Overview

The West Memphis MPO is composed of a qualified Study Director, a Technical Coordinating Committee, a Policy Committee, and a Citizens Advisory Committee. The Policy Committee is responsible for the policy direction of the West Memphis MPO. The primary daily administrative and transportation planning responsibilities for the West Memphis MPO are conducted by the Study Director acting under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Director and in cooperation with the Office of Planning and Development of the City of West Memphis.

What does the MPO do?

The purpose of the West Memphis MPO is to implement and coordinate the comprehensive urban transportation planning process.  To receive any Federal capital or operating assistance, the West Memphis area must have in place a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive planning process. This process serves as the basis for developing plans and programs that are consistent with the comprehensively planned development of the West Memphis metropolitan area. 

The West Memphis MPO serves as the forum for collective and cooperative decision making by principally elected officials of local government.  The City of West Memphis was designated by Governor Clinton as the Metropolitan Planning Organization/MPO for the West Memphis-Marion Area, Arkansas portion of the Memphis Urbanized Area, in 1983, and subsequent agreements between the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and the West Memphis MPO developed the organizational structure and membership.

The West Memphis MPO study area consists of the current urban area and the area that is likely to become urban over the next twenty years.  The West Memphis MPO study includes that area west from the Mississippi River along the southern right of way line of County Road 18 (Miller Road and Caldwell Road) to the western right of way line of County Road 205 (Hinkley Road); then north along said right of way line and continuing north to the intersection of the southern right of way line of the St. Louis-Southwestern Railroad; then in a southwesterly direction along said right of way line to the intersection of eastern right of way line of State Highway 147; then north along said right of way to the intersection of the southern right of way line of State Highway 131; then west along said right of way line to the western right of way line of County Road 51(Eubank Road); then north along said right of way line to U.S. 70; then continuing north along the western right of way line of County Road 25 (Katie Goodhope) to the northern right of way line of County Road 12 (Buck Lake Road); then east along said northern right of way line to State Road 306; then continuing east along the northern right of way line of State Road 306 to the western right of way line of County Road 165; then north along said right of way line to the northern right of way line of County Road 168; then northeasterly along said right of way line to the intersection of the northern right of way of County Road 172; then east along said right of way line to the intersection of the western right of way line of County Road 5; then north along said right of way line to the intersection of the northern right of way line of James Mill Road; then east along said northern right of way line to the Mississippi River being the eastern boundary of the study area.