A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and funded transportation policy-making organization that is made up of representatives from local government and transportation interests. Transportation law requires a MPO be established for any urbanized area (UZA) with a population over 50,000. Federal law created MPOs in order to ensure that existing and future expenditures of governmental funds for transportation projects and programs are based on a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (ā3 Cā) planning process.