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New video available: Barriers To Walking - What You're Up Against.
A browser-based presentation showing some of the challenges that might be faced by pedestrians of all ages in your community. To view video, click here.

Who makes transportation decisions in your community? Knowing the people and what they do are keys to making changes that make your neighborhood better for bicycling, walking, and a more active community.

Changes in the local transportation system (roads, highways, trails, railroads) are made by people elected or appointed to make such decisions. It's quite possible that you have never heard of some of these folks but they wield a lot of power over your city.

To find out who does what, you need to answer a basic question:

1) Do you live in a large urban area (with at least 50,000 people) or
2) Do you live in a small town or rural area?

If you live in a large urban area, major decisions are made by a "Metropolitan Planning Organization" (MPO). Find out more about MPOs here.

If you live in a small town or rural area, decisions may be made by the state or through some local/state partnership. Here are some things you need to know.

Resources

- Building Livable Neighborhoods and Environmental Justice by Fixing Transportation. From the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF). | PDF 5.5MB

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