manage a fair and impartial setting for effective regional decision-making in the metropolitan planning area (MPA). This planning area is intended to be a future growth planning area extending beyond the urbanized area (UZA) evaluate alternatives: evaluate transportation alternatives, scaled to the size and complexity of the region, to the nature of its transportation issues, and to the realistically available options maintain a regional transportation plan (RTP): develop and update a fiscally constrained long-range transportation plan for the UZA covering a planning horizon of at least twenty years that fosters mobility and access for people and goods, efficient system performance and preservation, and quality of life develop a transportation improvement program (TIP): develop a fiscally constrained program based on the long-range transportation plan and designed to serve the UZA's goals while using spending, regulating, operating, management, and financial tools involve the public: involve the general public and all the significantly affected sub-groups in the four essential functions listed above. If the metropolitan area is designated as an air quality non-attainment or maintenance area, then protect air quality: transportation plans, programs, and projects must conform with the air quality plan, known as the "state implementation plan" (SIP), for the state within which the UZA lies. Presently, most MPOs have no authority to raise revenues such as to levy taxes on their own, rather, they are designed to allow local officials to decide collaboratively how to spend available federal and other governmental transportation funds in their urbanized areas. The funding for the operations of an MPO comes from a combination of federal transportation funds and required matching funds from state and local governments. Expanded functions In some regions, MPOs have been given authority to handle expanded functions: Managing a regional urban growth boundary Distributing a Regional Housing Need Allocation to manage growth and ensure affordable housing Operating the region's public transportation services Structure of MPO organizations MPOs differ greatly in various parts of the country and even within states. Some have large staffs, while others may include only a director and a transportation planner. Sometimes the professional staff of an MPO is provided by a county or a council of governments. In many urban areas, existing organizations such as county governments or councils of government also function as MPOs. The MPO role also may be played by an independent governmental organization or a regional government. In the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area, for