Handbook
Produced by
Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
in Cooperation with
City of Bay
City of Bono
City of Brookland
City of Jonesboro
Craighead County
Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
March 2016
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CONTENTS
Welcome
3
What is the MPO?
4
Members of the MPO
5
What does the MPO do?
7
Issues and Activities
8
Funding for Highway, Transit, and Other Projects
9
How is a project included in the UPWP and TIP?
10
What is expected of you?
11
What other information is available?
11
How do I contact the MPO?
11
Acronyms
12
Functional Classification System
13
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WELCOME TO THE MPO
This handbook is intended for use by the members of the Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) and the public. Its purpose is to answer questions about what the MPO is
and what it does, what authority it has, what kinds of decisions it makes, and the responsibilities
of the members of its committees. It is also intended to provide a brief introduction to the
planning and funding of transportation projects in the MPO region.
HISTORY
Invention of Automobile in 1893
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1925:
Adopted the US Numbered Highway
System.
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1934:
Funds created for survey, engineering,
and economic analysis of future
highway construction.
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944:
Created Federal-Aid Primary and
Federal-Aid Secondary Systems of
Highways. Formula allocation of funds
(area, population, postal route miles).
Highway Revenue Act of 1956:
Created Highway Trust Fund.
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962: First
act to mandate urban transportation
planning as a condition of receiving
federal funds in urbanized areas.
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973:
Established MPOs responsible for
comprehensive transportation
planning in urban areas. Increased
the role of local officials in the
selection of urban highway projects
and broadened the scope of
transportation planning.
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WHAT IS THE MPO?
Every urbanized area with a population of more than 50,000 persons must have a designated
Metropolitan Planning Organization for preparing and maintaining a transportation plan for the
MPO region. The designated MPOs qualify to receive funding from the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to perform the
transportation planning responsibilities.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) relies on the MPO to ensure that
highway and transit projects which use federal funds address local priorities and are products of
a credible planning process. USDOT will not approve federal funding for urban highway and
transit projects unless they are on the MPO’s program. Thus, the MPO’s role is to develop and
maintain the necessary transportation plan for the area to assure that federal funds support these
locally developed plans. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
(ISTEA) has greatly strengthened this responsibility by placing the MPO in a primary role for
the programming of transportation projects to be carried out in any given year. The MPO has
also been given the responsibility to involve the public in this process through expanded citizen
participation efforts.
It is important that the MPO’s policy-setting and decision-making body (Transportation Policy
Committee) be made up of the locally elected officials of the cities and counties within the
urbanized area to give metropolitan areas more control over transportation in their regions.
Other members of this Policy Committee may include the chairpersons of the boards of the
providers of other modes of transportation such as transit agencies, airport authorities and freight
moving agencies. A representative of the State Department of Transportation should also be a
member of the Policy Committee.
The Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization is the MPO for the Jonesboro Urbanized area
that comprises the Cities of Bay, Bono, Brookland, Jonesboro, and the unincorporated areas of
Craighead County that are expected to become urbanized within the next twenty years.
Since the MPO is made up of those agencies responsible for carrying out transportation programs
in the region, the process puts all units into partnership with one another to carry out the
programs. Any agency can, however, carry out its own transportation projects with its own
funds independent of the MPO.
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MEMBERS OF THE MPO
The decision-making body of the MPO is an eleven-member Transportation Policy Committee
(TPC) comprised of:
Mayor of Bay
Mayor of Bono
Mayor of Brookland
Mayor of Jonesboro
County Judge, Craighead County
Appointed Member, City of Jonesboro
Appointed Member, City of Jonesboro
Appointed Member, Craighead County
Appointed Member, Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
Appointed Member, Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
Appointed Member, Jonesboro Economical Transportation System (JET) Advisory Board
Technical support to this committee is provided by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
