Welcome To The Fargo Moorhead Council of Governments
The Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG) is the Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) for the Fargo-Moorhead area. An MPO is a transportation
policy-making organization made up of representatives from local government
and transportation authorities. The Federal Surface Transportation Act of 1973
required the formation of an MPO for any urbanized area with a population greater
than 50,000. The Fargo-Moorhead urban area is composed of the cities of Fargo,
Moorhead, West Fargo, and Dilworth, plus eight townships in both Cass and Clay
County.
MPOs were created in order to ensure that existing and future expenditures for
transportation projects and programs were based on a comprehensive, cooperative,
and continuing planning process.
Core functions of an MPO include:
Establishing a fair and impartial setting for effective regional decision
making.
Evaluate transportation alternatives by collecting data, understanding
issues, and creating a vision for the region.
Develop and update Long Range Transportation Plan, covering a planning
horizon of at least 20 years, that fosters mobility for people and goods, efficient
transportation system performance and preservation, and quality of life.
Develop a transportation Improvement Program based on the long-range
transportation plan and designed to serve area transportation goals.
Involve the general public and all significant affected sub-groups in
the functions listed above.
Thus the principal role of Metro COG is to harmonize the activities of federal,
state, and local agencies; to render technical assistance and encourage public
participation in the development of the area.