Learn About the Victoria County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Victoria County And The Surrounding Area

About the MPO

The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is an agency created by federal law to provide local input for urban transportation planning and allocating federal transportation funds to cities with populations greater than 50,000. The MPO's mission is to provide a cooperative, continuous and comprehensive ("3C") transportation planning process for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods consistent with the region's overall economic, social and environmental goals. Special emphasis is placed on providing equal access to a variety of transportation choices and effective public involvement in the transportation planning process.

What does the MPO do?
In general, the MPO is responsible for conducting the urban transportation planning process that allows Victoria County to receive federal and state transportation funding. This is accomplished primarily through three related activities and documents - the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).

The MTP is our 25-year long range plan and the basic framework for all our transportation planning. The 2005-2030 MTP, our current plan, was approved in February 2005 and programs approximately $348.7 million dollars worth of transportation improvements over the next 25 years.

The TIP is our four-year list of prioritized transportation improvement projects. These projects generally fall into five categories - capacity improvement projects (adding lanes), preservation projects (road reconstruction without adding lanes), bicycle projects, pedestrian projects and transit projects. Approximately 30% of our regional road network is eligible for federal aid. That 30%, however, carries the vast majority of our daily vehicle mileage. Local residential streets do not generally qualify for MPO funding.

The UPWP or Unified Planning Work Program is our two-year work plan and budget. The UPWP is funded by a combination of Federal Highway, Federal Transit, and State planning funds. It describes all the agency and consultant transportation studies, population and employment forecasts, computer travel demand modeling, and MPO staff budgeting for a two-year period. The Work Program budget normally programs $160,000 per year.

Why is the MPO important to me?
Transportation is important to everyone. Your ability to travel affects where and how you live, work and play. The MPO provides a cooperative forum for regional transportation planning and the allocation of millions of dollars in state and federal transportation funding annually. The MPO also helps citizens speak with one voice to their local, state and federal elected officials on transportation-related issues. Most importantly, effective public involvement insures tax dollars are used in accordance with the greatest needs and desires of the people.

How is the MPO funded?
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) guarantees a minimum of $244 billion in federal transportation funding through September 31, 2009. The Federal Highway Transportation Fund sends funding to urban areas through state departments of transportation for the Transportation Improvement Program. The amount of federal and state transportation funding the Victoria County metropolitan area receives varies each year depending on the type of work needed. Federal Planning funds are provided through the Surface Transportation Program and forwarded through state departments of transportation for the operational funding of MPOs.