Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

Every 5 years, the Erie Regional Planning Commission Metropolitan Planning Organization (ERPC MPO) updates our Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), looking out 25 years into the future of our Erie and Ottawa County region. The plan helps guide the development of a well-maintained, integrated and accessible transportation system, and organizes local and regional infrastructure projects, including safety, multimodal, freight, and transit considerations, into strategic recommendations. 

A key component of any planning process is public outreach and participation. With your input, we can effectively identify the interests of our local communities, and help ensure the plans align with the priorities for the region’s future growth and development. Our survey is below, and will help us understand what assets currently exist and where opportunities exist for improved transportation considerations. 

Our survey (20 Questions - 5 minutes) can be found here: ERPC Long Range Plan Survey

For those with site specific transportation concerns, feel free to provide use our Transportation Feedback tool here: ERPC MPO Public Feedback Tool

The survey will be availably until November 15, 2024. Please feel free to reach out in person, by mail, phone (419.627.7792), e-mail ([email protected]) with any questions or comments you may have.   

The success of any transportation report is reliant upon a strong public involvement program. ERPC has committed itself to pursue a pro-active public outreach effort. Find ERPC MPO at a local event near you!

The Erie County Regional Planning Commission (ERPC) is the handling agency for the MPO.  The ERPC MPO was created as a result of a Federal statute that states every urbanized area with a population of more than 50,000 must establish a MPO; where the MPO is responsible for both short and long range transportation planning for its associated region. The 2000 Census revealed that the Sandusky Urbanized Area had a population of over 50,000 people and as a result the ERPC MPO was created in 2003. With local, state, and federal support, ERPC maintained its designation following the 2010 Census, although the urbanized area fell just below the 50,000 threshold. 

Following the 2020 Census, the MPO learned the urbanized area had been expanded west to include the city of Port Clinton in Ottawa County, and created the Sandusky-Port Clinton Urbanized Area. ERPC worked with area stakeholders and across both counties to expand the MPO planning area to include the Ottawa County peninsula. With the expansion, the ERPC MPO will be responsible for implementing the federal metropolitan transportation planning process for all of Erie County, the eastern portion of Ottawa County, and the City of Vermilion within Lorain County. 

 

The MPO receives an annual allocation of federal funding in the amount of approximately $1 million for transportation projects located on the federal aid system across the ERPC MPO region.  The MPO typically solicits for projects on an annual basis or as funding availablity allows.  Local jurisdiction and transit agencies are eligible to apply for project funding.  Typically funding is awarded on an 80/20 split, where 20% of project costs are to be covered by the project sponsor.  ERPC staff assists with the project solictitation process but all funding award decisions are ultimately made by the MPO's Policy Committee.  Projects that are awarded for funding are then programmed into the MPO's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which is a four year list of prioritized projects.