What is a Rural Planning Organization (RPO)?
The establishment of Rural Transportation Planning Organizations (RPOs) is similar in concept to the urban Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organizations (MPOs). The RPOs provide rural areas the opportunity to work in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation toward development of sound, short-range and long-range transportation planning for rural areas. In 1998 Congress recognized the transportation needs of the rural areas and presented similar opportunities afforded the urban areas as part of the statewide planning provisions of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). TEA-21 calls for enhanced consultation with rural local officials and encourages states to use existing regional development organizations to facilitate the participation of elected officials. Locally based rural transportation planning gives communities the opportunity to make transportation investment decisions that enhance economic and community development goals. Metr
