Introduction to Transportation Planning

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Introduction to Transportation Planning

• Urban Transportation Studies

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Urban Transportation Studies

• Lecture Objectives
• Understand Legislation's Impact on Planning
• Define Performance Based Planning
• Identify the 4 steps in travel model

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Legislation Review

• Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962
• 3C Process Continuing, cooperative,
  comprehensive planning
• Federal Aid Highway Act of 1973
• Required creation of MPOs
• MPOs carry out 3-C planning process

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• Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
• Conformity
• ISTEA 1991
• Reference table 12-1

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• National Highway System Designations Act of 1995
• TEA-21 1998

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TEA-21 Planning Considerations

• Support economic vitality
• Increase safety and security
• Increase accessibility and mobility options for
  people and freight
• Protect and enhance the environment
• Enhance integration and connectivity of the
  system across modes
• Promote efficient management and operation
• Emphasize preservation of existing system

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Planning Realities

• Uncertainty in predicting the future
• Economy, fuel, population growth
• Analytical limitations
• Inventory, forecasting, performance measures
• Influence of politics
• MPO is an explicitly political forum
• In a democracy, elected officials should make key
  decisions

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Performance-Based PlanningWe tend to plan what
we can measure.

• Measures outcome rather than output
• Iterative
• Requires measures of performance
• Requires a management/monitoring system
• Transportation triangle
• economic development
• quality of life
• environmental quality

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D Eugene S
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NOTE
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Strategic Planning

• Recognizes uncertainties
• Evaluates scenarios -- sets of assumptions
• Requires forecasting tools
• Used to help develop a community vision
• Sets the big picture
• Dont fall in love with your forecasts

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Keeping the Process Effective

• Peer review
• Public participation
• Task forces
• Opinion surveys
• Media

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Task Forces

• Very useful technique
• Focuses on key issue areas
• Involves private citizens and businesses
• Feedback on elements of the plan
• Provides support for staff -- cover
• Should have a strong and well known chair
• Uses the task force like a subject-area board of
  directors

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OutreachAdvice -- Get to Know the Press

• Public meetings
• Public displays -- models
• Virtual reality videos
• Show new facility against print background
• Town meeting -- public television
• Press release/publicity
• Paid informational spots
• Internet

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Goals and Objectives

• They structure our
• Visions
• Goals
• Objectives
• Measurements and adjustments to operations
• Should result from from Public Input Process

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Long-Range Plan Goals and Objectives

• Personal Mobility
• System Integrity
• Safety

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Financial PlansFederal Funds Allocated to States

• Interstate maintenance
• National Highway System
• Surface transportation funds -- flexible
• Enhancement and safety
• Bridge program
• Federal Transit Formula Funds
• FHWA and FTA Discretionary Funds

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Federal Funds Allocated to MPOs

• Attributed STP Funds
• Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ)
• Congressional Earmarks
• Transit Formula Funds
• State revenues

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Federal Funds Allocated to MPOs

• Transit authority revenues from local taxes
• Toll revenues
• Dedicated local taxes -- transit, parking,
  special district
• Private -- impact fees, proffers, public/private
  partnerships

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Inventories

• Demographics -- population, employment, income
• Land use -- mapping/GIS
• Network -- highway, transit
• Infrastructure / Utilities
• Travel behavior
• Surveys and default values
• Freight

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Forecasting Travel

• Baseline data from inventories
• Alternatives
• Input forecasts
• Population, employment, land use, growth
• Outside variables
• Cost of fuel, parking, transit and tolls
• Air quality
• External developments
• Major shopping malls, theme attractions
• Recognize limits

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Travel Models

• The Four-Step Urban Transportation Planning
  Process
• Trip generation
• Trip distribution
• Mode split
• Traffic assignment to networks
• TRANS-SIMS as potential new approach

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Successful Decision Making

• Relate to goals and objectives
• Use performance measures
• Use task forces/public involvement
• Involve technical advisory committee
• MPO Policy Board for approval
• Publish the plan

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Federal Aid Requirements of the TIP

• Minimum 3 years w/2-year updates
• Allow for public involvement
• Be financially constrained
• Include all federal aid projects funded under
  Title 23 (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Act
• Be consistent with the plan

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• Include projects of regional significance
• Prioritize
• In Air Quality Non-Attainment Areas demonstrate
  CONFORMITY with SIP
• Identify criteria for priorities
• Provide information on projects, phasing and
  funding

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The Continuing Process

• Continuous analysis and reconsideration
• Is population following forecasts?
• Is economic activity following forecasts?
• Has land-use decisions tracked the framework?
• Have resources changed?

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• Monitor system performance
• Are traffic volumes reasonable compared to
  predictions?
• Is transit ridership comparable to predicted
  utilization?
• Have crash rates responded to safety programs?
• Have new bike/pedestrian facilities resulted in
  mode shift?

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• The political climate is always changing
• New elected officials
• Local support shifts
• Priorities change
• Annual effectiveness review is used as a
  monitoring mechanism.