US Department of Transportation

FHWA PlanWorks: Better Planning, Better Projects

US Department of Transportation

FHWA Planworks: Better Planning, Better Projects

LRP-7: Approve Plan Scenarios

Long Range Transportation Planning

Description:

Scenarios are based on approved strategies and are compared using the evaluation criteria, method and measures. Collaboration with partners from other planning processes is important at this stage as scenarios could involve strategies that encompass land use, infrastructure or other components. This step begins the iterative process of refining scenarios in order to select the preferred scenario.

There is information in prior Key Decisions that informs this step. In order to effectively execute this Key Decision there is essential information created at LRP-6 related to the range of approved 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 identify plan scenarios for testing and comparison in order to select a preferred plan scenario for the region. The scenarios are designed to address the approved deficiencies. This begins the iterative analysis that is conducted for a full understanding of the trade-off decisions necessary to identify the preferred plan scenario. Scenarios should be identified in terms that can be easily understood by the decision makers, planning partners, and stakeholders.

Outcome

A list of feasible plan scenarios.

Partner	Role Type	Description
MPO	Decision Maker	Approves plan scenarios that reflect the broad interests of the region to support comparison and selection of a preferred
FHWA/FTA	Observer	Observes the process of evaluating and considering individual scenarios for consistency with the intent of federal regulations
State DOT	Advisor	Provides information on state perspective and compatible interests
Resource Agency	Advisor	Advise partners about potential impacts to protected resources or conservation and restoration priorities associated with transportation plan scenarios.
Public Transportation Operator(s)	Advisor	Provides information on transit perspective and compatible 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 Corridor Planning	COR-1 - Approve Scope of Corridor Planning Process	All scenarios considered in the long range planning process and reasons for eliminating scenarios	To document those scenarios included and eliminated in long range planning
To Environmental Review/NEPA Merged with Permitting	ENV-4 - Reach Consensus on Study Area	All scenarios considered in the long range planning process and reasons for eliminating scenarios	To document scenarios included and eliminated in long range planning

