Federal transportation law requires urbanized areas (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau) with population concentrations in excess of 50,000 persons, to conduct an urban transportation planning process as a prerequisite for receiving Federal funding for financing regional transportation improvements.   The federal planning regulations can be viewed at http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode23/usc_sec_23_00000134----000-.html.  The organization for conducting this planning process is called a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).  MPOs are committees comprised of local elected officials, operators of major modes of transportation, and State officials.  The State’s Governor formally designates as the body responsible for conducting an urbanized area’s transportation planning process.  In Ohio, this committee is typically referred to as a Policy Committee.  There are seventeen (17) Ohio MPOs.