Steady Paddling in Turbulent Waters:
Working Effectively with
MPOs
Florida Planning Conference
Sept. 19, 2025
Whit Blanton, FAICP
Sarah Kraum
Commissioner Mayra Uribe
Councilmember Don Willis
Session Overview & Context
• The role of Florida’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations
• A changing policy arena
• Aligning transportation with desired outcomes
• Getting the most out of your MPO Partnerships
Federal Framework
Federal surface transportation law requires the establishment of MPOs Today, Florida has 27 MPOs responsible for transportation planning within their boundaries
Transportation Management Areas (TMA) are metro areas with populations greater than 200,000, Florida has 20 TMA MPOs
Federal Regulations
(23 USC 134, 49 USC 5303, 23 CFR 450.300)
• Federal funds made available to MPOs for transportation planning activities (e.g., TIP and LRTP)
• Outline MPO requirements, including their creation, operation, and responsibilities
• MPOs must develop a UPWP that outlines planning work and task funding
• MPOs must integrate goals, objectives, performance measures, and targets
• MPOs ensure transportation planning is consistent with federal, state, and local goals
MPOs and Transportation Management Areas (TMAs)
▪Urban areas with 50,000+ population must be a part of an MPO.
▪Urban areas with 200,000+ population are Transportation Management Areas (TMAs).
▪ TMA MPOs have greater reporting and planning responsibilities.
Responsibility of MPOs
Continuing
Comprehensive
• Produce plans and programs that serve important national, state, and regional transportation facilities
• Produce plans and programs consistent with approved local government comprehensive plans
• Provide a forum for cooperative decision-making
MPOs must consider 10 Federal Planning Factors in the planning process
Resiliency and Reliability
Travel and Tourism Federal Planning Factors
Safety Security
Accessibility and Mobility
Multimodal Connectivity System Preservation
Core MPO Requirements
Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
List of Program Priorities (LOPP)
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
Public Participation Plan (PPP)
Congestion Management Process (CMP)
Planning Documents
A Changing Policy Context
Policy Actions
Outcomes for Planning
Lane Repurposing Guidebook
• Reflects changes in Florida Statutes
• Consider long-term congestion and safety impacts
• Tiered traffic analysis and property notifications
• Consistency with state, regional, local plans
• Application for a public transit project must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the transit authority board
• Ridership analysis for BRT projects
• 3,000 riders/day existing conditions
• 6,000 riders/day with new service opening year
• Projects not on the SHS must meet all statutory requirements for traffic analysis and public notice
2025 Legislature
• MPOs
• Added “reduce traffic and congestion” as a core MPO strategy
• Removes language related to minimizing transportationrelated fuel consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions
• Training of MPOs to be provided by FDOT
• Integration of Advanced Air Mobility and autonomous & electric vehicles
• New section on Accountability
• Requires counties to submit annual transportation project data to FDOT, including revenues, expenditures, project classifications, and unexpended funds
Other Recent Actions
• Mischaracterizations of MPOs and threats to abolish the MPO Advisory Council
• Withholding of state funds for non-compliance
• Florida DOGE scrutiny – “Green New Deal,” DEI, traffic calming, Complete Streets
• SB 180 – “more restrictive or burdensome” land use regulations
Navigating the Policy Arena
Space
Coast Transportation Planning Organization
Sarah Kraum, Senior Transportation Planner
Importance of Collaboration
• There are dozens of different transportation stakeholders on the Space Coast
• Each has their own set of priorities
• The SCTPO helps align needs between each stakeholder and prioritize them
Examples ways to partner and collaborate
Ellis Road 4-Laning ($56.6 M)
Cocoa Multimodal
Station - $80M
Construction Partially Funded: $33.8 million
Cocoa: $5 million, Brevard County: $5 million,
SCTPO: $17.5 million, Brightline (land donation)
✓ Federal State Partnership Grant submitted: $47.2 million needed.
• New in-line station and 4 miles double tracking to support the ongoing operation.
• Similar in design to Brightline’s Boca Raton Station (7,500-9000 sf). Surface Parking to accommodate 400 spaces.
• Uniquely positioned within the apex of Brightline’s system.
• Critical node to enable intercity mobility for millions of travelers within Florida.
Forward Pinellas Local Grant Program
Policies vs Funding
o Board direction to focus on implementing projects that serve all modes of transportation
o Leverage transportation investment to support planned redevelopment
o Defer to local policies
o Best ability to implement projects: fund them
Local Gov’t Grant Program
o Broadened in 2024
o Response to requests from partners for more flexibility in eligible projects
o Added public engagement activities, transportation feasibility studies, nonmotorized counting equipment expenses, technological investments, etc.
o Continue to see strong participation and interest in the funding programs
Planning Grants
• $150,000 for Planning projects available in FY 2027
• Minimum project award of $35,000
• Requires formal agreement with Forward Pinellas
• Projects may include:
• Complete streets concept plans, specialty transportation research, safety analyses, community charettes and facilitation, community walking audits or visioning workshops, evaluation of conditions for pilot technology applications, etc.
• MUST have a transportation component – cannot be purely land use
Minimum criteria
▪ Local support
▪ Advance goals of the Countywide Land Use Plan
▪ Pre-application meeting with Forward Pinellas
Planning Grants
Scoring
▪ Potential to involve the public
▪ Potential to improve safety
▪ Potential to improve facilities that contribute to Multimodal Accessibility (MAX) Index
▪ Potential to improve access to/along an investment corridor
▪ Potential to improve access to CRA
▪ Potential to serve multiple modes
▪ Potential to complete a gap
Minimum criteria
▪ Local support
▪ Advance goals of the Countywide Land Use Plan
▪ LAP Certification
▪ ROW available and secured
▪ Completed FDOT application
▪ Pre-application meeting with Forward Pinellas
Construction/Capital Grants
Scoring
▪ Involvement of the public
▪ Improvement in safety
▪ Improvement to facilities that contribute to MAX Index
▪ Improvement of access to/along and investment corridor
▪ Improvement of access to CRA
▪ Serves multiple modes
▪ Completes a gap
▪ $3 million for Construction/Capital Project(s)
▪ Prioritized to seek inclusion in the 5th year of the 2028 – 2032 FDOT Work Program (not guaranteed)
Construction/ Capital Grants
▪ Minimum project award of $300,000
▪ Max of 2 applications per agency
▪ Projects could include:
▪ Complete streets, procurement of multimodal counting equipment, technological equipment to improve mobility, bicycle parking infrastructure, safety improvement projects, etc.
Skinner Blvd in Dunedin (SR 580)
• Community desire to unify the CRA, improve traffic flow, enhance safety, and support businesses along the corridor
• $100K concept plan grant in 2018AND $1M construction grant
• 4 lanes to 2 lanes; roundabouts, 7’ bike lanes, on-street parking
• $13.5M project with federal, state and local funding
• ‘Before’ conditions captured in 2023; ‘After’ conditions will be captured post-construction
Keys to Effectively Working with Your MPO
Understand policy goals and framework:
• Long Range Transportation Plan Understand
• Federal and state
Connect the dots – link the plan to outcomes that reinforce policy goals and objectives
Tell the story using data and personal testimony Connect
Actively participate in the MPO committee process
Bring funding to the table, if possible Collaborate
Demonstrate
Demonstrate continuity of local commitment