Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the United States – Issues and Challenges

This paper provides a brief overview of metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the United States (US) and the current and emerging challenges in urban-area transportation planning that they face. The US has experienced tremendous growth in its metropolitan regions for decades. This growth accelerated dramatically with the development of the Interstate Highway System beginning in the 1950s. As the Interstate and parallel and supporting highway systems were built in the latter half of the 20th Century, America’s metropolitan regions expanded outward to take advantage of cheaper land and open space for residential and commercial development. However, with this expansion, was overwhelmingly automobile-oriented, came the need for more and more supportive transportation and other infrastructure, and the need for more and more public funds to support their development. Recognizing that demand for federal (and other public) funds would continue to rise absent more coordinated planning and development provisions, the Congress of the US decided, in the early 1970s, to set forth law, regulations and guidance to more effectively emphasize the link between improved planning and better investment decisions, and provide the tools (resources) for comprehensive planning. Congress’s goal was to ensure that a planning process was in place to produce investment decisions that result in safe, efficient mobility and accessibility and protection of the human and natural environments. A key to achieving this with the States and key transportation service providers, transportation plans and programs on which actual spending decisions for metropolitan areas would be based.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780080450957
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • Plumeau, Peter E
• Conference:
  • Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport. 9th International Conference (Thredbo 9)
  • Location: Lisbon , Portugal
  • Date: 2005-9-4 to 2005-9-8
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: First Edition
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 117-127
• Monograph Title: Competition and Ownership in Land Transport Passenger Transport

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Central business districts; City planning; Economic growth; Interstate highways; Metropolitan planning organizations; Mobility; Public transit; Transit operating agencies; Transportation planning; Urban areas
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01051406
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780080450957
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 14 2007 11:55AM