What is an MPO?

A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a federally required transportation planning body comprised of elected and appointed officials representing local, state and federal governments or agencies having interest or responsibility in transportation planning and programming. An MPO is responsible for the development of a Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for its metropolitan planning area. The adoption of these documents is a prerequisite for the receipt of both federal transit and federal highway funding.

View the brochure of the New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization.  For hard copies please call the SMTC at (315) 422-5716 or e-mail your request. ( ) Get Adobe Reader Contact us to view a hard copy or if you cannot open any of these files.

What does an MPO do?

The MPO discusses and votes on multi-modal transportation issues of region-wide significance, and decides which local transportation projects should be implemented. One of the ways in which this is accomplished is through adoption of a Long-Range Transportation Plan which is updated routinely. Also, based on the needs identified through the long range planning process, the MPO develops and adopts a priority list of projects for implementation each year. This annual process is called the UPWP.