he NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for 7 million people in the 13-county northern New Jersey region. Each year, the NJTPA oversees more than $2 billion in transportation improvement projects and provides a forum for interagency cooperation and public input. It also sponsors and conducts studies, assists county planning agencies and monitors compliance with national air quality goals.
A MPO is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation planning agency made up of representatives from local government and key transportation agencies. Congress created MPOs to give local elected officials a stronger role in guiding federal transportation investment and to ensure that these decisions are based on a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive (“3C”) planning process.
The mission of the NJTPA is to:
- Create a vision to meet the mobility needs for people and goods;
- Develop a plan for transportation improvement and management to fulfill the vision;
- Partner with citizens, counties, cities, state, and federal entities to develop and promote the transportation plan;
- Prioritize federal funding assistance to make the plan a reality; and
- Link transportation planning with safety and security, economic growth, environmental protection, growth management, and quality of life goals for the region.
