Transportation affects almost every aspect of our lives.
We use the transportation system each day, to go to work, to school, to visit family and friends, to shop, and to participate in recreational activities. Our extensive national transportation system of roads, bridges, transit systems, rail lines, and airports are essential for our economy. Our transportation system is the network that connects our national and local economies, and allows us to efficiently move people and goods from place to place.
Metropolitan Planning Organization and its functions.
Transportation planning in metropolitan areas is a collaborative process, led by the MPO and other key stakeholders in the regional transportation system. The process is designed to foster involvement by all interested parties, such as the business community, community groups, environmental organizations, and the general public through a proactive public participation process conducted by the MPO in coordination with the state department of transportation and transit operators.
The planning process includes a number of steps:
• Forecasting future population and employment growth;
• Assessing projected land uses in the region;
• Forecasting future travel demand;
• Identifying major growth corridors and analyzing, through detailed planning studies, various transportation improvements;
• Estimating the impact of the transportation system on air quality within the region in (non-attainment areas); and
• Developing a financial plan that covers operating costs, maintenance of the system, system preservation costs and new capital investments.
Key documents produced by the metropolitan planning process.