which has three members representing the City of Jonesboro, two members representing
Craighead County, and one member each from the Cities of Bay, Bono, and Brookland. The
Director of Jonesboro Economical Transportation System (JET) is on the committee, as well as
two members from the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. The following
additional voting members can be nominated by the Transportation Study Director and approved
by the Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) at large in order to broaden the technical base:
1)
2)
3)
4)
A representative from the bicycle community.
A representative from the freight and logistics community.
A representative of people with disabilities and other special mobility needs.
A representative with interest and expertise in pedestrian safety, such as a school district
administrator, healthcare professional, or other similar background.
5) A representative from the rail industry.
6) A representative from the local air industry.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as
resource agencies, are represented by one non-voting member on both committees. The staff
support to both these committees is provided by the full-time MPO staff.
The MPO Staff is comprised of professionals in planning, computer systems, and various other
skill sets. The Staff oversees projects as directed by the policy committee and works with
consultants to conduct studies as needed. The Staff reports findings to the MPO Committees and
participates in other community wide efforts. The combined work of the MPO Staff and the
participating staff of other member organizations provides the information needed to make
program and policy decisions.
During the course of its work, the Staff identifies transportation needs in the community.
Normally these needs are addressed by member organizations. When no other group responds,
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the Staff may initiate new programs of its own. The staff works with other public, private, and
academic organizations in the metropolitan area.
Another partner in the transportation planning process is the general public. Considerable time is
devoted to assuring that the public is informed of the MPO’s programs and activities and that
interested citizens have an opportunity to participate in them.
Federal Highway
Administration
Federal Transit
Administration
Arkansas State
Highway and
Transportation
Department
Jonesboro Area
MPO
MPO Staff
Transportation
Policy Committee
Technical Advisory
Committee
Citizen Advisory
Committee
Public Input
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WHAT DOES THE MPO DO?
The MPO carries out three major work activities to meet specific federal requirements. These
are:
The development and maintenance of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)/Metropolitan
Transportation Plan (MTP) through a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) planning
process.
The development of a four-year program for highway and transit improvement. This program is
known as the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP.
The annual adoption of a comprehensive one-year planning program: the Unified Planning Work
Program or UPWP that describes and coordinates the individual transportation planning
activities of all agencies in the area.
Without these products, the Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) would lose
its eligibility for federal transportation funds.
The MPO has just recently updated its Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)/Metropolitan
Transportation Plan (MTP) which was adopted in February 2016. A realistic assessment of
financial resources was made and the resulting plan includes those projects that have a
reasonable expectation of being funded by the Federal Highway Administration and Arkansas
State Highway and Transportation Department. Citizen involvement is an important ingredient
for the preparation of the long range and financial plans.
While the Long Range Transportation Plan lists transportation needs for twenty-five years into
the future, the MPO also develops a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that identifies
transportation projects that will be worked on within the next four years. This process involves
solicitation of project requests from the agencies responsible for providing transportation
services and facilities, cooperatively ranking the projects for their merits, and selecting those
highest priority projects that can fit into the estimated available funding.
The MPO prepares the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) annually. The UPWP
describes transportation planning and related activities to be performed during the year by the
MPO entities. The document describes in sufficient detail who will perform the work, the
schedule of completing it, and the expected products. While most of the work is carried out by
the MPO’s own staff, a portion is assigned to other participating agencies in accordance with
their own skills and responsibilities.
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ISSUES AND ACTIVITIES
The MPO is particularly interested in issues involving long range transportation planning,
development of multimodal connections, and land use options that reduce congestion. Current
activities of the MPO include:

