Transportation planning helps shape our community's economic health and quality of life.
Transportation planning is more than listing highway and transit projects, it
requires developing strategies to meet the area's long-term goals and requires
transportation planners to involve stakeholders throughout the process.
Federal regulations require state Departments of Transportation, called
DOTs, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations known as MPOs, to
conduct statewide and metropolitan transportation planning. Agencies
coordinate public involvement and input by using a cooperative continuing and
comprehensive planning model. This joint effort known as the "three C" process
results in defining common ground about what the transportation system should be,
and developing solutions to meet that vision. Public agencies at different
levels of government conduct transportation planning to improve
transportation systems. State DOTs are the largest units of government that
develop transportation plans and projects. They set transportation goals
for the state and oversee the safe operation of the transportation system.
State DOTs also plan the safe and efficient transportation of people and
goods among the states cities, towns, and neighboring states. State DOTs develop a
statewide transportation plan by working with other transportation organizations,
local governments, and interested parties to consider stakeholder needs. MPOs
are created to carry out transportation planning in urban areas . An MPO works in
cooperation with state and local agencies to develop an area's
transportation system. MPOs seek public involvement, and the public and
interested stakeholders influence the MPOs direction and approach.
MPOs assess regional travel for transit and highways. At the local level,
local governments carry out many transportation planning functions such
as scheduling improvement, and maintenance for local streets and roads.
Local governments and transit agencies also generate project proposals and take
them to the MPO and the state. Public transportation, or transit agencies, also
play a crucial role in the planning activities of the MPO. Public
transportation agencies may provide services using busses, various rail
options, or ferry boats to support needs and solutions identified through the
planning process. The last key participant is the federal government.
The US Department of Transportation oversees the planning and project
activities of the MPOs, the State DOTs, and transit agencies.
The department provides advice and training on transportation topics ranging from
project finance to the efficient design and operation of highway systems.
The department provides funding for transportation planning and projects and
approves the state's list of projects known as the State Transportation
Improvement Program, or STIP. Before transportation planners start their work,
stakeholders should have a long-term transportation vision. A vision sets
broad goals for what the region or state will look like, and reflects what is
important for the future. Transportation planners help the public and elected
officials translate the vision into Long Range Transportation Plans, or LRTPs.
Long range plans outline transportation solutions that cover twenty or more
years. In developing these plans, planners evaluate transportation alternatives.
The public and other agencies also weigh in
to select alternatives that work best for an area, and use funds effectively.
After a region or state develops a Long Range Transportation Plan, the MPO and
state DOT develop their own short-term Transportation Improvement Program or TIP.
These programs identify all highway transit bicycle and pedestrian projects
proposed within a metropolitan area. The MPO and state DOT update the
programs at least once every four years. The STIP and TIP are a four-year list
of projects proposed for federal funding and must include a reasonable cost
estimate for each project. The comprehensive STIP compiles all the MPO
TIPs for metropolitan areas and adds all projects in non-metropolitan areas.
Transportation planning plays a fundamental role in a community's vision
for the future.
Your involvement throughout the process is a key component for what we want our
communities to be. Go to public meetings, express your opinion about a proposed
project, or volunteer for a transportation Advisory Committee. To find out how to
get involved, contact your local transportation planning organization,
your state DOT, or the FHWA Division office in your state.