Transportation Planning

Transportation

Movement of goods and people from one place to another

Transportation Planning

The process of understanding current and future travel needs and developing policies, strategies, and investments

Major Components of Transportation Planning

Travel Demand

Transportation Supply

Land Use

Analysis

Decision Making

Travel Demand

who, when, why, where, and how of travel

Examples of Transportation Supply

Roadways

Transit Systems

Walking and Biking Facilities

Railroads

Air and Waterways

Connection Terminals

Components of Analysis

Modeling and Forecasting

Evaluation

Performance Measures

Messaging

Components of Decision Making

Policy

Funding

Public Involvement

Implementation

What is a Trip?

The basic unit if measure for travel; one way movement from origin to destination

Tour

A round trip consisting of two or more separate trips

Person Trips

Trips made by individuals, regardless of travel mode

Vehicle Trips

Trips made by a vehicle

Freight Trip

Trips made to move goods or provide commercial services

Trip Purpose

Reason for trip

Example of Trip Purpose

Home-Based Work

Home-Based Shopping

Home-Based School

Travel Characteristics

vehicle occupancy

trip length

travel time

time of day travel speed

travel cost

route choice

mode choice

frequency of travel

Transportation System

An interconnected network of infrastructure vehicles, users, organizations, and operational strategies that enable to save efficient and reliable movement of people and goods from one location to another

What does transportation systems serve?

passenger travel, freight movement, government services, military operations, and recreation

Four primary components of transportation

Infrastructure

Vehicles

Users

Operations and Management

What is infrastructure?

the physical network that supports transportation

Examples of Vehicle Characteristics

capacity

speed

operating cost

energy consumption

emissions

safety

space requirements

What is a central responsibility of transportation planning?

understanding different user perspectives

Examples of Operations and Management Systems

Traffic Operations (ramp meters, work zones)

Transit Operations (scheduling, driver assignments)

Maintenance (Snow removal, striping)

Intelligent Transportation Systems (dynamic message signs)

What are the major transportation types?

Highway systems

Transit Systems

Bicycle and pedestrian systems

Rail Systems

Water Systems

Intermodal Systems

What is the purpose of highway systems?

provide mobility and access to destinations

What is the functional classification hierarchy?

Interstate highways

Freeways

Principal arterials

Minor arterials

Collectors

Local streets

What are examples principal arterial roads?

Interstates or freeways and expressways

What is the purpose of a transit system?

to provide public transportation and mobility options, move people more efficiently, and provide an alternative to personal vehicles

What are two advantages of transit systems?

More energy efficient

Supports disadvantaged groups

What is the purpose of bicycle and pedestrian systems?

Provide, safe, accessible and active transportation options

What are three considerations that should be made for bicycle and pedestrian systems?

Connectivity

Safety

Directness

What is the purpose of airport systems?

Move people and goods quickly over long distances and connect communities

What are some considerations to be made in regards to airport systems?

Runways

Noise Impact

Security

What is the purpose of rail systems?

Move large volumes of people and good efficiently, over medium and long distances while providing an alternate to highways for freight movement

What is the purpose of intermodal systems

move people or goods using multiple transportation modes during a single trip

What is an example of an intermodal system?

Drive → Light Rail → Walk

How does transportation planning relate to travel modes?

Transportation planning considers how these modes work together as a system

Who is involved in transportation planning?

Government

Planning Organizations

Transportation Agencies

Operators

Other stakeholders

Which level of government is responsible for planning?

All; federal, state, regional, and local

What are the federal government transportation agencies?

USDOT

EPA

What are 3 of USDOT’s operating administrations

FAA

FRA

PHMSA (Pipelines and HazMat)

What is the role of USDOT?

To oversee federal transportation policy and programs

What is the role of the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration)?

Oversee federal highway programs, providing highway funding, and implementing highway-related planning requirements

What is the role of the FTA (Federal Transit Agency)?

Oversee federal transit programs, planning, and investment, and provide funding for transit

What is the role of the EPA in Transportation Planning?

Create and ensure the compliance of environmental regulations and air quality and transportation emissions

What state agencies are involved in planning?

OPB (State Office of Planning and Budget)

DOT(s)

What is the role of OPB’s?

Oversees state budget, provides information and forecasts to help inform state and regional planning (populations and economic forecasts)

What are the 3 of the roles of DOT(s)?

