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Long Range Planning Division - Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

James K. Polk Building, Suite 900
505 Deaderick St.
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0344
Angela Midgett, Transportation Manager I
Phone: 615.741.3431
Fax: 615.532.8451

The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Section is responsible for the statewide coordination of the long range transportation planning process in Tennessee's eleven urbanized areas.

The MPO

Federal law requires all urbanized areas of 50,000 or greater population to maintain a continuing , comprehensive and cooperative transportation planning process. The organization responsible for this process is called a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

MPO responsibilities are administered by an Executive Board and a Technical Committee. The Executive Board provides policy direction and their membership includes locally-elected officials and the Governor of Tennessee. The Technical Committee provides technical expertise and is comprised of professional planners and engineers from local governments and other transportation related agencies.

The state's eleven MPOs are Bristol, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Cleveland, Jackson, Johnson City, Kingsport, Knoxville, Lakeway, Memphis and Nashville.
To view a list of MPO Coordinators click here.

Plans and Programs
The MPO Long Range Transportation Plan is 20-year plan of long - and short - range strategies and actions for an integrated intermodal transportation system to facilitate the efficient movement of people and goods. (updated every four years in air quality nonattainment and maintenance areas and every five years in other areas)

The MPO Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a four year schedule of all federally-funded and regionally significant transportation projects to be implemented in the urban area. (Updated at least every four years)

The MPO Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is a one-year schedule of all urban transportation planning  activities. It documents work to be preformed with federal planning funds. (Updated annually)

Formal Public Involvement Programs have been adopted in each area as a means of proactively involving the public in transportation planning. The public is invited to review and comment on proposed transportation plans and programs. MPO meetings are open to the public and serve as a regular forum to solicit community transportation concerns.