Mission Statement: AMPO is the transportation advocate for metropolitan regions and is committed to enhancing MPOs’ abilities to improve metropolitan transportation systems.

AMPO is a nonprofit, membership organization established in 1994 to serve the needs and interests of “metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)” nationwide. Federal highway and transit statutes require, as a condition for spending federal highway or transit funds in urbanized areas, the designation of MPOs, which have responsibility for planning, programming and coordination of federal highway and transit investments. AMPO offers its member MPOs technical assistance and training, conferences and workshops, frequent print and electronic communications, research, a forum for transportation policy development and coalition building, and a variety of other services. The nine-member AMPO Board of Directors is directly elected by the membership, including the President and Vice President. Local elected officials who are active members of their respective MPOs play a vital leadership role in the affairs of AMPO. Full-membership in AMPO is open to all MPOs and associate memberships are available to all interested parties.

Metropolitan areas are the nation’s economic engines. Most of America’s population live and work in these regions, which drive the nation’s economy and compete head-to-head with regional economies in other countries. Because the pricing of our goods and services in the international marketplace largely determines our ability to compete successfully, we must be able to transport these goods and services efficiently. The quality of metropolitan transportation infrastructure — highways, bridges, airports, transit systems, rail, and ports — is, therefore, a primary factor in American economic competitiveness. It is for this reason that the members of AMPO are particularly interested in current legislation and concepts under consideration by Congress, the Administration and key lawmakers.