US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

LRP-6: Approve Strategies

Long Range Transportation Planning

Description:

Strategies are developed to address the deficiencies identified in LRP-4. A strategy is a specific tactic or policy employed or recommended by an organization. Strategies could include road or multi-modal improvements, land use changes, and other means of addressing deficiencies.

There is information developed in prior Key Decisions that informs this step. In order to effectively execute this Key Decision there is essential information coming from the land use process related to land use strategies.

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 develop and evaluate groups of strategies relative to stated needs.

Outcome

A range of strategies to address transportation deficiencies and achieve vision and goals.

Partner Role Type Description
MPO Decision Maker Ensures that strategies reflect all reasonable options for meeting the identified needs.
FHWA/FTA Advisor Ensures that strategies are inclusive and reasonable to consider.
State DOT Advisor Ensures the process is inclusive, meets federal requirements, and is compatible with state needs and goals.
Resource Agency Advisor Support strategies that are sufficiently broad to consider indirect and cumulative impacts, avoidance and minimization of impacts to resources and are supportive of vision and goals developed with input from partners and stakeholders.
Public Transportation Operator(s) Advisor Ensures the process is inclusive and is compatible with transit needs and goals.

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
  • Is there broad support and/or an implementing sponsor for any individual strategy?
  • What partners were involved in the development of the strategies?
  • What type of analysis is required to support the evaluation of particular strategies?
  • Do we have the necessary data and analysis techniques/tools to evaluate these strategies?
Programming
  • No specific questions
Corridor Planning
  • Are there corridor planning studies to inform with the approved strategies?
Environmental Review
  • Are there active projects to inform with the approved strategies?
  • Can the strategies result in a broad range of project types?
Bicycles and Pedestrians
  • Do the strategies reflect bicycle and pedestrian network connectivity prioritization, proven safety countermeasures, and accessibility?

    What stakeholders, modal, and operational partners were involved in the development of strategies?

  • What modal stakeholder input was considered in the development of strategies?
Capital Improvement
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development
  • Do the strategies minimize negative economic impacts overall?
  • Do the strategies take into consideration future economic trends?
  • Do the strategies consider local economic realities such as land capacity constraints, wages/affordability of the local population, and the interests of local business?
Freight
  • Do the proposed strategies consider the needs and long-range goals of freight stakeholders?
  • Should the LRTP strategies include any strategies from existing freight plans?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Which GHG-reduction strategies have been found to be the most effective from a benefit-cost perspective?
  • Which GHG-reduction strategies would be useful to meet any established targets?
  • Which transportation strategies are most effective in meeting GHG goals?
Health in Transportation
  • What strategies will advance existing health plans and policies, address health disparities among populations, or improve the social determinants of health for disadvantaged populations?
  • How do the potential strategies compare based on the selected evaluation criteria, methods, and performance measures?
  • What strategies do health and community stakeholders support or oppose?
  • Are there modifications to the strategies which can help to achieve the desired health outcomes?
Human Environment and Communities
  • Is information available on community/human environment goals, strategies, and objectives to help inform LRTP strategy selection?
  • Do the strategies identified have any negative implications for specific populations or community features? If so, what adjustments can be made to avoid or minimize these potential impacts?
  • Do the strategies address providing transportation options to access jobs and community services?
  • Do any strategies imply the need to mitigate potentially negative consequences? If so, what mitigation opportunities have been identified?
Land Use
  • Do land use strategies exist to help inform strategy selection?
  • Which strategies are supportive of land use goals?
  • Do land use stakeholders and partners support or oppose any of the strategies?
  • Are land use decision makers likely to support the underlying transportation land use assumptions?
Linking Planning and Operations
  • Have operations strategies been identified to address transportation deficiencies? If yes, can these strategies be supported in scenario evaluation?
  • Have operational partners been involved in the development of strategies?
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical
  • Do the strategies avoid priority areas for ecological conservation, restoration, and mitigation?
Performance Measures
  • Are there established performance measures that can inform strategy selection?
Planning and Environment Linkages
  • Have the approved strategies been adequately documented to inform environmental review?
Public Private Partnerships
  • Is it appropriate to include strategies related to tolling, innovative revenue, and financing options, or P3?
  • What lessons can be drawn from P3 experiences in the region and elsewhere to inform strategy selection?
Public Transportation
  • What public transportation strategies are included in those approved? Are these consistent with current public transportation plans?
Safety
  • Is information available to support safety-related strategies?
Stakeholder Collaboration
  • How has stakeholder input informed strategy development?
  • What strategies do stakeholders want incorporated into the plan?
  • What stakeholder suggestions are not included in the approved strategies? What is the justification?
Transportation Conformity
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation
  • Has the visioning process identified any potential strategies to support the transportation goals?
  • Is there any relationship between the visioning implementation activities and the strategies identified for the LRTP? If so, how might these be included in any similarities in the approved strategies?

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
  • Existing and committed project list for baseline and planning horizon years
  • Strategies that were considered in the past and any available results
  • Data and analysis tools appropriate for selected strategy evaluation
Programming
  • No specific data
Corridor Planning
  • Approved strategies to inform corridor planning studies
Environmental Review
  • Approved strategies to inform project
Bicycles and Pedestrians
Capital Improvement
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Economic Development
  • Information on the potential economic development outcomes for various strategies
Freight
  • Feedback from freight stakeholders
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • List of potential strategies that provide GHG-reduction benefits
  • Relevant federal and state policies (current and future)
  • Previously conducted analysis methodology and results
Health in Transportation
  • Tradeoffs among health priorities and different strategies
  • Analysis of the health outcomes associated with strategies
  • Input from health and community stakeholders
Human Environment and Communities
  • Community/human environment goals, strategies, and objectives
  • Data or analyses on how individual strategies influence community interests
  • Input from human environment and community stakeholders
  • Human environment mitigation strategies
Land Use
  • Data or analysis from land use planning that informs individual strategies
  • Any assumptions made in land use planning that may impact transportation decisions
Linking Planning and Operations
  • Information on past performance of TSMO strategies
  • Performance measures
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical
  • Data or analyses from natural environment planning that supports individual strategies
  • Map of conservation, restoration, and enhancement priorities
Performance Measures
  • Measures selected for strategy and scenario comparisons
Planning and Environment Linkages
  • Documentation of approved strategies and strategy analyses
Public Private Partnerships
  • P3 examples
  • Innovative financing options
Public Transportation
  • Service and operational data to support any public transportation strategies
Safety
  • Data or analyses on safety strategies
  • Proven safety countermeasures
Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Public involvement data/stakeholder input
Transportation Conformity
  • This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation
  • Visioning implementation activities

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.