Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization (EMPO) was established in 1969. Federal law requires that all urbanized areas over 50,000 residents establish Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) to undertake a Continuous, Cooperative and Comprehensive (“3-C”) transportation planning process. As the designated agency responsible for conducting this planning process in the Evansville-Henderson urbanized area, the EMPO facilitates transportation policy development, planning and programming in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Henderson Counties, plus a small area of eastern Posey County. The planning process results in a long range (25 year) Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), and a short term (4 year) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The MPO transportation planning process undergoes a certification review by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) not less than every four years. Effective transportation planning requires a regional focus and the ability to operate independent of city, county, and state lines. Accordingly, the EMPO is an independent policy body that is comprised of elected or appointed officials from the metropolitan area and representatives from state and local transportation agencies. This principle of regional collaboration is affirmed by the broad coalition engaged in the development of the Millennial Plan for 2040. The Millennial Plan, an extensive planning effort incorporating transportation, land use, housing, economic, environmental and cultural interests, describes a shared regional vision of innovation and sustainability to enhance the region’s quality of life and economic vitality. The Millennial Plan serves as a directional document for MPO planning activities.