History

Transportation planning received its principal thrust in urban areas across the nation as a result of the 1962 Federal Aid Highway Act. This act specified that certain studies and planning efforts were required of all urban areas containing a central city with a population of 50,000 or more people. The new transportation planning process was to follow "3C" federal guidelines: Continuing, Comprehensive and Coordinated.

The Orlando Urban Area Transportation Study began in 1965 under the guidelines of the 1962 Federal Aid Highway Act. Due to the rapid rate of growth in the Orlando urban area, the original transportation study developed in 1965 has been updated several times to reflect the area's population explosion. The Orlando Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization was formally created in 1977 to specifically study the transportation issues that affect the Central Florida area and to oversee the development of an effective regional transportation system.

In August of 1997, the Orlando Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization changed its name to METROPLAN ORLANDO to stress the importance of regional cooperation and to strive for excellence in planning a balanced transportation system.