TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
The CCRPA is the Federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the seven-town area that is covered by the Central Connecticut Region. Click below for more information about the MPO.
What is an MPO?
As the Region's MPO, the Agency must approve any proposed transportation project in the Region that will be developed with Federal funding assistance. This is one of the most important functions that the Agency performs. The Federal Government imposes this requirement so that it will not be put in the position of providing funding to one town which would result in the construction of a roadway that would direct traffic into another town in a way that would not be acceptable to the other town. Under the auspices of the Regional Planning Agency, towns coordinate their transportation facility development.
This coordination is formalized through the adoption of the Region's Long-Range Transportation Plan, which is prepared by the Agency and updated every five years.
Action Plan of the Long-Range Transportation Plan
When the Agency is asked to support a proposed project, the project is compared to the Long-Range Plan and, if it is consistent with the Plan, it can be endorsed.
MPO decisions are made by the CCRPA Board. The Transportation Improvement Committee (TIC), which primarily consists of engineering and public works personnel from the seven towns, acts as an advisory body to the board on MPO matters.
Transportation Investment Areas & Transportation Strategy Board
In addition to the work the Agency performs as the Region's MPO, Agency Staff also represents the Region on two of the State's five Transportation Investment Area (TIA) Boards; namely, the Boards for the Interstate 84 and the Interstate 91 Corridors. The Boards for those TIAs have also prepared plans for their respective Corridors: the I-84 Corridor Transportation Investment Area Plan, and the I-91 Corridor Transportation Investment Area Plan. Agency Staff also represents the Region on the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board (http://www.opm.state.ct.us/igp/TSB/tsbinfo.htm.)
Transportation Plans and Publications
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Hartford