What is an MPO?
A Metropolitan Planning Organization is a government organization that focuses on all things transportation: how people and things get from A to B. There are MPOs all across the United States.
Who Are We and What Do We Do?
The United States government requires any urban area (50,000 or more people) to have an MPO – we exist because the Lexington area population is over 380,000. Every day transportation crosses county lines, so we work for Fayette and Jessamine Counties.
Your Lexington Area MPO includes full-time staff, special committees, and partner organizations. Together, we focus on the three Ps: plans, projects, and policy. We set goals, make useful improvements, and work for good mobility choices for everyone. As a team, we gather data and listen to the community to:
1. better understand and respond to present challenges,
2. estimate future opportunities, and
3. guide spending.
When our community receives federal money – and other dollars from state or local sources – we help rank and arrange how that money gets spent on transportation. We strive to make sure all projects and programs for transportation are grounded in local priorities and shared goals.
The Lexington Area Metropolitan Organization is certified by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
A Day in the Life of Your Lexington Area MPO:
When it comes to moving around our community, there are lots of competing needs and interests! As your local MPO, we make it possible for different viewpoints to be at the same table. We gather the latest information and create opportunities for public participation. We share everything with local leaders to help guide their decision-making.
To do this well, we use the expertise of three specialized committees:
1. Transportation Technical Coordinating Committee (TTCC),
2. Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), and
3. Congestion Management & Air Quality Committee (CMAQ).
MPO staff share this expertise – plus things like new research and regulatory changes – with a fourth group: the Transportation Policy Committee (TPC).
The TPC makes decisions and guides action based on community input, data, and best practice recommendations from MPO staff.
Collaboration is key. Check out our partnerships.
Explore Our Work:
We are certified.
The Kentucky Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Region VI of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) conducted a certification review of the Lexington Area MPO in 2023. The primary purpose of this regular review is to formally evaluate the planning work we do here in the Lexington area. We exceed the population minimum (200,000) that requires this standard review. This Federal oversight ensures we follow procedures, but it also makes recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the MPO.
