Metropolitan Planning -
It’s All About Cooperation!
Our April luncheon featured a discussion on transportation issues and updates from H. Wayne Gaither FDOT Southwest Area Office Director, Executive Directors Don Scott (Lee Couty MPO), and Anne McGlaughlin (Collier County MPO). Click here to view their presentations. This issue of The Chamber's SWFTR Newsletter brings you some history on MPOs.
Did you know that the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962 required, as a condition for federal transportation financial assistance, that each urbanized area with a population of 50,000 or more be required to establish a transportation planning process that incorporates cooperation by the states and local governments? This was considered the birth of the 3C (continuing, comprehensive and cooperative) planning process. Subsequently, the Bureau of Public Roads (predecessor to the Federal Highway Administration) required the creation of planning entities to carry out the required planning process.
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) came into being to address these federal funding requirements. In Southwest Florida there are five regional planning organizations that regularly cooperate to address regional transportation initiatives, Charlotte County – Punta Gorda MPO, Collier County MPO, Heartland Regional TPO, Lee County MPO, and Sarasota-Manatee MPO.
Each MPO/TPO has area government partners including local counties, cities, and towns who cooperate with each other and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to plan improvements to our interconnected roadway systems, bicycle/pedestrian paths, traffic safety initiatives, and public transportation systems.
Your local MPO/TPO holds regular meetings to conduct planning and discuss transportation issues. The public is encouraged to attend these meeting to share their concerns. Each organization is also happy to take your comments and input via email submission. A schedule of meetings and contact information can be found on each planning organizations’ website.
To learn more about your local MPO and its partners and to access meeting schedules, please click here.
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