Nevertheless, funds are also allocated to maintain equity among jurisdictions. It is intended that TIPs are supposed to follow these general priorities and set out projects that have reasonable prospects of being financed. Often TIP projects emerge instead from local and county government proposals, rather than being identified at the regional level as within the long-range priorities. Land-use decisions are made principally by the region's 780 municipalities, through the issuance of building permits, zoning, and approval of large developments. New Jersey and Connecticut have state land use plans, but heretofore have not enforced them on municipalities.
Counties also have planning agencies that, in many cases, have adopted a detailed land use plan.
Transportation plans of an MPO, which must be shown to be consistent with land use plans, generally assume continuation of current land use and demographic trends. Even where states have adopted land use plans, they have not significantly affected decisions on individual transportation projects. That pattern may change with the strong directive of the governor of New Jersey for compliance of state programs with a state-wide redevelopment plan to curb urban sprawl. The Governor has also adopted a program to increase the purchase of a million acres of farmland and other open space. New York has no land use plan, and Connecticut's is limited to state projects and has often been ignored by State agencies.