The Central Mississippi Planning and Development District serves as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Jackson Urbanized Area which includes portions of Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties.
Established through federal legislation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) exist throughout the U.S. in urbanized areas of more than 50,000 people. Comprised of transportation stakeholders and representatives from local, state, and federal government agencies, that are responsible for identifying and prioritizing transportation projects for federal funds.
The MPO at CMPDD is a regional transportation planning entity comprised of local communities and transportation agencies in the three metro-area counties which encompasses portions of Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties.
The transportation planning process is conducted through the discussion, guidance, review, and approval of plans and programs by an official committee structure and is also supported by the use of advisory groups on focused topic areas.
Every four years a review is held of the MPO’s regional transportation planning process to determine compliance with federal regulations.
What is the MPO
Metropolitan Planning Organizations, or MPOs are established through federal legislation and exist throughout the U.S. in urbanized areas of more than 50,000 people to implement the federally required continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative (3Cs) transportation planning process. The MPO provides a regional forum to ensure coordination between the public and local, state, and federal agencies regarding planning and preparing transportation plans and programs. The MPO at CMPDD develops both long- and short-range multimodal transportation plans and selects and approves projects for federal funding based on regional priorities.
Prospectus
The MPO’s Prospectus (bylaws document) provides an overview of the MPO’s basic functions. The document outlines the membership, voting structure, and committees structure of the MPO. The most recent Prospectus document was adopted by the MPO in August 2025.
MPO Planning Area
The CMPDD MPO planning area encompasses over 1,500 square miles. It is comprised of portions of Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties and includes 17 municipalities. The planning area boundary for the MPO at CMPDD includes the census defined urbanized area as well as the area projected to become urbanized in the next 20 years. The map below illustrates the MPO’s planning area boundary and its member governments (click on the map for more information).
MPO Committee Structure
Five designated committees form the organizational structure of the MPO. The MPO establishes and supports other subcommittees and working advisory groups on an as-needed basis.
Metropolitan Planning Policy Committee
The Metropolitan Planning Policy Committee serves as the official governing body for the MPO. The committee is responsible for setting transportation planning policies and making key decisions that guide the development of the region’s transportation system, including allocating federal MPO grant funds to local projects.
The Metropolitan Planning Policy Committee is made up of 32 members, which include local elected and appointed officials from each city and county within the MPO planning area. The committee also includes a public transit representative from JTRAN, the Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and two non-voting members, the Federal Highway Administration’s Division Administrator in Jackson and the Federal Transit Administration’s Regional Administrator. Meetings are held quarterly on the second Wednesday of February, May, August, and November at CMPDD.
Intermodal Technical Committee
The Intermodal Technical Committee consists of 39 members representing public works departments, engineers, planners, and other professionals with expertise in transportation and community development. Their technical knowledge is essential for carrying out the MPO’s comprehensive transportation planning activities.
Committee members include representatives from each county and municipality within the MPO planning area, along with stakeholders from all major transportation modes—including streets and highways, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, air transportation, railroads, and freight movement.
The Intermodal Technical Committee is responsible for providing technical review, analysis, and recommendations to the Metropolitan Planning Policy Committee on all MPO plans, programs, studies, and related actions. Meetings are held quarterly on the first Wednesday of February, May, August, and November at CMPDD.
Stakeholders Committee
The Stakeholders Committee was established to provide agencies, organizations, and individuals who are not represented on the Intermodal Technical Committee but have an interest in regional transportation planning an opportunity to review and provide input on key plans, studies, and procedures related to the MPO’s transportation planning process.
Meetings are held at CMPDD as needed to share information, gather feedback, and discuss proposed transportation plans and studies.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Subcommittee includes members from the Metropolitan Planning Policy Committee, the Intermodal Technical Committee, and representatives from bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups.
This subcommittee provides input on all aspects of bicycle and pedestrian planning, including reviewing proposed and existing plans, projects, and documents. It also makes formal recommendations to the Intermodal Technical Committee on matters related to improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the region.
The subcommittee meets at least twice a year on the first Wednesday of February and August at CMPDD.
Public Transit Working Group
The Public Transit Working Group serves as a forum for public transit stakeholders to collaborate on strategies related to transit planning, accessibility, safety, and community outreach.
The group meets at least twice a year at CMPDD to discuss ongoing initiatives, share updates, and coordinate efforts to improve public transportation services throughout the region.
The Transit group meets at least twice a year on the first Wednesday of May and November at CMPDD.
Certification
As a Transportation Management Area (TMA) — a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) that serves a population of more than 200,000 — CMPDD’s transportation planning process is reviewed every four years by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This review ensures that our comprehensive, cooperative, and continuous planning efforts are consistent with federal requirements.
CMPDD completed its most recent MPO certification review in 2024. On July 29, 2024, FHWA and FTA issued a joint letter confirming that CMPDD’s planning process substantially meets all federal requirements. This certification is valid through July 2028.
Recent Certifications
- 2024 Jackson TMA Federal Certification Letter
- 2024 Jackson TMA Federal Certification Report
- 2020 Jackson TMA Federal Certification Letter
- 2020 Jackson TMA Federal Certification Report
For additional information, please contact CMPDD by email at mpo@cmpdd.org or by phone at (601)-981-1511.