What is a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)?
A Metropolitan Planning Organization, also known as an MPO, is an agency created by federal law to
provide local input for urban transportation planning and the allocation of federal transportation
funding to cities with populations greater than 50,000. The San Antonio-Bexar County MPO's boundary
includes Bexar County and parts of Comal and Guadalupe Counties.
What is the MPO's mission?
The MPO's mission is to provide a cooperative, continuous and comprehensive transportation planning
process for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods consistent with the region's overall
economic, social and environmental goals. The MPO places a special emphasis on providing equal access
to a variety of transportation choices and effective public involvement in the transportation planning process.
What does the MPO do?
The MPO is responsible for conducting the urban transportation planning process that the MPO planning
area - which includes Bexar County and parts of Comal and Guadalupe counties-needs to follow in order
to receive over $200 million annually in federal and state transportation funding. This planning process
is accomplished primarily through three related activities and documents - the Metropolitan Transportation
Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program, and the Unified Planning Work Program.
Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP)
The MTP is a 25-year, long-range plan and the basic framework for all of the MPO's transportation planning.
The MTP is a guide used to plan for future mobility needs in the MPO study area and the expenditure of
federal, state, and local funds that become available for these projects. The current plan, Mobility 2030:
San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Transportation Plan, was approved in December 2004 and programs
approximately $8 billion dollars worth of transportation improvements through 2030.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
The TIP is a three-year financially constrained list of transportation projects that have been approved
for federal and state funding by the MPO Transportation Policy Board and is updated every two years and
amended quarterly. The current TIP covers FY 2008 to FY 2011 projects that will be let over the next three years.
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
The UPWP outlines the MPO's work products for the State Fiscal Year (Oct 1-Sept 30). The UPWP identifies
tasks which are to be accomplished during the fiscal year and presents the budget to accomplish those tasks.
The MPO's UPWP can therefore be viewed as the MPO operating budget for the given fiscal year.
Why are the MPO and MTP important to me?
Transportation planning is important to everyone. As the population grows in the area, the MPO needs to
ensure that the transportation system remains safe and efficient. The MPO gives the public an opportunity
to identify future mobility needs to ensure that tax dollars are used for the greater good of the community.
How can I help?
The MPO is in the process of updating the MTP through 2035. There will be four (4) Visioning Workshops
held in September 2007. The public is strongly urged to attend to help identify the needs in our area
and plan for the future! These workshops will be held at various locations. For more information, please
contact Jessica Casarez at (210) 785-0888 or visit us at www.mtp2035.org or on
MySpace at www.myspace.com/mtp2035.
[Add link to PDF of FAQs document]