Metropolitan Planning Organization

Monroe Urbanized Area

Overview

A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the policy board of an organization created and designated to carry out the metropolitan transportation planning process. MPOs are required to represent localities in all urbanized areas with populations over 50,000, as determined by the U.S. Census. MPOs are designated by agreement between the governor and local governments that together represent at least 75 percent of the affected population or in accordance with procedures established by applicable state or local law. When submitting a transportation improvement program to the state for inclusion in the statewide program, MPOs self-certify that they have met all federal requirements.

Monroe MPO

The Ouachita Council of Governments (OCOG) serves as the staff for the Monroe MPO. Funded through the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), with matching funds from local government, OCOG allows Northeast Louisiana to attain Federal and State grants for infrastructure development and improvement.

OCOG provides the metropolitan area with a 25-year long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan that includes local projects for inclusion in the Transportation Improvement Program and the Unified Planning Work Program.

Metropolitan Transportation Plan

A Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) must identify how the metropolitan area will manage and operate a multi-modal transportation system (including transit, highway, bicycle, pedestrian, and accessible transportation) to meet the region’s economic, transportation, development and sustainability goals for a twenty-year planning horizon, while remaining fiscally constrained.

Transportation Improvement Program

A Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a list of upcoming transportation projects, covering a four-year period. The TIP must be developed in cooperation with the state and public transit providers and should include:

- - capital and non-capital surface transportation projects
  - bicycle and pedestrian facilities and other transportation enhancements
  - Federal Lands Highway projects
  - projects included in the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan
  - regionally significant projects receiving federal funding
  - non-federally funded projects that are consistent with the MTP

Unified Planning Work Program

A Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is an annual or biennial work identifying the planning priorities and activities to be carried out within the metropolitan area. MPOs are required to develop UPWPs to govern work programs for the expenditure of FHWA and FTA planning funds. The UPWP should include:

- - description of the planning work and resulting products
  - who will perform the work
  - time frames for completing the work
  - cost of the work, and the source(s) of funds