US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

COR-6: Approve Range of Solution Sets

Corridor Planning

Description:

A range of approved solution sets for the corridor results from this Key Decision. The range of solution sets is influenced by the preferred plan scenario in the LRTP and helps to define the full range of alternatives to be evaluated during environmental review.

There is information developed in prior Key Decisions that informs this step. In order to effectively execute this Key Decision there is essential information created at COR-2 related to problems and opportunities and COR-3, goals for the corridor.

Basics:

The first table describes the purpose and anticipated outcome of a Key Decision. If the decision is federally mandated, the purpose and outcome will relate to the legal intent.

The second table describes roles for key partners with legal decision making authority in the transportation process. The roles indicate the influence a partner can have on a decision, and show each partner where their input is most needed. For a full understanding of roles see the Partner Portal.

Purpose

To determine a range of solutions for the identified problems and opportunities that can include transportation, community, and environment goals.

Outcome

A set of solutions for the corridor that can address the identified problems and opportunities.

Partner Role Type Description
MPO Decision Maker (urban), No Role (rural) Approves a range of solution sets that meet the needs and opportunities within the corridor including non-transportation options.
FHWA/FTA Advisor Ensures the range of solutions considered is inclusive and consistent with accepted plans.
State DOT Advisor (urban), Decision Maker (rural) Ensures the process is broadly inclusive with options that may be implemented.
Resource Agency Advisor Support the use of a combined map of conservation priorities, land uses and solutions sets, if available. Support solution sets that avoid conservation, restoration and enhancement priority areas.
Public Transportation Operator(s) Advisor Ensures the process is broadly inclusive with options that may be implemented.

Questions to Consider

Questions are a way to gather input from partners and stakeholders that can be used to inform the decision. Decision makers can discuss the questions provided to ensure a broad array of interests are considered to support a collaborative process. Questions also allow staff to collect stakeholder interests, ensure these are included in the decision, and provide a response based on the decision outcome. Although Public Transportation is not represented by a PlanWorks Application, the information provided may be useful in a collaborative transportation process.

Category Questions to Consider
Long Range Planning
  • Were any of these solution sets considered for the long range plan? If so, why were they selected or eliminated?
  • Are these solution sets compatible with the preferred scenario adopted in the LRTP?
  • What is the potential impact on the adopted LRTP including fiscal constraint for each of the solution sets?
Programming
  • No specific questions
Corridor Planning
  • Were modal and operational partners involved in the development of the solution sets?
  • Is there support and/or a potential implementing partner for the individual solutions?
  • Is the range of solution sets broad enough to address corridor goals?
  • What are the individual solutions that should be included to achieve the goals?
  • Are there interactive effects that should be considered, that is, strategies that work better in combination, or alternatively, work against each other?
  • How cost-feasible are these strategies when combined or when treated separately?
  • Does the feasibility of the solution set consider the number of proposed public or private sector partnership projects and their influence on delivery schedules?
  • Are there potential strategies that extend beyond transportation decision making? If so, do they require more analysis or study?
  • What is the justification for eliminating any individual solution set?
Environmental Review
  • Is the range of solution sets sufficient to meet the requirements of the environmental review process?
  • Is there documented justification for why some solution sets have been eliminated?
Bicycles and Pedestrians
  • Are the proposed solution sets compatible with existing bicycle, pedestrian, and ADA plans?
  • Do the proposed solution sets support bicycle and pedestrian network connectivity, accessibility, and safety outcomes? How beneficial are the outcomes?
    What are the positive and negative impacts?
  • Do any of the proposed solution sets present a barrier to bicycles and pedestrians or inhibit accessibility for persons with disabilities?
  • Do the solution sets address mobility and accessibility needs beyond the identified deficiencies?
Capital Improvement
  • Do the individual proposed solutions consider the type, location, and prioritization of improvements included in capital improvement plans?
  • Are the solution sets compatible with capital improvement plans?
Economic Development
  • Have economic development strategies been incorporated into the solutions sets?
  • Are the solution sets compatible with the existing economic development goals and plans?
  • How will individual solutions impact the ability to meet economic development goals?
  • Are any solution sets fatally flawed from an economic development perspective?
Freight
  • How well do the solution sets address freight considerations and input from freight stakeholders?
  • Are the solution sets compatible with existing freight plans?
  • What solution sets have been identified that both address freight considerations well and address the other interests and needs of the corridor?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • What are the potential GHG-reduction impacts of each proposed solution and solution set?
  • How do these solution sets contribute to the ability to meet GHG goals for the corridor?
  • How should strategies showing impacts over varying time scales (in the short, medium, and long term) be combined to produce the desired impact on GHG emissions?
  • What corridor investment strategies or other actions contributing to GHG emissions reduction should be included as part of the solution sets?
  • What is the authority or ability of involved agencies to implement specific GHG-reduction solutions in the corridor?
Health in Transportation
  • Are there any solution sets that are not compatible with existing health plans and policies for the corridor?
  • How do the potential solutions compare based on health interests?
  • How do the potential solutions address health disparities among populations or improve the social determinants of health such as access to education and jobs?
  • What potential health impacts and tradeoffs of different solutions have been identified by health and community stakeholders? What solution sets do they support and/or oppose?
  • Are any solution sets fatally flawed from a health perspective?
Human Environment and Communities
  • What individual solutions or solution sets have been proposed by community stakeholders?
  • Have community stakeholders expressed support or opposition for any proposed solution sets?
  • Do the proposed solution sets support equity? How beneficial is the support?
  • What are the potential positive and negative impacts of individual solutions? Are any fatally flawed from a community perspective?
Land Use
  • Are the solution sets compatible with land use goals and plans?
  • Based on preliminary land use screening, are any of the solution sets fatally flawed?
  • How were the land use scenarios derived? What are the underlying assumptions? Are these assumptions supported by land use partners?
  • Have smart growth impacts been considered?
Linking Planning and Operations
  • Do the solution sets include TSMO strategies?
  • Do the solution sets address mobility, performance, and reliability beyond the identified deficiencies?
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical
  • Have the solution sets been compared to a combined map overlaying transportation priorities with priorities for environmental conservation, restoration, and enhancement?
  • Has the impact of each solution and its ability to meet conservation goals been identified?
  • Based on preliminary environmental screening, are any of the solution sets fatally flawed?
Performance Measures
  • Do any of the solution sets support statewide or regional performance measures and targets?
  • What is the current performance in the corridor against these targets?
  • Are there any solution sets that could negatively impact performance measures and targets?
  • Which solution sets have the best potential to meet targets?
Planning and Environment Linkages
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships
  • How will the inclusion of P3 projects affect the consideration and cost of solution sets?
  • How will the use of P3 influence the number of projects or timing of project delivery?
  • Are P3 projects consistent with regional/local land use and economic development vision?
Public Transportation
  • How well do the solution sets balance mode choices and support public transportation accessibility?
  • Do any of the proposed solution sets create barriers for public transportation users?
  • Are the proposed solution sets compatible with existing public transportation plans?
Safety
  • How well do the solution sets address safety issues and needs?
  • Are any solution sets fatally flawed from a safety perspective?
Stakeholder Collaboration
  • What feedback have stakeholders given on proposed solutions?
  • Did stakeholders have strong opposition to any of the proposed solution sets or to individual solutions?
  • Did the stakeholders identify missing solutions or solution sets? If so, how was that addressed?
Transportation Conformity
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application
Visioning and Transportation
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application

Data

The following list of data may be needed to support the Key Decision. Practitioners collect this information for decision makers to consider. Although Public Transportation is not represented by a PlanWorks Application, the information provided may be useful in a collaborative transportation process.

Category Data to Consider
Long Range Planning
  • Information from the preferred long range plan scenario
  • Scenarios or specific project concepts considered during LRTP development
  • Adopted long range plan documentation
Programming
  • No specific data
Corridor Planning
  • Analysis to support individual solutions
  • Data to support any fatally flawed or unreasonable solutions
  • Support from potential implementing partners
  • Identified cost and delivery schedule for funded projects within the corridor
Environmental Review
  • Documentation of all screening of eliminated solutions in order to inform the environmental review process
  • Requirements for the environmental review process
  • Documentation of all screening of eliminated solutions in order to inform the environmental review process
  • Requirements for the environmental review process
Bicycles and Pedestrians
  • Multimodal level of service analysis
  • Data on pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA needs
  • Strategies supported by pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA stakeholders and included in existing pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA plans
Capital Improvement
  • Capital improvement plans and projects
  • Assessment of compatibility
Economic Development
  • Economic development implications or constraints of various strategies
Freight
  • Freight stakeholder input
  • Analysis of freight impacts for individual solution sets
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Information on GHG-reduction strategies as potential solutions, including comparison of benefits, emissions reduction levels, cost-effectiveness, and planning-level cost for each strategy or combination of strategies
  • Relative importance of GHG-reduction benefits compared to benefits of other potential corridor solutions
Health in Transportation
  • Baseline data on corridor health conditions, such as health equity or health disparities related to obesity, asthma, quality of life, or other social determinants of health
  • Data and analysis from health stakeholders on how the baseline health conditions may change and tradeoffs among health priorities
  • Analysis of the health outcomes associated with potential solutions
Human Environment and Communities
  • Community recommended or opposed solutions
  • Information to support evaluation of individual solutions
Land Use
  • Land use scenarios, solutions, and policies supported by land use partners
  • Land use and/or smart growth implications and impacts for each solution
Linking Planning and Operations
  • System performance and reliability in the corridor
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical
  • Map or list of priorities for environmental conservation, restoration, and enhancement
Performance Measures
  • Current transportation system performance in the corridor
  • Applicable performance measures and targets
Planning and Environment Linkages
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships
  • Feasibility of private sector funding and/or implementation for specific projects and potential impacts
  • P3 consistency with other plans for the corridor
Public Transportation
  • Multimodal level of service analysis
  • Data on public transportation needs
  • Strategies supported by public transportation stakeholders and included in existing public transportation plans
Safety
  • GIS layers or field survey data; crash history; hospital admissions; cost-benefit analyses of safety strategies on corridor interests
Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Solutions suggested by stakeholders
  • Stakeholder feedback on solutions proposed by partners
Transportation Conformity
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.

Examples

In - depth case studies of successful practices in collaborative decision making were used to develop the Decision Guide.Links in this table point to a specific paragraph or section of a case study that supports a Key Decision. It is not necessary to read through an entire case study to find the example; however, full versions are available in the Library.

PlanWorks Case Study Examples:
US 64 Asheboro Bypass - Merged NEPA and Section 404 Permitting Processes cor-6

Other Examples:
None.