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	How well do these scenarios address the approved deficiencies? To what extent are scenarios politically feasible? Do planning partners support or oppose any specific scenario? Will all of the visions and goals be addressed by at least one of these scenarios? Is there a missing scenario? Are the scenarios sufficiently different for meaningful comparison?
Programming	Have we identified how each scenario will impact financing, revenues, and implementation schedule?
Corridor Planning	Does the scenario analysis inform any active or upcoming corridor planning studies?
Environmental Review	Based on preliminary land use and environmental screening, are any of these scenarios fatally flawed?
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Do any of the scenarios create barriers to bicycle and pedestrian network connectivity? How are bicycle and pedestrian network continuity and connectivity addressed in each of the scenarios? For example, is a network of separated bike lanes connected or continuous? To what extent are bicycle and pedestrian components integrated into each of the scenarios? To what extent will each respective scenario meet the needs of all users? Is there a need to balance mode choices?
Capital Improvement	Are the proposed scenarios compatible with or supportive of existing Capital Improvement plans?
Economic Development	Are approved transportation strategies consistent with economic development? Based on preliminary information about economic development implications, are any of these scenarios fatally flawed? How will each scenario impact the ability to meet economic development goals?
Freight	Is information available that will support freight analysis in the scenarios? Which scenarios include freight considerations? How has input from freight stakeholders or existing freight plans influenced the plan scenarios? How does freight interact with other plan considerations, such as land use, economic development, and safety?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	What are the timescales over which the strategies in a scenario are expected to show impacts and how do these match with the target years for GHG reduction? What GHG-reduction transportation strategies should be included as part of a scenario analysis?
Health in Transportation	Which scenarios are compatible with existing health plans and policies? How do different scenarios compare based on the selected criteria, methods, and performance measures of their ability to meet the health needs of the community and of specific population groups affected? How well do different scenarios address health disparities among populations or improve the social determinants of health such as access to education and jobs? Do any scenarios disproportionately affect the health of specific population groups? What modifications to the scenarios could help achieve the desired health outcomes for the corridor? What scenarios are preferred or opposed by health and community stakeholders?
Human Environment and Communities	How might each scenario impact environmental justice and equity? How might each scenario impact the human environment in the community? Have human environment and community stakeholders expressed support or opposition to any scenarios? Are there any fatally-flawed scenarios from the perspective of human environment and community stakeholders?
Land Use	Are approved transportation scenarios consistent with land use vision/plans? Are the scenarios supportive of the regional land use vision and goals, future land use patterns, and growth forecasts? Based on preliminary information about land use implications, are any of these scenarios fatally flawed? Have potential smart growth strategies been incorporated into the scenarios?
Linking Planning and Operations	Do the scenarios address mobility, performance, reliability, and accessibility needs beyond the identified deficiencies? Have operations strategies been incorporated into scenarios, including off- model analysis to inform scenario comparison? Have operational partners been asked for input and recommendations about plan scenarios as well as roles and responsibilities for operational improvements?
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	How will these scenarios impact the natural environment?
Performance Measures	Have performance targets been identified for the region? What data is available to evaluate scenarios against the selected targets?
Planning and Environment Linkages	Have the reasons for eliminating strategies been sufficiently documented to inform environmental review?
Public Private Partnerships	How will P3 strategies in the scenarios influence our procurement, project development, financing, and revenue? Are any scenarios fatally flawed based on financial assessments? Would P3 change this outcome? Are P3 projects in the scenarios consistent with existing economic investment and other relevant plans in the region?
Public Transportation	Is public transportation data available that can inform or influence the scenarios?
Safety	To what extent are safety strategies and practices integrated into each of the scenarios? How well do the scenarios address safety? Are there specific safety issues that are not addressed by the scenarios? If so, is there a potential solution to consider? Which safety strategies help meet the performance targets?
Stakeholder Collaboration	What scenarios did the stakeholders suggest? Did the stakeholders express strong opposition to any suggested scenarios? If so, what was the opposition? Did the stakeholders identify missing scenarios? If so, how was that addressed? What is the justification for eliminating or adding certain scenarios or making individual changes within a scenario?
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	Range of approved strategies Previous plan conformity analysis Off-model analysis to support scenario evaluation Identification of those things that are qualitative rather than quantitative for consideration Policy implications and comparison to stated vision and goals
Programming	Funding resources that support or limit each scenario Data on financing, revenues, and timelines Existing + Committed (E+C) project list for baseline and planning horizon years
Corridor Planning	Data from active or anticipated corridor planning studies
Environmental Review	Data from active or recently completed environmental review
Bicycles and Pedestrians	Information and data that support analysis of bicycle and pedestrian components of the plan scenarios Bicycle and pedestrian options and analysis outcomes for each scenario Bicycle and pedestrian options and analysis outcomes for each scenario
Capital Improvement	Assessment of compatibility with Capital Improvement plans
Economic Development	Economic development impacts for each scenario
Freight	Information from freight stakeholders Information and data that supports freight analysis in the scenarios
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	Sketch-level planning cost for strategies included in scenarios Target GHG reductions GHG-reduction strategies and relative importance of GHG-reduction benefits compared to other planning factors for each scenario
Health in Transportation	Analysis of the health outcomes associated with different scenarios Input from health stakeholders
Human Environment and Communities	Environmental justice/equity impacts for each scenario Human environment and community impacts for each scenario Input from human environment and community stakeholders Documentation of individual scenario impacts on the human environment
Land Use	Land use and/or smart growth implications and impacts for each scenario Examples of potential smart growth effects, as applicable
Linking Planning and Operations	System operations data to inform scenarios
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Natural environment impacts for each scenario
Performance Measures	Performance targets for the region and related data Past performance, where available and applicable
Planning and Environment Linkages	Documentation of strategy decisions
Public Private Partnerships	Potential P3 projects Assessment of consistency with other plans Preliminary P3 project costs and revenues
Public Transportation	Multimodal options and analysis for each scenario
Safety	Safety impacts for each scenario
Stakeholder Collaboration	Political interests and trade-offs in the region Input gathered from stakeholders
Transportation Conformity	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.
Visioning and Transportation	This Key Decision is not associated with the Application.

