Priority Projects

Priority Transportation Projects

Each year, the TPO is responsible for developing a list of priority Polk transportation projects and submitting the list to the Florida Department of Transportation for consideration during development of the Five-Year Work Program for Polk County.

The TPO accepts applications and project proposals from local governments for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TA), Complete Streets (CS), Multi-Use Trail (MUT), and Regional Multi-Use Trail (RMUT) projects to prioritize projects included in the annual TPO Priority Transportation Projects list. These projects are based on the goals and objectives of the TPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan and are intended to promote safety, enhance mobility and reduce congestion for all users of the transportation system.

The TPO has adopted performance targets to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of Polk County’s transportation system. Polk TPO staff encourages all applicants to review these targets before submitting project applications for review. Please note, priority will be given to those projects which assist the TPO in reaching the targets set forth in LRTP.

Download Priority Projects Guide 

Levels of priority for project applications

1.   Candidate Neighborhood Mobility Audits projects, as well as transportation alternative projects in traditionally underserved neighborhoods;
2.   Improvements recommended in either the Complete Streets Action Plans or the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Action Plans. This includes engineering or educational measures; and
3.   Any other project included in LRTP, e.g., multi-use trails, transit enhancements or other safety and multi-modal projects.

If the applicant intends to construct the project (rather than FDOT) the local government will be responsible for design of the project and must be Local Agency Program (LAP)-certified prior to the start of the fiscal year in which the project is programmed. Design of 60% of the project must be completed by March of the prior fiscal year that the project is programmed for construction. For example, if a project is programmed for construction in FY 2024/25, 60% design must be complete by March FY 2023. If the applicant is not LAP-certified, design funds should be requested in the project proposal.

Project Prioritization

The Polk TPO will establish priorities for local and regional projects separately. There will also be separate lists for each eligible category of funding; CS, TA, MUT and RMUT. Each list of projects will be ranked in ascending order with number one representing the top priority.

A sub-committee composed of members from Technical Advisory Committee and Adviser Network will evaluate, score, and rank each project proposal in the TA, MUT and RMUT categories according to the adopted criteria.

The highest-ranked projects from each list will be included in the TPO Priority Project list. The Priority Project list is first reviewed by the advisory committees and recommendations are then forwarded to the TPO Board for adoption.

To obtain a copy of this document contact Polk TPO.