FAQ’s & Funding Definitions

  1. Interested Parties
  2. Partners: Planning Partners
  3. RPO: Rural Planning Organization
  4. MPO: Metropolitan Planning Organization
  5. Act 120: PA Act 120 of 1970
  6. FAST Act: Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act
  7. TYP: Twelve Year Transportation Program
  8. STIP: Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
  9. PTAF: Act 26 Pennsylvania Transit Assistance Fund
  10. CB: Capital Budget
  11. 916: Appropriation 916
  12. 582: Appropriation 582
  13. 581: Appropriation 581
  14. 409: Act 89 Maintenance Funding
  15. 341: Public Transit Programs of Statewide Significance
  16. 185: Appropriation 185
  17. 183: Appropriation 183
  18. 179: Local Bridge Construction (Act 26 Counties)
  19. 164: Pennsylvania Transit Assistance Fund
  20. 5317: Federal Transit Administration New Freedom Program
  21. 5311: Federal Transit Administration Rural Area Formula Grants Program
  22. 5310: Federal Transit Administration Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Grants Program
  23. 5309: Federal Transit Administration New Starts Capital Program
  24. 5307: Federal Transit Administration Urban Area Formula Grants Program
  25. SXF: Special Federal Earmarked Funds
  26. STU: Surface Transportation Program – Urbanized Areas with Populations >200,000
  27. STR: Surface Transportation Rural
  28. STP: Surface Transportation Program
  29. RRX: Railway-Highway Crossing Program
  30. NHPP: National Highway Performance Program
  31. IM: Interstate Maintenance
  32. HSIP: Highway Safety Improvement Program
  33. CMAQ: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program
  34. BOO: Federal Bridge On/Off-System Program
  35. BOF: Federal Bridge Off-System Program
  36. APL: Appalachia Local Access
  37. APD: Appalachia Development Highway
  38. TIP: Transportation Improvement Program

Interested Parties

Citizens; affected public agencies; representatives of public transportation employees; freight shippers; providers of freight transportation services; private providers of transportation; advocacy groups representing users of public transportation, pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, or representing the physically challenged; agencies or entities responsible for safety/security operations, providers of non-emergency transportation services receiving financial assistance from a source other than Title 49 of the United States Code (49 USC) Chapter 53, tribal governments, and other interested parties with reasonable opportunities to be involved in the planning process


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Partners: Planning Partners

Generally referring to PennDOT on behalf of the Governor, the MPOs, RPOs, Wayne County, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), which includes the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). However, the term also includes the STC, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), other public transportation agencies throughout the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Department of 3 Environmental Protection (PADEP), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).


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RPO: Rural Planning Organization

Regional planning body under contract to PennDOT to provide transportation planning services for rural areas and urban areas less than 50,000 in population. RPOs function similarly to MPOs in the Transportation Program development process. The Commonwealth has four RPOs.


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MPO: Metropolitan Planning Organization

Regional planning body established under federal law and responsible for developing and approving a TIP. An MPO covers an urbanized area over 50,000 in population with the exception of small pieces of urbanized area that extend into Pennsylvania (eg. Hagerstown, MD). The Commonwealth has nineteen MPOs.


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Act 120: PA Act 120 of 1970

State legislation which established the State Transportation Commission (STC) and its related duties and responsibilities, and created the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Act 120 requires PennDOT to prepare and update Pennsylvania’s TYP every two years, and submit it to the STC.


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FAST Act: Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act

Federal transportation legislation signed by President Obama on December 4, 2015. No new policies or guidance have been issued as a result of passage of the FAST Act


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TYP: Twelve Year Transportation Program

Pennsylvania’s official 12-year listing of transportation projects mandated under state law, the first four years of which is the STIP


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STIP: Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

Pennsylvania’s official four-year listing of transportation projects mandated under federal law. The STIP is comprised of all of the TIPs


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PTAF: Act 26 Pennsylvania Transit Assistance Fund


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CB: Capital Budget


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916: Appropriation 916

  • State funds, allocated to each county, are provided from state Act 44
  • These funds can be applied to resurfacing projects, structurally deficient bridge projects (if the bridge is identified in a capital budget act), safety and capacity management (ITS and traffic signal optimization) projects
  • Funding ratio is usually 100%

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582: Appropriation 582

  • State maintenance funds are allocated to each county by an approved legislative formula
  • These allocated state funds finance the operations of various maintenance activities in each county, as such winter services, resurfacing projects, maintenance personnel, purchase materials, and other maintenance operations
  • If these funds are applied to resurfacing or state betterment projects, the funding ratio is 100% state and the projects are NOT identified on the TIP
  • Funding ratio is 20% on a federally funded betterment project which are identified on the TIP

