What is the MPO?

The MPO is a federally mandated planning body responsible for transportation planning in the Broward County urbanized area.

Established in 1977 by the Florida Legislature, the MPO was created to direct urban transportation planning and direct the expenditure of federal and state funds.  It is the lead agency responsible for developing and administering plans and programs to maintain eligibility and receive federal funds for the transportation systems in Broward County.

The 19 members of the MPO include representatives from cities within the county, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), the Broward County School Board, and the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.  For each of the 5 MPO districts, the municipality with the largest population appoints and elected official to serve as the district representative, and the municipality with the second largest population is the alternate.  Because of the population size, some districts have two MPO representatives.

Board Members

How did the MPO come about?

The 1962 Federal Aid Highway Act required all urban areas with populations of at least 50,000 to have a transportation planning process to be eligible for federal funds. The act stated that the planning process was to be continuing, cooperative and comprehensive. In addition, the act required all plans and programs produced from the process to be consistent with the area’s comprehensive plan.

1991 - Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) mandated emphasis on early, proactive, and sustained citizen input into transportation decision-making with special outreach efforts targeted at traditionally underserved populations.

1998 - The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century was enacted June 9, 1998 as Public Law 105-178. TEA-21 authorizes the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 6-year period 1998-2003.  TEA-21 reinforced ISTEA’s directive to transfer transportation planning decisions to state and local government, a trend that began over thirty years ago: the general transfer of power away from the federal government toward state and local government, empowering groups and individual citizens to have a voice in policy decisions affecting them.

2005 - On August 10, 2005, the President signed into law the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:  A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).  With guaranteed funding for highways, highway safety, and public transportation totaling $244.1 billion, SAFETEA-LU represents the largest surface transportation investment in our Nation’s history.  SAFETEA-LU addresses the many challenges facing our transportation system today – challenges such as improving safety, reducing traffic congestion, improving efficiency in freight movement, increasing intermodal connectivity, and protecting the environment – as well as laying the groundwork for addressing future challenges.
When does the Metropolitan Planning Organization meet?

The MPO meets on the second (2nd) Thursday of each month at 9:30 A.M. in Room 422 at the Broward County Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301. (except January and August). These meetings are open to the public and public participation is encouraged.

MPO RULES (pdf - 39 kb)

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