTAC, using its adopted local input methodology, adopted preliminary Division Needs tier local input point assignments for the 1300 available local input points. Final Division Needs local input point assignments were adopted on November 16th. The assigned local input points will be combined with local input points from NCDOT Division Engineers and the project quantitative scores to develop a prioritized list of projects that will form the basis for the 2020-2029 STIP. As more information is available it will be reported here.

Project summary sheets have been created for each project competing for funding at the current prioritization tier. The sheets identify a number of project details, including a map, description, cost, and local input point assignments.

State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

In August 2017, after a nearly two-year process, the N.C. Board of Transportation approved, the 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which identifies transportation projects that will receive funding from 2018 to 2027. An excerpt of the STIP containing only the projects in the Cape Fear RPO area can be downloaded HERE and the map below shows all projects that were funded across the state. The 2018-2027 STIP was developed using Prioritization 4.0. Additional information about development of the STIP, the STI law, and the Prioritization process, can be found HERE.

STIP Project Map

The interactive map below shows all the projects included in the 2018-2027 State Transportation Improvement Program. Click on a project for more details.

View larger map

P4.0

P3.0

P2.0

P1.0