Overview

The Interregional Transportation Strategic Plan (ITSP) is a statewide plan that guides investment along California’s interregional corridors. The current 2021 ITSP was updated to align with the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), the California Transportation Plan (CTP) 2050, the Caltrans 2020 Freight Mobility Plan, and the 2018 State Rail Plan. In 2022, the ITSP Addendum was developed not as an update to the ITSP, but instead it provided more detailed information on the needs of each strategic interregional corridor and tailored the ITSP’s statewide strategies to suit the unique needs of California’s diverse regions. The 2022 Addendum maintained the goals, policies, strategies, and facility designations from the 2021 ITSP. Now that CTP is currently being updated, the ITSP need to be updated to be in alignment with the statute.

Go to Initial Input Survey tab if you would like to provide initial feedback! 

What's new in the 2027 ITSP update? 

The Interregional Transportation Strategic Plan (ITSP) is mandated by California Government Code Section 14524.4 and must remain consistent with the California Transportation Plan (CTP), as updated pursuant to Section 65070. Caltrans is currently updating the next ITSP to ensure new policies are incorporated ahead of the next Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) nomination cycle in 2028. This will be the third update since the plan's original adoption in 1998. The update will implement current policies, goals, and direction established in the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) 2.0, the California Transportation Plan (CTP),  other Caltrans Modal Plan updates, and the Caltrans System Investment Strategies (CSIS) for refining the ITIP Project evaluation process and criteria. Lastly, the 2027 ITSP also aims to update the Interregional Travel definition and to combine both the 2021 ITSP and the 2022 ITSP Addendum into one document.

How does the ITSP influence the ITIP? 

The ITSP guides the Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) funding towards intercity rail corridors (for interregional travel) and a subset of (priority) routes identified in California Legislatively-designated Interregional Road System (IRRS). State law requires that transportation capital improvement funds (Section 164) be divided, with 25% dedicated to interregional improvements and 75% for regional improvements. Of the interregional share, 60% must be invested in state highways outside large urban areas (over 50,000 population) and intercity rail, with at least 15% specifically for intercity rail projects, including grade separations. Eligible interregional projects include state highways, intercity passenger rail, mass transit guideways, and grade separations that support the interregional movement of people and goods. Regional improvement funds may be used for a wide range of projects such as highways, local roads, transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, safety projects, and intermodal connections.

The graphs below shows how the State Transportation Improvement Program's 25% ITIP is further allocated.