Chapter 18 – Intergovernmental Relationships
18.6 A Regional Organization That Facilitates Cooperation in Northeast Ohio
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for Greater Cleveland. As the region’s MPO, NOACA is responsible for coordinating all federally required transportation planning across Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties. Federal law requires MPOs to decide which proposed highway, transit, bikeway, and pedestrian projects receive federal transportation funding, and NOACA fills that role for Northeast Ohio.
NOACA represents officials from state, county, city, village, and township governments throughout the five-county region. The agency leads regional work in transportation planning, economic development, air quality, and water quality. By coordinating with ODOT, transit agencies, and local governments, NOACA develops long-range plans and short-term funding programs that support safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible travel.
The agency plays a major role in regional decision-making. Its Board of Directors—48 elected and appointed officials—sets priorities and determines how federal transportation dollars are allocated in the region. This process brings local governments together to plan projects with regional significance and ensures that community perspectives are part of the decision-making process.
NOACA’s vision is to strengthen regional cohesion, maintain existing infrastructure, and build a sustainable multimodal transportation system that supports economic activity and quality of life. Adopted in 2014, this vision guides the agency’s strategic planning and everyday operations.
The region NOACA serves is large and diverse: five counties, 61 cities, 45 villages, and 58 townships spread across 2,000 square miles and home to about 2.1 million residents. Recent initiatives highlight the agency’s broad impact. NOACA is installing electric vehicle charging stations across the region to improve access and support equity in emerging transportation technologies. It contributed funding to the Irishtown Bend Stabilization Project along the Cuyahoga River, helping secure the hillside and pave the way for a 23-acre park. Through its Transportation Improvement Program, NOACA funds upgrades to highways, bridges, transit systems, bikeways, and pedestrian networks. The agency also helped lead VibrantNEO 2040, a federally funded long-term planning framework for Northeast Ohio’s future development.
NOACA’s work reflects the role of Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs), a concept described by Dr. David Miller and Dr. Jen Nelles in Discovering American Regionalism. RIGOs help coordinate across local jurisdictions in regions that lack formal regional governments. They do not hold direct governing authority, but they can influence regional policy by facilitating collaboration, sharing information, and aligning local priorities. NOACA fits this model by bringing local governments together to address issues that cross community boundaries and require regional solutions.
References
Miller, David Young, and Jen Nelles. 2018. Discovering American Regionalism: An Introduction to Regional Intergovernmental Organizations. Routledge.
