FAQs
Definition and thresholds: RSPs must have a substantial impact on the metropolitan transportation system, land use, economic development, or other regional characteristics. MPO’s must establish specific thresholds or factors to aid in the determination of whether a project is regionally significant. Examples of RSP thresholds used by comparable MPOs include project size, scope, cost, potential impacts, and alignment with regional goals and priorities.
Identification and selection: MPO’s must establish a mechanism through which RSPs are identified, evaluated and selected within the metropolitan transportation planning process. This typically involves developing a call for candidate projects and establishing screening and evaluation criteria to assist in prioritizing projects for inclusion on the constrained project list.
Documentation and Reporting: Documentation and reporting of the selection and RSP performance evaluation process is required to ensure transparency and compliance with federal regulations.
What might change for Regionally Significant Projects during this planning cycle?
In this upcoming long-range plan cycle, CMAP intends to consider key provisions of the RSP process including:
Why are we doing this?
Each iteration of the RTP presents an opportunity for CMAP to reflect upon its existing RSP policies and processes.
Doing so ensures that the regional planning process both meets federal obligations and facilitates regional consensus on where to allocate limited resources. Improvements to this process serve to enhance collaboration among regional transportation implementing agencies and promote the alignment of regional goals in large-scale capital planning. Beyond these benefits, two key considerations highlight the need for this resource group’s input into CMAP’s RSP policies and processes:
The federal government recommends that CMAP revisit RSP definitions and thresholds.
Every four years, the FHWA and FTA conduct a certification review of CMAP and the overall regional transportation planning process to determine if both meet federal planning requirements.
The most recent certification review was conducted in 2022 and included the recommendation that CMAP “revisit the threshold criteria for Regionally Significant Projects” prior to the next long-range transportation plan. The recommendation further explained that “the goal for RSPs should be to provide for a reasonably sized universe of project to be considered and allow the plan to identify and prioritize the most critical projects in the region and to focus resources on accomplishing them.” The review also stated that the updated RSP thresholds in ON TO 2050 “…are capturing many arterial roadway projects that may not be fully representative of the intended highest priority considerations or representative of the multimodal goals of the region.”
The 2022 recommendation built on a 2014 certification review recommendation that explained the “identification of Regionally Significant Projects [previously called Major Capital Projects] should be based on impact, not scope, of projects.” For example, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems may have similar service characteristics and travel benefits to rail transit and should be evaluated along with more traditional heavy rail and commuter rail projects. Similarly, large reconstruction projects may have regionally significant impacts even if they add little or no capacity to the network. Furthermore, the review suggested that a more holistic definition could also better capture true regional priorities.
The region must capitalize on historic levels of funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Signed into law in November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, authorized a $1.2 trillion investment in transportation and infrastructure, with almost half of these resources dedicated to new funding programs. These funding levels present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the region’s transportation network and implement regionally significant projects. Progress on this front has already been made through CMAP’s work with implementing partners and other stakeholders to identify priority projects for the region. Implementers, like Metra and the City of Chicago, have already secured grant funding from IIJA to rebuild aging bridges and rail structures.
Through the next RTP, the region can continue this progress by identifying RSPs that align with regional priorities and address the most pressing challenges on the transportation system, including state-of-good repair needs, congestion, air quality, and safety. With newly established funding sources like the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) and the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program, the region can also better mitigate the effects of a changing climate and create long-term transportation resilience to climate hazards.
To accelerate these regional goals and leverage historic funding opportunities, CMAP must ensure that the next RTP’s RSP policies and processes facilitate these types of investments by building consensus on regional priorities.
What can I expect as a member of the resource group?
Members should anticipate a monthly commitment of at least an hour to meet virtually and actively participate in discussions. Members should also expect to commit a couple of hours on select months to reviewing pre-read materials and reports. CMAP will notify members with sufficient notice in advance when needed.
Thank you for being a part of the resource group!