Walla Walla MPO shrinks
By Terry Murry on Friday, February 17th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Milton-Freewater is not going to continue its active role in the Walla Walla Metropolitan Planning Organization. The city and surrounding area were placed in the MPO based on 2010 census figures. Now, with the 2020 census, part of Highway 11 will stay in the MPO, but the rest is out. MPOs oversee transportation.
Umatilla County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dan Dorran, who is vice chairman of the MPO, said getting out is a good thing.
“Once you’re in an MPO you have to follow federal regulations in reporting,” he said. “It becomes very burdensome, especially with a small town like Milton-Freewater. Being able to find our way out of that is very important. The benefit to cost ratio is just not there.”
Dorran said the biggest benefit Milton-Freewater received was the bus service, but that will not go away.
“They will fall into the Umatilla County Transit Authority District and become members of that with very little reporting compared to the federal regulations and requirements,” he said.
Because of the portion of Highway 11 that remains in the organization, Umatilla County and the Oregon Department of Transportation will stay as members of the Walla Walla MPO.