Collecting and maintaining a comprehensive database. The data includes demographic
and employment information, travel time and delays, traffic counts and congestion, and
land use information.

Working with various interest groups to deal with the full range of transportation modes
and issues.

Working to enhance the accessibility and circulation in downtown Jonesboro through
cooperative efforts with the City of Jonesboro, Downtown Jonesboro Association,
Arkansas State University (ASU), and others.

Maintaining working relationships with the city planning organizations in order to
integrate the land use planning and economic development of the region with
transportation planning and development.

Developing multimodal planning options and resources.
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FUNDING FOR HIGHWAY, TRANSIT, AND OTHER PROJECTS
Nearly all major transportation projects in the MPO region involve some federal funding. These
federal funds are provided to the region under several program categories.
Under the most recent federal legislation, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act,
highway funds are categorized as: National Highway Performance Program (NHPP), Surface
Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement Program (CMAQ), Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), RailwayHighway Crossings, and Metropolitan Planning.
For the Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization planning funds, about 80% of funding
comes from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) through the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD). The other
20% comes from the member municipalities (i.e. Bay, Bono, Brookland, Jonesboro, and the
unincorporated parts of Craighead County). Transit funds are provided through various sections
of federal transit programs for operating and capital expenses covering urban and rural needs.
Many transportation projects are financed solely through local funds on city and county roads.
The Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) of the cities and counties provide information on these
projects.
PLANNING FUNDS
The MPO uses planning funds to meet federal requirements for the Metropolitan Transportation
Plan (MTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the Unified Planning Work
Program (UPWP), and specific studies addressing area wide and local issues. The specific use of
these funds is itemized in the annual UPWP.
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HOW IS A PROJECT INCLUDED IN THE UPWP AND TIP?
PROJECTS IN THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM (UPWP)
The UPWP lists all of the studies to be undertaken during the coming year. These studies may
involve any aspect of transportation including highways and transit. A study may be proposed
by any participating entity of the MPO. Some studies are proposed in response to federal or state
requirements while others are included as a response to local needs. The list of proposed studies
is reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee. A selection is made of those studies to
include in the coming year’s UPWP based on the MPO’s priorities, the need to satisfy state and
federal requirements, and funding constraints.
The proposed UPWP is then submitted for approval by the Transportation Policy Committee.
The draft is then reviewed by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
(AHTD), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA). The MPO staff incorporates the comments of the state and federal agencies and presents
the final document to the Transportation Policy Committee for approval.
PROJECTS IN THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP)
The TIP is required to list all transportation projects in the MPO region that are undertaken with
the use of federal funds. This includes highway and transit projects, and other necessary
enhancements such as bicycle and pedestrian projects. The MPO entities propose projects for
which they are eligible applicants. The MPO staff and the Technical Advisory Committee
(TAC) evaluate the proposed projects and rank them in accordance with a process.
The comments received during public meetings are made part of the process. The ranking of the
projects consistent with funding constraints and public comments are presented to the
Transportation Policy Committee for final selection of projects for the TIP.
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WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU?
Whether you are a member of the MPO or a private citizen, you have a role to play with the
MPO. The Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) makes difficult decisions in a cooperative
manner. However, the TPC’s responsibilities do not begin and end with making decisions. The
TPC members are ultimately responsible to the residents of the region for the quality of
transportation services and for the impact of transportation on their overall quality of life. This
means the TPC members share the responsibility for making sure that major transportation issues
of today and tomorrow are dealt with fairly and properly. Citizens are encouraged to participate
in the transportation planning process.
WHAT OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE?
This booklet has given you a brief introduction to the MPO. If you would like to learn more
about the issues the MPO deals with and the services it provides, you may visit the MPO office
or the MPO page on the City of Jonesboro website. The MPO staff is also available to make
presentations or to speak to organizations and groups of citizens on any subject of mutual interest
regarding regional transportation.
HOW DO I CONTACT THE MPO?
If you have any questions or comments, you may visit, write, fax, or call the MPO office to
contact any member of the MPO staff.
Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
300 S. Church Street
P.O. Box 1845
Jonesboro, AR 72403-1845
Phone: (870) 933-4623
Fax: (870) 336-7171
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.jonesboro.org/191/Metropolitan-Planning-Organization
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ACRONYMS
AHTD
Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
CIP
Capital Improvement Programs
CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
CMAQ
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program
FAST
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (current legislation for
transportation planning passed in December 2015)
FHWA
Federal Highway Administration
FTA
Federal Transit Administration
HSIP
Highway Safety Improvement Program
ISTEA
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
JATS
Jonesboro Area Transportation Study
JETS
Jonesboro Economical Transportation System
LRTP
Long Range Transportation Plan (synonymous with MTP)
MAP-21
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (previous legislation for
transportation planning first passed in 2012)
MPO
Metropolitan Planning Organization
MTP
Metropolitan Transportation Plan (synonymous with LRTP)
NHPP
National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)
STBGP
Surface Transportation Block Grant Program
TAC
Technical Advisory Committee
TIP
Transportation Improvement Program
TPC
Transportation Policy Committee
UPWP
Unified Planning Work Program
U.S.C.
United States Code
USDOT
United States Department of Transportation
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