Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Lafayette area's metropolitan planning organization could face elimination

Tippecanoe County officials are concerned about a proposal in the Federal Transportation Bill that could have a negative impact on the Lafayette area.

The measure being crafted on Capitol Hill might do away with metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) serving populations with fewer than 200,000 people. Seven of the 14 in Indiana risk elimination.

Tippecanoe’s Area Plan Commission is the MPO for the county, and is responsible for a 20 year transportation plan and a 5 year transportation improvement program. APC Executive Director Sallie Fahey says if the local organization is eliminated, that county-wide planning would end, as would annual funding of roughly $13 million.

"The county, Lafayette and West Lafayette would have to compete individually with every other community in the state, rather than knowing we have a pot of money that we can agree on how we use to better the whole community."

She says the local MPO works with Carroll County for its rural planning, which also is in jeopardy. Fahey says money for roads, biking and walking trails are at risk.

"That's surface transportation program money. We also receive additional money in the safety program, transportation enhancements. How this might impact CityBus is still sort of unknown. We think this is a bad idea, not only locally, but for the country."

The APC Administrative Committee approved sending letters to members of Congress about the likely impact of the federal proposal. Fahey says she will draft a resolution in support of the MPO for the cities, towns and county to approve.

The Indiana MPOs which serve fewer than 200,000 people are: Anderson, Bloomington, Columbus, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, and Terre Haute.

You can see a map of the state's MPOs and the rural planning areas associated with those HERE.