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9 <br />reauthorizations have added tothe planning requirements of the MPOs. There are 17 <br />MPOs in North Carolina. <br />The MPO administrative structure has three main components: <br />1.Lead Planning Agency (LPA) – provides staff support to the MPO. The LPA <br />develops the draft documents, prepares TCC and TAC meeting materials, <br />schedules meetings, administers the distribution of federal transportation <br />planning funds to member governments, and carries out the directives of the <br />TCC and TAC. The City of Durham Transportation Division serves as the LPA <br />for the DCHC MPO. The City of Burlington Transportation Division serves as the <br />LPA for the BG MPO. <br />2.Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) – is comprised of staff representatives <br />of the various member governments, NC DOT, FHWA (non-voting), and other <br />agencies such as Triangle Transit (TTA), local universities, etc. The TCC has <br />the responsibility of supervising and coordinating the comprehensive <br />transportation planning process, and for making recommendations to the <br />Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and respective local and State agencies <br />pertaining to that process. <br />3.Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) – is the governing policy board for an MPO. <br />The TAC’s membership includes elected officials representing )and appointed <br />by) each local government, the area’s representative on the NC Board of <br />Transportation, advisory non-voting member representing FHWA and TTA, and <br />other members as may be authorized in the Memorandum of Understanding <br />(MOU). The TAC provides policy direction for the planning process, facilitates <br />communication and coordination between the member jurisdictions, and guides <br />the development of a coordinated, multimodal transportation program for the <br />planning areas. The TAC directs the planning process through its annual review <br />and approval of an MPO’s Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and the <br />MPO’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and through review and <br />approval of changes to the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and <br />Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). <br />How is the Boundary of a MPO Developed? <br />Pursuant to Federal law (C.F.R. Title 23 PART 450.308) the metropolitan planning area <br />boundary shall, as a minimum, cover the urban areas (UZAs) defined by the most <br />recent Census and the contiguous geographic area(s) likely to become urbanized within <br />the twenty year forecast period covered by the transportation plan for the region. C.F.R. <br />Title 23 PART 450.308(e) states that, to the extent possible, only one MPO shall be <br />designated for each UZA or group of UZAs. More than one MPO may be designated <br />within anUZA only if the Governor and the existing MPO determines that the size and <br />complexity of the UZA makes designation of more than one MPO appropriate. In those <br />cases where two or more MPOs serve the same urbanized area, the MPOs shall <br />establish official, written agreements that clearly identify areas of coordination and the <br />division of transportation planning responsibilities among the MPOs. An MPO may <br /> <br />