EVANSVILLE (EMPO)

Brad Mills, Executive Director, Seyed Shokouhzadeh, Chief Transportation Planner

Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization

1 Northwest Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Civic Center Complex, Room 316

Evansville, IN  47708

(812) 436-7833                            FAX: (812) 436-7834

E-mail:  bmills@evansvillempo.com; sshokouhzadeh@evansvillempo.com Website:  www.evansvillempo.com

Urbanized area: Evansville, IN-KY; IN Counties: GIBSON, POSEY, VANDERBURGH, WARRICK

1990 Urbanized Area Population: 183,087
2000 Urbanized Area Population: 211,989
2000 Urbanized Area Population in Indiana: 185,396

The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization (EMPO) was designated as the MPO for the Evansville Study Area in 1986 (formerly named the Evansville Urban Transportation Study - EUTS).  The urbanized study area is made up of the City of Evansville, all of Vanderburgh County (with the exception of Union Township), and a portion of Warrick County (including all of Ohio Township, Newburgh and Chandler, a segment of Boon Township, including Boonville, and a segment of Anderson Township).  In Kentucky, the Study Area includes the City of Henderson and Henderson County.  EMPO also provides rural transportation planning for Posey and Gibson counties.

  EMPO conducts highway and transit planning studies including corridor analysis, sub-area analysis, parking studies, surveillance and traffic counting, railroad crossing inventories, growth impact studies, urban goods movement studies and rural planning activities.  Staff prepares environmental documents as required for federal aid projects.  Staff also provides technical assistance to elected officials with reports on rezonings, impacts of access, reviews of development site plans, and subdivision impacts.  Additionally, EMPO assists the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) with comments on design alternatives and as a member of the management team assists with bringing the project to construction.

  The Policy and Technical Committees guide and assist EMPO in its regional planning activities.  The Policy Committee is the chief advisory body and is responsible for policy formulation, project guidance, and administrative coordination.  This includes delegation of and review of work activities for the EMPO Staff.  Official actions taken by EMPO require approval by the Policy Committee.  Committee membership includes elected or appointed officials from each local government within the Study Area, as well as representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

  The Technical Committee is composed of planners, engineers, state and federal agency representatives and operators of airport, port, rail and other transportation related departments or businesses.  This committee is the chief working committee providing expertise, assistance, and support data for all phases of transportation planning.  Each technical task undertaken by EMPO staff involves the participation of the Technical Committee.  The Technical Committee coordinates and reviews the work of EMPO staff and prepares reports and recommendations for the Policy Committee.

  It is the policy of EMPO to provide the public with access to the urban transportation planning process.  By doing so EMPO is able to collect ideas, concerns and suggestions on various transportation-planning issues and offer recommendations to improve the transportation system.  

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