Planes, Trains, Automobiles and More
Conversation with Mike Kozlosky, Executive Director, Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
We were pleased to have a conversation with the Executive Director of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to talk about all things transportation planning in the region.
About the MPO
The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) was created in 1973 when our region reached a population density threshold of 50,000 people to constitute the federally-mandated creation of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
As a federally-mandated and federally-funded entity, the Wilmington MPO is tasked with providing a regional and cooperative transportation planning process that serves as the basis for the expenditure of all federal transportation funds in the greater Wilmington area. The WMPO is required to prepare long range transportation plans for the planning area with a minimum of a 20-year horizon. Additionally, the WMPO prepares an annual planning work program and assists with the prioritization of projects for inclusion in the State Transportation Improvement Program (outlines NCDOT’s funding for a 10-year period).
Regional coordination seems crucial for transporation planning, especially with such rapid growth in the Wilmgton area. The 20-year horizon planning requirement sounds challenging when you consider how much can change in that timeframe. Curious how the MPO balances federal mandates with local community needs when it comes to actualy prioritizing projects.