About TARPO

Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization (TARPO) is a voluntary association of local governments in Chatham, Lee, Moore, and Orange Counties of North Carolina. TARPO's main goals are:

• Developing long-range local and regional multimodal transportation plans with NCDOT
• Prioritizing suggestions for transportation projects to be included in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
• Providing transportation-related information and data to the public and private sectors
• Encouraging public participation in the transportation planning process

Annual Planning Work Programs (PWPs) and budgets determine the specific tasks of the TARPO staff.

What is a Rural Transportation Planning Organization (RPO)?

An RPO is a voluntary association of local governments that plans rural transportation systems and advises the NCDOT on rural transportation policy. The 1999 Board of Transportation Reform Bill (House Bill 1304) required NCDOT to develop a plan to establish RPOs. RPOs were authorized by Senate Bill 1195 in 2000.