Greater Madison MPO

RESPONSIBILITIES/PLANNING ACTIVITIES

The primary responsibilities of the MPO include:

  1. Carrying out cooperative, continuous, and comprehensive planning processes for making transportation investment decisions in the metropolitan area with program oversight from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
  2. Preparing and maintaining a long-range multi-modal transportation plan. Regional Transportation Plan 2050
  3. Preparing a transportation improvement program to provide for transportation investments to meet metropolitan transportation needs. Transportation Improvement Program

  4. Other duties as required to comply with state and federal regulations.

The MPO is required to annually prepare a Work Program that describes the planning work activities to be performed by MPO staff and member agencies during the following calendar year. Unified Planning Work Program

The MPO is required to develop the Work Program in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Metro Transit, as the major transit agency. As required by federal law, the MPO, WisDOT, and Metro Transit have a Cooperative Agreement for Continuing Transportation Planning that outlines the responsibilities of the three agencies in undertaking the comprehensive, cooperative transportation planning and programming process for the metropolitan area. Cooperative Agreement for Continuing Transportation Planning for the Madison Metropolitan Area

While the Greater Madison MPO, as the MPO, provides regional coordination and approves use of federal transportation funds within the metropolitan planning area, responsibility for the implementation of specific transportation projects lies with WisDOT, Dane County, the City of Madison, and other local units of government as transportation providers.