Rural Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP)

The Lowcountry Council of Governments (LCOG) Rural Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) details projects and programs that have obligated federal funding. The 2021-2027 RTIP is the first to cover a seven-year period, rather than a four-year period, and has been developed by LCOG with the cooperation of SCDOT and LRTA.While the RTIP is usually approved every four years, the document may be amended throughout the year. Procedures for amending and modifying the RTIP are detailed in the RTIP document. The RTIP may also include surface transportation projects that are being implemented by the state, city, county, or regional transit agency for which federal funding is requested, as well as regionally significant projects requiring action by the FHWA or the FTA.

RTIP Requirements

The FAST Act, along with state requirements for COGs state that a TIP comprise the following:

1. Identify transportation improvement projects recommended for advancement during the program years. The projects required are those located within the study area and receiving Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) or Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds
2. Identify the criteria and process for prioritization for inclusion of projects in the RTIP and any changes for past RTIPs
3. Group improvements of similar urgency and anticipated staging into appropriate staging periods; Include realistic estimates of total costs and revenue for the program period
4. Include a discussion of how improvements recommended for the Long Range Transportation Plan and congestion model were merged into the plan;
5. List major projects from previous TIPs that were implemented and identified and major delays in planning implementation.
6. Include, to the maximum extent practicable, a description of the anticipated effect of the TIP toward achieving the performance targets identified in the long-range plan.

Financial Constraint

The RTIP must be financially constrained, meaning that the amount of funding programmed must not exceed the amount of funding estimated to be available. Should an action occur in the future that significantly affects the funding of programmed projects in the RTIP, LCOG along with its partners and the project sponsors would review the impact to the RTIP. Appropriate action, such as potential amendments to the RTIP, to address the funding of affected projects would be taken at that time.