TTCI Formally Becomes Metropolitan Planning Organization

November 27, 2023

The Traverse Transportation Coordination Initiative Metropolitan Planning Organization (TTCI MPO) held its first formal meeting as a policy board on November 7, 2023. The organization was formally established in early October of 2023 through the approval of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Federal Highway Administration. An MPO is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization that is comprised of representatives from local governments and governmental transportation authorities. The United States Census Bureau announced in December of 2022 that the Traverse City-Garfield urban area reached a population of 56,890 in the 2020 Census, meeting the eligible population threshold to become an MPO.

The work of the TTCI MPO is to coordinate and collaborate for transportation projects within the Greater Traverse Region. Work of the MPO will include collaboration of members of participating governing bodies of local units of government, Grand Traverse County Road Commission, Leelanau County Road Commission and BATA and also include community engagement activities for gathering public input for all manner of transportation. These coordinated activities will lead to the development of transportation planning documents, which will outline all desired and planned transportation improvements in the Metropolitan Planning Area. 

The Metropolitan Planning Area spans Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties and includes 16 agencies and local units of government. To garner a broader range of input across different sectors and groups, inclusion of representation from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Traverse City Area Public Schools, Traverse Connect, Northwestern Michigan College, TART, The Groundwork Center, and the Cherry Capital Airport Authority among others is integral to the process. More information can be found at traversetransportation.org.