THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR P 7.0 DRAFT PROJECT SUBMITTALS IS NOW OPEN AND WILL CLOSE ON OCTOBER 19TH AT 1:00PM
Public comment can be made using the form below. Comments can also be submitted via phone at (828)-251-6622, via email at mpo@landofsky.org, or at the October Board meeting (in-person or virtually) which will be held on October 19th at 1:00pm.
GET TO KNOW THE STRATEGIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS (AKA: SPOT 7.0)
Strategic Prioritization Office OF Transportation (SPOT)
The Strategic Prioritization Process is a data-driven, transparent method for prioritizing transportation projects and is used to develop the State Transportation Improvement Program/ Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program(STIP/MTIP), which identify the projects that will be funded during a 10-year period. Prioritization scores all roadway, public transportation, bicycle & pedestrian, rail, ferry, and aviation projects based upon approved criteria.
The Prioritization Process (aka SPOT) is the process that determines the majority of capital improvement projects funded through NCDOT and NCDOT’s allotment of federal funds. The process is governed by the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) Law of 2012 that provides the framework for a more data-driven and transparent process that also utilizes local input from NCDOT Divisions, MPOs, and RPOs. In relation to other aspects of transportation planning, the prioritization process serves as the bridge to determine what long-range needs are funded in the TIP/STIP for implementation.
P 7.0 refers to the seventh iteration of the prioritization process in North Carolina and will be the process that determines what new projects are funded in the 2026- 2035 TIP/STIP.
What’s Changed Between P 6.0 and P 7.0?
In sum, not a lot. The process is still very much the same with some modifications or “tweaks” that have changed how some projects will be scored and opened the process to more project types. Some of the more substantive changes include:
- Microtransit is now an eligible submittal for transit funding
- Rail Modernization is now an eligible submittal for rail funding
- A minimum of 6% of funding will be programmed to non-highway (the previous minimum was 4%); 90% minimum for highway funding remains the same
Public Comment for SPOT 7.0 is open! Click HERE for the Draft Submittal List and info on how to submit Public Comment.
SPOT 7.0 Schedule
| DATE | EVENT |
| July 2023 | Local Government Discussion on Potential Submittals |
| August 2023 | Draft Submittal List (Board Action Required) |
| August – September 2023 | Public Comment on Draft Submittal List |
| October 2023 | Final Submittal List (Board Action Required) |
| March 2024 | Data Review |
| April 2024 | Local Input Point Methodology Adoption (Board Action Required) |
| May 2024 | Statewide Mobility Projects Programmed |
| June 2024 | Draft Local Input Assignment for Regional Impact Projects |
| June – July 2024 | Public Comment on Draft Local Input Point Assignment for Regional Impact Projects |
| July 2024 | Final Local Input Point Assignment for Regional Impact Projects |
| September 2024 | Regional Impact Projects Programmed |
| November 2024 | Draft Local Input Point Assignment for Division Needs Projects |
| November – December 2024 | Public Comment on Draft Local Input Point Assignment for Division Needs Projects |
| December 2024 | Final Local Input Point Assignment for Division Needs Projects |
| March 2025 | Draft 2026 – 2035 TIP/STIP Released |
| September 2025 | Final 2026 – 2035 TIP/STIP (Board Action Required) |
For more information regarding the development of the 2026 – 2035 STIP click here.