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581: Appropriation 581

  • State highway capital funds are applied to a highway project on the state highway system
  • The funding ratio is 20% if matching federal funds at 80%. If non-federal funds are programmed, then the funding ratio is 100%
  • To apply these funds to a highway project, the projects bridge must be identified and included in a state Capital Budget Act

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409: Act 89 Maintenance Funding


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341: Public Transit Programs of Statewide Significance


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185: Appropriation 185

  • State funds applied to state funded bridge projects
  • If matching federal funds, the funding ratio is 20%. If no federal funds are programmed, then the funding ratio is 100%
  • To apply these funds to a state bridge, the bridge must be included in a state Capital Budget Act

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183: Appropriation 183

  • State funds applied to local bridge projects
  • The ratio of state funds being applied depends upon the scope of work and if federal funds are being applied. If federal funds are being applied, the state’s ratio can range from 10% to 15%. If no federal funds are being applied, then the state funding ratio can be 80%
  • To apply these funds to a local bridge, the bridge must be included in a state Capital Budget Act

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179: Local Bridge Construction (Act 26 Counties)


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164: Pennsylvania Transit Assistance Fund


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5317: Federal Transit Administration New Freedom Program


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5311: Federal Transit Administration Rural Area Formula Grants Program


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5310: Federal Transit Administration Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Grants Program


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5309: Federal Transit Administration New Starts Capital Program


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5307: Federal Transit Administration Urban Area Formula Grants Program


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SXF: Special Federal Earmarked Funds

  • Federal funds have been identified in federal law to be applied to a particular project
  • Funding is usually 80% federal

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STU: Surface Transportation Program – Urbanized Areas with Populations >200,000

  • STP funds are apportioned to the state’s urbanized areas over 200,000 and the remaining areas of the State in proportion to their relative share of the State’s population. Funds for urbanized areas over 200,000 population are further sub allocated to such areas based on each area’s share of population in areas over 200,000 population in the State
  • STU funds may generally be used by the states and localities for any roads, including National Highway System (NHS) roads that are not functionally classified as local or rural minor collectors. • The federal share is the same as STP

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STR: Surface Transportation Rural


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STP: Surface Transportation Program

  • The Surface Transportation Program provides flexible funding that may be used by States and localities for projects on any Federal-aid highway, including the NHS, bridge projects on any public road, transit capital projects, and intracity and intercity bus terminals and facilities
  • The federal share is generally 80%. When the funds are used for Interstate projects to add high occupancy vehicle or auxiliary lanes, but not other lanes, the federal share may be 90%. The federal share is 100% for certain safety improvements

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RRX: Railway-Highway Crossing Program

  • The purpose of this program is to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries at public highway-rail grade crossings through the elimination of hazards and/or the installation/upgrade of protective devices at crossings
  • The federal share is 90%. However, if the railroad sponsor funds the pre-construction phases at their expense, the federal share is 100% for the construction phase

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NHPP: National Highway Performance Program

  • NHPP funds can only be used on a roadway network comprised of the Interstate, National Highway System, and principal arterials
  • The federal share is generally 80%, but may be up to 100% for certain project types.

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IM: Interstate Maintenance


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HSIP: Highway Safety Improvement Program

  • This program is a core Federal-aid funding program designed to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.
  • The federal share is 90%, except that the federal share is 100% for certain safety improvements.

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CMAQ: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program

  • The CMAQ Program provides funding for projects and programs in air quality non attainment and maintenance areas for ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter (PM-10, PM-2.5) which will reduce transportation related emissions
  • The federal share is 80%, except on the interstate in which the federal share is 90%, and 100% for carpool/vanpool projects, priority control systems for emergency vehicles and transit vehicles and traffic control signalization

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BOO: Federal Bridge On/Off-System Program

Same as BOF, except funds can be applied to bridges either on or off the federal-aid system


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BOF: Federal Bridge Off-System Program

  • This federal program provides funding to enable States to improve the condition of their highway bridges through replacement, rehabilitation, and systematic preventive maintenance
  • The federal share for all projects is 80%, except on the interstate in which the federal share is 90%
  • Bridge improvements using these funds must increase the bridge’s sufficiency ratio or rating to 80 or greater
  • Federal funds are applied to bridges off the federal-aid system. Not less than 15% of a state’s annual allocations must be applied to bridges off the federal-aid system

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APL: Appalachia Local Access


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APD: Appalachia Development Highway


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TIP: Transportation Improvement Program

Four-year listing of transportation projects within the geographic boundary of each planning region in Pennsylvania. Interstate Highway System projects are managed in a separate Interstate Management TIP, but are included in regional TIPs for public review and comment. Fund reserves for statewide programs as well as line items for ongoing planning and administration projects are managed in a separate Statewide Items TIP.


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