MPO Certification Review Process
About
Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 134(k) and 49 U.S.C. 5303(k), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) must jointly certify the metropolitan transportation planning process in Transportation Management Areas (TMAs) at least every four years. A TMA is an urbanized area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with a population of over 200,000.
The Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the designated MPO for the Birmingham urbanized area. Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is the responsible State agency. The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) is the responsible public transportation operator.
In general, the reviews consist of three primary activities: a site visit, a review of planning products (in advance of and during the site visit), and preparation of a Certification Review Report that summarizes the review and offers findings.
The reviews focus on compliance with Federal regulations, challenges, successes, and experiences of the cooperative relationship between the MPO(s), the State DOT(s), and public transportation operator(s) in the conduct of the metropolitan transportation planning process.
The federal reviewers prepare Certification Reports to document the results of the review process. The reports and final actions are the joint responsibility of the appropriate FHWA and FTA field offices, and their content will vary to reflect the planning process reviewed, whether or not they relate explicitly to formal findings” of the review.
Certification Review - February 2024
The 2024 Certification Review for the Birmingham MPO will took place on February 20 and 21, 2024.
past certification reviews
2020 Certification Review Report
The last Certification Review was completed in February 2020. The Federal Review Team found that the metropolitan transportation planning process conducted in the Birmingham urbanized area meets the Federal planning requirements.
Commendations - noteworthy practices that the Birmingham MPO is doing well in the transportation planning process:
Citizens participated at the public involvement meeting during the on-site review commended the MPO staff for their responsiveness and professionalism;
The MPO staff was enthusiastic, receptive and accommodating throughout the certification review;
The MPO’s approach to involve and engage the public was innovative, creative, and
effective during the development of the B-Active Plan, Freight Plan, and 2045 RTP. The,
amount of participation and input from the public was substantial;
The MPO led and assisted all 59 member governments in the development of ADA Transition Plans for their respective areas;
The RPCGB provides and leads two major initiatives, CommuteSmart and Alabama
Partners for Clean Air to promote cleaner modes of transportation, and improve air quality for the Birmingham metropolitan planning area.
Recommendations - The Federal Review Team made several recommendations to the MPO. Detailed descriptions for these recommendations can be found in sections 4.1 through 4.6 of the Summary Report.
Corrective Actions - None