In Fiscal year 2000, the Dallas County Commissioners Court replaced its traditional bond-financing approach to funding infrastructure improvements with a Major Capital Improvement Program (MCIP). The underlying theory of this new approach is that a project will take five years from approval of funding to final construction, and that every year projects will be authorized for funding and projects will be completed. Thus, in any given year, there will always be projects in each of various phases of implementation (i.e. design, property acquisition, construction). In contrast, under the bond-financing method, all projects are authorized at the same time and are constructed at the same time.

Dallas County Public Works Department implements the MCIP through a biennial, county-wide call-for-projects that evaluates thoroughfare improvement projects and bicycle and pedestrian facilities submitted by Dallas County cities. 

Final MCIP project selections are decided by Dallas County Commissioners Court.