STP Transportation Enhancement
All projects applying for Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Surface Transportation Program (STP) or STP Transportation Enhancement (TE) funding must be sponsored by one or more of the nineteen MPO member governments, the Iowa Department of
Transportation, or the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority.
To be eligible to apply for MPO STP or STP TE funding a project must be consistent with the MPO’s adopted metropolitan transportation plan. Roads must be on the federal-aid system, bridges must be on the federal-aid system, and bicycle/pedestrian facilities must be on the MPO’s adopted plan. The federal-aid system contains all roadways classified as collector or
higher, for the urban area, or major collector or higher, for the rural area, under the Federal Functional Classification System.
The maximum amount of STP or STP TE funding is 80 percent of the total project cost. The
project sponsor must provide at least 20 percent of the total project cost through non-federal
funds.
Links
Application Process
STP TE applications are due on Friday, November 19, 2010. STP TE applications received after
this date will be considered ineligible for MPO STP funding. Exceptions may be granted at the
discretion of the MPO Executive Director only if the MPO Executive Director is contacted before
the established deadline and provided with a reasonable reason for the delay in submitting the application. The only recourse for project sponsors is the MPO.
The MPO staff will work with the MPO’s Trails Planning Subcommittee to determine project
eligibility, score, and rank the submitted Letters of Intent for the bicycle and pedestrian facility
category, based on the criteria contained in the application packet. The MPO staff will also work
with the MPO’s TTC Planning Subcommittee to determine project eligibility, score, and rank the
submitted Letters of Intent for the Scenic/Environmental and Historic Preservation category
based on the criteria contained in the application packet. There is an opportunity for each project applicant to review the results of the project ranking and ask questions or clarify the
information submitted in the project application.
After the Subcommittee’s approve the project ranking, the results are presented to the TTC for
review and approval. Only those projects receiving 50 points or more are eligible for the MPO
STP funding.
The TTC forwards its STP project ranking to the MPO and its MPO STP Funding Subcommittee
for review and funding recommendation. The MPO STP Funding Subcommittee will hold a
presentation session for all projects receiving 50 points or more from the TTC’s review.
The project’s sponsor will make project presentations. The presentations will last no more than
4-7 minutes (the amount of time will be determined based upon the number of projects eligible
for funding).
One copy of the application is required to be submitted. Additional copies of the applications
will be photocopied for the subcommittee’s use.
The MPO STP Funding Subcommittee will meet a second time, following the presentations, to
make their recommendation to the MPO for STP and STP TE funding. The meeting time and
place will be announced by the MPO and held in a public setting. No further presentations will
be made at this meeting. The public attending this meeting are given the opportunity to hear
the deliberations and the final recommendation, which will be made to the MPO.
Categories
STP TE funds support projects or programs that enhance the environmental, scenic, or cultural quality of a site or an area. All funded activities (projects) must be accessible to the general
public or targeted to a broad segment of the general public. The MPO groups twelve eligible
activities into three categories as follows:
1.Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities: Provision of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles; preservation of abandoned railway corridors; provision of safety and educational activities for pedestrians and bicycles.
2. Historic Preservation: Acquisition of historic sites; historic preservation; historic
highway programs (including provision of tourist and welcome center facilities);
rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings and structures;
archeological planning and research; establishment of transportation museums.
3. Scenic/Environmental: Acquisition of scenic easements; scenic highway
programs (including provision of tourist and welcome center facilities);
landscaping and other scenic beautification; control and removal of outdoor
advertising; mitigation of water pollution due to highway runoff or reduce
vehicle-caused wildlife mortality while maintaining habitat connectivity.
The following application types generally have been considered ineligible by the FHWA, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Transportation:
- Surfacing or resurfacing of existing roads or construction of new roads;
- Construction or surfacing of parking lots (unless trailhead parking lot);
- Construction of low water crossings on roads;
- Picnic shelters, picnic tables, grills (unless directly related to a trailhead);
- Construction of new buildings (unless they are rest rooms or trailhead shelters in
conjunction with trails that will accommodate bikes or pedestrians);
- Mitigation or NEPA Section 106 documentation of a bridge replacement;
- Applications without a public sponsor (city, state, or county agency);
- Historic applications where the facility or structure is not eligible for the National
Register of - Historic Places (please review with the State Historic Preservation Office,
SHPO); and,
- Historic preservation activities which do not demonstrate some significant historic
connection with the transportation system.
