Review of State DOT Approaches to Distribute Federal Metropolitan Planning (PL) Funds to MPOs

2015Technical report; Jan. 2012-Dec. 2014PDFTech ReportDOT-VNTSC-FHWA-15-08;FHWA-HEP-15-024HWLA3/NL685Metropolitan planning organizationsState departments of transportationTransportation planningFinanceGovernment fundingResource allocationPopulation densityCase studiesPlanning fundsUnified Planning Work ProgramCalifornia;Florida;Iowa;Maine;Mississippi;Oklahoma;Oregon;Pennsylvania;South Dakota;WyomingUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of PlanningLyons, William M.Duffy, CatherineJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Planning, Environment, and RealtyNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-PLANNING AND POLICYNTL-LAWS AND REGULATIONS-LAWS AND REGULATIONSNTL-LAWS AND REGULATIONS-Federal LawsNTL-LAWS AND REGULATIONS-State Laws and RegulationsVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center;Federal Highway AdministrationMetropolitan Planning Funds (PL funds) are provided from the Federal Highway Trust Fund and distributed by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to conduct the planning activities required by Title 23 of the U.S. Code 134. Each MPO is responsible for planning to meet the transportation needs within its metropolitan planning area. PL funds are distributed to States based on a ratio of urbanized-area population in individual States to the total nationwide urbanized-area population. State DOTs then distribute this funding to the MPOs in their State based on a formula, agreed to by the MPOs, and approved by their FHWA Division Office.This report describes a range of different approaches to distribution formulas, and provides observations drawn from the DOT and MPO contacts and the study team\u2019s analysis of the merits of the different approaches.FHWA is providing this information as a resource for DOTs and MPOs nationwide to use in self-assessment of current distribution approaches and to consider alternative approaches