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MPO PROGRAMS
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
Each Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is federally required to develop a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - a fiscally-constrained list of upcoming transportation projects - covering a period of at least four years. The TIP is developed in cooperation with the state and public transit providers and includes all regionally significant projects receiving FHWA or FTA funds, or for which FHWA or FTA approval is required, in addition to non-federally funded projects that are consistent with Missoula's long-range transportation plan, Missoula Connect 2050.
TIP Amendment Two (Current; adopted May 2026)
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is an annual, federally required statement to govern work programs for the expenditure of FHWA and FTA funds. The UPWP includes a description of the planning work and resulting products, who will perform the work, time frames for completing the work, the cost of the work, and the source(s) of funds for planning activities within a metropolitan planning area.
FFY 2026 UPWP (Current; adopted August 2025)
Transportation Alternatives (TA)
The TA Program provides federal funding for projects that improve active transportation options, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit-related infrastructure and maintenance. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) serving urbanized areas with populations greater than 50,000 may administer their own competitive TA funding process with approval and oversight from the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). As a result, the Missoula MPO manages a competitive grant process for TA funds allocated to the Missoula urban area while coordinating with MDT to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Count Program
The Bike and Pedestrian Count Program was started in 2010 to better understand active transportation traffic patterns in Missoula. Counts are conducted by volunteers each fall and spring at numerous stations around town and are used to help understand trends and patters in bicycle and pedestrian travel.