Regional Planning Affiliation 18 (RPA-18)
The Iowa Department of Transportation has designated 18 Regional Planning Affiliations (RPAs) that provide for regional transportation planning outside the urbanized areas. RPA-18 is comprised of Harrison, Mills, Shelby, and the non-urbanized portion of Pottawattamie County in Southwest Iowa. MAPA serves as the administrator for RPA-18 and provides professional and planning services for communities within the region.
The main activities of RPA-18 include the development and maintenance of the RPA’s Long Range Transportation Plan, the Regional TIP, and other Iowa DOT requirements. The RPA-18 Board has separate Policy and Technical Committees, comprised of representatives from each county (Harrison, Mills, Pottawattamie and Shelby), each city with a population greater than 5,000 (currently the cities of Harlan and Glenwood) and other key transportation stakeholders.