Plans, Programs, and Studies

The MPO is responsible for creating, developing and reviewing transportation plans, which include the long-range, 25-year Constrained Long Range Plan (CLRP), the short-range, 3-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the annual Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (BPP), the Public Participation Plan (PPP), travel models, thoroughfare plans, and transit plans. All of these documents work together to identify transportation programs and funding alternatives.

The MPO’s plans and programs are reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Each urban area in the United States has a MPO which acts as a liaison between local communities, their citizens, and the state departments of transportation (DOTs). MPOs are important because they direct how and where available state and federal dollars for transportation improvements will be spent. As defined by federal and state transportation regulations, the primary functions of the MPO are to:

Establish the goals, objectives and policies governing transportation planning in the region.
Approve an annual Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and budget.
Direct the preparation of, and adopt, the long-range and short-range strategies of the Transportation Plan.
Recommend projects for implementation through the adoption of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
Perform the air quality conformity determination for the Transportation Improvement Program.

Along with transportation planning, the MPO devotes time and effort towards future development, community enhancement, and improving the quality of life within the Fredericksburg area.