The Manager's Guide for Developing a Planning Program

The Manager's Guide for Developing a Planning Program - 1980

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Preface

This publication is part of a series entitled Transportation Planning
for Your Community and is designed to acquaint officials and planners
with transportation planning for communities of from 25,000 to 200,000
population.

The series consists of two guides that explain the concepts of
transportation planning and five technical manuals that describe
techniques for carrying out transportation planning programs. The
guides are: A Guide for the Decisionmaker and The Manager's Guide for
Developing a Planning Program. The five technical manuals are titled:

Traffic Planning
Transit Planning
System Planning
Monitoring and Forecasting
Programming Projects

A Guide for the Decisionmaker describes the importance of urban
transportation and the benefits of transportation planning. It includes
a review of how transportation planning works, and the role of city,
county and town officials in transportation planning.

The Manager's Guide for Developing a Planning Program describes the
principles of transportation planning and is directed to those
engineers. planners and administrators who are charged with the
responsibility of organizing and administering the transportation
planning program.
The individual technical manuals describe transportation planning
techniques appropriate for small communities. The manuals also include
references to other publications that describe appropriate planning
techniques.

The Traffic Planning manual is a reference of basic traffic
engineering techniques and their potential for improving traffic flow
and traffic safety of urban arterial streets and highways. The manual
identifies the traffic engineering measures appropriate for
consideration in development of transportation improvement plans and
programs.

The Transit Planning manual includes techniques for estimating
transit patronage, service options, and operating requirements. Also
included are procedures for evaluating the need for specialized services
for the elderly and handicapped.

The System Planning manual details the steps required for the
functional classification of streets and highways, the estimation of
future traffic, the estimation of the impacts Of future traffic, and the
estimation of street and highway system requirements. An Appendix
includes alternative methods for forecasting traffic

The Monitoring and Forecasting manual provides instructions for
assembling inventories of transportation and land activity. It
describes methods for monitoring the performance of the transportation
system and general community development and methods for forecasting
information needed in urban transportation planning.

The Programming Projects manual contains procedures for development
of the transportation improvement program. Included are procedures for
identification of candidate improvement projects, determination of the
plan to fund candidate Improvement projects. assignment of priorities to
candidate improvement projects, budget allocation and project
scheduling, and monitoring, adjusting and evaluating the programs.

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For sale by the Superintendent of Documents.
U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402

This series was prepared by the COMSIS Corporation and the Highway
Users Federation for Safety and Mobility under a grant from the Federal
Highway Administration with the aid of a "steering committee" made up of
the following officials:

Dan C. Dees
Illinois Department of Transportation
Springfield, Illinois

James Echols
Tidewater Transportation Commission
Norfolk, Virginia

David D. Grayson
Automobile Club of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

John J. Holland
Cumberland County Planning Board
Bridgeton, New Jersey

F. W. Landers
Department of Public Works
Worcester, Massachusetts

Marion R. Poole
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Raleigh, North Carolina

The principal investigators were:

Arthur B. Sosslau
COMSIS Corporation
Wheaton, Maryland

Marshall F. Reed, Jr.
Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility
Washington, D.C.

Other principal authors were Maurice M. Carter of COMSIS Corporation
and Woodrow W. Rankin of the Highway Users Federation.

Contents

Page
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter One: Determining the Planning Scope. . . . . . . . . . . .3
Factors to be considered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Assessing planning factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Deciding the scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Chapter Two: Determining Planning Activities . . . . . . . . . . 11
Gathering basic information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Setting transportation goals, guidelines and standards . . . . . 11
Evaluating urban transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Developing the plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Developing the improvement program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter Three: Organizing and Administering Transportation Planning15
Establishing the team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Administering the planning program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

List of Figures

Figure
Number Title Page
1 Transportation Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
2 Improvements in Transportation System Management. . . . . . . .5
3 Capital Improvements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
4 Guidelines for Determining Transportation Planning Scope. . . .9
5 Determining Transportation Planning Scope . . . . . . . . . . 10

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introduction

This Guide is to be used by the transportation planning manager in
conjunction with the technical manuals for this series and other
specified references in developing and carrying out a program of
transportation planning. This Guide emphasizes three points:

- The program should be tailored to the characteristics of each
community.

- The development of a program or programs of transportation
improvements, within the limits of money and time, is an essential
element.

- Solving existing problems is a fundamental objective.

This Guide is directed toward the manager who is relatively new to
transportation planning as well as the experienced manager. In each
case. the Guide should be a useful reference of planning and programming
principles, especially pertinent to those communities that fall within
the 25,000 to 200,000 population range.

This Guide is based on a review of the state-of-the. art of
transportation planning, adjusted to conform with present and
foreseeable conditions.

In Chapter One, "Determining the Planning Scope," six factors that
need to be assessed prior to the design of the transportation planning
program are discussed along with examples of how these factors are used
in determining the planning scope.

Chapter Two, "Determining Planning Activities," discusses the actual
design of the planning program within five broad categories: gathering
basic information; setting goals, guidelines and standards; evaluating
the transportation system; developing the transportation plan; and
developing the transportation Improvement program.

For communities that have not yet established an organization to
carry out transportation planning, Chapter Three, "Organizing and
Administering Transportation Planning," indicates how to share the
planning responsibilities. Six administrative principles are also
presented.

Chapter One
Determining the Planning Scope

There are a number of factors that influence the scope of the
planning effort needed in each community. These factors also help to
determine the emphasis to be placed on short-range planning, long-range
planning, monitoring, and project programming.

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED

Each community has unique characteristics that influence the
development and use of its transportation system. Each community has
different:

- transportation problems and issues,
- improvement possibilities, and
- growth potential.

These characteristics need to be assessed prior to the development of
the planning program, for they are Important program determinants. The
other planning program parameters are:

- The status of transportation planning
- The technical and financial resources available for transportation
planning and improvements
- State and Federal planning requirements

Transportation Problems and Issues

The most important determinant of the planning program is the
preliminary assessment of transportation problems and issues. The
planning program should be designed to study and resolve known problems
and issues and to identify and resolve other not so readily apparent
problems and issues.

Figure 1 describes each class of urban transportation problem, as
well as the specific problems flat fall within each class. Which of
these problems exist,or are likely to exist, should be quickly
determined as a basis for determining the planning activities needed to
specify improvements and priorities.

An example of an obvious. problem is pavement failure. A
reconstruction program may be in order. Thus, the transportation
planning program might concentrate on an Inventory of the physical plant
and the development of a system of priorities to determine the cost-
effectiveness of improvements. Alternative plans might be conceived
baud on alternative financial plans.

A community that lacks public transportation might include in its
transportation planning program a determination of the number and
location of persons who do not have automobiles available, as well as a
study of alternative ways and means to provide and finance basic
mobility for these citizens.

A community with a transportation system that is in relatively good
physical condition but that is providing a poor level of travel service
may want to make operational studies of the street, highway system or
the transit system to determine ways and means of Improving service.

A community with a deteriorating downtown economy due to poor
transportation may want to study schemes to improve access to downtown,
such as constructing off-street parking, improving traffic operations,
improving public transportation service, and developing a pedestrian
mall.

A community with widespread economic problems may wish to study ways
and means to Improve access to the State highway system in or" to
Improve the community's access to markets and products.

The transportation planning program should also be designed to
identify and resolve other less readily apparent transportation
problems.

For those communities whom transportation problems at present are
relatively minor but whose fast growth may have a detrimental effect on
the future performance of the transportation system, the transportation
planning program might emphasize the study of future land use, future
transportation demand, future transportation system needs, and ways and
means to retain high levels of service.

In some cases, the basic problem - for example, congested streets -
is apparent, but the cause of the problem is obscure. The congestion
may be caused by heavy volumes of motor vehicles that originate and have
destinations outside the community, but are routed over urban streets.
Traffic surveys at the
3

Figure 1. TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS

SYSTEM PROBLEMS:

Improper road classification -- When streets that were designed as
local access residential streets are actually functioning as arterials
or collectors, highway safety is impaired and traffic it often
congested.

System discontinuity -- Some transportation networks ha
circumferential streets and highways or lack enough stream crossings,
causing circuitous, uneconomic, unsafe and congested travel.

Poor access to land -- Lack of a good suburban arterial street and
highway system might jeopardize the economy by discouraging industrial
and commercial development.

Inadequate parking -- Downtown economic bases might be attributable
to lack of good off-street parking garages or lots. Commercial streets
might also be unnecessary congested due to a large number of motorists
cruising to locate street parking.

Inadequate public transportation -- Without low-cost, convenient
public transportation service. some urban citizens that do not have
autos available were unable to become gainfully employed and were unable
to get to shops, medical care, recreation, etc.

Inadequate land use control -- Where there is a lack of consideration
of the effects of the transportation system in land use planning.
rezoning decisions and in the permitting of development, unsafe and
uneconomic travel conditions may result.

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS, STREET AND HIGHWAY:

Narrow roadway -- Lack of sufficient traffic lanes for the volume of
motor vehicle traffic demand will cause congested driving conditions,
uneconomic motor vehicle travel, unnecessary air pollution and excessive
energy use.

Inadequate Parking or shoulder lanes -- Lack of adequately wide
parking or shoulder lanes creates a hazardous or congested condition on
the traveled way.

Steep grades and sharp curves -- The reduced sight distances caused
by steep grades and sharp curves maws wade and uneconomic driving
conditions.

Pavement failures -- Pitted or cracked pavement and crumbling edges
is an indication of subgrade or surface failure which leads to slow
trawl speeds, unsafe driving conditions with high maintenance costs.

No pavement -- Lack of a paved roadway surface reduces motor vehicle
speed and has an adverse environmental impact on adjacent residences or
commercial establishments due to dust and unsightly appearances.

Lack of proper storm drainage -- Lack of curbs, gutters and a proper
drainage system creates an adverse environmental and economic impact on
adjacent residences or commercial establishments due to surface water
runoff and unsightly appearance.

Lack of adequate sidewalks -- Lack of adequate sidewalks in areas of
pedestrian concentration causes unsafe street and highway conflicts
between motorists and pedestrians.

Inadequate street lighting -- Improper night illumination of
intersections and other points of heavy pedestrian concentrations.

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS, BRIDGES:

Obsolete bridges -Some bridges are traffic bottlenecks due to
insufficient numbers of traffic lanes, or because they lack overhead or
underpass clearance height needed for modern traffic or because their
location creates an unsafe street or highway alignment or because they
are frequently flooded due lo lack of sufficient stream opening.

Unsafe bridges -- Some bridge may be closed or may be reduced in
effectiveness in the transportation system by the imposition of load
restrictions, due to structural deficiencies.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS:

Poor bus routing -- Widely spaced bus routes located a long walking
distance from many homes may make it difficult or other-wise
inconvenient for some citizens to get to the bus lines.

Long wait periods -- On some bus lines, the headways or durations
between buses is long, thus, making for long wait periods between
service.

Slow bus service -- Slow average bus speeds during peak periods may
make the bus system inconvenient for commuters.

Lack of information -- Many potential bus riders may not take
advantage of bus service because of the lack of public information
system such as signs, maps and telephone answering service.

Frequent bus breakdowns -- Old equipment and poor bus maintenance may
cause frequent losses of service and thus inconvenience to customers.

Expensive services -- Bus and/or taxi fares may be higher than many
urban citizens can afford.

Lack conveniences -- Lack of suitable and safe bus stops that provide
protection in inclement weather and protection from motor vehicle
traffic may deter use of the bus systems. Lack of park-and-ride
facilities may also deter use of the system.

Uncoordinated special services -- Lack of coordination between
special public transportation services may be uneconomical and may be a
source of confusion to the general public.

TRAFFIC OPERATIONS PROBLEMS:

Inadequate speed control -- Inordinately hazardous conditions may
exist when speed limits are set higher than necessary. Uneconomic
travel conditions nay also prevail when speed limits are set too low.

Difficult access to arterials -- Lack of proper traffic control may
make it difficult and hazardous for intersecting motor vehicles to turn
onto arterial streets and highways.

Difficult left turns -- Lack of proper left turn lane controls may
make it difficult and hazardous for motor vehicle traffic on arterial
streets and highways to make left turns at important intersections.

Long wait periods -- Improper timing of traffic signals or the use of
obsolete traffic signal equipment may cause long wait periods at
intersections.

Frequent stops -- Frequent stops along arterial streets and highways
may be caused by poor signal coordination and excessive interference
from traffic turning into and out of driveways and parking spaces.

Driver confusion -- Inadequate or poorly maintained signs and
pavement markings or their improper use may lead to motorist confusion
and unsafe driving.

Motor vehicle / Pedestrian conflicts -- Lace of adequate signs,
signals and markings at major pedestrian crossings may cause unsafe
conflicts between pedestrians and motorists.

Goods Movement -- Trucks and service vehicles that are double-parked,
due to the lack of adequate and enforced loading zones, cause congestion
and/or uneconomic business activity.

extremities of the community may disclose the need for changes in
through traffic routing or the need for a bypass highway.

Unsafe driving Conditions is another problem readily identified by
the accident statistics. However, it may take considerable study to
determine the contributing conditions at each high-accident location.

Possible Improvement Opportunities

A preliminary assessment of possible improvement opportunities, as
shown in Figures 2 and 3, will aid the planning manager in determining
whether the planning program should emphasize short-range transportation
systems management improvements or long-range capital improvements.

Improvement In Transportation System Management - As shown in Figure
2. the three general categories of possible improvements in
transportation system management are:

- Traffic flow and safety improvements
- Public transportation improvements
- Transportation demand improvements

In recent years, inflation, greater environmental and social
awareness, and greater competition for public funds have changed the
emphasis in many transportation improvements from expensive capital
construction to low-cost operational improvements, usually referred to
as transportation system management improvements. Without substantial
increase In funds, this trend in transportation Is likely to continue.

Figure 2. IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

Traffic engineering improvements can reduce traveltime an arterial
streets and highways and reduce traffic accidents or their severity.
They must be planned and implemented with the advice of traffic
engineers. Most require the enactment of implementing ordinances.

At Intersections - Installation of new signals, improved operation of
existing signals, elimination or control of turning movements, improved
illumination and improved signing are some of the traffic engineering
techniques used to Increase the traffic capacity and the safety of urban
arterial street and highway intersections.

Along streets and highways - The restriction of on-street parking,
the control of the number, size and location of driveway entrances, the
coordination of traffic signals, the improved use of pavement markings
and signs, and the designation of one-way streets are among the traffic
engineering measures used to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents
on urban arterial streets and highways.

For pedestrian safety - Construction of sidewalks, marking of
crosswalk, installation of pedestrian crossing controls, construction of
pedestrian overpasses, provision of bikeways, and control of traffic in
the vicinity of schools and playgrounds are some of the traffic
engineering means for minimizing the conflicts between pedestrians and
motor vehicles.

At high-hazard intersections - Removal of roadside obstacles, correct
use of traffic control devices, removal of obstructions to improve sight
distance and improving skid resistance by resurfacing or pavement
grooving are among the low-cost street and highway improvements to
correct high-hazard locations.

Improved traffic engineering capability - Improvement of the traffic
engineering capabilities may be accomplished by upgrading the traffic
engineering staff of cities, counties and towns, by setting up effective
administrative procedures and by increasing the financial resources
devoted to traffic engineering activities. Improvements of traffic
engineering capability may also be accomplished by greater cooperation
and common between State traffic engineers and local traffic engineers
and officials. Improved traffic engineering capabilities will lead to
more effective traffic control and safer and more efficient street and
highway operation.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS

Public transportation operational improvements are made to either
enhance operating deficiencies or improve transit ridership, or both.
They must be planned and implemented with the advice of the transit
operators.

Service - Changes in bus routes, schedules or fares, installation of
express bus service, designation of express bus lines, and initiation or
coordination of specialized service for the handicapped and the elderly
are among the operational improvements to the urban public
transportation system that may enhance the availability of public
transportation for urban citizens.

Public Information - Installation or upgrading of the telephone
information service, making route maps and Schedules available,
installation of signs, and other means of advertising the public
transportation system will increase pubic awareness of the various
services available and, therefore, enhance ridership and revenue.

Management capability - Like any private or pubic agency, improved
public transportation management techniques can favorably affect the
service

TRANSPORTATION DEMAND IMPROVEMENTS

The actions listed below are directed toward altering the demand for
transportation, thereby improving traffic flow and public transportation
services without large expenditure on facilities and equipment. The
intent of these actions is to make better use of existing facilities of
services

Variable work hours - Variable work hours are recommended to Improve
traffic flow into and away from major centers of activity thereby
enhancing the flow of all traffic an arterial streets and highways in
the vicinity of the center.

Ridesharing - to improve traffic flow, to reduce air pollution to
reduce the demand for parking, to reduce employees' cost of
transportation and to reduce the demand for energy, public officials and
businessmen may establish incentive programs to increase the use of
carpools and vanpools.

Improved land planning - Better coordination between land development
and transportation development will lead to smoother and safer flow of
traffic on the arterial streets and highways that serve new developments
- This can be accomplished through more careful analysis of the
transportation Impacts of land use and rezoning plans and through more
consideration of the needs for access by automobiles. trucks and buses.

Figure 3. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Resurfacing - Streets and highways are resurfaced to extend their
service lives and maintain their riding quality.

Reconstruction - Elements of the street and highway system as well as
off-street parking garages have varying but limited service lives beyond
which they must be replaced or reconstructed.

Widening -- Widening to provide added traffic lanes or to increase
the width of existing lanes is called for when congestion due to traffic
demands greater than the capacity of the street or highway reduces
average speeds below publicly acceptable levels.

New arterial streets and highways -- New arterial streets and
highways may be necessary to provide motor vehicle access to expanding
suburban areas and major land developments such as a new airport complex
or a regional commercial center. They may also be necessary in cases
where additional motor vehicle traffic capacity is requires and where
neither operational improvements nor widening are satisfactory options.

New bridges -- Bridges and interchanges should be considered at high-
volume intersections, when adequate, safe levels of traffic flow cannot
be provided by traffic engineering operational improvements. Bridges
nay also be necessary at railroad grade crossings of arterial streets
and highways where the frequency of rail traffic causes inordinate
delays or hazards to motor vehicle traffic. New bridges over rivers,
streams and other barriers should be constructed to eliminate circuitous
motor vehicle travel. Replacement of an existing bridge should also be
considered when low overhead clearance causes inordinately circuitous
travel for trucks or when an inadequate bridge opening causes frequent
flooding, or when the bridge width alignment is either a bottleneck or a
hazard.

Advanced purchase of street and highway rights-of-way -- Purchase or
reservation of land for later use for streets and highways is desirable
in areas of fast growth where it is projected that additional arterial
facilities will be required. Purchasing land for future street and
highway use ensures that adequate mobility can be provided in later
years without dislocation of homes and businesses.

Parking facilities -- Providing parking lots or garages in the
vicinity of major activity centers reduces the need for on-street
parking, thereby enhancing safety and mobility without street widening.
Off-street parking facilities may help retain the economic vitality of
business districts.

Auto restricted zones -- To enhance the downtown shopping
environment, autos can be restricted from one or more blocks of a
commercial street and the street ares turned into a parklike pedestrian
way. Because auto restricted zones both reduce the traffic capacity of
the street system serving the area and reduce the means for direct
vehicle access to the area, traffic must be rerouted and provision must
be made for fringe automobile parking and access by trucks, buses and
emergency vehicles. Auto restricted zones should be considered
operational improvements if needed changes are restricted to traffic and
transit operation.

New buses -- New buses and other public transportation capital
facilities should be considered when it is clear that continuing public
financial support will be available to meet operating costs.

For those communities with bus service, first priority should be
given to replacement of equipment that is beyond its useful service life
and outmoded or inadequate. Second priority should be given to added
equipment and service, park-and-ride, and amenities such as bus
shelters.

For those communities without bus service, consideration should be
given to provision of a basic bus system that could be added to as
further community support for public transportation develops. The
objective of such a bus system is to provide a basic means of mobility
for individuals that do not have automobile transportation available and
that cannot afford private taxi service.

The affect of inflation on urban street and highway improvement
progress is shown in the "highway construction bid price index," which,
after years of relative stability, increased substantially in the late
1960's and 1970's. By 1976, the highway construction dollar bought only
half as much highway improvement as it would have in 1967.

At the same time, greater environmental and social awareness in the
United States brought legislation and regulations and expending more
urban highway improvement funds on environmental elements of urban
highways, such as depressed roadway grades and added landscaping.
Greater social awareness also led to laws and rules for more liberal
payments to residents and businesses that are relocated due to street
and highway construction. Furthermore, increased concern for motorist
and pedestrian safety during that same period led to highway design
changes that add costs to street and highway construction.

While costs for capital improvements have gone up, financial
resources to fund such improvements have not kept pace. The intense
competition for public funds for needs other than transportation has
impeded the increase of street and highway funds.

Rising costs of capital improvements and relatively stable
improvement funds have required transportation engineers and planners to
turn to less expensive operational Improvements to meet the needs of
increasing urban travel demand.

Capital improvement -- Every community has considered some or all the
capital improvements shown in Figure 3. The planning program should
review these known possibilities to determine whether they are now
practical, economically sound, and financially feasible.

For example, If resurfacing of arterial streets and highways is a
capital improvement possibility, the planning program should include
either a review of available information on pavement condition or, If
such information Is not available, the Initiation of a program to
measure pavement condition. Consultation with experts in the field of
pavement adequacy

from city or State highway engineering departments may be necessary to
determine what type of resurfacing Is practical or whether another type
of improvement, such as reconstruction, is necessary in some Instances.

If resurfacing is the practical solution, the planning program should
determine the phasing of the improvement projects. This calls for
determining the most critical sections, what other utility work or other
development should be coordinated with the improvements, and available
funding.

With the exception of resurfacing, capital improvements generally
require a lead-time of 2 to 5 years for such pre-implementation
activities as: preliminary design, formal environmental impact
assessment (when Federal funds are involved), design, and right-of-way
purchase. Capital improvement recommendations should be developed
cooperatively with urban land planners, highway engineers, transit
operators, traffic engineers, utility engineers, architects, landscape
architects and others that may aid in properly specifying the
improvement.

Community Growth Potential
Growth potential is another determinant of the planning program,
since increase in people and jobs create increases in travel demand and
the need to improve transportation.

Areas of rapid growth should carefully assess future population and
employment, land use patterns, and the demand for travel. This
information is important in pinpointing deficiencies, selecting proposed
improvements, determining the size of the proposed Improvement program,
and establishing a funding plan. In the planning programs of fast
growing communities, studies of future travel and its impact on the
transportation system should be equally as important as the review of
present travel and the existing transportation system.

For communities with are or no growth in population and jobs, the
transportation planning program should be primarily concerned with
existing travel demand and the capability of the existing transportation
system to satisfactorily meet it. For such communities, the future is
likely to mean only slight Increases in people and jobs, only minor
changes in the use of land, and, therefore, little change in travel
demand.

Transportation Planning Status
The scope of a good transportation planning program is also dependent
on the availability and Usefulness of transportation information, as
well as the scope and relevance of previous transportation planning
studies.

If little is known about the physical and operational characteristics
of the transportation facilities and equipment, or if little is known
about present travel, the planning program should emphasize the
collection of such information.

If parts of a previously developed transportation plan and
improvement program are Unrealistic in view of funds available, it may
be necessary to revise the plan. If the previous plan and improvement
program did not consider fully the potential of improving transportation
system management. It may be desirable to study traffic and transit
operations and to modify the previous plan and improvement program It
transportation planning In the past stopped short of establishing
improvement projects, cost estimates, priorities, and funding plans,
then the current plan should include such details, for they are
necessary to Implement the plan.

If growth patterns, in terms of population, economics and land use,
have changed radically, previous transportation plans may be outdated.
In such cases, the new planning program should include reexamination of
population, economic and travel forecasts and a new plan scaled to those
forecasts.

If a community lacks a land use plan, one may have to be agreed upon
and included in the planning program to be used as a basis for
transportation planning.

If the previous transportation plan was adopted without establishing
or gaining consensus on community goals, it may be necessary to set such
goals in the planning program. In order to reach goals such as downtown
redevelopment, improved mobility for disadvantaged citizens, Improved
motor vehicle safety, and an improved economic base, it may be necessary
to improve parts of the transportation system or to coordinate
transportation plans with other public or private plans.

Many communities may never have had a transportation planning program
that was coordinated among all jurisdictions. Various options for
organizing and administering a planning program, as outlined in Chapter
3, must be considered.

Planning and Plan Implementation Resources Before developing the
transportation planning program, an assessment should be made of the
technical and financial resources available, for the amount and type of
resources will affect the scope of the planning program.

Technical Resources -- The city engineer, traffic engineer, public
works director, planning director, and comparable officials In county
and town governments may have valuable experience in carrying out parts
of transportation planning programs. People serving on

regional planning commissions or councils can also assist In
transportation planning. State highway department planners and
engineers may also be available to help with parts of the planning
program. In many cam, the State will assist in organizing the planning
effort, will provide personnel for data collection, and will assist in
Computer analysis. Forecasts of information, such as population and
motor vehicle registrations, may also be available from State agencies.

Financial Resources -- The availability of funds for planning limits
the size of the transportation planning program. Likewise, the
availability and classification of funds to Implement the plan
determines the size and nature of the improvement program, which also
Influences the scope of the transportation planning program. Estimates
of fund availability are baud on past trends and knowledge of possible
changes in the trends.

Since transportation is a concern of citizens and their elected
officials, finances for eliminating existing transportation problems and
avoiding future problems are a responsibility of city, county, town,
State and Federal Governments. The current amount of funds available
for improving transportation, as well as for planning such improvements,
Is established annually in city, county and town budgets and is based on
decisionmakers' perceptions of the merit of transportation improvements
and the transportation planning program compared to other needs.

The amount of city, county and town funds available for
transportation planning and the Implementation of improvements is also
influenced by the proportion of local money required by State laws to
match available State and Federal funds. State and Federal funds are
usually apportioned by formulas among cities, counties and towns. State
and Federal officials should be consulted about available funds and the
categories of transportation planning and improvement to which these
funds apply.

As discussed earlier in this chapter, transportation improvement
programs no longer concentrate on capital improvements to the street and
highway system, but now Include Improvements in transportation system
management. This change, caused partly by funding constraints, has
Increased the need to study the performance of the existing
transportation systems and devise ways and means to make operational
changes to improve that performance.

Planning Requirements

State and Federal laws and regulations describe established national
and State policy for transportation. These laws and regulations
stipulate requirements to be met in transportation planning, and,
therefore, they form an important basis for the planning program.

In general, laws and regulations for transportation planning are
broadly stated. Specific procedures or details of local transportation
planning are left to those responsible for carrying out the planning
program.

State and Federal officials will supply those laws and regulations
that must be considered in transportation planning and will advise on
how these can best be used in developing the planning program.

ASSESSING PLANNING FACTORS

Reports of previous transportation plans should be assembled and
reviewed for their implications on the planning program. Discussions
should be held with city and county officials, other community leaders,
and State and Federal officials, in order to assess the factors that
will determine the scope of the planning program.

City, county and town public works, planning, traffic engineering and
poke officials should be solicited for technical advice. Regional
planning officials should also be contacted for technical advice.

Discussions with other community leaders, such as newspaper editors,
chamber of commerce officials, bankers and realtors, will uncover
transportation problems as well as information on proposed new
developments that may present future transportation problems, such as a
shopping center or an industrial park. State transportation planners
and engineers will disclose State funded transportation improvements
already programmed for the community and their possible impact on
traffic and the transportation system.

DECIDING THE SCOPE

The emphasis to be placed on the planning areas described below will
vary from community to community and from one time to another.

- Long-range planning includes all activities that are needed to
determine transportation needs for the future.

- Short-range planning Includes all activities that are needed to
evaluate existing transportation problems and to determine
immediate and near term improvement opportunities

- Monitoring Includes all activities needed to record changes in
community characteristics, travel demand, and system performance.

- Project programming includes all activities needed to determine
the priority, urgency, timing, and funding of improvements.

As shown in Figure 4, there are a number of guidelines that may be
useful in deciding where to place the emphasis in your transportation
planning program. The application of these guidelines is illustrated In
Figure 5 for two hypothetical communities.

Community A is relatively small with a history of stability in terms
of population and economic activity. Its urban fringe has seen some new
housing with both population and economic activity moving outward
slowly. While a land use plan has been developed for Community A, a
comprehensive review of the transportation system has never been made.

Community B has witnessed rapid suburban growth within recent years
and has substantial transportation problems, especially in the suburbs.
Also, the private bus operator has lost money on his company for several
years and is on the verge of going out of business unless public
financial subsidy is granted.

Community A should devote 50 percent of its transportation planning
resources to short-range planning, because conditions are not likely to
change dramatically in the next 20 to 30 years, unless some completely
unforeseeable event or situation arises. However, Community A should
not ignore the long-range future and should devote 10 percent of its
planning resources to that aspect of planning.

Long-range planning in Community A might be oriented toward
encouraging increased economic activity and population growth, on the
one hand, or perhaps, to merely encouraging retention of the present
level of economic activity, and population growth with enhancement of
environmental and social conditions. At the very least, existing
problems and their solutions should be analyzed for their long-range
impact on the transportation system and the land and economic
development patterns.

Because Community B has a greater potential for Increased population
and development, the proportion of planning resources devoted to long-
range planning should be greater for Community B than for Community A.
Community Bs immediate transportation problems are severe, however.
Therefore, equal emphasis should be devoted to short-range and long--
range planning.

For fast growing Community B, a greater proportion of planning
resources should be devoted to monitoring development, traffic, and the
transportation system.

The planning scope percentages shown in Figure 5 are only examples of
the process of deciding planning program emphasis.

Figure 4. GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SCOPE

- Communities with many current transportation problems should
emphasize short-range planning and projects programming.

- Communities with no long-range transportation plan should
emphasize long-range planning if current transportation problems
have been addressed.

- Communities with an agreed-upon long-range Plan should emphasize
short-range planning and project programming.

- Communities with slow growth potential (less than 1 percent per
year) should emphasize short-range planning and project
programming.

- Communities with moderate growth potential (between 2 and 3
percent per year) should give equal attention to long-range and
short-range planning.

- Communities with fast growth potential should emphasize long-range
planning.

- Communities that apparently require many capital improvements
should emphasize project programming.

- Communities that apparently require many transportation systems
management improvements should emphasize short-range planning.

- Communities with little previous transportation planning -
experience should emphasize monitoring and short-range planning.

- Communities with substantial previous transportation planning
experience and emphasize short-range planning and project
programming.

- Communities with minimum transportation planning resources should
emphasize short-range planning.

- Because of its importance, appropriate transportation planning
resources should be allocated to development of the transportation
improvement program.

Figure 5. DETERMINING TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SCOPE

Sample Communities

Planning Factors Community A Community B

Transportation Narrow arterial streets. Heavy congestion Wide arterial streets in center city with poor
Problems and downtown. Public transportation limited performance. Narrow and winding sub-
Issues: to taxi service. urban arterials. Heavy congestion on
suburban arterials. Private bus system with
operator threatening discontinuation.
Possible Improvement Widen arterial streets and highways, Reconstruct suburban arterials. Build belt
Opportunities: improve traffic operations, develop limited route. City subsidize bus service. areawide bus
system.

Community Growth Population 60,000. Downtown economy Population 60,000, with a gain of 15,000
Potential: slipping; new suburban shopping center. persons over the past 10 years. Many new
Slow or no population growth. No new suburban housing developments' New
major residential development; limited Industry desires to locate in suburbs.
to the urban fringe, and to "filling" of the
developed area.

Transportation No previous transportation planning pro- Last major transportation planning study 5
Planning Status: gram. An outdated land use plan is years ago with emphasis on long-range;
available. plan requirements far exceed available
funds. There is general recognition that
there is a need to update the plan.

Planning and Planning funds-$70,000/year; city Planning funds-$70,000/year; regional
Implementation planning director-part time; city traffic planning agency traffic engineer-full time;
Resources: engineer-part time; city planner-full regional planning agency planner-full
time; State highway department planner time; State DOT planner-part time. Plan
-part time; plan implementation funds- implementation funds-$1,000,000/year
$1,000,000/year from all sources. from all sources.

Planning Federal transportation planning statutes Federal transportation planning statutes
Requirements: and regulations; State thoroughfare plan- and regulations.
ning statutes and regulations.

PLANNING SCOPE FOR SAMPLE COMMUNITIES

Planning Scope
Areas of Emphasis Community A Community B
Short-Range Planning 50% 30%
Project Programming 30% 20%
Long-Range Planning 10% 30%
Monitoring 10% 20%
TOTAL 100% 100%

Chapter Two
Determining Planning Activities

This chapter discusses five major categories of transportation
planning activities. They we:

- Assembling basic information
- Establishing goals, guidelines and standards
- Evaluating the transportation system
- Plan development
- Project programming

As indicated in Chapter One, the planning scope will vary from
community to community depending on each community's characteristics and
other factors.. Similarly, the individual planning activities selected
for Inclusion in transportation planning programs will differ among
communities.

To be complete, the planning program selected should include all
relevant transportation planning activities, regardless of the person or
office having responsibility for carrying on the activity and regardless
of how the activity is funded. Thus, all activities of the city, county
and State that have a role in transportation planning should be listed
in the planning program.

GATHERING BASIC INFORMATION

Seven basic types of information are necessary for transportation
planning. They are:
- A map or maps of the entire street and highway system
- Existing and planned land use maps
- A current inventory of the physical characteristics of the street
and highway system Programming Projects)
- Current traffic counts for arterial streets and highways (Traffic
Planning)
- Current traffic accident information (Traffic Planning)
- Previous land use or transportation planning documents
- Public transportation routes, schedules, fares, and ridership
information, including buses, rail transit, commuter trains or
ferries, and taxis, as applicable (Transit Planning)

Most of this information is available. However, it my be scattered
among State and local agencies. In cases where the specified naps,
inventories and other information are not available, these elements
should be specified in the planning program for developing the Infor-
mation. Any other mapping, Inventory and information development
activities Included In the transportation planning program should be
justified as needed for specific evaluation.

Information needs are discussed in detail in each of the technical
manuals of this series. The pertinent technical manuals are noted where
appropriate.

SETTING TRANSPORTATION GOALS, GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

To evaluate the transportation system, it is essential that goals,
guidelines or standards be established. Numerical values or ranges of
numerical values can be established for such elements as:

- Highway safety (Programming Projects)
- Traffic flow quality (Traffic Planning, System Planning,
Programming Projects)
- Functional highway classification (System Planning)
- Arterial spacing (System Planning)
- Street, highway and bridge design characteristics (Programming
Projects)
- Public transportation service (Transit Planning)
- Traffic control and operations (Traffic Planning)
- Parking (Traffic Planning)
- Environmental impacts (System Planning)
- Energy impacts (System Planning)

All goals, guidelines and standards are subject to change as the
transportation system is evaluated. Some might be raised and others
lowered in order to bring them into kw with what can be realistically
attained.

EVALUATING URBAN TRANSPORTATION

At a minimum, the transportation planning program should include
activities needed to evaluate the street and highway system as it is
presently functioning and as it will function in the future. It may
also be necessary to include activities aimed at evaluating business
district parking needs and transit needs. Other planning activities may
be required to meet unique urban Problems or situations.

The existing transportation plant should be evaluated, based on the
established goals, guidelines, and standards, to determine existing
critical deficiencies and candidate improvement projects. Likewise,
each transportation element should be evaluated to determine possible
future problems and the candidate Improvement projects or other actions
required to avoid the problems.

While all the technical manuals include evaluation procedures, the
Traffic Planning, Transit Planning and Programming Projects manuals are
primarily concerned with evaluation of the existing transportation
system and existing transportation demand. The System Planning manual
is primarily concerned with future transportation demand and its impact
on the transportation system.

Evaluating the Street and Highway System

It is recommended that the activities associated with the evaluation
of traffic and the street and highway system be divided into general
categories:

- Existing conditions
- Existing traffic control and operations
- Future conditions

Existing Conditions -- In most communities correction of current
problems is the most critical transportation issue. Therefore, it is of
prime importance that the street and highway network be evaluated in
terms of its present physical characteristics and its effectiveness in
moving current traffic demand. The Programming Projects manual includes
a procedure for evaluating present street and highway deficiencies.

The evaluation should compare traffic flow, safety, geometric
features, cross-section characteristics, and pavement conditions to
agreed-upon standards of tolerability. Streets, highways and bridges
not meeting tolerable standards are candidates for improvement.

With the transportation planning team coordinating the activities,
most assessments should be made by the staffs of the agencies with
jurisdiction over urban streets and highways, such as city and county
departments of public works and the State highway department.

Traffic Control and Operations -- Due to the Increasing importance of
traffic engineering solutions to transportation problems, the planning
program should include activities aimed at assessing the quality of
present traffic control and operations. Activities associated with the
assessment of traffic control and operations are discussed In the
Traffic Planning manual.

In evaluating the quality of traffic control and operations, the use
and need for traffic regulations, such as one-way streets, parking
restrictions and "through" streets, should be reviewed. Intersection
controls should be reviewed to determine the need for changes in signal
timing, turn restrictions, signal Installation, Signal elimination,
signal integration, and interaction channelization. The use of street
signing, route signing, and pavement marking should also be reviewed.
The list of candidate improvements should be band on noted deficiencies.

The review of traffic controls and operations should be a coordinated
effort between the transportation planning team and traffic engineers cc
other officials responsible for traffic control and operations within
each jurisdiction.

Future Conditions -- To determine future traffic flow deficiencies
caused by lack of street and highway capacity and to determine candidate
improvements, the planning program should Include activities to estimate
future traffic demand and to analyze the impact of future traffic on
street and highway corridors, routes and routs segments. Complete
details for estimating future traffic demand and its impact on the
street and highway system are included in the System Planning manual.

While existing traffic demand, in most cases, can be determined by
roadway traffic counts, other comprehensive traffic studies, such as
origin and destination surveys, may be necessary to determine the nature
of the traffic demand.

Comprehensive information on the pattern of tripmaking allows a
detailed assessment of the need for major street and highway projects,
such as bypass routes, new arterials or added arterial capacity. Com-
prehensive traffic studies or surveys help determine the seriousness of
congestion problems by indicating the amount and type of traffic
diverting from desired travel patterns due to congestion and other
impediments, such as lack of bridges and bridge load restrictions. Such
studies or surveys provide information needed to determine the trip
generation and trip distribution characteristics of the community which
are used in models that forecast future traffic demand

Future traffic demand, and therefore possible future deficiencies in
the quality of traffic flow, is predicted by estimating the change in
traffic volumes due to changes in land use. changes in the intensity of
land use along street and highway routes, or changes in the numbers of
through trips on the routes. Factors based on judgments of changes in
tripmaking, applied to existing traffic volumes. are a common method of
estimating future traffic demand. Future traffic flow problems are
disclosed through computation of future volume-to-capacity ratios and
the comparison of these with established standard values.

Evaluating Parking

Where it is deemed appropriate, the transportation planning program
may include activities that evaluate the adequacy of business district
parking. The Traffic Planning manual cites references that will guide
the evaluation of parking.

The adequacy of business district parking should be evaluated based
on motorists needs for short-term and long-term parking. Surveys of
street and offstreet parking facilities will yield total parking
capacity. Interviews with parking garage or lot operators will disclose
long-term and short-term use of their facilities. Interviews with
business interests, employees, and shoppers will yield further
information on parking demand. Comprehensive traffic studies will show
the average numbers of weekday trips destined to the business district.
A comparison of parking demand to capacity will show if there is a need
for more offstreet parking spaces or street parking spaces or both.

Evaluating Transit Service

The transportation planning program may also Include activities that
evaluate either the need for new bus and taxi service or the need to
improve existing service. The objectives are to determine possible
Improvements and their cost based on agreed-upon goals, objectives or
standards.

Transit evaluation activities include estimates of bus and taxi
demand. Present ridership is determined by examination of bus and taxi
company records. Potential demand is estimated by study of the
transportation needs of families without automobiles.

An appraisal of the physical condition of the bus and taxi systems
may also be necessary to determine needs for replacement vehicles and
for the renovation of maintenance facilities. The need for customer
information services, such as route maps, schedules, and signs, should
also be considered, as well as the need for customer convenience
facilities, such as bus shelters and bus terminals.

DEVELOPING THE PLAN

In developing a community plan, transportation planning Is just one
functional type of planning-like planning for land use, education,
health, and so on. All the functional plans should fit together into a
comprehensive plan that Is designed to promote the general well-being of
the community. A major part of transportation planning, then, is
examining alternative courses of action.

Examining Alternatives

For most transportation problems, there are a number of possible
alternate solutions. Plan development activities determine the best
candidate improvement from among the several alternatives. Improvements
for resolving traffic flow problems, parking and transit problems. and
physical problems with the street and highway system should be examined.

The development of solutions to problems established in the
evaluation of traffic flow involves the study of alternative improvement
possibilities. For example, heavy traffic volumes through a downtown
corridor indicate several potential solutions such as: rerouting through
traffic; bypassing the corridor; eliminating onstreet parking and
developing one-way pair streets. The candidate improvement projects
selected will vary depending on the conditions surrounding the problem,
the goals and objectives established for the community, costs and
economic implications.

Problems emerging from estimated future traffic demand, as well as
from current system operation, will fall into one of the following
categories: those that do not appear to worsen over time; those that do
worsen over time; and those that will occur in the future.

Solutions to current traffic problems that do not appear to worsen
over time include both traffic control and operations improvements and
high-capital cost improvements, such as widening and bypasses.

Solutions to current problems that appear to worsen over time lend
themselves to a study of three claws of improvements: those that can be
staged over time; those that provide an interim solution that should be
improved upon later; and those intended to satisfy both current and
future demand. A traffic control and operations improvement may make a
high-capital cost Improvement unnecessary, postpone Its Implementation
or alter Its design. Conversely, the scheduling for of a high-capital
improvement early In the period could affect the necessity for any type
of interim traffic control and operations improvement.

Finally, solutions to future traffic demand problems that are not now
problems must also be considered.

Some future problems may merely require traffic control and
operations improvements at some long-range future time and, as such, are
not considered in programming. Some other future problems are less
clear and should merely be monitored and appropriate actions recommended
when required. Other future problems may indicate the likely need for
high-capital cost Improvements that take many years to implement and
should be considered in project programming since some early action,
such as acquisition of right-of-way, may be required. As analyses
continue in the years ahead, both future problems and possible
improvements-whether they be traffic control and operations or high-
capital cost-will become more readily defined.

DEVELOPING THE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

The purpose of transportation planning is to lay the groundwork for
transportation improvements, realizing that project programming is the
fink between transportation planning activities and the actual
Implementation of those plans. The detailed procedures for developing
transportation Improvement programs are discussed in the Programming
Projects manual.

The transportation improvement program can be divided into two parts.
The first part, the staged multiyear element, describes the general
aspects of the program over the next 3 to 5 years. This staged
multiyear element describes transportation improvements that will be
implemented during the program period. It indicates the priorities
among the projects, groups all projects of similar time frames into
staging periods, and makes relative estimates of costs and revenues for
the program period.

With the overall program identified, the projects that will be
implemented in the first year are described in greater detail. In the
annual element, the second part of the transportation Improvement
program, the details of each project are identified: a basic descrip-
tion, costs involved, funding sources, and the local agency that is
responsible for the implementation.

This continuing approach is designed to maintain plan and programs at
a level that is responsive to current needs.

Chapter Three
Organizing and Administering Transportation Planning

Many communities have established transportation planning
organizations or teams. which are often referred to as "metropolitan
planning organizations" (MPOs). In fact, for communities with over
50,000 population, current Federal regulations stipulate that
metropolitan planning organizations must exist as a prerequisite for
gaining Federal grants for transportation planning and improvement.
For those communities that have not yet established an organization
to carry on the transportation planning program, this chapter shows how
such a team can be established. It also describes a set of principles
for administering the planning program

ESTABLISHING THE TEAM

The primary objective is to bring together those persons that either
have responsibilities for segments of the transportation system or are
vitally affected by transportation service. Such an organization will
be an effective forum for analyzing the transportation system,
discussing the issues, and planning and programming desirable actions.

Many forms or patterns of transportation planning teams exist and
others are possible. Some State statutes specify the transportation
planning organizations. No single structure will fit the needs of all
communities.

Some transportation planning teams are highly structured with many
formal committees. Others are more loosely structured with an ad hoc
committee or committees and with one or two persons carrying out the
planning program.

Some transportation planning programs are largely administered by
city, town or county government. Others are administered largely by
State government. Most, however, are a joint effort shared by city,
town, county and State governments.

Three categories of people participate in transportation planning-
government decisionmakers; technical staff of city, county, town and
State governments and the staff of officially designated transportation
planning organizations; and citizens. The role of each is outlined
below.

The Role of Decisionmakers

To give official status to transportation plans and recommendations,
urban transportation planning should be recognized by both State and
local government decisionmakers. Consistent with local and State laws,
these officials should:

- Designate agencies, firms or persons to carry out transportation
planning responsibilities
- Administer or delegate the administration of the program
- Review and adopt the transportation planning program
- Determine funding for the program
- Adopt policy, goals and objectives
- Receive advice from citizens and technical staff on issues
- Review and endorse plans, programs, recommendations
- Inform the public of important issues, policies and plans

County supervisors, county executives, city councilmen, city
managers, mayors and town selectmen are usual representatives of local
governments.

The chief executive officer or a designated representative of the
State highway department or department of transportation should be
included.

The Role of Technical Advisers

The technical staff of urban area cities and counties or of a
regional planning agency or of a separately designated transportation
planning agency, or any combination, may carry out the technical
activities of the urban transportation planning program. County
engineers, traffic engineers, directors of public works, city engineers,
town managers, directors of offices of comprehensive planning, and
regional planning directors are among the staff that have the background
and experience.

City, county, or town planning boards or other officially designated
bodies that are involved in transportation or transportation-related
problems and issues should have a role. The managers of the bus and
taxi systems, whether private companies or public agencies, should also
be included. State technical advisers should include the State district
or regional engineer or administrator and the State transportation
planning director or their designated representatives. Advice should be
sought from Federal agencies that administer Federal transportation
programs.

The number of persons and skills needed is dependent on the
complexity of transportation problems, the availability of
transportation and transportation-related information, the availability
of transportation planning funds, and the availability of present
technical staff.
Technical advisers should:

- Develop the program with assistance from officials and designated
citizen advisers
- Carry out the program with assistance as required from other
agencies or consultants
- Coordinate the transportation planning program
- Develop reports of transportation planning progress

Where it is deemed appropriate for these technical experts to be
organized as a committee, It is usually termed Technical Advisory
Committee.

The Role of Citizen Advisers

Citizens, as users of the transportation system or as persons
affected by transportation, should be included in the transportation
planning process. Leaders of community or neighborhood associations,
chambers of commerce, civic groups, women's dubs, large industries, and
others should be sought to act as transportation planning advisers.

Where it is deemed appropriate to establish a separate committee of
citizens, It is usually termed Citizen's Advisory Committee.

ADMINISTERING THE PLANNING PROGRAM

The planning program should include an adequate amount of resources
for administration of the program. The administration activity should
account for such work as development of the planning program, program
monitoring, reporting progress and any other element of program
management that does not relate to a specific planning or programming
activity.

As in any endeavor, good management practices are essential. The
following administrative principles are among those that should aid in
carrying out an effective transportation planning program. These should
be used in conjunction with current city, county, town, State, and
Federal policies.

Defining Objectives

The transportation planning program should be based on an agreed-upon
statement of community transportation objectives. Safety, congestion,
land use, environment, and economics are among the issues that the
transportation objectives might address. They should be revised to meet
changing conditions and when existing objectives become obsolete.

Specifying the Planning Program

The transportation planning program should be tailored to community
characteristics, and it should be documented. In urban areas of 50,000
or more population, the Federal transportation planning regulations
require the development of a unified planning work program to document
the planning activities.

Assignment of Planning Responsibilities

To carry out a cooperative transportation planning program, there
should be an agreed-upon and documented division of responsibility for
the various activities of the program.

Scheduling the Planning Program

Scheduling of the planning program is necessary to ensure that
activities are effectively integrated and to establish a measure of
accomplishment.

Reporting Accomplishments

A system should be developed for reporting the attainment of
important transportation planning milestones. The reporting system
should be capable of generating reactions by officials, technical staff
and citizens. Progress reports at annual Intervals of time have been
found to be acceptable by both industry and government.

Updating Plans and Improvement Programs

Transportation plans and improvement programs should be reassessed as
policies change, or as businesses, industries and residents shift
locations, or as changes are made in travel demand. These changes may
impact the transportation planning program and my lead to the need for a
new or revised program.

State, city and county governments have found that their improvement
programs need to be updated each yaw. Long-range transportation plans,
where they are required by State law or where they have been deemed a
necessary part of the transportation planning program should be reviewed
and updated as conditions warrant.

U.S. Government Printing Office,: 1980 320-398/6272

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