Transportation Planning

Transportation planning is the collaborative process of determining how to move people and goods. Successful transportation planning leads to more effective, efficient, and equitable transportation systems. It also contributes to community revitalization and equitable economic and social outcomes. 

In fiscal year 2022, states spent a total of $208.7 billion on transportation infrastructure and projects. A little more than one-quarter (26.7 percent) of these funds came from the federal government, with the remainder from the states. Prioritizing projects and ultimately deciding how to spend transportation dollars requires coordination among policymakers and planners at the federal, regional, state, and local levels. 

The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, directed over half of its investments toward improving and modernizing transportation infrastructure, including: 

• providing a historic level of investment for public transportation, 
• increasing funding for highway and pedestrian safety programs, 
• investing in alternatives to cars such as walking and cycling, and 
• addressing the aging infrastructure needs of roads and bridges. 

The new law also created a new Thriving Communities initiative to fund technical assistance and hands-on planning support for transformative infrastructure projects that serve disadvantaged communities. 

The federal government provides technical assistance and oversight, and it requires states to incorporate citizen participation. At the regional level, metropolitan planning organizations plan for federal transportation investment and conduct regional planning. State transportation departments participate in the regional process and prepare statewide long-range transportation plans. Localities develop and maintain public infrastructure and often participate in state and regional planning processes. 

When done well, this transportation planning process includes meaningful community input. This includes from people with a wide range of backgrounds, incomes, ages, and ability levels. It is not enough to inform the public of decisions made, nor is it sufficient to post an announcement for a public meeting and hope residents show up. The public needs adequate notice of meetings scheduled at reasonable times. And planners and community leaders must ensure that groups that are discriminated against, such as communities of color and people with disabilities, have an opportunity to influence planning and investment decisions. 

A key goal of transportation planning is to create mobility options for residents of all ages and ability levels within a community. Another is to connect neighborhoods to the broader region via an efficient road and transit network. Planning is more effective when the increasing number of mobility service providers share data with transportation planners. Local officials can more effectively manage public rights-of-way when they receive trip-level data from mobility service providers such as micromobility, ride-hailing, and self-driving car companies. Data-sharing allows them to evaluate the impact on congestion, traffic patterns, and public transportation use. That ensures that services are provided equitably. It also helps planners ensure safe passage for pedestrians, including people with disabilities and those with other mobility limitations. But data-sharing can also pose privacy and security concerns, particularly when personally identifiable data are included. Therefore, privacy and security protections are also critically important (see also Chapter 9, Consumer Rights and Protection: Consumer Data Issues). 

Curbside management: The growth of ride-hailing, deliveries, micromobility devices, and “streateries”—outdoor dining located in public places such as sidewalks, parking spots, and roadways—has underscored the importance of effective use of the space between the sidewalk and vehicular traffic. This is known as curbside management. Effective curbside management ensures efficient use of space. It also can promote livability, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and support restaurants and small businesses. Conversely, poor curbside management can result in inefficient use of land, as well as double parking and passenger drop-offs away from an accessible curb and sidewalk. These situations are particularly dangerous for older adults and people with disabilities.