US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

LRP-10: Adopt LRTP by MPO

Long Range Transportation Planning

Description:

At this Key Decision a final plan is adopted by the MPO board. This plan includes the preferred scenario, fiscal constraint, and transportation conformity. It has been revised to reflect stakeholder comments received on the draft LRTP.

There is information developed in prior Key Decisions that informs this step.

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 review the Draft LRTP that reflects the public comment for final adoption

Outcome

Adopted LRTP

Partner	Role Type	Description
MPO	Decision Maker	Adopts a LRTP that addresses the transportation needs of the region while remaining consistent with the approved vision and goals.
FHWA/FTA	Advisor	Ensures that LRTP adoption meets all legal requirements.
State DOT	Advisor	Ensures that the LRTP meets all federal requirements and state interests.
Resource Agency	Advisor	Advise partners in the development of a conservation and mitigation strategy for the preferred transportation scenario. Approve a MOU, agreement or programmatic permit and performance monitoring strategy for mitigation sites.
Public Transportation Operator(s)	Advisor	Ensures that the LRTP meets transit interests.

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
To Programming	PRO-4 - Approve Project Prioritization	Adopted LRTP with fiscal constraint	To provide plan revenue in horizon years
	PRO-6 - Adopt TIP by MPO	Adopted LRTP	To inform the approval of projects
	PRO-7 - Approve TIP by Governor and Incorporate into Draft STIP	Adopted LRTP	Validation of fiscal constraint for LRTP
To Corridor Planning	COR-1 - Approve Scope of Corridor Planning Process	The adopted LRTP including information related to recommended improvements in the corridor	To help define the scope of the corridor planning process
To Environmental Review/NEPA Merged with Permitting	ENV-1 - Reach Consensus on Scope of Environmental Review	Relevant information from the adopted long range plan, including strategies and scenarios that were evaluated and eliminated	To inform the scope of the environmental review process
	ENV-8 - Approve Draft EIS with Conceptual Mitigation	Advance mitigation strategy and agreements from the adopted LRTP	To inform conceptual mitigation incorporated in the Draft EIS
	ENV-12 - Reach Consensus on Avoidance and Minimization for the LEDPA	Advance mitigation strategy and agreements from the adopted LRTP	To inform avoidance and minimization for the LEDPA

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	Does the adopted plan meet fiscal constraint requirements? What comments on the proposed plan were received and how were they addressed?
Programming	What implications does the approved LRTP have on project prioritization and TIP development?
Corridor Planning	What implications does the approved LRTP have on corridor planning?
Environmental Review	What implications does the approved LRTP have on environmental review?
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Have the implications of the adopted plan on bicyclists and pedestrians been considered? Has the role of pedestrian and bicycle transportation in meeting a range of identified community goals been documented? Have the legislative requirements for the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian policies and projects into transportation plans been met? See FHWA Guidance: Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal Transportation Legislation (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/guidance_2015.cfm)
Capital Improvement	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
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	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Linking Planning and Operations	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	How can conservation goals be met, if at all, through the mitigation approaches? How does the approved plan inform conservation and mitigation strategies? Has a mitigation strategy that is acceptable to all partners been identified? Is there agreement on implementation? What are the mitigation priorities?
Performance Measures	How does the LRTP support required and/or agreed to performance measures and targets? Have partners been alerted to the support that is needed to meet these targets? Have stakeholders been made aware of the performance requirements that the LRTP must meet?
Planning and Environment Linkages	How does the adopted plan inform scoping of corridor planning and/or environmental review? Are there mitigation strategies and/or agreements reached during planning to inform corridor planning/environmental review?
Public Private Partnerships	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Transportation	Have the implications of the adopted plan on public transportation been considered? Has the role of public transportation in meeting a range of identified community goals been documented?
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	Does the adopted LRTP acknowledge transportation support of the future vision?

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	Fiscal constraint analysis that supports adoption
Programming	Proposed projects Data on potential project costs and revenues
Corridor Planning	Data to inform corridor planning studies
Environmental Review	Data to inform the scope of environmental review
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Proposed future pedestrian and bicycle network data and map Environmental streamlining opportunities and other time savings that can speed up the delivery of bicycle and pedestrian programs and projects Input from bicycle and pedestrian stakeholders
Capital Improvement	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
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	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Linking Planning and Operations	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Data to inform conservation and mitigation strategies
Performance Measures	Stakeholder and partner input on system performance requirements Methods to report progress against performance targets during the period
Planning and Environment Linkages	Adopted plan Mitigation strategies/agreements, if available
Public Private Partnerships	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Transportation	Future public transportation network, as identified in the adopted plan Input from public transportation stakeholders
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	Long-range plan documentation

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	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Capital Improvement	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
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	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Linking Planning and Operations	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Transportation and resource agency partners make a joint decision about conservation and mitigation strategies. Review and approve the use of identified crediting strategies Develop MOUs, agreements, programmatic 404 permits, or ESA Section 7 consultation and agree upon performance monitoring strategy for mitigation sites.
Performance Measures	As the LRTP is adopted, it is important that all planning partners and stakeholders understand the effort that will support meeting performance requirements. Any Application topic specifically relating to a goal, performance metric, or target should be evaluated for supporting performance measurement.
Planning and Environment Linkages	Provide the adopted LRTP and corresponding documentation to inform the scope of corridor planning and/or environmental review. Consider advance mitigation strategies and agreements to inform corridor planning/environmental review. Consider the Natural Environment and Eco-Logical Application. Ensure the public and stakeholders are provided a reasonable opportunity to comment prior to adoption of the preferred scenario. See Stakeholder Collaboration Application for more information. Ensure FHWA and/or FTA review, as appropriate. For PEL studies this is a FAST Act requirement.
Public Private Partnerships	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Public Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
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	Incorporation of the future vision by reference or specific relationships demonstrates support to the overall regional vision. This will be strongly related to Land Use, Human Environment and Communities, Economic Development, and potentially many other Application topics, depending on the interests in the region.

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.