Unified Planning Work Program
A UPWP is a document that lists the projects, priorities and tasks that an MPO will undertake over the course of no less than one calendar year (CFR 420.101). This document includes descriptions of the planning activities anticipated for the year as well as the allocation of state and federal funds associated with each activity. The UPWP will also include who will perform each activity (MPO personnel or contractors), a detailed schedule for completing the work and the resulting deliverables and products. It is mandated by the joint Federal Highway Administration/Federal Transit Association in their transportation planning guidelines. UPWPs are required because the federal government must approve and authorize activities that use FWHA planning and research funds. Approvals and authorizations are based on the UPWP (CFR 420.113(a)).
Requirements
- Discussion of the planning process and priorities that the MPO is facing
- A list of FWHA-funded planning activities performed by MPO
- Funding for each activity
- A description of work to be accomplished by MPO using funds from the FWHA with estimated and resulting products
- A Summary that shows the following:
- Federal share of budget by type of fund
- Matching rate by type of fund
- State and/or local matching share
- Other state or local funds
- Proposed use and budget of other funds from federal, state and local government that are being used for the planning, research, development and/or other activities undertaken by the MPO
- Schedule of completion of the work the MPO performs as well as an identification of who is responsible for each work activity
- The intended use of FWHA planning and research funds and a list of all studies that the MPO is undertaking
Current MPO UPWPs
Resources
USDOT resources
- USDOT UPWP webpage
- Federal regulations for UPWPs
- Other resources for MPOs from the USDOT
- 10 Planning Factors (required in every UPWP per CFR 450.206 (a))
- USDOT 2021 Planning Emphasis Areas