About MMMPO

Establishment

 

Established in 2003, the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization is the federally-designated transportation planning agency for  Morgantown and Monongalia County, serving as a regional partnership among the West Virginia DOT, the local transit agency, local elected leadership, local government, the business community, and citizens.

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Core Functions

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The MMMPO has the authority to plan, prioritize, and recommend transportation projects for federal and state funding. It is responsible for ensuring the region is in compliance with federal and state planning requirements. The MMMPO is committed to providing leadership to regional transportation planning, promoting personal and social economic prosperity while encouraging sustainable growth. The following are the core functions and responsibilities of Metropolitan Planning Organizations.

 

1. Establish a setting: Establish and manage a fair and impartial setting for effective regional decision-making in the metropolitan area.

2. Evaluate alternatives: Evaluate transportation alternatives, scaled to the size and complexity of the region, to the nature of its transportation issues, and to the realistically available options. (These evaluations are included in the Unified Planning Work Program or UPWP).

3. Maintain a Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP): Develop and update a long-range transportation plan for the metropolitan area covering a planning horizon of at least twenty years that fosters (1) mobility and access for people and goods, (2) efficient system performance and preservation, and (3) quality of life.

4. Develop a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): Develop a program based on the long-range transportation plan designed to serve the area's goals, using spending, operating, management, and financial tools.

5. Involve the public: Involve the general public and all the significantly affected sub-groups in the four essential functions listed above.

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Organization Structure

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The Morgantown Monongalia MPO is comprised of a policy board, a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), a Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC), a Policy Advisory Committee, and Staff.

 

Policy Board

The Policy Board is the decision-making body of the MMPO. The Board is made up of elected and appointed officials from member local governments and major organizations in the Greater Morgantown region. The Policy Board is responsible for approving the area's Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), the area's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the MPO's Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).

 

Citizens Advisory Committee

The Citizens Advisory Committee is an advisory group for the Policy Board that provides recommendations on community issues and concerns. The CAC is composed of citizens appointed by the Policy Board to represent the public interest in transportation decision-making.

 

The Transportation Technical Advisory Committee is an advisory group for the Policy Board that provides recommendations on technical issues and planning efforts. The TTAC is made up of technical staff from various agencies and local governments in the MPO area.

 

Policy Advisory Committee

The Policy Advisory Committee is made up of representatives of the business community and the economic development community who provide the Policy Board with their perspective on the impact of the Board's proposed policies and projects. Given the emphasis on freight in the FAST Act, the purpose of the MMMPO’s Freight Advisory Committee is to assure that freight interests were represented in the MMMPO’s planning process.

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Staff

The MMMPO Staff provides professional transportation planning services and ongoing administration of planning projects. Staff is managed by the Executive Director who reports to the Policy Board.

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Funding Sources

 

The MMMPO is funded by federal grant programs authorized by the U.S. Congress and by contributions from local government and the West Virginia DOT. Currently, the MMMPO is 80% funded by federal grant programs, 10% by WV DOT, 5% by the City of Morgantown, and 5% by Monongalia County.