About the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization
Each Urbanized Area with a population of 50,000 or more is required by Federal Regulations to have a designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) with the responsibility of conducting a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning process. In the Indianapolis region, the City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) is the designated MPO.
Currently, all MPO's are governed by federal legislation called the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The MPO planning process is a prerequisite to the area receiving federal funds for airport, transit and highway improvements. SAFETEA-LU has officially expired, but we are operating with extensions, known as "continuing resolutions," until a new transportation bill is adopted. The new bill should be adopted sometime in 2010-2011.
Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA)
Transportation planning is regional in scope because the transportation system cuts across governmental boundaries and improvement programs require the cooperation and participation of all levels of government.
The MPO is responsible for transportation planning in the area defined by the most current Census as being urbanized, plus the area anticipated to be urbanized in the next 20 years. This area is known as the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA). The present MPA is based on the 2000 Census and includes all of Marion County and portions of the surrounding counties of Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Shelby, Morgan and Johnson. Download a general map of our planning area here.
Counties, cities and towns within the MPA, together with state and federal oversight agencies, comprise the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council. Follow the link for more information on the individual member jurisdictions.
Planning Partners
Currently, the MPO coordinates its planning efforts with more than 40 regular planning partners, but the number is always growing.
The list includes:
- The counties of Marion, Morgan, Hendricks, Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby and Johnson
- All cities and towns located within the MPO Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA): Atlanta, Arcadia, Avon, Bargersville, Beech Grove, Brooklyn, Brownsburg, Carmel, Cicero, Cumberland, Danville, Fishers, Franklin, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Lawrence, McCordsville, Mooresville, New Palestine, New Whiteland, Noblesville, Pittsboro, Plainfield, Speedway, Southport, Westfield, Whiteland, Whitestown, and Zionsville
- Indianapolis Public Transporation Corp. (IndyGo)
- Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA)
- Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
- The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)
- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- The Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Indianapolis Airport Authority
- and, you, the public.
Core Activities of the MPO