The Transportation Planning Process Briefing Book
Key Issues for Transportation Decisionmakers, Officials, and Staff
A Publication of the Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program
Publication Date: 2018 | Source: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Transportation at its core is about mobility and access. Patterns of growth and activity for people and
goods across America are fundamentally driven by how well the transportation system delivers mobility
and access. The performance of the transportation system also affects public policy concerns, such
as safety, air quality, environmental resource consumption, social equity, resilience, land use, urban growth,
economic development, and security. Transportation planning recognizes the critical links between
transportation needs and other societal goals. The planning process involves more than simply tabulating
capital projects. It includes strategies for operating, managing, maintaining, and financing the transportation
system to advance an area’s long-term goals and the regional community’s shared vision for the future.
This book provides an overview of transportation planning for government officials, transportation decisionmakers,
planning board members, transportation service providers, interested stakeholders, and the public.
It covers the basics and key concepts of metropolitan and statewide transportation planning, along with
references for additional information.
