The Steering Committee for the Conference on Transportation Issues in Large U.S. Cities identified issues concerning the institutional and governance structure for transportation in central cities as one of the six major issues for the conference. Five questions were raised for discussion and research: What is the institutional and governance framework for transportation in these central cities, both internally within city government and within the region and state? What is the decision-making process for transportation? How do central cities fare in this structure, both for short-term and long-term decision making? What is the role of the central city in regional organizations, regulated transportation, and other modes? Is fragmentation of responsibilities and authority a concern? A questionnaire was prepared that included all the points of interest from the Steering Committee as well as additional questions designed to obtain a complete picture of the institutional and governance framework. The responses to the questionnaire serve two purposes: to illuminate the preparation of this paper and, at the request of the Steering Committee, to provide a description to the conference participants of the institutional and governance structure in each of the subject cities for the conference. To date, eight cities have responded, and their responses are the basis for this paper. A literature search was performed to obtain input for the paper. No similar effort to examine the institutional and governance structures for transportation in large cities was recorded; however, there are several sources dealing with the broader questions of institutional and governance issues. These sources are incorporated in this paper.