AASHTO Journal - Oklahoma DOT Forms MPO with City of Enid

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is partnering with the City of Enid to form a new Metropolitan Planning Organization or MPO called the Chisholm Trail MPO.

[Above image by the Oklahoma DOT]

The agency said the Chisholm Trail MPO will serve as a “policy board” to provide input into the planning and implementation of federal transportation funds to the metropolitan area through a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive regional planning process.

“Metropolitan planning organizations are a key element to ensuring local areas have a say in the impact of transportation planning for their communities,” said Oklahoma DOT Deputy Director Dawn Sullivan in a statement.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the City of Enid and excited to begin planning for the future,” she added.

The agency noted that the Chisholm Trail MPO will focus on six key areas:

Establish and manage a fair and impartial setting for effective regional decision making in the Chisholm Trail metropolitan area;
Identify and evaluate transportation improvement options;
Prepare and maintain a 20-year, long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan;
Develop and maintain a four-year, short-range Transportation Improvement Plan;
Identify performance measure targets and monitor progress towards achieving targets; and,
Involve the general public.

Projects developed and implemented by this MPO will be funded through federal funds, provided through Oklahoma DOT, and will fund 80 percent of project planning cost with the local area providing the remaining 20 percent. Other funding options are available and can come from a variety of sources including state government, transit districts and local governments, the agency said.

The Oklahoma DOT noted that it currently works with four other MPOs: the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, Indian Nations Council of Governments, Lawton Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Frontier Metropolitan Planning Organization.