Metropolitan Planning (PL) Program
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| Metropolitan Planning (PL) Program | |
|---|---|
| Name | Metropolitan Planning (PL) Program |
| Established | 1962 |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Parent agency | United States Department of Transportation |
| Type | Federal planning program |
Metropolitan Planning (PL) Program The Metropolitan Planning (PL) Program is a federally mandated transportation planning program that coordinates metropolitan transportation policy, investment, and decision-making across urbanized areas. The program operates through designated metropolitan planning organizations and integrates requirements from major statutes and agencies to support multimodal planning, environmental review, and fiscal constraint in alignment with national transportation objectives.
Overview
The PL Program guides metropolitan areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix in developing regional transportation plans and Transportation Improvement Programs, engaging stakeholders like State Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Metropolitan Planning Organization, and local authorities such as Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). It implements statutes including Federal-Aid Highway Act, Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, and Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, while interfacing with environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act and programs administered by Environmental Protection Agency. The program’s geographic scope typically aligns with U.S. Census Bureau urbanized areas and involves coordination with regional entities such as Council of Governments, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Transit Authority, and State DOT offices.
Legal and Policy Framework
Statutory authority derives from statutes including the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962, Surface Transportation Program, Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, and Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), enforced by Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. Compliance obligations require coordination with National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice, while fiscal rules reference Office of Management and Budget circulars and accounting standards applied by Department of the Treasury. Judicial interpretations from courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and decisions involving parties like Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club have shaped procedural and substantive requirements.
Organizational Structure and Participants
Primary entities include metropolitan planning organizations designated under state law, membership frequently drawn from county government, city government, transit operators like Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York), Bay Area Rapid Transit District, and agencies such as California Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Transportation. Federal partners include Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Department of the Interior for lands issues. Stakeholders also comprise advocacy organizations like American Public Transportation Association, Transportation Research Board, National Association of Regional Councils, Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, labor groups such as International Brotherhood of Teamsters, academic centers like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Georgia Institute of Technology, and private-sector firms including AECOM, WSP Global, and Jacobs Engineering Group.
Planning Process and Components
Key deliverables include a long-range transportation plan, Transportation Improvement Program, congestion management process, and public participation plan, coordinated with regional plans such as Comprehensive Plan and Sustainability Plan initiatives in cities like Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Minneapolis. Technical analyses draw on models and tools developed by entities like Transportation Research Board, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Urban Institute, and software vendors used by agencies such as ESRI, INRIX, and Siemens Mobility. Components encompass performance-based planning and programming, asset management, travel demand modeling, emissions analysis tied to Clean Air Act conformity, land use integration influenced by precedents from Regional Plan Association and Metropolitan Council (Minnesota), and multimodal coordination involving Amtrak, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and municipal bicycle and pedestrian programs inspired by work from League of American Bicyclists.
Funding and Administration
Administration flows through federal apportionments via programs administered by Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration with funding sources including federal obligation categories, state matching funds, and local contributions from entities like Metropolitan Planning Organization membership dues and local sales tax measures approved in jurisdictions such as Los Angeles County, King County, and Maricopa County. Financial oversight involves Office of Management and Budget, Government Accountability Office, and state auditors; contracting and procurement often follow standards from Federal Acquisition Regulation and guidance from Department of Transportation. Grants and discretionary funds from agencies including Department of Housing and Urban Development and competitive programs managed by US DOT complement formula dollars.
Performance Measures and Outcomes
Performance-based planning aligns with national goals articulated by Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration performance measures on safety, infrastructure condition, congestion, system reliability, freight movement, greenhouse gas emissions, and transit asset management; outcomes are monitored using data from National Performance Management Research Data Set, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transit Database, and regional performance dashboards like those maintained by Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York), Caltrans, and Chicago Department of Transportation. Evaluations and peer exchanges are facilitated by Transportation Research Board, Federal Highway Administration center programs, and professional societies including Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Challenges and Criticisms
Critiques encompass issues raised by Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen, and academic critics at institutions like Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley regarding equity, environmental justice, greenhouse gas emissions, and the adequacy of public engagement; operational challenges cited by Government Accountability Office reports include funding shortfalls, institutional fragmentation, limited data interoperability, and variable technical capacity across MPOs from rural regions to megaregions such as those examined by Brookings Institution and Urban Institute. Debates involve coordination with landmark initiatives and agreements like Paris Agreement climate objectives and urban resilience frameworks championed by 100 Resilient Cities.