The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is a long-term blueprint of a region’s transportation system. Usually RTPs are conducted every five years and are plans for thirty years into the future. The plan identifies and analyzes transportation needs of the metropolitan region and creates a framework for project priorities.

These plans are normally the product of recommendations and studies carried out and put forth by a Metropolitan planning organization

Metropolitan planning organization

A metropolitan planning organization is a federally-mandated and federally-funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities...

 (MPO). MPOs were formed under the 1962 Federal-Aid Highway Act and are required for any urban area with a population of greater than 50,000.

Aims & Objectives

MPOs must consider the following points when planning an RTP:

1. Support the economic vitality of the metropolitan areas, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency.
2. Increase the safety of the system for users of all modes of transportation.
3. Raise the ability of the transportation system to support homeland security and to safeguard the security of users of all modes of transportation.
4. Improve accessibility and mobility for people and freight.
5. Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, between modes, for people and freight.
6. Environmental considerations:
   1. Protect and enhance the environment;
   2. promote energy conservation;
   3. improve the quality of life; and,
   4. promote consistency between transportation projects, and State and local planned growth and economic development patterns.
7. Promote efficient operation and management of the system.
8. Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.