Metro COG at Fargo Street Fair
Come provide input on the Metro GROW 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan at the Fargo Street Fair, Thursday, July 19 through Saturday, July 21st at the corner of 4th Avenue N and 4th Street N in Fargo.
Metro COG facilitates transportation planning by engaging the public and fostering strong partnerships between the MPO and other agencies, local governments, and communities. One of Metro COG’s most important responsibilities is developing and implementing its Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) in coordination with other regional and local plans, while moving toward an agreed-upon vision for transportation in Metro COG region. This plan is updated every five years to adapt to population shifts, policy changes, new legislation and guidance (federal and state), and other changes affecting the region. The time horizon for the updated LRTP is to be 2045. Metro COG is committed to continued improvement and innovation in delivery of the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan update. The 2045 LRTP update will focus on greater coordination, while fully adhering to the guiding principles of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015.
The last update to the Metro COG LRTP was approved in July of 2014, and therefore under current Federal regulations must be updated no later than July of 2019. To assure that the Plan is complete, on time and approved by this deadline, Metro COG desires a schedule that will have the Plan complete for final review by May of 2019.
Metro COG is a bi-state MPO with a planning area encompassing 14 townships in Cass County, ND and 16 townships in Clay County, MN. The North Dakota side of Metro COG region is the most populous urbanized area in North Dakota, with a 2015 population estimate of 170,000. Together with the Minnesota portion of the MPO, Metro COG is the largest MPO in North Dakota and second only to the Metropolitan Council Request for Proposals (RFP) Metro COG 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan Update 6 (Minneapolis/ St Paul) in Minnesota. This total region’s population is expected to increase by almost 39% between 2015 and 2045 to approximately 343,000 residents. This growth presents both challenges and opportunities for how we collaboratively plan for our regional multimodal transportation needs in a coordinated manner.
The Metro COG urbanized area eclipsed the 200,000 population threshold in 2015 and is expected to sustain this growth throughout the planning horizon of this 2045 LRTP. As such, it is anticipated that Metro COG will become a Transportation Management Area (TMA) following the 2020 Census of the Population. This will provide an additional consideration in the financial resources available to Metro COG in the latter years of the Plan.
Metro COG has completed, or will complete in 2018 multiple studies to support the 2045 LRTP update. Copies of these studies will be provided to the Consultant for incorporation into the LRTP update.