The United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) outlines requirements that MPOs must follow in order to receive federal funding. Under these guidelines, MPOs must create a Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) that fulfills the following requirements:

• is updated every five years;
• covers a 20-year horizon period;
• is based on latest available estimates and assumptions for population, land use, travel, employment, congestion, and economic activity;
• uses the latest available estimates and assumptions for population, land use, travel, employment, congestion, and economic activity;
• and coordinates with statewide transportation planning process.

Federal regulations also lay out national goals which should guide MPO planning practices and inform performance measures.

National Goals

• Safety: to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.
• Infrastructure conditions: to maintain the highway infrastructure asset system in a state of good repair.
• Congestion reduction: to achieve a significant reduction in congestion on the National Highway System.
• System reliability: to improve the efficiency of the surface transportation system.
• Freight movement and economic vitality: to improve the National Highway Freight Network, strengthen the ability of rural communities to access national and international trade markets, and support regional economic development.
• Environmental sustainability: to enhance the performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment.
• Reduced project delivery delays: to reduce project costs, promote jobs and the economy, and expedite the movement of people and goods by accelerating project completion through eliminating delays in the project development and delivery process, including reducing regulatory burdens and improving agencies' work practices.