The Houma-Thibodaux Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is responsible for all transportation planning in the Houma-Thibodaux region (Official Map | Interactive Map). Members of the MPO include local government officials as well as representatives from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Transit Association.
Meetings of the MPO are held quarterly to discuss transportation issues. The Policy Committee, made up primarily of local elected officials, is the decision making board, responsible for adopting various planning documents and having final approval over project selection. The Technical Advisory Committee is made up of local planners, engineers, and other local stakeholders. The TAC discusses various transportation issues and makes recommendations to the Policy Committee.
The HTMPO was first established in 1983 in an agreement between the State of Louisiana, the City of Houma, Terrebonne Parish, and Lafourche Parish. This agreement has been revisited several times since then as the population in the region has grown, first in 2000 and then again in 2011 to expand the MPO to include the City of Thibodaux, Assumption Parish, and the Town of Lockport.
The Transportation Planning Process
By federal law, MPOs are required be designated in urbanized areas with a population exceeding 50,000 persons. Designations are made by an agreement between the Governor and local governments within the MPO study area. The MPO is responsible for having a continuous, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process that results in plans, programs, and projects that consider all transportation modes supporting community, economic development, and social goals.