NRPC serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the
Nashua, NH Urbanized Area (UZA). The MPO is the transportation policy-making organization for the region. It is made up of representatives from local government and transportation authorities, including the NH Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration and the Nashua Transit System. The purpose of the MPO is to administer the federal transportation process and ensure that investments in transportation projects and programs are based on a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (“3-C”) planning process. The MPO must successfully administer this process in order to acquire and spend Federal money on transportation improvements.
The core MPO functions include:
- Provide a forum for effective regional decision-making. The MPO provides individuals and communities a voice in how transportation resources are prioritized and allocated in the region. The Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC), made up of representatives from all municipalities as well as state and federal agencies helps MPO staff guide transportation policies in the region and prioritize projects of regional importance.
- Evaluate transportation alternatives for the region. In order to ensure transportation investments are cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and best leverage existing resources, the MPO evaluates a number of alternatives, and their costs and impacts, before settling on a solution.
- Develop and maintain a Long-Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The MTP is a comprehensive, multimodal “blueprint” for transportation systems and services aimed at both meeting the mobility needs and improving the overall quality of life of residents in the region through the next 25 years.
- Develop and maintain a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a four-year work program that lists all regionally significant and federally funded projects, as required by federal transportation legislation. The TIP contains an agreed-upon list of specific transportation improvement projects and associated financial information for the Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
- Ensure that the TIP and MTP comply with air quality requirements. Emissions from motor vehicles significantly impact air quality and must be considered as part of the transportation planning process. The MPO works to ensure transportation investments reduce or minimize emissions in the region.
- Every Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) must develop, adopt and implement formalized procedures for effective community participation during transportation planning processes. NRPC has developed an inclusive public involvement process intended to ensure effective public involvement in the transportation planning activities that meet or exceed applicable federal rules.
About the MPO
