OKI is the Cincinnati region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
MPO’s are federally mandated and federally funded organizations created and designated to carry out the metropolitan transportation planning process.
MPOs are required to represent localities in all urbanized areas (UZAs) with populations over 50,000, as determined by the U.S. Census. MPOs are designated by agreement between the governor and local governments that together represent at least 75 percent of the affected population (including the largest incorporated city, based on population) or in accordance with procedures established by applicable state or local law. 1
OKI represents eight counties. Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren in Ohio, Boone, Campbell and Kenton in Kentucky, and Dearborn in Indiana.
An MPO has many responsibilities that can be linked back to three basic requirements:
1. Metropolitan Transportation Plan (long-range)
2. Transportation Improvement Program (short-range)
3. Unified Planning Work Program
In addition to Planning, OKI distributes federal transportation funds.
There are around 450 MPO’s in the United States. Some other MPO’s in the wider region include MORPC in Columbus, Ohio, KIPDA in Lexington, Kentucky, and Indy MPO in Indianapolis, Indiana.