Statewide transportation planning (Long Range Plan (LRP) and urban and rural planning)

Transportation Investment and Asset Management

Coordination with MPOs and local governments

What are the regional governmental agencies involved in planning?

Regional Govs (COG, AOG, RPC)

MPOs

RPOs

What are COGs?

intergovernmental regional cooperation that coordinates cross-jurisdictional issues

What are MPOs?

Metropolitan Planning Organizations

What is the role of MPOs?

Carrying out transportation planning processes in designated metropolitan areas (population greater than 50,000)

What are some of the responsibilities of MPOs?

Create MTPs or RTPs (presented in 10-year periods)

Must have a 20-year planning horizon

TIPs

Unified Work Programs

Transportation modeling and forecasting

True or False: MPOs are required to exist by law

True

True or False: Regional Governments (COG, AOG) are required to exist by law

False

How many MPOs are in the United States?

~400

How many MPOs are in Utah?

4

What are RPOs?

Rural Planning Organizations

What are the responsibilities of RPOs?

Coordinate planning in rural areas

What local governments play a role in planning?

County and city governments

What are the operators and institutions in transportation planning?

Railroads

Airport authorities

Port authorities

Universities

Transit agencies

What is a TMA?

Transportation Management Area

Is the TMA a designation or organization?

Designation

Which organization typically carries out the planning process’ within TMAs?

MPOs

What is a CMP?

Congestion Management Process

Which organization must develop and implement a CMP?

TMAs

What are 3 requirements of CMPs?

Identify causes of congestion

Monitor system performance

Evaluate congestion-management strategies

What are 2 examples of CMP strategies?

Transit improvement

Traffic operational improvements

What is the main question the transportation planning process answers?

How do we go from a transportation problem to a decision?

What are the 8 steps of the transportation planning process?

1. Goals and Objectives

2. Identify Problems

3. Understand Conditions

4. Develop Solutions

5. Analyze Alternatives

6. Select Projects

7. Implement Projects

8. Evaluate Results

What is a goal?

Broad statement describing the desired outcome

Give an example of a goal

Reduce Congestion

What is an objective?

More specific statement describing what the plan should accomplish

Give an example of an objective

Reduce average peak-period travel time on congested corridors

What are performance measures?

Measures used to determine whether objectives are being achieved

What are 4 examples of performance measures?

Dely

Crashes

Emissions

Travel Time

What are performance targets?

Establish the desired level of performance within a defined timeline

What is an example of a performance target?

Reduce average peak-period delay on major corridors by 15% by 2035

What are 4 common transportation problems?

Congestion

Capacity

Environmental Impacts

Connectivity

True or False: All transportation planning begins with a problem

False

What are the three types of data?

Observed, synthesized, and modeled

What does organizing the information establish?

project need and how to communicate decisions with the public

Why are existing conditions important to understand?

Base years are important because the establish the starting point for analysis and provides a benchmark for measuring future change

What are 2 reasons for forecast?

Land use and travel demand change over time

Transportation infrastructure has a long life

What are future conditions called?

Forecast or Plan Years

What are 2 factors that can influence future conditions?

Population Growth and Policy

What are 3 potential strategies to solve transportation problems?

Roadway Improvements

Do Nothing

Active Transportation

What are the features of the “best solution”?

Relate back to the underlying issue and are a mix of solutions

What is an alternative?

Something we could do

Give an example of an alternative

Roadway expansion

What is a scenario?

A set of assumptions under which we evaluate what we need to do

What do scenarios do?

Examine how results change under different assumptions

Give 2 examples of potential scenarios

Capacity improvements and operational improvements

What do analysis’ tell us?

What is likely to happen

What does evaluation tell us?

Whether what happens is desirable

How do analysis relate to alternatives?

Analysis looks at what is likely to happen in an alternative

How does evaluation play a role in alternatives?

Justifies each alternatives objectives

What are 2 types of analytical methods?

Spatial and Descriptive

What are 3 constraints to investments?

Public acceptance

Environmental constraints

Time constraints

Why is prioritization important in planning?

Resources are limited, and prioritizing determines the best use of those resources

What is the project development process?

Environmental Review

Preliminary Engineering

Final Design

Right-of-Way

Construction

Operations and Maintenance