Tri‑state MPO presents long‑range transportation plan; Dubuque County encouraged to comment

Chandra, representing the regional DMAT metropolitan planning organization, presented the MPO’s long‑range transportation plan during a work session at the Sept. 8 meeting and invited public input. She described the plan as a 20‑year, federally required document that guides which projects can seek federal funding and explained that the plan is updated every five years to reflect population and employment projections required by Federal Highway and the Iowa DOT.

Chandra said the MPO covers a tri‑state region and serves as the mechanism by which federal money is programmed to counties and cities; she noted roughly 32 regional projects are listed in the plan, including corridor, bridge, trail and transit priorities. She encouraged supervisors and residents to review the full plan (about 250 pages) and to attend a public open house at the Multicultural Center on Sept. 22. Supervisors thanked DMAT for outreach plans and suggested posting maps and project lists in meeting documents to encourage public review before the comment deadline.