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Governance

The State of Connecticut is divided into nine planning regions which are responsible for cooperative planning across many areas including land use, transportation, housing, public facilities, open space, environment, energy and economic development. Connecticut’s planning regions provide a geographic framework for municipalities to jointly address common interests, and coordinate these interests with state and federal plans and programs.

State statutes authorize the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to oversee and designate (or redesignate) the boundaries of logical planning regions. Member municipalities of each planning region are authorized under separate state statutes to establish the formal governance structure known as a Regional Council of Governments. In Connecticut, Regional Council of Governments (COGs) are supported by a combination of federal, state and municipal funds. Each COG is governed by a Board consisting of each municipality’s Chief Elected Official (Mayor or First Selectman/woman).

In partnership with the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), MetroCOG conducts the federal transportation planning activities for both the Greater Bridgeport and the Valley Regions of Connecticut through the consolidated Greater Bridgeport and Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (GBVMPO). The remainder of the Valley Region governance remains autonomous from the Greater Bridgeport Region via NVCOG.

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Regional Council of Governments State Statutes

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MetroCOG Bylaws

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Metropolitan Transportation Planning Regulations

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GBVMPO Bylaws

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MetroCOG Board

Bridgeport

Mayor Joseph P. Ganim

Bridgeport is the state’s most populous city and the region’s center. Bridgeport provides the region with goods, services, jobs, higher education and healthcare. Bridgeport has a diverse workforce and access to a variety of transportation options that include bus, rail and ferry. The many parks located in the City are further enhanced by Bridgeport’s waterfront and proximity to Long Island Sound.

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Easton

First Selectman David Bindelglass (Secretary)

Due to the significant amount of watershed land in the community and the Town’s many working farms, Easton has successfully maintained its rural character. Easton’s commitment to open space and natural resource conservation has been critical to maintaining the quality of the region’s drinking water, as the four reservoirs located in the Town provide much of the water supply in Fairfield County.

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Fairfield

First Selectman William Gerber

Fairfield’s five miles of Long Island Sound shoreline and local beaches provide great opportunities for recreation and relaxation. With two universities, many parks and ball fields, two public golf courses, three rail stations and a vibrant array of restaurants and stores, the town has balanced its historic character with sustainable growth.

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Monroe

First Selectman Terry Rooney

Monroe has grown from a predominantly farming community into a suburban community that has successfully maintained its small-town character and charm. The Town’s parks and trails provide enjoyment and recreation for residents and visitors. A variety of restaurants and shops have further enhanced Monroe’s character.

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Stratford

Mayor Laura Hoydick (Vice-Chair)

Stratford’s location on Long Island Sound and the Housatonic River affords residents and visitors with two beaches, five marinas, several fishing piers and two boat-launch facilities. The diversity of Stratford’s natural resources is as rich as its history and manufacturing tradition. Stratford has a long association with the aviation industry; Sikorsky Aircraft continues to design and produce helicopters at its manufacturing facility in the north of Stratford.

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Trumbull

First Selectwoman Vicki Tesoro (Chair)

Trumbull is defined by its natural beauty and neighborhood integrity. This beauty can be enjoyed through the Town’s extensive trail system and many parks. Established residential neighborhoods are enhanced by tree lined streets. This small-town character is well balanced with extensive retail, commercial, and light manufacturing activity.

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GBVMPO

Greater Bridgeport and Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization

Chief Elected Officials of the Greater Bridgeport Region

Bridgeport

Mayor Joseph P. Ganim

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Easton

First Selectman David Bindelglass

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Fairfield

First Selectman William Gerber

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Monroe

First Selectman Terry Rooney

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Stratford

Mayor Laura Hoydick (Chair)

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Trumbull

First Selectwoman Vicki Tesoro

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Chief Elected Officials of Ansonia, Derby, Seymour Shelton

MetroCOG serves as the host agency of the GBVMPO. Visit the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), the Council of Governments for the municipalities of Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Shelton at nvcogct.org

Ansonia

Mayor David S. Cassetti

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Derby

Mayor Joseph DiMartino

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Seymour

First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis

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Shelton

Mayor Mark A. Lauretti (Vice-Chair)

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Chairs of Greater Bridgeport Transit & Valley Transit District

Doug Southerland

Chair, GBT

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Mark Lauretti

Chair, VTD

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Visit valleytransit.org

The Region

The MetroCOG Region, centered around the City of Bridgeport, is situated approximately 50 miles from New York City and 150 miles from Boston and is part of the I-95 urban corridor that forms the “spine” of the megalopolis stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C.
Given its close proximity to New York City, the area is also part of the Tri-State Metropolitan Region. This close proximity to major population centers has enabled the Region to become one of the premier transportation hubs in southern New England.
The Region offers area residents a diverse and integrated range of transportation options, most of which are centered in Downtown Bridgeport. Amenities include an extensive highway network, rail facilities, intra-regional bus services, a regional airport, port facilities, and ferry services to Long Island.
Within this compact region is a diversity of people, natural features, culture, and recreational activities. Long Island Sound is the Region’s dominant natural feature, adjoining coastal beaches, marshlands, and natural harbors.

FAQ

What is a Regional Council of Governments?
A regional council is a multi-service entity with state and locally-defined boundaries that delivers a variety of federal, state and local programs. Conceived in the 1960s, regional councils today have been shaped by the changing dynamics in federal, state and local government relations, and the growing recognition that the region is the arena in which local governments must work together to resolve social and environmental challenges.

Regional councils have carved out a valuable niche for themselves as reliable agents and many operate more independent of federal funding. Comprehensive and transportation planning, economic development, workforce development, the environment, services for the elderly and clearinghouse functions are among the types of programs managed by regional councils.

Some states, such as Georgia, have passed legislation that creates a role for regional councils, relying heavily on them to deliver or assist the state with a variety of programs. Of the 39,000 local, general purpose governments in the United States (counties, cities, townships, towns, villages, boroughs) a total of more than 35,000 are served by Regional Councils.

What is a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)?

An MPO is an agency created by federal law to provide local input for urban transportation planning and allocating federal transportation funds to cities with populations of greater than 50,000. There are approximately 400 MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organizations) in the U.S.

Under federal law emanating from the 1973 Highway Act and the Urban Mass Transit Act, organizations in urbanized areas are designated by their Governors to perform significant planning and programming of federally funded highways and transit projects. Through the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and its link to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), MPOs are responsible for approving significant expenditures of federal dollars.

Transportation Funding