A Council of Governments (COG), or Regional Council, is a regional governing body. A COG serves the local governments and the residents of the region by dealing with issues and needs that cross city, town, county and even state boundaries. Tools used to address these issues may include communication, planning, policymaking, coordination, advocacy and technical assistance.

A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the policy board of an organization created and designated to carry out the metropolitan transportation planning process. MPOs are designated by agreement between the governor and local governments. Federal legislation establishes that the metropolitan planning process for a metropolitan planning area provides consideration of projects and strategies that will support the economic vitality of the of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity and efficiency.

For large urban areas (over 200,000 in population), Congress provided a greater role by having the Secretary of Transportation certify these areas as Transportation Management Areas (TMAs). Metropolitan Planning Organizations that are designated as TMAs have greater requirements for congestion management, project selection and certification.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) jointly review and evaluate the transportation planning process every four years. In nonattainment or maintenance areas the FHWA and FTA review to ensure air quality conformity regulations are followed in TMAs.