Core products

The RRTPO administers three regional transportation funding programs:

• the Regional Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (RSTBG);
• the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program; and
• Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside.

These federally-funded transportation programs are designed to empower communities to cooperatively determine the future of transportation in a region. Although the federal funds are provided to and administered by the state, the project selection and allocation decisions of how to expend the funds are performed by locally-elected officials coming together as a regional council known as a metropolitan planning organization or transportation planning organization.

Each year, the member localities and regional transportation partners engage in a competitive process where projects are submitted for funds from these programs. Together, the RRTPO members assess the merit and regional value of each before determining final allocations.