Abbeville joins Acadiana MPO to pursue federal transportation dollars; city to pay membership fee

The Abbeville City Council authorized the mayor to execute an intergovernmental agreement to include the city in the Acadiana Planning Commission's Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Sarah Gary, CEO and transportation director for the Acadiana Planning Commission, described the MPO’s role, the federal funds it channels and the planning requirements that member communities must meet.

Sarah Gary: “Because we are a TMA, we have to have a 20-year long-range plan and a congestion management plan,” Gary said, adding that the MPO manages an annual federal program of roughly $6 million that is distributed to member communities based on population and project priority.

Joining the MPO gives Abbeville a seat on the policy board and formal input into how federally eligible transportation funds are programmed. Gary said projects funded through the MPO typically require an 80/20 split, with the local jurisdiction providing about a 20 percent match for construction and related work.

Officials said the council should view MPO funding as “slow money” useful for projects where the city has time to wait for federal processes; needs that are urgent should be funded locally because federal and DOT review processes can be lengthy.

The mayor and staff said membership carries an annual participation fee tied to population; staff estimated the fee would be about $7,000–$8,000 for Abbeville. The council approved participation by voice vote.

City leaders and MPO staff asked residents to fill out the U.S. Census to protect future federal funding, noting census population counts affect federal allocations to the MPO.

The council also heard that transportation planning through the MPO will help the city coordinate roadway, airport and industrial access projects and position Abbeville to apply for discretionary and formula federal funds for future improvements.