Unified Planning Work Program

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) identifies the transportation planning activities and products to be developed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization and other transportation planning agencies in the coming year.

MPO planning functions are paid for in large part through federal grants for transportation planning.  So are some HART planning functions and occasionally the planning functions of other agencies, such as the Aviation Authority and Bay Area Commuter Services.  Such federally funded transportation planning activities must be identified in advance of each fiscal year.  The activities, products and budgeted funds are documented in the UPWP, which is updated annually by the MPO.

Each year, the federal and state governments identify “Planning Emphasis Areas” to be addressed in UPWP planning activities. This guidance supplements the legislation and rules that govern MPO activities, which include mandates for public involvement, congestion management, twenty-year plans, three-year improvement programs, streamlined environmental analyses, regional coordination within urbanized areas, and seven planning factors for consideration in plans (such as economic vitality, safety and security, and others).