About Us

COG is the one place in metropolitan Washington that regularly brings leaders together to develop solutions to the region's major challenges. COG prepares plans enabling the region to receive federal funding, provides members with research and data to inform decision-making, and offers a wide range of programs, including commuter services, cooperative purchasing, technical assistance and grants, and public outreach campaigns.

Transportation

Through the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), area officials, planners, and engineers ensure a well-managed and maintained transportation system. The TPB, which is staffed by COG, conducts the federally mandated transportation planning process for the region and ensures the uninterrupted flow of federal transportation funds that area jurisdictions receive.

Environment

COG's work engages leaders in various environmental fields from water quality experts to climate scientists. Together, they are advancing regional efforts to restore local waterways, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change, promote recycling, and enhance and preserve green space and agriculture.

Community

Area officials and experts, including planning and housing directors and child welfare and health officials, work together with their counterparts at COG to help shape stronger communities throughout the region.

Homeland Security & Public Safety

COG brings police chiefs, fire chiefs, emergency managers, and other leaders together as part of its work to strengthen regional public safety coordination, homeland security planning, and emergency communication.

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Regional Priorities

The Homeland Security Executive Committee (HSEC) annually publishes the Regional Guidance, which includes the committee’s priorities for the next three years. Its purpose is to communicate regional homeland security priorities in a way that influences and supports local, state, and federal planning, spending, and action. The Regional Guidance will inform jurisdictional decision-makers on threats, response capabilities, innovations and opportunities, priorities, and actions of other jurisdictions to drive the best decisions for the National Capital Region (NCR).

As threats change, technology evolves, and capabilities expand, there is a need to periodically review and revise the region’s homeland security strategy to ensure that the priorities and objectives are sufficient to meet the threat and capability gaps.