US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

COR-8: Approve Implementation Criteria for Prioritizing Projects

Corridor Planning

Description:

At this Key Decision priorities for implementation of the individual solutions are established. A second set of evaluation criteria, methods and measures is used for this purpose.

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-7 related to the preferred solution set.

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 the evaluation criteria, methods and measures for prioritizing the implementation of the solution set for the corridor.

Outcome

Specific methods, criteria, and measures for prioritizing the individual solutions included in the adopted preferred solution set.

Partner Role Type Description
MPO Decision Maker (urban), No Role (rural) Approves evaluation criteria and methodology and allows prioritization of the individual solutions.
FHWA/FTA Observer Observes establishment of prioritization criteria.
State DOT Advisor (urban), Decision Maker (rural) Ensures prioritization process is inclusive and equitable.
Resource Agency Advisor Provide information to support prioritization of solutions as needed, including sharing evaluation criteria, methods and performance measures from environmental planning, documentation of prioritization process.
Public Transportation Operator(s) Advisor Ensures prioritization process is inclusive and equitable.

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
  • No specific questions
Programming
  • Are these criteria compatible with programming requirements?
  • How will the costs of mitigation actions influence sequencing?
Corridor Planning
  • What factors will play a role in project sequencing?
  • How will factors be weighted or considered in the implementation plan?
  • Who developed the criteria? What data supports it?
  • How will the technical analysis impact the criteria in comparison to cost, public support, or project feasibility?
  • Do the criteria consider the risks to the effectiveness of the transportation improvement if non-transportation strategies are not implemented?
Environmental Review
  • How will these criteria inform the environmental review of individual projects?
Bicycles and Pedestrians
  • Are criteria for assessing bicycle and pedestrian network connectivity and accessibility included?
Capital Improvement
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development
  • Do the criteria assess the impact of sequencing on economic development?
Freight
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Human Environment and Communities
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Land Use
  • Do the implementation criteria assess the need for land use changes on project sequencing?
Linking Planning and Operations
  • Do the criteria consider improved system performance and reliability factors?
  • Do the criteria include mobility and operations metrics?
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical
  • Do the criteria consider the impact of any mitigation activities identified in ecological planning on sequencing?
Performance Measures
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships
  • Do the sequencing criteria include consideration of the financial or operational viability and timing of using P3 funding?
  • What are the project risks, costs, financing, revenue potential, and other information needed to prioritize solutions?
Public Transportation
  • Do the criteria consider the impact of sequencing on public transportation operations in the corridor?
  • Do the criteria consider the risks and opportunities on public transportation plans or project implementation?
Safety
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Stakeholder Collaboration
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
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
  • No specific data
Programming
  • Evaluation criteria and methods for prioritization in the programming process
Corridor Planning
  • Individual solutions from the preferred solution set
Environmental Review
  • Projects currently in project development associated with this corridor
Bicycles and Pedestrians
  • Information and data reflecting bicycle and pedestrian networks and use
  • Measures of bicycle and pedestrian network connectivity and accessibility
Capital Improvement
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development
  • Qualitative factors and performance indicators related to economic impacts and competitiveness
  • Potential economic outcomes
Freight
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Health in Transportation
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Human Environment and Communities
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Land Use
  • Anticipated land use in the corridor
Linking Planning and Operations
  • TSMO metric
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical
  • Mitigation activities for the corridor from ecological planning
Performance Measures
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Planning and Environment Linkages
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Private Partnerships
  • Input from private sector stakeholders
  • Influence of P3 on number of proposed projects, timing of delivery, and feasibility of solution sets
Public Transportation
  • Potential measures of public transportation accessibility and operation
Safety
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Stakeholder Collaboration
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
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:
None.

Other Examples:
None.