The 2000 Census has identified many new urbanized areas where metropolitan planning organizations will be formed, many adjacent to urbanized areas where MPOs currently exist. This task will examine the evolving role of MPOs in the context of metropolitan-level transportation planning and decision making, with special focus on new MPOs. What has been learned in a region where more than one MPO has planning responsibilities? What strategies for coordinating regional investment among different MPOs have been successful? Given that the decision making environment for transportation planning is very different from the mid-1970s when MPOs were first designated, what types of roles are MPOs now best suited to perform in transportation planning and decision making? How can state DOTs work more effectively with MPOs? It is expected that the results of this study will identify best case examples of multi-MPO regional decision making, and provide state DOTs with guidance on strategies that can be used to work more effectively with MPO officials.

The contractor's final report was sent to AASHTO and is posted at
https://www.statewideplanning.org/_resources/60_NCHRP8-36-42.pdf