Overview
Federal regulations require areas developed around cities with 50,000 or more people to have a “metropolitan planning organization” (MPO) to coordinate transportation planning and funding.
The Gainesville & Alachua County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), serving in its role as the MPO, is the local transportation planning agency responsible for overseeing and supporting multimodal transportation and safety planning efforts for the Alachua County Transportation Management Area (TMA).
Working in close coordination with agency partners, the TPO is committed to providing county-wide multimodal transportation systems that consider the travel needs of all users, foster economic growth and development, and take into consideration community resiliency needs, while minimizing transportation-related fuel consumption and air pollution.
The TPO is organized under federal law and regulations , Florida Statute, and an interlocal agreement and is governed by a Governing Board comprised of local elected officials, transportation agency representatives and a member of the Alachua County School District. Under direction of the Governing Board, the TPO is led by an executive director and supported by professional staff and consultants.
Service Area
The TPO serves Alachua County, the Cities of Gainesville, Alachua, High Springs, Newberry, Hawthorne, Archer, and Waldo, and the Towns of Micanopy and La Crosse. This area encompasses 960 square miles and has a population of over 290,000.
Service Area Map
Boundary and Apportionment Plan
What We Do
Like all MPOs, the Gainesville & Alachua County TPO is required to prepare a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), List of Priority Projects (LOPP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). In addition, the TPO conducts studies to evaluate specific transportation needs and problems and work with agency partners to develop cost-feasible solutions with input from the general public.
To receive federal funding, our transportation planning efforts must follow the “3C” process: Continuing (ongoing process), Cooperative (fosters collaboration) and Comprehensive (all modes and impacts on land use, economic development and environment throughout our service area).
The TPO’s policy and decision-making is guided by performance-based planning and programming, using data-driven, outcome-oriented methods to inform investment decisions, maximize funding, and achieve specific, measurable targets.
To ensure that the public has opportunities to engage in transportation planning and the decision-making process, the TPO must also have and implements a Public Participation Plan, Non-Discrimination Plan and Limited English Proficiency Plan. Our goal is to provide residents and other members of the public:
- adequate public notice of public participation opportunities,
- ability to review and comment at key decision points, and
- multiple, accessible participation formats, including electronic and in-person.
TPO Funding
The Gainesville & Alachua County TPO receives federal and state transportation planning grants (referred to as PL funds which are calculated by the federal government based on US Census population) and local member contributions for our annual operations and study budget, as detailed in the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
Our local funding partners include the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and US Department of Transportation.
Project Funding
The Gainesville & Alachua County TPO is responsible for approving transportation projects funded with federal assistance, regardless of the grant program. Project funding sources are identified in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).