The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) was established as a result of the 1973 Federal Highway Act. The Lackawanna/Luzerne MPO encompasses all areas of the two counties. The Lackawanna/Luzerne MPO consists of three committees: the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), the Technical Committee, and the Coordinating Committee. The TAC consists of about 22 people who represent a wide variety
of interests including environment, business & industry, automotive and trucking, rail freight, and para-transit, among others. It acts as an advisory body to the Technical Committee, and meets about 4 times per year. The Technical Committee consists of people who represent PennDOT, both counties, the Cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazleton, and all modes of transportation. The Technical Committee prepares all plans and documents required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and PennDOT, and presents them to the Coordinating Committee which reviews the material and takes the appropriate action. The Coordinating Committee has a similar make-up as the Technical Committee (all the committee listings are available under “MPO Committees”). The MPO meets about 4 times a year and all meetings are open to the public. The meetings are held at the PennDOT District 4-0 office (Exit 188 off I-81) which is located on the O’Neil Highway in Dunmore, at the entrance to the Keystone Industrial Park.
