A guidebook for metropolitan transportation planning

America today is a metropolitan nation: More than 85 percent of us live in metro areas large and small. That makes planning for how people and goods move within and through these metropolitan areas more critical than ever. You may never even consider the fact, but chances are, your commute this morning was shaped by the work of a metropolitan planning organization – and not only your commute, but also your entire metro region, to some degree. The organizations who are tasked with providing that guidance are known as metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).

The last several years have seen a surge in innovative thinking and practice among MPOs nationwide, and their work has inspired this new, free guidebook to help MPO staff, board members, and civic leaders find innovative ways to make communities prosper.

The Innovative MPO offers a range of new ideas in planning, programming, technical analysis and community partnership, from those that cost little in staff time or dollars to more complex and expensive undertakings.

MPOs can push the envelope and innovate — whether to stretch public resources, achieve multiple benefits with a transportation dollar or simultaneously advance regional and economic development priorities. This new guidebook provides ideas how.

Download your copy now, which includes:

• Foreword by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.
• All 30 tools across seven different areas of focus.
• Nearly 100 real-world examples from 50 different MPOs.
• 20 detailed case studies of innovation in action from MPOs in regions large and small.
• MPO 101 appendix with a simple, clear explanation of what MPOs are and what they do.

Download the guidebook

Featured MPOs

The following MPOs (and some other entities) are featured either in case studies or shorter examples throughout the guidebook:

Austin, TX (CAMPO)
Akron, OH (AMATS)
Albany, NY (CDTC)
Atlanta, GA (ARC)
Austin, TX (CAPCOG)
Boise, ID (COMPASS)
Broward County, FL
Champaign-Urbana, IL (CUUATS)
Charlottesville, VA (TJPDC)
Chattanooga, TN/GA (Chattanooga TPO)
Chicago, IL (CMAP)
Cincinnati, OH (OKI)
Columbus, OH (MORPC)
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (NCTCOG)
Denver, CO (DRCOG)
Duluth-Superior, MN (MIC)
Flagstaff, AZ (FMPO);
Houma-Thibodaux, LA (HTMPO)
Houston-Galveston, TX (H-GAC)
Huntington/Ashland/Ironton, WV/KY/OH (KYOVA)
Indianapolis, IN (IMPO)
Kansas City, MO/KS (MARC)
Knoxville, TN (KRTPO)
Los Angeles, CA (SCAG)
Memphis, TN (Memphis MPO)
Miami-Dade, FL (MDMPO)
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (Met Council)
Missoula, MT
Nashville, TN (Nashville Area MPO)
Newark-Jersey City, NJ (NJTPA)
Omaha/Council Bluffs, NE/IA (MAPA)
Orlando, FL (Metroplan)
Philadelphia, PA/NJ (DVRPC)
Phoenix, AZ (MAG)
Pittsburgh, PA (SPC)
Portland, OR (Metro)
Sacramento, CA (SACOG)
Salt Lake City, UT (WFRC)
San Diego, CA (SANDAG)
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA (MTC)
San Joaquin, CA (SJCOG)
San Luis Obispo, CA (SLOCOG)
Savannah, GA (CORE)
Seattle-Tacoma, WA (PSRC)
Springfield, MA (PVPC)
St. Louis, MO/IL (E-W COG)
Tampa, FL (Hillsborough MPO)
Toledo, OH (TMACOG)
Tulsa, OK (InCOG)
Washington DC (MWCOG)
Wilmington, DE (WILMAPCO)