Driving Progress: AMPO’s Policy Roadmap
Federal transportation bills, known as surface transportation authorizations, serve as pivotal legislative instruments that direct federal funding and policy guidelines for highways, transit, and other surface transportation initiatives within the United States. These bills are typically reauthorized on a periodic basis, a process that is essential for the continuous maintenance and enhancement of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. The reauthorization procedure is initiated as the current transportation bill approaches its expiration date. This impending expiration imposes a deadline on Congress to either extend the existing bill or formulate a new one to supersede it. Failure to reauthorize the bill prior to its expiration may lead to financial ambiguity for ongoing and future transportation projects, potentially hindering progress, and development.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), enacted on November 15, 2021, is the most recent milestone in a lineage of Federal surface transportation reauthorization acts, such as TEA-21, SAFETEA-LU, MAP-21, and the FAST Act. Together, these acts have systematically guided the financing and governance of highways, highway safety, and transit since 1998. The IIJA, with its unparalleled $550 billion investment in infrastructure, underscores an enduring dedication to advancing the country’s transportation network. For MPOs, these legislative measures, and the IIJA in particular, are fundamental to their responsibilities in planning, programming, and coordinating Federal highway and transit investments, as they establish the structural framework and financial support that steer regional transportation planning and infrastructure growth. The IIJA is set to expire on September 30, 2026.
Read the full Policy Roadmap below.
Advocating for Our Top Legislative Priorities
As we move forward in navigating the ever-changing landscape of transportation funding and policy, it is crucial that we unite and advocate for our collective interests. AMPO remains dedicated to advancing the interests of our members and their communities, and we are committed to supporting the development of sustainable transportation systems that promote economic growth, social equity, and environmental stewardship.
As we approach the upcoming reauthorization of the federal transportation bill, AMPO staff continues to monitor federal policy closely, aiming to identify key legislative issues that are rising to the top. We are focusing on policy issues that align with our AMPO priorities and advance member goals. As a member-led and member-driven organization, it is critical that AMPO’s priorities reflect our members’ needs. As such, during the past year we met with and surveyed members and subsequently identified the following priorities:
- Shifting Discretionary Funding to Formula Funding: We support a shift from discretionary funding toward formula-based allocations. Formula funding ensures a more equitable and predictable distribution of resources, which will enable our member organizations to plan and implement long-term transportation projects effectively. However, we understand the value discretionary programs can provide and will continue to advocate for the programs that garner the support of our members.
- Reducing Local Match for Federal Transportation Programs: We urge the reduction of local match requirements for federal transportation projects. By lowering these burdensome match requirements, Metropolitan Planning Organizations will have greater flexibility to address critical infrastructure needs and enhance transportation services for our communities.
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations Becoming Direct Recipients for Federal Funds: AMPO supports greater flexibility in granting direct recipient status to Metropolitan Planning Organizations for federal funds. This will streamline the funding process, eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, and empower our member organizations to make decisions that directly benefit their respective communities.
- Allowing for Carryover of Federal Funds: We advocate for a provision that permits the carryover of federal funds from one fiscal year to the next. This will facilitate the completion of long-term projects, ensuring that our efforts to improve transportation infrastructure are not hindered by year-to-year funding constraints.
We believe that addressing these priorities will improve our members’ ability to deliver sustainable transportation systems that promote economic growth, social equity, and environmental stewardship. Your support and active engagement are critical to ensuring that our collective voice is heard by lawmakers and stakeholders during the transportation bill reauthorization process. We recognize that not all MPOs are able to advocate on their own behalf. AMPO proudly advocates for the MPO community’s collective interests, and we look forward to our continued work together.