In addition to functioning as the Council of Governments for the Lake, Porter and LaPorte County region, NIRPC is also designated the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Northwest Indiana. As the MPO, NIRPC is responsible for coordinating the metropolitan area transportation planning process for the region. NIRPC conducts this process in cooperation with regional transportation stakeholders, local public agencies, transit service providers, the Indiana Department of Transportation, and federal highway, transit, and environmental agencies. The primary documents that the NIRPC produces are the regional transportation plan, transportation improvement program and unified planning work program.
The regional transportation plan is contained in the NWI 2050 Plan. The emphasis of the NWI 2050 Plan is for compact growth, reinvestment in the urban core communities along the Lake Michigan shoreline, and focusing investment in livable communities.
As a recipient of federal funds NIRPC is subject to the requirements of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as amended.
Click here for the Title VI complaint procedures.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued its Certification Review Final Report of how the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Gary Public Transportation Corporation (GPTC), and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) implement the federal transportation planning process. Please click the following link to view the Report.