The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.     
       (1) Commission--Texas Transportation Commission.      
       (2) Department--Texas Department of Transportation.      
       (3) Executive director--The executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation or his or her designee.      
       (4) FHWA--Federal Highway Administration.      
       (5) Local agreement--An agreement between the project sponsor and the department which includes a commitment for the required local funding, describes the total scope and course of project activities, and outlines the responsibilities and duties of the participants.      
       (6) Metropolitan planning organization (MPO)--The organization or policy board of an organization created and designated under 23 U. S. C. §134, and 49 U. S. C. §5303, to make transportation planning decisions for the metropolitan planning area and carry out the metropolitan planning process.      
       (7) Project--An undertaking to implement or construct an eligible activity at a specific location or locations, or, if the context so implies, the particular activity so implemented or constructed.      
       (8) Project sponsor--An eligible entity as described by 23 U. S. C. §213, that nominates a particular project for consideration, exercises jurisdiction over the geographic area in which that project is located, and commits to the project's development, implementation, construction, maintenance, management, and financing.      
       (9) State--The State of Texas or any of its political subdivisions.      
       (10) Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)--A four year short-range program developed by the department as a compilation of all metropolitan transportation improvement programs, together with rural transportation improvement programs, that include recommendations from rural planning organizations and department districts for the areas of the state that are outside of the boundaries of a metropolitan planning organization, including transportation between cities.      
       (11) Surface transportation system--An interconnected surface transportation network for moving people and goods using various combinations of transportation modes.      
       (12) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)--A short-range program developed by each metropolitan planning organization in cooperation with the department and public transportation operators that covers a four-year period and contains a prioritized listing of all projects proposed for federal funding and regionally significant projects proposed for state, federal, and local funding in a metropolitan area.      
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §11.301 adopted to be effective October 12, 2014, 39 TexReg 7938