DARTS supports a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation system by ensuring that federal-aid transportation projects are planned in a continuous, coordinated and comprehensive manner. The DARTS, the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), study area includes the existing urbanized area for the City of Albany, Dougherty County, and the southern half of Lee County, and those are
as that are expected to become urbanized over the next 20 years. The DARTS planning process was mandated by the 1962 Highway Act which requires that a transportation planning process be established in all metropolitan areas with a population greater than 50,000. Before federal funds can be expended on a project in the DARTS study area, the project must be included in the DARTS planning process. The DARTS MPO is composed of elected, appointed, and advisory officials from the federal, state, and local levels which are organized into three committees: two advisory committees (the Technical Coordinating Committee and Citizens’ Transportation Committee) and a decision-making committee (Policy Committee). Planning and Community Development Services provides local staff support for the Dougherty Area Regional Transportation Study (DARTS).
