About MPOs
Every Urbanized Area with a population of 50,000 or more (as defined by the US Census) is required by federal regulations to have a designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). MPOs are responsible for conducting a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning process. (23 CFR 450.306)
Currently, all MPOs are governed by federal legislation called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. MPO Program oversight is a joint Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) / Federal Transit Administration (FTA) responsibility. The MPO planning process is a prerequisite to the area receiving federal funds for transit, active transportation, and roadway improvements.
Indianapolis MPO
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization is the designated MPO for Central Indiana. The Indianapolis MPO plans and programs federal transportation funds for highways, transit, non-motorized transportation, and other means of moving people and goods in the 8-county, Central Indiana region.
Our Vision
Central Indiana will thrive when we continuously improve our built environment and expand economic opportunities for all residents.
Our Mission
The Indianapolis MPO develops smart, equitable solutions to long-term regional challenges through strong leadership, responsible stewardship, innovation, and effective, inclusive collaboration.
Our Core Values
We commit to uncompromised moral integrity, transparency, and honesty in all that we do. We also commit to:
Excellent Customer Service • Equity and Inclusivity • Fact-Based Decision-Making • Effective and Efficient Stewardship of our Resources • Embracing an Openness for Creating Solutions • Giving Easy Access to Data for Others to Use
Our Pillars
Convene: Bring experts and community members together
Inform: Provide reliable data to support planning and policy-making
Plan: Create and adopt infrastructure plans and track their implementation
Fund: Fund regionally-significant projects
More about the IMPO
Below are additional resources about what an MPO is, and what the IMPO does specifically.
If you are looking for more information on MPOs and the Indianapolis MPO, check out the MPO's FAQbook or view the video, which provides a brief and high-level overview of what an MPO does. The video length is about an hour.
An infographic showing how the Indianapolis MPO compares to our peer regions in population, employment, growth, infrastructure investment, exports, and transit investment.
The MPO issues a report at the beginning of each year, describing the accomplishments and changes from the previous year.
The Indianapolis MPO created a strategic plan for the Central Indiana region. While the MPO already plans regionally for transportation investments, there are other planning elements that have not historically been planned with regional coordination (land use, water, resiliency, etc.). The MPO Policy Committee adopted the MPO Strategic Plan on August 22, 2018.
The UPWP is a core guiding document for the Indianapolis MPO, which includes the IMPO's mission, list of projects and tasks for the upcoming year, and the proposed budget for each task. It is updated annually and approved by the IMPO Transportation Policy Committee.