Governor Pat McCrory announced this week additional funding for Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) that will assist the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) with transportation planning in rural areas across the state. NCDOT provides grants to help cover the cost of this work. While the amount of work for the RPOs has increased over the years, funding has not. To help cover the costs of these additional responsibilities, NCDOT is increasing the amount of funds granted to each RPO by $8,800-$11,000. "North Carolina's rural communities have been hit hard by the recession," said Governor McCrory. "It is important that we do everything possible to better connect people in these areas with jobs and opportunities. The Department of Transportation's funding and support of our Rural Planning Organizations will seek to do just that."