Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is a Metropolitan Planning Organization?
  
  

A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is an agency created by federal law to provide local direction for urban transportation planning and allocating federal transportation funds to cities with populations greater than 50,000. The MPO's mission is to provide a cooperative, continuous and comprehensive ("3C") transportation planning process for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, consistent with the region's overall economic, social and environmental goals. Special emphasis is placed on providing equal access to a variety of transportation choices and effective public involvement in the transportation planning process.

• Why is the MPO important to me?
  
  

Transportation is important to everyone. Your ability to travel affects where and how you live, work and play. Daily vehicle mileage on our roadways will increase 60% from 35 million to 56 million by 2030; therefore, we must plan wisely to keep our transportation system working efficiently. The MPO provides an independent yet cooperative forum for regional transportation planning and the allocation of millions of dollars in state and federal transportation funding annually. The MPO also helps citizens speak with one voice to their local, state and federal elected officials on transportation-related issues. Most importantly, effective public involvement insures scarce tax dollars are used in accordance with the greatest needs and desires of the people.

• What is the composition of the MPO Transportation Policy Board?
  
  

The Transportation Policy Board of the San Antonio-Bexar County MPO is comprised of 19 (11 elected and 8 appointed) voting members representing the State of Texas through two State legislators and the Texas Department of Transportation, Bexar County, the City of San Antonio, 25 suburban cities through the Greater Bexar Council of Cities and the Northeast Partnership, the Alamo Area Council of Governments and VIA Metropolitan Transit. There are also 5 ex-officio board members representing the Federal Highway Administration, Texas Department of Transportation's Transportation Policy and Programming Division, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, non-governmental organizations/citizens, and VIA Metropolitan Transit. The Transportation Policy Board is served by an MPO staff of 15.

• What does the MPO do?
  
  

In general, the MPO is responsible for conducting the urban transportation planning process that allows San Antonio, Bexar County and portions of Comal and Guadalupe Counties to receive over $200 million annually in federal and state transportation funding. This is accomplished primarily through three related activities and documents: the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).

The MTP is our 25-year long range plan and the basic framework for all our transportation planning. “Mobility 2030” is our most current plan and it was adopted by the TPB in December 2004. We are in the process of developing a new long range transportation plan, “Mobility 2025”  and it is schedule for adoption by the TPB on December 7, 2009.  The MTP programs approximately $8 billion dollars worth of transportation improvements over the next 25 years.

The TIP is our four-year list of prioritized transportation improvement projects. These projects generally fall into five categories - capacity improvement projects (adding lanes), preservation projects (road reconstruction without adding lanes), bicycle projects, pedestrian projects and transit projects. Approximately 30% of our regional road network is eligible for federal aid. That 30%, however, carries the vast majority of our daily vehicle mileage. Local residential streets do not generally qualify for MPO funding.
The UPWP or Unified Planning Work Program is our two-year work plan and budget. The UPWP is funded by a combination of Federal Highway, Federal Transit, and State planning funds.

The UPWP describes all the agency and consultant transportation studies, data collection and population and employment forecasting activities, travel demand modeling, and MPO staff budgeting for a two-year period. The Work Program budget typically programs between $2.0 million to $2.5 million per year.

• How is the MPO funded?
  
  

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) guaranteed a minimum of $244 billion in federal transportation funding through September 31, 2009. The Federal Highway Transportation Fund sends funding to urban areas through state departments of transportation. The San Antonio-Bexar County metropolitan area receives over $200 million in federal and state, roadway and transit, transportation funding each year. Federal Planning funds are provided through a 1.25% takedown from the Surface Transportation Program and forwarded through state departments of transportation for the operational funding of MPOs.

• Also see Funding Page