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ABOUT THE MPO
What is the Missoula MPO?
The Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the regional transportation planning body for the Missoula area. Established in 1982 through an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Missoula, Missoula County, the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), the MPO coordinates planning efforts across the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA), which includes the City of Missoula and adjacent urban areas of Missoula County.
Federal transportation planning law requires the formation of MPOs for all urban areas with a population greater than 50,000 residents. The MPO’s mission is to plan and program a safe and efficient transportation system for the Missoula area that increases access and mobility through multimodal options.
What Does the Missoula MPO Do?
The MPO provides regional transportation planning services focused on creating a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation network that improves quality of life across our community. Reliable access to employment, education, healthcare, recreation, and everyday destinations is central to the region’s social, economic, and environmental health.
Transportation Planning
Develops and carries out a 20- to 30-year long-range transportation plan that guides investments in improving how people move around Missoula. Data-driven plans enhance reliability by guiding regional transportation improvements in ways that promote community goals and enhance travel conditions for users of all modes.
Facilitates Collaboration
Partners with public agencies, neighborhoods, and residents across the region to plan for future growth and balance the diverse ways people travel in and around Missoula. The MPO conducts a continuing, comprehensive, and coordinated (“3-Cs”) transportation planning program that encourages cooperation among all levels of government.
Helps Navigate Funding
Works with the City, County, Mountain Line, and MDT to direct federal funding toward regional transportation needs and implement the long-range plan. The MPO also assists state and local agencies in securing federal funds for the region.
Collects Data
Monitors and evaluates the transportation system to understand how it works today and identify opportunities to make streets safer and easier to navigate in the future. This information is available to support informed decision-making.
What Areas Does the MPO Serve?
From Turah to Lolo to the Wye, the Missoula MPO planning area stretches 263 square miles and is home to more than 100,000 residents. It includes a thriving downtown, distinctive neighborhoods, the University of Montana, and a mix of urban and rural communities with unique transportation needs.
Live in the County? Both the Planning Area and the Urban Area extend beyond city limits, meaning some county residents are also included in the MPO’s transportation planning.
How the MPO Is Governed
The MPO is governed by the Transportation Policy Coordinating Committee (TPCC), which provides overall direction and policy guidance. Supporting the TPCC is the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC), which offers technical expertise and advises on the transportation planning process. Together, these bodies ensure that planning decisions reflect both community priorities and federal requirements.
Under federal law (23 CFR 450), the MPO is responsible for maintaining a fully integrated multimodal transportation plan that meets all federal mandates, while also ensuring the development and implementation of effective policy and infrastructure to prepare the region for future growth.
Why Regional Transportation Planning Matters
Regional transportation planning helps your community grow safely, efficiently, and in ways that reflect your needs. When streets, transit, trails, and roads work together, residents have better access to the jobs, services, and places that matter most to them.
The Missoula MPO works with public agencies, neighborhoods, and residents to decide which improvements matter most and how to fund them through public investment. Comprehensive and coordinated planning provides the effective policy and infrastructure needed to prepare our region for the future.