Metropolitan Planning Enhancement Act

HR 4482, the Metropolitan Planning Enhancement Act, requires metropolitan planning organizations and state transportation agencies to use transparent public criteria when selecting projects for transportation plans. It mandates that projects be publicly categorized by performance, with priority lists including only the highest-performing projects unless a public explanation is provided for including lower-ranked projects (e.g., for geographic balance or economically distressed areas). The bill applies to federal transportation planning under Titles 23 and 49 of the U.S. Code, affecting how MPOs and states develop long-range plans and improvement programs. Key changes include adding explicit transparency requirements to project selection processes and requiring justification for exceptions to the highest-performing project rule. This is a procedural bill focused on planning accountability, not funding or specific project outcomes.