Although, organized and tasked in a manner very similar to MPO’s, Rural Planning Organizations are grounded in state law rather than federal and are intended to address and improve rural area transportation planning processes. As required by state law, each rural area is required to carry out, as a minimum, the following four core duties:

• Develop, in cooperation with the NCDOT, transportation plans.
• Provide a forum for public participation in the transportation planning process.
• Develop and prioritize suggestions for projects that the organization believes should be included in the State’s Transportation Improvement Program.
• Provide transportation-related information to local governments and other interested organizations and persons.

A  Lead Planning Agency is designated for each RPO as staff from the COG (Council of Government), County, City or other entity to provide staff support for RPO functions. The LPA develops the draft documents, prepares Transportation Advisory Committee and Technical Coordinating Committee meeting materials, schedules meetings, administers the distribution of state transportation planning funds to member governments, and carries out the directives of the TAC and TCC.

The Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) is the governing policy board for the RPO. The TAC’s membership includes elected officials, members of the local governments, the area’s representative on the Board of Transportation and other members as may be designated. The Transportation Advisory Committee provides policy direction for the planning process, facilitates communication and coordination among the member jurisdictions, and guides the development of a comprehensive multi-modal transportation program for the rural area.

The Technical Coordinating Committee’s (TCC) role is to support and advise the TAC. It is comprised of staff representatives of the various member governments, NCDOT, transit providers, and other agencies with an interest in transportation planning. The TCC has the responsibility of supervising and coordinating the four core duties by making technical recommendations to the Transportation Advisory Committee on decisions pertaining to that process. The TCC, in conjunction with transportation Planning Branch, is usually responsible for development, review, and recommendation for approval and changes to the Prospectus, Planning Work Program, and the Comprehensive Transportation Plan, for planning citizen participation, and documenting reports of the transportation study.