US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

ENV-6: Approve Full Range of Alternatives

Environmental Review/NEPA Merged with Permitting

Description:

At this Key Decision, a full range of possible project alternatives to meet the purpose and need is identified. At future Key Decisions, this range will be narrowed and eventually a preferred alternative will be selected. Information about both selected and eliminated scenarios and solution sets from long range transportation planning and corridor planning inform the range of alternatives approved at this step. There is information developed in prior Key Decisions that informs this step.

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 LRP-7 and COR-6 related to preferred or approved solutions and those that were eliminated.

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 identify a range of alternatives that meet the project purpose and need

Outcome

All alternatives that address the project's purpose and need

Partner	Role Type	Description
MPO	Advisor	Provides support on consideration of full range of alternatives based on regional/corridor planning. This includes documentation of alternatives eliminated from consideration.
FHWA/FTA	Decision Maker	Approves the full range of alternatives identified to meet the purpose and need; agrees to the elimination of specific alternatives.
State DOT	Decision Maker	Ensures the full range of alternatives is broadly inclusive, meets federal requirements, and is well documented.
Resource Agency	Decision Maker	The USACE is a decision-maker and approves a full range of alternatives that meets NEPA, permitting, and consultation requirements and has been informed by environmental planning. USACE approves a full range of alternatives that includes and does not eliminate a potential LEDPA. Other resource agencies are advisors, supporting a full range of alternatives that consider their agencies' relevant goals.
Public Transportation Operator(s)	Advisor	Provides support as needed on consideration of full range of alternatives based on regional/corridor planning. This includes documentation of alternatives eliminated from consideration.

Links to Decisions

This table identifies the connection to other Key Decisions. The linkages highlight the importance of collaboration across transportation phases. Practitioners are encouraged to document the basis of the decision and consider information from previous Key Decisions.

Transportation Phases	Key Decision	What is Linked?	Purpose of Linkage
From Long Range Transportation Planning	LRP-7 - Approve Plan Scenarios	Information on the scenarios considered in long range planning and the basis for any that were eliminated	To help define the range of alternatives for consideration during environmental review/ permitting and to preclude those alternatives that are inconsistent with region-wide multimodal improvements
To Programming	PRO-9 - Approve STIP with respect to Fiscal Constraint	Information from the TIP regarding a project description, logical termini, and funding identified for the project.	To inform, but not constrain, the development of the full range of alternatives for environmental review.
From Corridor Planning	COR-6 - Approve Range of Solution Sets	Information on the range of solutions evaluated in the corridor planning process	To help define the range of alternatives for consideration.
From Corridor Planning	COR-7 - Adopt Preferred Solution Set	Information on the preferred solution set from the corridor planning process	To inform the development of the full range of alternatives for environmental review/permitting in order to preclude alternatives that are inconsistent with region-wide multimodal improvements

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	Are the alternatives consistent with the financial assumptions from the LRTP? Do the alternatives support our vision and goals of the LRTP? Is the alternative from the adopted LRTP included? Is the range of alternatives consistent with other planned improvements?
Programming	Has information from the TIP been used to inform development of the full range of alternatives?
Corridor Planning	Is the alternative from an adopted preferred solution set from corridor planning included? Was the range of solutions evaluated in corridor planning? Do the alternatives support our vision and goals of the corridor plan?
Environmental Review	Do all of the alternatives meet the purpose and need? Are there any viable alternatives that are not included? Are the alternatives selected feasible and rational? Are any alternatives fatally flawed? What partners were involved in the development of alternatives? Is there agreement by partners that this represents the full range of alternatives? What suggested alternatives are not included in our final list?
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Do any of the proposed alternatives present or remove a barrier to bicyclists and pedestrians? How well do the alternatives support bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and accessibility for all users? What are the positive and negative impacts?
Capital Improvement	Have capital improvement partners identified which alternatives are highly compatible or incompatible with existing capital improvement plans?
Economic Development	Do the alternatives support economic development objectives? Are there any major flaws or inconsistencies between the alternatives and these objectives?
Freight	Which alternatives support identified freight benefits and stakeholder preferences? Are any fatally flawed alternatives preferred by freight stakeholders? If so, has the basis of this decision been communicated? What are the positive and negative outcomes related to freight movement from these alternatives?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation	What alternatives could improve health outcomes or address community health priorities? What alternatives do health and community stakeholders support? Did the long-range plan, TIP/STIP, or corridor plan processes discard any strategies, scenarios, projects, or solution sets due to health impacts or opposition from health or community stakeholders? Is the environmental review process consistent with that action?
Human Environment and Communities	Which alternatives do community stakeholders prefer? Are there community objections to any alternatives? If so, how can the objection be addressed? Have alternatives that will improve community quality of life, equity, and environmental justice in the area been identified?
Land Use	Have land use and/or smart growth effects been considered? Are the alternatives supportive of area land use goals? Do any alternatives negatively impact existing land use or require land use changes for the anticipated outcome?
Linking Planning and Operations	Are there TSMO strategies that are viable alternatives or that will support other solutions?
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Do the alternatives avoid priority areas for ecological conservation, restoration and mitigation? Does the full range of alternatives inform conservation priorities and potential alternatives developed in ecological planning?
Performance Measures	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages	Were any of the alternatives from a PEL study? If so, were any identified as fatally flawed? Is there an alternative(s) consistent with the adopted plan and/or approved solution set?
Public Private Partnerships	What input has been received from stakeholders about project implementation through a P3? Have the alternatives for P3 projects been developed with private sector input? Is there consensus between the private and public sector? Do the alternatives support the use of innovative means for financing, revenue generation, procurement, and efficient implementation?
Public Transportation	Do any of the alternatives present or remove barriers to public transportation usage or otherwise impact the public transportation network? How well do the alternatives support public transportation connectivity and accessibility for users?
Safety	To what extent are safety strategies and countermeasures included in each of the alternatives?
Stakeholder Collaboration	Have stakeholders been asked for input on proposed alternatives and/or any missing alternatives? How were stakeholders involved in identifying potential solutions? What alternatives did the stakeholders suggest? Did the stakeholders identify any missing alternatives? If so, how was that addressed? What is the reasoning for how stakeholder information was handled? How has this been communicated to the stakeholders?
Transportation Conformity	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation	Are there alternatives that support or are in conflict with the adopted future? Has scenario planning informed any alternatives identified? If so, how will that information be used?

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 on the scenarios considered in long range planning and the basis for any that were eliminated Preferred plan scenario
Programming	Project description, logical termini, and funding identified for the any projects included in the current TIP/STIP
Corridor Planning	Information on the range of solutions evaluated in the corridor planning process, including any solutions that were eliminated Information on the preferred solution set from the corridor planning process
Environmental Review	Description of each alternative, any fatal flaws identified, and any relevant design concepts Analysis comparing the alternatives to the approved purpose and need Documentation of any fatally flawed alternatives
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Data on the needs and potential support of bicycle and pedestrian stakeholders
Capital Improvement	Fatally flawed alternatives from capital improvement perspective
Economic Development	Economic development impact of various strategies Fatally flawed alternatives from an economic development perspective
Freight	Analysis of the benefits and impacts to freight interests and of freight to other interests
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation	Alternatives suggested in prior planning efforts related to health Health and community stakeholders’ suggestions for alternatives
Human Environment and Communities	Community preferences and objections
Land Use	Alternatives that meet land use partner interests and goals Land use and/or smart growth impacts, as applicable Assessment of alternative land use patterns to meeting the project purpose and need
Linking Planning and Operations	Potential TSMO strategies and treatments
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Information and data regarding conservation, restoration, and enhancement priorities Alternatives that meet ecological priorities
Performance Measures	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages	Potential project solutions from PEL studies, including any identified as fatally flawed or preferred
Public Private Partnerships	Potential impacts on project financing, revenue, and implementation for P3 alternatives
Public Transportation	Data on the needs of public transportation users and the public transportation network Analysis of expected impacts of the alternatives on public transportation
Safety	Safety impacts for each alternative
Stakeholder Collaboration	Summary of public and stakeholder comments Explanation of how feedback will be used
Transportation Conformity	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation	Adopted future Scenario planning information, if available

Links to Applications

The interaction between transportation decision making and other planning processes will ensure that important values and goals outside the transportation process are recognized and considered. Although Public Transportation is not represented by a PlanWorks Application, the information provided may be useful in a collaborative transportation process.

Application	Description
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Consider alternatives that will support bicycle and pedestrian improvements, goals, and plans.
Capital Improvement	This is the point where individual partners weigh in on the full range of alternatives to consider. It is particularly important to identify any that are fatally flawed from one or more perspectives. Tradeoffs will be identified in the subsequent decisions, that are evaluated by transportation practitioners. Consider all relevant planning partners including Human Environment and Communities, Land Use, Natural Environment and Implementing Eco-Logical, Bicycles and Pedestrians, and others.
Economic Development	Ensure that the full range of transportation strategies that can support economic development are considered, including those related to Bicycles and Pedestrians and Planning for Operations.
Freight	As freight benefits from individual alternatives are considered, identify any corresponding or synergistic benefits with other community interests such as Capital Improvement, Economic Development, and Linking Planning and Operations which may influence the value or priority of specific alternatives. Assess also whether there are any interactions with other interests, such as environmental justice concerns discussed in the Human Environment and Communities Application. This information is essential at this step to inform development of the draft EIS and approval of the Preferred Alternative.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation	Other Applications might also produce strategies that have health implications, including Bicycles and Pedestrians, Freight, Human Environment and Communities, Land Use, Safety, and Stakeholder Collaboration.
Human Environment and Communities	It is important to identify those alternatives that address the community needs, values, and interests most directly prior to removing any alternatives from further consideration. Documentation from a Planning and Environment Linkages study or Land Use planning is an advantage at this decision to support community preferences.
Land Use	Consider information provided on alternatives supporting area land use goals and plans. Identify whether any alternatives would provide synergistic benefits when considering interactions between land use and other topics, such as Bicycles and Pedestrians, Economic Development, Freight, Health in Transportation, Human Environment and Communities, and Natural Environment and Implementing Eco-Logical.
Linking Planning and Operations	Consider stand-alone TSMO projects and operational strategies that support other alternatives. Through Stakeholder Collaboration, seek input from operational partners and other stakeholders to identify fatally flawed alternatives from a TSMO perspective.
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Use the priority areas for conservation and restoration identified through ecological planning to avoid transportation strategies that would impact these areas.
Performance Measures	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages	Confirm that the full range of alternatives includes those approved in a relevant PEL study. If this is not the case, planning decisions must be validated.
Public Private Partnerships	Consider impacts related to Land Use and Human Environment and Communities to identify viable alternatives.
Public Transportation	Consider alternatives that will support public transportation goals and plans.
Safety	Comparing safety impacts for individual alternatives with other areas of interest may indicate supporting relationships that improve the safety benefit or enhance the potential outcome of individual alternatives. Consider implications for Linking Planning and Operations, Bicycles and Pedestrians, Health in Transportation, and Freight Applications. Also consider Public Transportation.
Stakeholder Collaboration	Provide the opportunity for stakeholders to share ideas on the potential solutions that have been proposed and to identify others. Describe how this input will be used in the process of evaluating alternatives. Remind stakeholders of the steps in the process and where they will be engaged next. Engagement may be several months later, so set expectations at this decision.
Transportation Conformity	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation	It is important to identify those alternatives that address the larger context of values and interests before removing any alternatives from further consideration. Documentation from a Planning and Environment Linkages study or Land Use planning is an advantage at this decision.

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:
Regional TIP Policy Framework and Vision 2040 for Puget Sound Regional Council env-6

Other Examples:
None.