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	Prioritize scenarios from a bicycle and pedestrian perspective. Evaluate how improvements in service for one mode may impact conditions for other modes.
Capital Improvement	Consider also Land Use, Economic Development, Human Environment and Communities, Bicycles and Pedestrians, and Public Transportation plans and projects.
Economic Development	In developing strategies for meeting transportation needs, integrate those which may enhance regional competitiveness to reflect economic development goals, and support broader goals. These broader goals may be identified through a Visioning process (see Visioning and Transportation Application).
Freight	Consideration of freight stakeholders input might include a review of Land Use, Capital Improvement, Economic Development, or Safety plans to determine if there are inconsistencies among these plans. Consider how the transportation plan impacts any inconsistencies.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	Identify scenarios that are most supportive of GHG-reduction goals.
Health in Transportation	Other Applications might also produce scenarios having health implications, including Bicycles and Pedestrians, Freight, Human Environment and Communities, Land Use, Safety, Stakeholder Collaboration, and Visioning and Transportation.
Human Environment and Communities	Approval of plan scenarios is an opportunity to identify any fatally flawed scenarios with respect to the human environment and community interests. This can be a streamlining step in preparation for project development; therefore, any Planning and Environment Linkages study will be useful to consider. Natural Environment and Implementing Eco-Logical and Health in Transportation scenario preferences may also support human environment interests.
Land Use	Assess the scenarios for land use implications related to other Applications, such as Bicycles and Pedestrians, Capital Improvement, Economic Development, Freight, GHG Emissions, Safety, Health in Transportation. Public Transportation should also be considered.
Linking Planning and Operations	Include TSMO strategies for both short- and long-term improvements to the transportation system, and how these strategies may help achieve targets for Performance Measures. Stakeholder Collaboration can provide insights on the applicability of the various TSMO strategies.
Natural Environment and Implementing Eco Logical	Conduct a comparative analysis of transportation/development plan scenarios with the Regional Ecosystem Framework from ecological planning.Overlay transportation plan scenarios and the combined map of conservation, restoration, and enhancement priorities to show and record areas and resources potentially impacted by transportation improvements.
Performance Measures	Scenario performance will generally be measured by the selected evaluation, criteria, and measures. However, where system performance is impacted, selected performance measures and targets may be part of the selection of scenarios. Each Application that represents the interest of the region should be considered.
Planning and Environment Linkages	Document the elimination of strategies to inform the selection of an appropriate study area and proposed alternatives during environmental review. This documentation can also inform a subsequent corridor study, if needed.
Public Private Partnerships	In one or more scenarios, tolling may replace traditional financing options as a comparison. This Key Decision prepares for evaluation of individual scenarios by eliminating any that are fatally flawed. If tolling continues to be viable, it will be evaluated against other interests represented across the Applications. Comparison with Economic Development and Land Use planning is likely.
Public Transportation	Prioritize scenarios from a public transportation perspective. Evaluate how improvements in service for one mode may impact conditions for other modes.
Safety	Decision makers should consider whether the scenarios being considered in long-range transportation planning support safety plans. Identify where addressing safety needs also supports other interests such as Bicycles and Pedestrians, Freight, or others.
Stakeholder Collaboration	Stakeholder input supports the development of robust scenarios that capture the complexities of a transportation system and connections to the broader planning context. Examples include Land Use where policy changes may be needed to support implementation of the long range plan scenarios, and Capital Improvement decisions that may be impacted. Input from advocacy groups and special interests can help identify nuances differentiating the scenarios. Plan scenarios should be crafted to align with the transportation vision and goals, and support other planning efforts, to the extent possible.
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:
I-5 Beltline Interchange Plan - Using Community Values as Performance Measures lrp-7

Other Examples:
Charlottesville-Albemarle MPO’s 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan, Chapter 7 https://campo.tjpdc.org/wp-content/uploads/Chapter7.pdf