2001-06 TIP Update

 

 

Fiscal Balance and the 2001-06 TIP

 

CDTC's adopted 1997-02 TIP, incorporated into the 1997-02 State Transportation Improvement Program, included a conscious over-programming of STP fund sources (STP urban and STP flex were overprogrammed over the five years by about $47M) balanced by a conscious under-programming of NHS and other federal highway fund sources.  This reflected the outcome of the open, collaborative state-local planning and programming process and selection of the most important projects in the region.  CDTC and NYSDOT Region 1 were able to advance this program because of the wide latitude granted to NYSDOT by federal law (in transferring funds from one source to another) and because of the wide latitude granted to NYSDOT in CDTC's adopted "project selection" guidelines (in shifting individual projects from one fund source to another).

 

As in the 1999-04 TIP update, the 2001-06 TIP development process resulted primarily in honoring existing project commitments, to highway projects both on state and non-state highways as well as to transit projects.  Very few entirely new candidate projects were added to the TIP as a result.  However, in the past few years, CDTC counted on NYSDOT's exercise of its broad fund source flexibility responsibilities to match funds by source to CDTC's agreed project list.  But during this update, the imbalances between fund sources were diminished, so that the need for such flexibility is lessened.

 

 

The 2001-06 TIP Update Process

 

In September of 2000, a letter was sent to every jurisdiction's chief elected official, notifying him or her of the initiation of TIP development.  Similar letters went to other agencies that are eligible to sponsor federal-aid transportation projects, such as NYSDOT, the Thruway Authority, the Canal Corporation, private railroads, and other state agencies.  These letters were intended to notify participants that CDTC was in the process of the TIP update and that CDTC might solicit for candidate projects shortly, once CDTC determined if there was funding available.  During the TIP update, it eventually became apparent that a broad solicitation would not be justified by the available funds.  Subsequent letters informed the participants of this. 

 

During the update, CDTC decided to maintain fiscal constraint over the five-year programming period of the TIP.  For the first time, this included reserving funds to absorb projects from the committed period (1999-01), which aren’t obligated by the end of that period, and automatically enter into or roll over into the first year of the TIP (2001-02).  This was in response to recent NYSDOT policy to require offsets (project deferrals, reductions or deletions) to compensate for rollovers.  Maintaining fiscal constraint in the five-year program increases the likelihood that at the next update (scheduled for the 2003-08 TIP) there would be significant funding for new projects.

 

Available highway resources were calculated using the Annual Allocation Table from NYSDOT Main Office, which established NYSDOT Region 1 program levels by federal highway fund source, by year.  These estimates were then adjusted to reflect the CDTC metropolitan area’s historic percentages of NYSDOT Region 1’s federal-aid resources and then refined.  A total of approximately $497M in federal-aid highway resources was expected to be available to the CDTC metropolitan area during the TIP period. 

 

Available transit funds were obtained from the Federal Register for the first three years of the TIP.  Current federal funding expires at that point, and is assumed to increase with inflation.  This results in a total of about $57M for the five-year TIP programming period.

 

This update includes the following in the 2001-06 TIP:

 

¨     All TIP amendments approved since May 1999. 

 

¨     A large number of “routine” project progressions reflecting project schedule adjustments and minor funding revisions.  These totaled about $10M.

 

¨     Several additional Interstate projects (R224, R225 and S158).  These totaled about $39M. 

 

¨     Existing TIP projects considered to be ongoing commitments or set-asides were continued at previous levels.  Also, some previously discontinued set-asides were reinstated.

 

¨     Several projects for state or Interstate roads to which CDTC had commitments for construction were ready to move from the post period to the five-year period.  These projects (A229, A235, A275, R185, R186 and R190) totaled about $34M in increases to the program.

 

¨     About $11M was added to the HBRR program, primarily in the form of funding for state bridges not previously on the TIP (A416, R179, R188, SA144, SA184 and S129).

 

¨     About $36M was added to the TIP to projects needing major funding increases.  These increases included a $3M increase to the State Street Streetscape project (S144).  This is significant because S144 had been an enhancement-type project, with a funding cap.  But the cap was lifted from this project largely because the project sponsor had secured about $4.5M in local funding and because, in retrospect, the project only partly fits the description of an enhancement project.  However, despite $36M in increases, several projects did not receive the increases necessary to accomplish the purposes of those projects at most recent cost estimates.  This was done in order to maintain fiscal constraint in the five-year program and to balance the increases between funding sources, project jurisdictions and project types.  Any parts of these projects, listed below, that aren’t funded, may compete for funding, if and when such funding becomes available, with other candidates.  If so, they will be given no credit for having been on the TIP at one time.

 

·       Reconstruction of Clifton Park Center Road, Ushers Road and Vishers Ferry Road (SA101): Funding was increased to accomplish the full scope for Ushers Road and Vishers Ferry Road.  However, the reconstruction of Clifton Park Center Road was dropped from the project.

 

·       Reconstruction of Central Avenue (A341): This project was originally to go from Manning Boulevard to the Albany City line.  Funding was increased substantially to accomplish the full scope, with all New Visions amenities, from Everett Road to the Albany line.  The remainder of the project was deleted.

 

·       Consaul Road Reconstruction (S139): This project was dropped from the program, due partially to the new increased cost as estimated from CDTC unit costs.  The Realignment of Maple Avenue “S” Curve (S157), which had contingency status in the 1986-91 TIP as project C4, was reinstated to the TIP at the cost of the Consaul Road project dropped from the program ($1.24M total).

 

 

¨     Major regional projects were reexamined regarding cost and scope.  The total increase to the five-year programming period of the TIP was $17M.  Some of these projects are highlighted below.

 

·       Slingerlands Bypass (A242 & A243): The cost for Phase 2 (extension as two-lane facility) was increased by $5.5M as a cost update.  Construction funding for Phase 3 (widening to four lanes) was decreased from $12.6M to $6.0M and moved to the post five-year period.  Therefore, the total TIP funding within the five-year period of the TIP for these two projects combined, decreased by about $7M.

 

·       Balltown Road (SA108 and S96): Phase two of Balltown Road (widening of Balltown Road from River Road to Aqueduct Road in Niskayuna and from Riverview Road to Glenridge Road in Clifton Park) was kept outside the five year period.  The funding for phase one (Rexford Bridge), was increased by about $3.0M.

 

·       Glenridge Road (SA109 and S120): The two-railroad bridge option was chosen during the 1999-04 update, rather than the railroad bridge consolidation option, as the reference alternative for the Glenridge Road project.  The cost for this project was decreased by about $4.5M and remains in the five-year period.

 

·       Exit 3 or 4 Airport Connector (A240): The total funding for this project was reduced by about $3M and is now fully in the five-year period.

 

 

¨     All 100% State Dedicated Fund (SDF) projects are included as submitted by NYSDOT.  These projects are not funded with federal-aid.  Therefore, they show on the TIP for information only and are not subject to CDTC project evaluations. 

 

¨     All 100% Thruway and Canal Corporation funded projects are included as submitted by the Thruway Authority. These projects are not funded with federal-aid.  Therefore, they show on the TIP for information only and are not subject to CDTC project evaluations.

 

 

The sum total of CDTC's existing commitments, including cost increases and scope changes, as outlined above is $447M in matched federal-aid from Federal Highway Administration fund sources.  Thus, with $497M in available funds, this leaves about $50M available for offsets for rollovers, additional projects and cost increases.