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FHWA interpretation complicates STBG/CMAQ commitments for multicounty MPOs, stakeholders tell CTC
Summary
Participants at the CTC STIP guidelines workshop said Federal Highway Administration guidance now requires region-wide competitions for STBG and CMAQ commitment in multicounty MPOs, a change that may delay programming of those formula funds into the STIP until competitive processes conclude.
At the workshop, Peter DeHaan, representing Ventura (and speaking as a stakeholder), told the California Transportation Commission that recent FHWA interpretations require a region-wide competitive call for projects before STBG and CMAQ funds in a multicounty metropolitan planning organization can be treated as committed in the federal transportation improvement program (FTIP).
"Federal Highways has interpreted federal law to say that in a multicounty MPO, the only way for STBG and CMAQ to be committed is through a region-wide competitive call for projects," DeHaan said, adding that the change affects programming cycles and may mean some agencies cannot program those funds into the STIP until competitions are complete.
CTC staff and stakeholders discussed practical consequences. DeHaan noted that Southern California's SCAG is conducting the required competition and that the competition will program FY 28–29 funds, so projects for the new STIP years may not be committed in time for the STIP cycle. That timing mismatch could force projects to be treated like discretionary programs awaiting competition results, which would affect whether projects meet the CTC's definition of "committed funding."
CTC staff said they would review the language in the guidelines that describes what constitutes a committed fund and consider whether additional wording is needed to address federal rule changes and the time lag created by regional competitions.
Ending: Staff asked stakeholders to submit comments; CTC will review committed-funding language ahead of the June draft guidelines presentation but did not adopt any changes at the workshop.
