Governance of Metropolitan Planning Organizations

Federal law requires metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to be governed by a board composed of local elected officials, modal authorities, and appropriate state officials. Other than this simple requirement, federal law is silent on board size, composition, voting rights of members, and advisory committees to the board. This paper summarizes results from a survey of 133 MPOs about these topics. The results show that board structures vary widely and are crafted to accommodate the intergovernmental politics of their regions. The results found that the average MPO board had 16.1 voting members and 3.1 nonvoting members. Further, 27% of MPOs had at least one seat that rotated among a group of eligible seat holders. Only 13% of MPOs had a weighted voting scheme in place. Other results discussed include nonvoting board membership types, meeting frequency, and the existence of advisory boards. Information on these topics will help MPOs compare themselves with their peers and understand the breadth of options available to them during periods of organizational change.