By Jeff Raliski, Transportation Analyst II

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) on May 15, 2025 approved the agency’s new Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The UPWP is a federal requirement that serves as the region’s blueprint for the transportation planning priorities and activities to be advanced within the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area during the upcoming fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025. 

The Hampton Roads FY 2026 UPWP has been completed in cooperation with the Virginia Departments of Transportation and Rail and Public Transportation, and the three regional transit agencies (Hampton Roads Transit, Suffolk Transit, and Williamsburg Area Transit). As detailed in the accompanying chart, the total funding allocated in FY 2025 across all agencies and activities amounts to $10.1 million, with Federal and State funding making up 87% of this amount. 

Key planning priorities identified in the UPWP for the upcoming year center on supporting enhanced Scenario Planning activities as inputs to the ongoing update to the region’s Long Range Transportation Plan, efforts to improve the Resilience of the Transportation Systems, increasing Safe and Accessible Multimodal Transportation Options, and supporting Emerging Transportation Technologies.  

Additionally, the new UPWP document outlines key work elements including developing and maintaining the region’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and regional Performance Management metrics. The new UPWP also seeks to advance several special studies and analyses requested by member jurisdictions. Overarching all of this work are multiple and diverse Public Participation activities and opportunities helping to ensure that all residents of Hampton Roads have meaningful input on the future of transportation in the region.  

The complete approved FY 2026 Unified Planning Work Program can be viewed at the following link:  https://www.hrtpo.org/462/Unified-Planning-Work-Program

HRTPO FY 2026 UPWP Funding Sources