The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides planning funds through the Section 5303 Program to aid in transportation planning for urban areas over 50,000 population. Funds are passed through to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO's) that are required to do long range and short-range transportation planning and programming in their defined study area.
Transportation planning includes all modes: transit, bicycle and pedestrian, rail, air, and highway. Each MPO develops a 25-year Transportation Plan that describes the future needs of the transportation system based on sound planning practices. This Plan is updated every 3 - 5 years.
MPO's are also required to develop a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which is a short-range program of transportation projects funded with federal funds during the next 3 years. INDOT works with the MPO's in the development of these plans. A portion of Section 5303 funding is set aside for state transit planning as performed by INDOT; the other funds are passed through to 12 Metropolitan Planning Organizations(MPO) throughout the state.
The table below shows Indiana urban areas, their MPO, their transit agency(s), and the INDOT PMTF Project Manager. The Project Manager works with both the MPO and the transit agency in developing plans and programs.
| Urban Area | Metropolitan Planning Organization | Transit System(s) | Project Manager |
| Anderson | Madison County Council of Governments | City of Anderson Transit System (CATS) | Jennifer Bennet |
| Bloomington | Bloomington Area Transportation Study | Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation (PTC) | Brian Jones |
| Evansville | Evansville Urban Transportation Study | Metropolitan Evansville Transit System (METS) | Brian Jones |
| Fort Wayne | Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council | Fort Wayne PTC (CityLink) | Jennifer Bennet |
| Indianapolis | City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development | Indianapolis PTC (IndyGo) | Jennifer Bennet |
| Kokomo | Kokomo-Howard County Coordinating Council | City Line Rider | Jennifer Bennet |
| Lafayette | Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission | Lafayette PTC (City Bus) | Brian Jones |
| Muncie | Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission | Muncie Indiana Transit System (MITS) | Brian Jones |
| South Bend/Elkhart | Michiana Area Council of Governments | South Bend PTC (Transpo); Heart City Rider, Goshen Transit Service, The Bus | Jennifer Bennet |
| Terre Haute | West Central Indiana Economic Development District | Terre Haute Transit Utility | Brian Jones |
| Northwest Indiana | Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Council | Gary PTC, Hammond Transit, East Chicago Transit,LCEOC, NICTD | Jennifer Bennet |
| Southern Indiana (Louisville Urban Area) | Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency | Transit Authority of River City (TARC) | Jennifer Bennet |
Contact Information
Jason Casteel
Public Transit Program Manager/Transit Planner
Indiana Department of Transportation
100 N. Senate Ave., Room N758 -- [Multimodal]
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-234-5161
jcasteel@indot.in.gov