The Capital Regional Transportation Council is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) carrying out federal requirements for cooperative transportation planning and programming within the metropolitan area that includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga (except the Town of Moreau and the Village of South Glens Falls), and Schenectady Counties.
- The Transportation Council is a forum for local elected officials and transportation representatives to share ideas and make decisions about major transportation capital investments.
- The Transportation Council is required by federal law and supported with federal funding.
- Federal transportation funding is controlled by the consensus decisions of the Transportation Council-- about $100 million per year through the Transportation Improvement Program.
- The Transportation Council's decision making body is the Policy Board.
- The Planning Committee serves as the technical committee to the Policy Board.
- The Transportation Council's staff provides technical assistance to the Planning Committee and the Policy Board for informed decision making. Staff activities are listed in the Unified Planning Work Program.
- The Transportation Council's priorities are guided by the Regional Transportation Plan, known as New Visions 2050.
- The Transportation Council has enjoyed a high degree of local success and national recognition due to a highly-collaborative environment of mutual trust and respect.
- The Transportation Council underwent federal certification in 2020 and its planning process has been certified effective September 22, 2020.
For a full understanding of how the Transportation Council operates, read our Reference Guide or contact us.
What is an MPO?
A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is, by federal law, designated by the governor of each state for every urban area with at least 50,000 residents. MPOs develop solutions to regional transportation problems and address other important issues such as land use, air quality, energy, economic development, commerce, and quality of life.
Each MPO develops a long-range regional transportation plan to guide transportation decision making and activities. The MPO also develops a short-range program of projects, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), to be implemented with federal transportation funds. For each project, the MPO's responsibility is to engage many stakeholders, including the general public, in the planning process. By creating a vision for the region in the long-range plan and by identifying projects and investments that help achieve that vision, the MPO ensures that scarce federal transportation funds are wisely invested.
NYSAMPO
The New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (NYSAMPO) is a coalition of the fourteen MPOs in New York State that work together toward common goals, coordinate with New York State, and identify best practices in the transportation plannning process.
AMPO
The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) provides the Transportation Council with critical federal policy advocacy, technical assistance, training, and access to a collaborative network of MPOs for peer-exchange and knowledge building.
Learn More
Want to learn more about MPOs and the federal transportation planning process? Watch below.
