What is an MPO?

http://www.planning.dot.gov/metro.asp

(A Briefing Notebook for Transportation Decision makers, Officials, and Staff)

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's) are entities designated by law with the lead responsibility for the development of the area's transportation plans and to coordinate the transportation planning process.  All urban areas over 50,000 in population are required to have an MPO if the agencies spend Federal money on transportation improvements. 

The planning process includes making informed predictions about future transportation needs, investigating and assessing alternative actions for meeting those needs, and making recommendations about which course of action to pursue.  The information generated by this process is used by decision-makers to select transportation policies and programs from the choice of alternatives.

The Bryan/ College Station MPO is composed of three active bodies of representation: the Policy Committee, the Technical Advisory Committee and the Citizen's Advisory Committee on Rail.  Representatives from the Cities of Bryan and College Station, Texas A & M University, Brazos County, Brazos Transit, the Texas Department of Transportation and the public are all represented on one of these committees.  The Bryan/ College Station MPO's planning area is Brazos County.