Abstract
Most metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) maintain websites to support their mission of comprehensive transportation planning. Websites can add value to several agency functions, including public involvement, intergovernmental coordination, and information dissemination. This research project reviewed the websites of all 26 MPOs in Florida. Websites were rated on several facets of their functionality and content. The study concluded that all Florida MPOs are meeting or exceeding the minimum electronic availability standards set by Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users and public notification standards of Florida State Statute. However, the functionality and the content of these websites were generally lower than those found on local government websites. Specifically, many MPO websites were not deploying business tools, raw data download capability, and Web 2.0 technology. Other findings include the need for dedicated MPO domain names, reduced size of plan documents, and direct contact between professional staff and the public.
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