Metropolitan Planning

Our role as Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Mid-America Regional Council serves as the council of governments for the nine counties and 119 cities in the Kansas City region and the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for eight counties. Federal transportation laws require urban areas with more than 50,000 people designate an MPO to receive and spend federal highway or transit funds.

Establishing common goals and objectives

As the MPO — one of more than 300 such organizations across the U.S. — MARC is responsible for transportation planning. It convenes representatives from cities, counties, transit agencies, state departments of transportation and other entities to identify common objectives and achieve collective goals for the regional transportation system.

This includes both long- and short-range plans. MARC's Total Transportation Policy Committee oversees the allocation of millions of dollars in federal and state transportation funds each year.

Map showing MPO counties of Clay, Platte, Cass, Wyandotte, Johnson, Jackson, Ray, Miami and Leavenworth
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