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U.S. Departmentof Transportation

Federal HighwayAdministration

Federal TransitAdministration

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A Citizen’s Guide toTransportationDecisionmaking

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Introductionave you ever wondered how decisionsare made about transportationprojects that affect your life? How do

government officials decide where to put abus stop, road, or bridge? How are these andother transportation projects planned? Andhow can you make sure your opinions areheard and considered by the planners, roaddesigners, elected officials, and other citizens?

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)and Federal Transit Administration (FTA)wrote this guide to give you the answers tothese and other transportation-relatedquestions. We hope this guide will helpyou understand how transportationdecisions are made at the local, state, andnational levels. We believe that the bettercitizens understand the transportationdecisionmaking process, the more certain itis we will have a transportation system thatis safe, efficient, and responsive to publicneeds and concerns about theircommunities and the natural environment.

The Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA)

and Federal TransitAdministration (FTA) are

part of the U.S.

Department ofTransportation (USDOT).

USDOT is a federal

government agency thatfunds, sets policy for

safety, and provides other

guidance fortransportation by air,

highways, rail, transit, and

water.

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How the Decisionmaking Startsor many of us, transportation projectsseem to come from nowhere. Othersmay vaguely remember a project

“promised” years ago. Too often, too manypeople have negative impressions of howtransportation projects come about.

Instead, try comparing the transportationdecisionmaking process to the creativeprocess for producing a piece of pottery. Thepotter begins with a mass of clay and an ideafor the final creation—but as the mass beginsto take shape, there are changes andadjustments that have to be made, with someclay added here and there. You, the public, areinvolved in the shaping and adding to makethe creation as beautiful and useful aspossible. We, at the FHWA and FTA, want, andlook forward to, your involvement from thebeginning to the end of each transportationproject.

Transportation affects almost every aspect of aperson’s life. With your help, the FHWA andFTA can do our part to keep the U.S.transportation system one of the safest andmost efficient in the world! We also want thesystem to be one of the most community andenvironmentally friendly as well. Please readthis guide, and contact us with any questionsyou may have.

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This guide only discusses

federal requirements forthe transportation

decisionmaking process.

The federal role is toprovide funds, standards,

and planning for state and

local decisions. The states,MPOs, and transit

operators make project

decisions. There are otherstate, regional, and local

rules and requirements

affecting transportationdecisions that are not

discussed in this guide.

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The Basics of TransportationDecisionmaking

magine any ground transportation:train, car, bicycle,wheelchair, or foot. Now,

think about your favorite way totravel. Which would you use to getto your destination? Are yousatisfied with your choice? Willyou have any problems using thismethod? Would you like moreoptions?

The process of identifyingtransportation problems andlooking for solutions to thoseproblems is called transportationplanning.

Transportation planning is the jobof professionals who study andwork out the best ways to get youto . . .

● where you live,

● where you work,

● where you shop,

● where your kids go to school,

● where you take vacations, and

. . . anywhere elseyou need to go.

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Transportation professionals place a high priority ongetting you to and from your destinations safely andon time. They are also committed to preserving ourcommunities and farms, and keeping our air andwater clean.

Transportation decisionmaking looks for ways tosolve current transportation problems whileavoiding future problems. Transportation plannerstry to figure out how to get you to and from yourdestination safely and on time—not only today, butalso 5, 10, and even 20 years from now. To give youthe best transportation choices, transportationplanners work with many different public and privategroups that provide housing, schools, jobs, and parks.

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The Government and TransportationDecisionmakingTransportation decisionmaking is carried out byseveral governmental levels:

● State Departments of Transportation(DOTs) are the largest units of governmentthat develop transportation plans and projects.They are responsible for setting thetransportation goals for the state. To do so,they work with all of the state’s transportationorganizations and local governments. They areresponsible for planning safe and efficienttransportation between cities and towns in thestate.

● Metropolitan Planning Organizations(MPOs) represent areas with a population of50,000 people or more. An MPO may have“council of governments” or “regionalplanning commission” in its official name.Each MPO is different because individualmetropolitan areas are so different. A policyboard, which is comprised of local electedofficials, set an MPO’s policy; but othergroups, such as non-profit organizations,community organizations, or environmentalorganizations, can influence the direction anMPO follows. The MPOs’ mission is to provideshort and long-term solutions totransportation and transportation-relatedconcerns.

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● Local governments carry out manytransportation planning functions, such asscheduling improvements and maintenancefor local streets and roads.

● Transit agencies are public and privateorganizations that provide transportation forthe public. Public transportation includesbuses, subways, light rail, commuter rail,monorail, passenger ferryboats, trolleys,inclined railways and people movers.

● The Federal Government (U.S. DOT)reviews the transportation planning andproject activities of the MPOs and stateDOTs. The federal government also providesadvice and training on transportation topics,ranging from pavement technology to designto efficient operations of highway and transitsystems. The federal government alsosupplies critical funding needed fortransportation planning and projects. At leastevery two years, the federal governmentapproves projects planned for constructionby the state and other state agencies usingfederal funds.

Future Needs

Solutions

Long RangePlan

STIP/TIP

ProjectSolutions

Non-ProjectSolutions

Monitoring &Evaluation

CurrentTransportation

System Visioning& Goals

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Different Transportation Plans andPrograms

efore transportation planners start, thecitizens and officials of a region or a statemust have a long-term vision for

transportation in that area. A vision plan providesbroad goals for what the region or state will looklike and reflects what is important for the future.

To develop a vision, you need to consider severalcharacteristics of your region, state, ormetropolitan area—and how you expectthese characteristics to change over the nextseveral years. Here are some characteristicsto consider:

● Projected population growth

● Projected economic changes

● Current and future transportationneeds (air, bicycle, bus, rail, roads,pedestrian, and water)

● Safety

● Maintenance of transportationfacilities

● Preserving the human and naturalenvironment

● Quality of life

Some transportation plans

focus strictly on

transportation, while othersare more general, with

transportation just one part

of a larger plan for greenspace, parks, and other

uses. Transportation

planning processes oftenare complicated because of

the need to cover entire

state and metropolitantransportation systems. A

state plan will also include

regional, metropolitan, andother local transportation

plans.

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Once you have reviewed and established thegoals for your vision, you have a foundationfor plans to improve the transportationsystem for your area. These long-range plansprovide transportation solutions that cover20 or more years. The solutions can rangefrom a new traffic signal system to apedestrian pathway or a new bus line to acompletely new road project.

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Putting the Plans in Placeransportation planners help thepublic and elected officials translatethe vision into long-range

transportation plans. Planners look atdifferent transportationalternatives and work with thepublic to select the alternativesthat make the most sense fortheir areas. Sometimes they usemathematical models to predictfuture travel; sometimes they leadpublic discussions to get theopinion of the public andexperts.

These transportation solutionsmust be able to keep the airquality of a state or region safefor all people in the community.The Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) sets maximum safeamounts of pollution that aregion or state can have in the air.How much pollution is allowedfrom cars, trucks, and buses tothe air will vary depending on the area’sclimate, wind, and other pollution sourcesand factors.

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Usually, the first product after the long-rangeplan is a Statewide TransportationImprovement Program (STIP) or anMPOs’ Transportation ImprovementProgram (TIP). These improvementprograms are usually developed on a 3-yearcycle. They contain individual transportationimprovements and projects. All projectsmust be part of an improvement program tobe implemented. The following chartillustrates which organizations tend to usethe various plans and projects:

Plan Use by Organization

Vision Long-range TIPSs ProjectOrganization Planning Plans Planning

State DOTs ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔MPOs ✔ ✔ ✔Transit Agencies ✔ ✔City/Local Trans. Dept. ✔ ✔

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Funding Transportation Projectsefore states and MPOs can make improvements inyour area’s transportation system, they must identifyfunds that will be readily available over the three-to-

five-year life of the Transportation Improvement Program. Justas an individual would budget money for short-term familyand home expenses, MPOs and states allocate funds forspecific transportation projects. STIPs and TIPs are importantdocuments for budgeting the funds needed to make thesetransportation improvements possible.

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Communities and the Environment inTransportation PlanningTransportation planning must reflect the desiresof communities, and take into account theimpacts on both the natural and humanenvironments. Moreover, transportation plansshould help your regions and communitiesreach their goals. As previously mentioned, aproject must be included in a TIP for it to befunded, and plans and programs must complywith air quality standards established by theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Your Role in the Planning Processo how do you fit into the transportationplanning process? Your role in the process isvery important. Without your input—your

ideas—state and local governments cannot have atrue understanding of your community’s needs.

Although some people may think that transportationofficials can get all neededinformation on their own, that isnot the case. You may knowinformation that is more currentor detailed than is available totransportation professionals. Youmay also see things differentlythan transportation officials. Thisis why it is so important for youto be involved.

The transportation planningprocess is ongoing, nonstop, andcan take many years, so there areseveral ways to maketransportation planners aware ofyour needs and concerns, andalso help develop transportationsolutions. To make sure that youare following the latestdevelopments, you can:

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● Put your name on a mailing list to receivenewsletters, updates and other informationfrom the MPOs and State DOTs.

● Attend meetings of local transportationboards.

● Provide your input on transportationplans.

● Volunteer to serve on a citizen focus groupor citizens’ advisory committee.

● Ask a transportation official to attendyour rotary clubs, NAACP, Kiwanis clubs,community organizations, schools, andother civic organizations and explain theprocess.

● Find out what specific public involvementopportunities are available in your area bycontacting your MPO, State DOT, transitagency, local government, and federalgovernment.

Remember that vision plans, long-rangetransportation plans, and transportationimprovement programs are the key documentsthat come from transportation planning. Thesedocuments are used to build the foundation forindividual transportation projects. They are allpart of the big transportation picture and areimportant to your transportation future. Getinvolved!

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Project Developmenthe next step after transportationplanning is project development,which is also known as project

planning in many areas. Project developmentoccurs on individual projects, ranging in sizefrom small (such as new lane striping) to verylarge (for example, a new transit project orhighway). But whether small or large, mostprojects must first go through thetransportation planning process, appear inthe TIP and/or STIP, have some citizeninvolvement, and be approved bytransportation officials. The projectdevelopment process is critical because itlinks the planning process with the actualproject location, design, and eventualconstruction.

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Goals of Project Development and theNEPA ProcessThe goals of the project development stageare to find out where a project is locatedand what it looks like.

Projects that come through atransportation planning process willeventually be closely looked at to see howthey might impact the community, thenatural environment, and our health andwelfare. Before any project can moveforward to construction, the FHWA andFTA may address and comply with morethan 40 laws related to safety and theenvironment. These laws cover social,economic, and environmental (SEE)concerns ranging from communitycohesion to threatened and endangeredspecies.To get through this detailedprocess, FHWA and FTA use the NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA) processto evaluate all SEE concerns with eachindividual project.

The National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA), enactedin 1969, requires that anyactivity or project receivingfederal funding or otherfederal approvals (includingtransportation projects)undergo this analysis ofpotential impacts. UnderNEPA, FHWA and FTA workclosely with other federalagencies and state, local,and tribal governments;public and privateorganizations; and thepublic to understand aproject’s impact. Thisprocess involves striking adelicate balance amongmany different factors—mobility needs, economicprosperity, health andenvironmental protection,community andneighborhood preservation,and quality of life forpresent and futuregenerations.

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Documenting Decisionst is important for governmentofficials to carefully evaluate thechoices available to them when

making transportation decisions. This is whyFHWA and FTA (along with your state DOT)always document their work and decisions

for the public and forgovernment agencies to reviewand provide input. We preparedocuments before and afterdecisions are made soeveryone can see why thedecisions were made and canalso provide input.

In addition to thedocumentation justmentioned, FHWA and FTAalso prepare documents tomeet NEPA requirements.Since every transportationproject is different, and someare more complex than others,FHWA and FTA prepare one ormore of the followingdocuments for a proposedproject to conform with NEPArequirements:

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● Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) areprepared for federal actions that have a significant effecton the human and natural environment.

● Draft EIS (DEIS) and Final EIS (FEIS) are disclosuredocuments that provide a full description of theproposed project, the existing environment, andanalysis of the anticipated beneficial and adverseenvironmental effects of all reasonable alternatives.

● Categorical Exclusions (CE) are prepared for federalactions that do not have a significant human andnatural environmental effect.

● Environmental Assessments (EA) are prepared forfederal actions where it is not clearly known howsignificant the environmental impact might be. If, afterpreparing an Environmental Assessment, it isdetermined that the project’s impact is significant, anEnvironmental Impact Statement is then prepared. Ifnot, a finding of “no significant impact” isdocumented.

● Record of Decision (ROD) is a concise decisiondocument for an environmental impact statement thatstates the decision (selected alternative or choice),other alternatives considered, and mitigation adoptedfor the selected alternative or choice.

● Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is astatement indicating that a project was found to haveno significant impacts on the quality of the humanenvironment and for which an environmentalstatement will therefore not be prepared.

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Project and Non-Project

Solutions

EnvironmentalAssessment

Any Significant

Impact?Categorical

ExclusionD E I S

F E I S

R O D FONSI

Yes

Yes

No

No

Any Significant

Impact?

Uncertain

In preparing an EIS, CE or EA for projects, FHWAand FTA must consider all of the relevant SEEimpacts and pursue public involvement. Inconsidering the potential SEE impacts of a projector activity, FHWA and FTA work with other federal,state and local agencies to consider their interests.

Although the size and complexity of the threelevels of NEPA documentation are different, theyall serve the same purpose—to achieve betterdecisions by making the impact of choices knownand by involving you, the public, in makingtransportation decisions.

Project Development Process

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Your Role in ProjectDevelopment

our participation in each step of thetransportation planning process iskey to finding good solutions. You

also have an important role in projectdevelopment. You will have history andknowledge about your local area thattransportation officials might not have, andyou know what is important to you aboutyour community. Your views and ideas aboutproposed transportation solutions at theproject development stage are critical.

Remember, project development is aboutfinding a location and developing a designfor how the project will look and work.Perhaps you can recommend ways to avoid,lessen, or compensate for an impact. We callthis mitigation. Or you may be able torecommend some special or additionalfeatures that may benefit your community.These are called enhancements. Mitigationand enhancements are discussed duringproject development.

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Just as with transportation planning, youshould get your name put on the projectmailing list, attend meetings, and invitea transportation official to yourmeetings. During this phase, a citizensadvisory committee may be formed togive the community direct access to theproject staff and input to the process. Onlarger projects, you can expect thesponsoring agency to have publichearings, meetings and/or workshops inthe project area.

You can help your

planning organization and

State DOT developmethods to get your

viewpoint. If there are

better ways to reach yourgroups, please let us

know.

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We recommend that you get involved early tohave the greatest impact on developingtransportation solutions. Your input, whetherverbal or written, is needed early in thetransportation decisionmaking process tohelp shape the quality of life for yourcommunity.

You Can Make a DifferenceYou are essential to the transportationdecisionmaking process. The earlier you getinvolved, the greater your influence will be.

We want you and your family to get to andfrom work, school, and play safely and ontime. Please, help us to serve you better.

Thank you!

To find out where you can get involved,contact your FHWA and FTA office, localtransportation planning organization, orState Department of Transportation.

The transportation

decisionmaking process is

like a train with a certainnumber of stops.

What if three people boardat every stop, and each

person gets a vote on

where the train shouldstop. The longer you wait

to board and vote, the

harder it will be toinfluence the train route.

It is possible to influence a

project outcome from thestart. It is more difficult

when you join the process

in the latter stages.

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I just wanted abicycle lane!

I don’t have time.I’ll wait untilthere’s a project inmy community.

V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E S

Planning

FHWA www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/planning.htmFTA www.fta.dot.gov/office/planning

NEPA

FHWA www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/nepa.htmFTA www.fta.dot.gov/office/planning/envr.htm

Public Involvement

FHWA www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/pubinv2.htmFTA www.fta.dot.gov/office/planning/pi.htm

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Citizens Advisory Committee—representative stakeholders that meetregularly to discuss issues of common concern, such as transportation,and to advise sponsoring agency officials. These groups effectivelyinteract between citizens and their government.

Categorical Exclusion (CE)—an action that does not individually orcumulatively have a significant impact on the human environment.This Categorical Exclusion does not require an EnvironmentalAssessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement.

Enhancements—activities that assist communities reach social,cultural, aesthetic and environmental goals as well as help harmonizethe transportation system with the community. Enhancements are partof the mitigation for project impacts and can include bike andpedestrian trails, renovating streetscapes, and scenic beautification.

Environmental Assessment (EA)—an interim decision documentprepared for an action where the significance of social, economic, orenvironmental impact is not clearly established. If the action isdetermined to have significant impact, an Environmental ImpactStatement is then prepared. If no significant impact is determined, afinding of no significant impact is prepared.

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)—a document, requiredunder the National Environmental Policy Act, prepared for an actionthat is likely to have significant impact. This document summarizes themajor environmental impacts, outlines issues, examines reasonablealternatives, and arrives at a record of decision, identifying the selectedalternative for the project.

Glossary

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Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)—a branch of the UnitedStates Department of Transportation that administers the Federal-aidHighway Program, providing financial assistance to states to constructand improve highways, urban and rural roads, and bridges. The FHWAalso administers the Federal Lands Highway Program that providesaccess to and within national forests, national parks, Indianreservations and other public lands. The FHWA is headquartered inWashington, DC, with field offices across the country, including one ineach state capital.

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)—a branch of the United StatesDepartment of Transportation that is the principal source of federalfinancial assistance to America’s communities for the planning,development, and improvement of public or mass transportationsystems. FTA provides leadership, technical assistance, and financialresources for safe, technologically advanced public transportation toenhance mobility and accessibility, to improve the nation’scommunities and natural environment, and to strengthen the nationaleconomy. The FTA is headquartered in Washington, DC, with regionaloffices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, NewYork, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)—a statement indicatingthat a project was found to have no significant impacts on the qualityof the human environment and for which an environmental statementwill therefore not be prepared.

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Long-Range Transportation Plan—a document resulting from aregional or statewide process of collaboration and consensus on aregion or state’s transportation system. This document serves as thedefining vision for the region’s or state’s transportation systems andservices. In metropolitan areas, the plan indicates all of thetransportation improvement scheduled for funding over the next 20years.

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)—a forum for regionalplanning, collaboration, and decisionmaking, MPOs are designatedagencies for metropolitan areas larger than 50,000 in population thatconduct regional transportation planning.

Mitigation—means to avoid, minimize, rectify, or reduce an impact,and in some cases, to compensate for an impact.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—a law enacted in 1969that established a national environmental policy requiring that anyproject using federal funding or approval, including transportationprojects, examine the effects the proposal and alternative choices haveon the environment before a federal decision is made.

Project Development—the phase a proposed project undergoes onceit has been through the planning process. The project developmentphase is a more detailed analysis of a proposed project’s social,economic, and environmental impacts and various project alternatives.What comes from the project development phase is a decision reachedthrough negotiation among all affected parties, including the public.After a proposal has successfully passed the project development phase,it may move to preliminary engineering, design, and construction.

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Public Hearing—a formal event held prior to a decision that gatherscommunity comments and positions from all interested parties forpublic record and input into decisions.

Public Meeting—a formal or informal event designed for a specificissue or community group where information is presented and inputfrom community residents is received.

Record of Decision (ROD)—a concise decision document for anenvironmental impact statement that states the decision (selectedalternative or choice), other alternatives considered, and mitigationadopted for the selected alternative or choice.

State Department of Transportation (State DOT)—a statewideagency that is responsible for conducting transportation planningactivities in non-metropolitan areas of the state, and assisting MPOs intransportation planning for the metropolitan areas. State DOTs are alsoresponsible for developing, designing, and constructing most of theprojects on major highways in most states.

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)—preparedby the State DOTs, the STIP is a staged, multiyear listing of projectsproposed for federal, state, and local funding encompassing the entirestate. It is a compilation of the TIPs (see TIP) prepared for themetropolitan areas, as well as project information for the non-metropolitan areas of the state and for transportation between cities.

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Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)—a lawenacted in 1998, TEA-21 authorized federal funding for transportationinvestment for the time period spanning fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year2003. Approximately $218 billion in funding was authorized, thelargest amount in history, and is used for highway, transit, and othersurface transportation programs.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)—a staged, multiyear(typically three to five years) listing of surface transportation projectsproposed for federal, state, and local funding within a metropolitanarea. MPOs are required to prepare a TIP as a short-range programmingdocument to complement its long-range transportation plan. TIPscontain projects with committed funds over a multiyear period.

Transportation Planning—a collaborative process of examiningdemographic characteristics and travel patterns for a given area. Thisprocess shows how these characteristics will change over a given periodof time, and evaluates alternatives for the transportation system of thearea and the most expeditious use of local, state, and federaltransportation funding. Long-range planning is typically done over aperiod of twenty years; short-range programming of specific projectsusually covers a period of three to five years.

Transpor ta t ionD

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Publication No. FHWA-EP-01-013HEPH/3-01(15M)E