In July 2013, OMEGA became one of five non-MPO regional councils in Ohio taking part in a two-year pilot program to establish Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs). The pilot gave rural areas outside the boundaries of a Metropolitan Planning Organization a meaningful voice in transportation planning across Ohio.
On January 27, 2016, OMEGA was formally designated as an RTPO pursuant to 23 U.S.C. § 135(m). The designation covers the Ohio counties of Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Muskingum, and Tuscarawas.
Through the RTPO, the OMEGA Executive Board — made up primarily of local elected officials — and the Ohio Department of Transportation conduct an ongoing regional transportation planning process, including the Long-Range Transportation Plan and the Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP).