Long-range Transportation Plans Research Articles

Graphic Guidance for Long-Range Transportation Plans

For more than a half century, federal policy has required metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to communicate regional priorities through long-range transportation plans (LRTPs). Despite the length of that requirement and the high cost of the associated investments, there are virtually no resources to guide MPOs in graphically communicating these plans to the public. This research reviews 1,502 graphics from a stratified random sample of LRTPs from 20 MPOs across the United States with populations less than 200,000. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to assess current graphic practices and generate suggestions to guide MPOs in enhancing graphic communication. This review categorizes LRTP graphics into three types (spatial, numeric, and concept), identifies the frequency, components, and uses of each type, and then proposes a set of 26 “core” graphics as a common baseline for all LRTPs.

Integrating equity in transportation scenario planning: A systematic review

To address the growing uncertainties in the future transportation industry, planners and engineers have identified and implemented scenario planning, a multi-step and strategic approach, in long-range transportation planning. A comprehensive examination of how equity is envisioned, planned, and analyzed during this process remains absent, despite several key guidelines of scenario planning exercises. This paper conducts a systematic literature review focusing on how equity has been considered and evaluated in scenario planning. The resources include academic papers, agency reports, and materials from the recent scenario planning conference, the 2nd Conference on Scenario Planning in Transportation hosted by the Transportation Research Board. This paper examines equity in scenario planning in three important ways: 1) the ways equity has been integrated across steps; 2) how equity analysis has evolved; and 3) when it is necessary to consider equity. This work adds value to the existing body of knowledge by presenting the policy implications based on the review of the current scenario planning research and practices. Early policy recommendations include the need for more vertical equity evaluations, the construction of robustness and justice indicators, and the adoption of a flexible mindset of planning for rather than being fixated on a single scenario.

Delphi Study to Identify Best Practices for Rural Community Engagement in Transportation Planning

Public involvement is defined as a two-way communication aimed at providing information to the public and incorporating the views, concerns, and issues of the public in transportation decision making. According to U.S. Census data, 60% of U.S. counties are considered rural. Rural communities face unique challenges such as scarce resources, technological and geographical issues, and demographic shifts, which can limit effective engagement capabilities. Engagement strategies that are effective for urbanized and metropolitan areas may not be as effective for these rural communities. This study employed a mixed methods research approach to identify readily deployable practices for meaningful rural community engagement in transportation planning. The research methodology involves a literature review, interviews with supervisors from offices of community transportation, interviews with 24 community leaders in four case communities in Tennessee, and two rounds of Delphi community survey. The research process brought together all key stakeholders to build a true consensus of best practices to engage rural communities in transportation planning. Data analysis showed rural communities feel detached and unaware of the role of Departments of Transportation (DOT) in and their plans for community transportation. Engaging rural communities using social media and conducting virtual meetings can reach wider sections of the community. Lack of consistent internet coverage in rural communities, however, means this type of outreach cannot replace in-person engagement. Securing the support of community leaders, building partnerships, and having a presence in the community will increase trust in DOTs and foster better engagement. A list of recommendations is provided that will enhance rural community engagement for long-range transportation planning in predominantly rural states.

Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework to Optimize Long-Range Transportation Plans

Deep Reinforcement Learning Framework to Optimize Long-Range Transportation Plans

Environmental Review of Highway Projects Using Planning and Environmental Linkages

In addition to statutory requirements for long-range transportation planning, transportation projects funded in part by USDOT are required to undergo environmental review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA requirements include a statement of the project’s purpose and need and an analysis of alternatives to the proposed project. USDOT adopted federal regulations and guidance in 2007 that would allow these NEPA requirements, including the elimination of potential alternatives, to be conducted as part of the earlier transportation planning process, a concept known as planning and environmental linkage (PEL). Congress has authorized a form of PEL since 2012, albeit with a somewhat stricter standard for public involvement than reflected in the USDOT PEL regulations and guidance. This paper examines legal challenges to environmental review of transportation projects using the PEL approach. The PEL approach has the potential to be abused, because a statement of purpose and need adopted prior to NEPA could be drafted so narrowly as to effectively preclude public participation and detailed environmental review of alternative transportation modes, routes, or strategies. However, courts generally approve the PEL approach, providing legal protection for the elimination of alternatives during transportation planning, even when public participation and environmental impact analysis at the transportation planning stage does not satisfy NEPA requirements.

Equity-Oriented Criteria for Project Prioritization in Regional Transportation Planning

Transportation inequities, the consequences of decades of auto-oriented planning alongside discriminatory land-use and transportation planning and policy decisions resulting from structural racism, severely limit opportunities for people of color and other marginalized populations. While a growing body of work has examined inequities with respect to long-range transportation planning, less research examines how equity is incorporated in short-term planning processes via the Transportation Improvement Program. This research reviewed how the metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) that serve the 40 largest U.S. urbanized areas used equity-based criteria for transportation project prioritization in regional planning. Just over half deployed at least one equity criterion for allocating transportation funds, which fell into one of six categories with varying degrees of complexity and potential for impact. While most MPOs included equity in their prioritization criteria, the methods could be improved to align better with more complete definitions of transportation equity, focusing on how targeted groups are defined, more comprehensive methods for equity evaluation, and an increase in the weight that equity is given in prioritization. MPOs and other agencies implementing transportation projects should adopt a justice-oriented framework for project prioritization that ensures that projects first affirmatively remedy historical inequities and work with affected communities to adopt appropriate and meaningful solutions.

Model Contrast of Autonomous Vehicle Impacts on Traffic

The adoption of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) is in its infancy. Therefore, very little is known about their potential impacts on traffic. Meanwhile, researchers and market analysts predict a wide range of possibilities about their potential benefits and the timing of their deployments. Planners traditionally use various types of travel demand models to forecast future traffic conditions. However, such models do not yet integrate any expected impacts from CAV deployments. Consequently, many long-range transportation plans do not yet account for their eventual deployment. To address some of these uncertainties, this work modified an existing model for Madison, Wisconsin. To compare outcomes, the authors used identical parameter changes and simulation scenarios for a model of Gainesville, Florida. Both models show that with increasing levels of CAV deployment, both the vehicle miles traveled and the average congestion speed will increase. However, there are some important exceptions due to differences in the road network layout, geospatial features, sociodemographic factors, land-use, and access to transit.

Intrazonal or interzonal? Improving intrazonal travel forecast in a four-step travel demand model

Conventional four-step travel demand models, used by most metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), state departments of transportation, and local planning agencies, are the basis for long-range transportation planning in the United States. Trip distribution—whether the trip is intrazonal (internal) or interzonal (external)—is one of the essential steps in travel demand forecasting. However, the current intrazonal forecasts based on a gravity model involve flawed assumptions, primarily due to a lack of considerations on differences in zone size, land use, and street network patterns. In this study, we first survey 25 MPOs about how they model intrazonal travel and find the state of the practice to be dominated by the gravity model. Using travel data from 31 diverse regions in the U.S., we develop an approach to enhance the conventional model by including more built environment D variables and by using multilevel logistic regression. The models’ predictive capability is confirmed using k-fold cross-validation. The study results provide practical implications for state and local planning and transportation agencies with better accuracy and generalizability.

Is Performance Measurement Improving Planning Practice? The Case of Location Affordability in Long-Range Transportation Plans

Transportation planning in the United States is moving to widespread use of performance-based planning methods as new federal requirements for metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are implemented. In addition to requirements for measures of safety, infrastructure condition, and travel reliability, many MPOs are adopting additional performance measures including those of complex socioeconomic issues. This study explores current planning practice in using a performance-based approach to tackle such an issue: location affordability, defined as an affordable level of combined cost burdens for housing and transportation. A review of long-range transportation plans at 21 large MPOs provides information on how location affordability is represented in regional transportation plans, how it is defined and measured, and how it is integrated into the planning process. The results are interpreted using a theoretical framework designed to help match planning methods to the conditions of a planning situation. The framework, Christensen’s matrix of planning problems, provides insights into the use of performance measures for location affordability and how performance measurement programs can be designed to support more effective planning for this and similarly challenging issues.

Strategically Aligning Capital Improvement Prioritization to Performance Goals

In complying with federal reporting requirements, state transportation agencies will need to demonstrate progress toward achieveing national performance targets in their next long-range transportation plan (LRTP) and state transportation improvement program (STIP). In order to better understand current practices a survey was administered to state departments of transportation (DOTs) to gauge their overall status in complying with rulemakings on transportation performance management, and to measure DOT interest in using new metrics and prioritization techniques to advance data-driven processes for decision making. Furthermore, it was to examine evidence of cross-modal project evaluation and to explore practices by which states align decision criteria and analysis techniques with national performance goals and objectives. Survey results revealed the transition in practice toward performance-based approaches, but more limited use of cross-modal evaluation criteria. Case studies were also used to document decision criteria areas that help states advance alignment of their planning and programming processes. From the survey and case study analysis, recommendations are provided to underscore the need for multi-criteria decision analysis, or a similar decision analysis framework, to help states align project evaluation with national performance goals. As state DOTs adopt performance-based approaches they must review their project selection processes to ensure performance measures are linked to current investments, and funded projects align with agency goal areas and desired outcomes.

Transportation Planning for Connected Autonomous Vehicles: How It All Fits Together

As connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology continues to evolve and rapidly develop new capabilities, it is becoming increasingly important for transportation planners to consider the effects that these vehicles will have on the transportation network. It is evident that this trend has already started; over 60% of long-range transportation plans in the largest urban areas now include some discussion of CAVs, up from just 6% in 2015. There are also numerous CAV pilot programs currently underway that entail testing vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) interaction in both isolated and real-world environments. In this review of the current assessments for CAV impacts, two primary trends are identified. First, there is a great deal of uncertainty that is not being explicitly considered and properly accounted for in the transportation-network planning process. Second, the predictions that are being made are not considering potential policy or planning actions that could shape or affect the impacts of CAVs. This paper provides a picture of how ongoing CAV research interacts with current transportation planning practices by examining how the methods, the ranges of predictions, and the different sources of uncertainty in each method impact the planning process and potential system outcomes. Finally, it will identify best practices from decision analysis to help plan the best possible future transportation networks.

Metropolitan Transportation Planning: Lessons From the Past, Institutions for the Future

Problem, research strategy, and findings: There are more than 400 U.S. metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) overseeing multiple transportation projects totaling billions of dollars, yet these crucial organizations and their history and current role are generally unknown or confusing to many planning practitioners and scholars. MPOs face major challenges in developing meaningful long-range regional transportation plans, challenges rooted in their history that planners should understand as they grapple with metropolitan planning efforts. MPOs may approve projects and their funding, but disparate agencies and often competitive local governments control budgets and actually build projects. MPOs, moreover, do not fully represent all regional interests and have no control over the local land use decisions that would support less autocentric communities and human-powered modes. I provide a metareview of the history of regional transportation planning and the MPOs responsible for it, describing U.S. metropolitan transportation planning from the early 20th century. Federal legislation in the 1960s first suggested a regional forum for conversations about metropolitan transportation. Federal legislation in subsequent decades made incremental if incomplete progress toward creating a meaningful regional forum, adapting institutions and practices to increase stakeholder involvement as well as the scope of transport planning, yet MPOs have multiple limitations that planners can address.Takeaway for practice: History suggests that MPOs can be a force for regional change. Planners and policymakers could anchor future reforms to MPOs’ existing legal and administrative frameworks. Planners should revisit the membership and voting structures of MPO boards to ensure better stakeholder representation and permit some MPOs to generate and direct transportation funds at the local level.

Considering health in US metropolitan long-range transportation plans: A review of guidance statements and performance measures

Transportation influences health primarily and most directly through traffic safety, air quality, physical activity, and accessibility. Despite the importance of all four components, only safety and air quality are typically considered during institutionalized transportation planning processes. This paper assesses how health impacts are considered in transportation planning by focusing on the long-range transportation plans that US metropolitan planning organizations develop. We analyzed the content of current plans from 25 large regions, reviewing how policy guidance statements and supporting performance measures addressed health. Goals and objectives exhibited an incomplete perspective of transportation's effects on health, focusing on safety, accessibility, and air quality, neglecting physical activity. Regional policies reflected national goals and planning requirements, which are rarely framed from a health perspective. Performance measures generally followed policy guidance, although measures of health and physical activity were lacking. Increased attention to the development of health-related performance measures and the data and analysis tools to support them is needed. By assessing the state of the practice and discussing potential approaches, this review informs a stronger and more comprehensive consideration of health within the institutionalized structure of US metropolitan transportation planning.

Data Structure of Regional Transport Forecast Model

There are several ways to define basic transport relations in an studied area. Generally, the values have to represent relevant and real situation. The quality of data sources is the determining factor of transport forecast quality. The basic purpose of transportation planning and management is to match transportation supply with travel demand, which represents 'need'. A thorough understanding of existing travel pattern is necessary for identifying and analysing existing traffic related problems. Detailed data on current travel pattern and traffic volumes are needed also for developing travel forecasting/prediction models. The prediction of future travel demands is an essential task of the long-range transportation planning process for determining strategies for accommodating future needs. The transport forecast process estimates the number of vehicles or people that will use a specific transportation facility in the future. The article describes gathering and analysing process of available data for Slovak regions. The mathematical model of forecast transport relations needs a unique form of input data and special computing parameters. The aim of paper is to describe the implementation of the existing data to the transport forecast calculation. The output data, which are evaluated from the forecast transport model, have to describe a real vision of the region development. The sets of function parameters (measurable or unmeasurable) are edited by using different results of surveys that are often complicated and very time-consuming.

Considering Health in US Metropolitan Long-Range Transportation Plans: A Review of Guidance Statements and Performance Measures

Considering Health in US Metropolitan Long-Range Transportation Plans: A Review of Guidance Statements and Performance Measures

Transportation planning and quality of life: Where do they intersect?

Policy makers and researchers are increasingly recognizing the connections between public health and transportation, but health improvements are typically framed from a physical health perspective rather than considering broader quality of life (QOL) impacts. Currently, there is a limited understanding of the ways in which transportation and QOL intersect, and little is known about how metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the United States are addressing QOL outcomes. This study addressed these gaps by developing a conceptual framework holistically linking transportation to QOL. The proposed framework identified four transportation-related QOL dimensions—physical, mental, social, and economic well-being—which are predominantly influenced by three components of the transportation system: mobility/accessibility, the built environment, and vehicle traffic. This framework then formed the basis for a content analysis of 148 long-range transportation plans in the United States to evaluate the extent to which QOL is being considered in the planning process. The results of the analysis and a follow-up examination of 13 plans revealed that MPOs are inconsistently addressing QOL. Plans primarily targeted QOL enhancement from the perspective of physical well-being, while mental and social well-being were rarely considered. Policy recommendations were provided to more comprehensively integrate QOL into the transportation planning process.

Implementation of Transport Data in to the Transport Forecasting in Slovakia

The transport forecast is the unconditional part of every transport studies, LOS capacity calculations or town transport plans. It is processed for several time horizons or time intervals.The basic purpose of transportation planning and management is to match transportation supply with travel demand, which represents ‘need’. A thorough understanding of existing travel pattern is necessary for identifying and analyzing existing traffic related problems. Detailed data on current travel pattern and traffic volumes are needed also for developing travel forecasting/prediction models. The prediction of future travel demand is an essential task of the long-range transportation planning process for determining strategies for accommodating future needs.Further sustainable mobility in Slovak cities, their competitiveness, economy as well as living conditions of inhabitants are depend also on the way of transport planning, development of transport infrastructure and services.Generally the calculation of the interzonal transport relations (number of trips) is a challenge. The practical application of the transport forecast theory is not easy. Some steps are hardly implemented to the practice for various reasons. The discrepancy between needed data and available data is one of the common problem. The traffic modelers must often study the method of data gathering which use an institutions possessing of demanded data. The discrepancies are showed on different levels (for examples the borders of urban zone and statistic area units are different in principle). One of the problematic issue is the definition of work trips or business trips. The origin and destination is defined at office address. The mobility survey contains data characterized one household, people not admit usual mentioned trips. The official company address are different as transport department. The ratio of these trips in traffic flow is not negligible. The article is aimed to brief description of the transport forecast process calculation. The main part of the article describes outputs from mobility surveys of some regions of Slovakia and them implementation in transport forecast calculation process. This methodically tool is intended for traffic analysis, planned solutions and arrangements verification of problem situations solutions.The University of Žilina processed several mobility surveys. The sample covers different regions with different gravity areas. The database was detailed evaluated and compared. Two Slovak regions were modeled in the Visum software (PTV Vision). Output data were used for town transport plans. Other mobility surveys were made for analysis of interstate transport relations (Slovak republic – Hungary).

Planning for Cars That Drive Themselves

Through a review of long-range transportation plans and interviews with planners, this article examines how large metropolitan planning organizations are preparing for autonomous vehicles. In just a few years, the prospect of commercially available self-driving cars and trucks has gone from a futurist fantasy to a likely near-term reality. However, uncertainties about the new technology and its relationship to daily investment decisions have kept mention of self-driving cars out of nearly all long-range transportation plans. Nevertheless, interviewees are keeping a close watch on the new technology and actively looking to understand and plan for future impacts.

⁎P28 Transportation and Quality of Life: Where Do They Intersect?

BackgroundPolicymakers and researchers are increasingly recognizing the connection between public health and transportation, but health improvements are typically framed from a physical activity or active travel perspective rather than considering broader quality of life impacts. Currently, there is an inadequate understanding of the ways in which transportation and quality of life intersect, and little is known about what metropolitan planning organizations in the United States are doing to address quality of life outcomes. This study aims to develop a framework for transportation-related quality of life which we then used to examine the extent to which quality of life is being considered in metropolitan long-range transportation planning. MethodsBased on a review of the literature, a conceptual framework was developed which can aid planners and policymakers in incorporating quality of life into the transportation planning process. Long-range transportation plans were then collected for 148 of the largest metropolitan planning organizations in the United States for an aggregate content analysis. The proposed framework provided the basis for the selection of multiple quality-of-life-related search terms. 11 plans were examined in further detail to assess the context in which quality of life outcomes were referenced. Results: (Analysis Ongoing)The framework identified four domains of transportation-related quality of life: physical, mental, social, and functional well-being. Physical well-being was well-represented in the plans, typically in the context of safety, air quality/emissions, active transport, or environmental justice, but references to the other domains were scarcer. Terms explicitly referenced within federal transportation legislation planning factors such as “safety,” “accessibility,” or “mobility” appeared most frequently. Larger metropolitan planning organizations tended to reference “quality of life,” “mobility,” and “economic“ more frequently, but were less likely to mention “safety“ or “social.“ ConclusionsThe proposed framework indicates that quality of life is not being holistically considered in long-range transportation planning. Plans primarily targeted quality of life enhancements from a physical health perspective, but other dimensions such as mental or social well-being were rarely addressed. While several of the plans explicitly mentioned the improvement of quality of life as a key objective within their vision statements, others appeared to only address quality of life in so far as it satisfied federal requirements. Furthermore, references to improving quality of life were often vague, perhaps owing to its inconsistent interpretation. More than simply mirroring the language put forth by federal legislation, metropolitan planning organizations should actively work to achieve positive quality of life outcomes.

Designing Minnesota's I-35E MnPASS Managed Lane Extension

A major challenge in implementing congestion pricing is the public perception that access to the road system is being taken away. Regardless of whether the road is paid for with taxes, tolls, or operational and congestion costs, a perceived take-away can make support for such investments difficult to generate. The greater Minneapolis–Saint Paul region of Minnesota has implemented two MnPASS managed lane projects on I-394 and I-35 west in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs and will open a third on I-35 east (I-35E) north of Saint Paul in 2015. This case study presents the results of a design alternatives study by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT) for a proposed extension of the I-35E MnPASS managed lane, including results from Minnesota DOT's outreach and education effort and a similar effort led by the Metropolitan Council for the update of the region's long-range transportation plan. The MnPASS design alternatives included converting a general purpose lane to a priced lane. The study indicated the public would accept a take-away if there were clear and understandable benefits. Community dialogues held with I-35E stakeholders and additional regional focus groups conducted by the Metropolitan Council indicated that the public was generally not very well informed about the rationale for MnPASS lanes or managed lanes being a priority in the regional transportation plan; these results suggest that more outreach and education are needed and could help clarify the value of this approach.