The Cape Cod MPO is a transportation policy-making organization made up of representatives from local government and transportation authorities. The Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1973 required the formation of an MPO for any urbanized area with a population greater than 50,000. MPOs were created in order to ensure that existing and future expenditures for transportation projects and programs were based on a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive (3-C) planning process. Federal funding for transportation projects and programs are channeled through this planning process.
There are three key MPO Documents:
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP): The UPWP lists the transportation studies and tasks to be performed by the MPO staff or other local agencies. The UPWP coordinates all transportation and transportation-related planning activities within the MPO's planning area and is updated annually.
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP): The RTP is a long-term blueprint of a region's transportation system and a financially constrained regional plan to invest in the transportation system. The Cape Cod RTP is updated every four years.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): The Cape Cod TIP is a financially constrained four-year program which is updated periodically. This document includes immediate implementation priorities for transportation projects and strategies from the Regional Transportation Plan.
