Trends in Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plans: Core and Emerging Topics in 2017

FHWA-HEP-18-003

November 2017

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REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE	Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.
1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank)	2. REPORT DATE November 2017	3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Final Report (June 2016 – November 2017)
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Trends in Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plans 2017	5a. FUNDING NUMBERS HW2LA4 / QB655 HW2LA4 / QC182
6. AUTHOR(S) Erica Simmons, William Lyons, Alexandra McNally, Angela Berthaume, Adam Perruzzi	5b. CONTRACT NUMBER
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) U.S. Department of Transportation John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center 55 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142-1093	8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER DOT-VNTSC-FHWA-17-26
9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590	10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER FHWA-HEP-18-003
11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT	12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE
13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) This report synthesizes key findings and trends from the 2017 Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan (SLRTP) Database, which represents key observations identified through a review of all 52 SLRTPs and Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIPs) published as of December 31, 2016. The research analyzed SLTRPs and STIPs to provide examples of individual States’ approaches to incorporating important transportation planning topics and trends into their plans, highlighting planning topics addressed in innovative or noteworthy ways. The research team found diversity in the approach, content, and emphasis of SLTRPs, with plans varying by structure, initiatives and goals, topics addressed, and horizon date. Analyses also revealed consistency among the SLRTPs. For example, the majority of plans referenced multiple modes and the overarching policies, goals, or visions guiding decision-making, and many plans referenced Federal planning factors and financial planning or analysis. This report is intended to be a technical resource for DOTs, statewide planners, and their partners to aid in developing and managing planning programs as they update their SLRTPs by highlight examples of approaches taken by their peers and providing insights to the content, structure, and approach of SLRTPs nationwide.
14. SUBJECT TERMS Statewide long-range transportation planning, multimodal systems, performance-based planning and programming, transportation financial analysis, safety, travel and tourism	15. NUMBER OF PAGES 64
16. PRICE CODE
17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT Unclassified	18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE Unclassified	19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT Unclassified	20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Unlimited
NSN 7540-01-280-5500			Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 298-102

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE

Form Approved

OMB No. 0704-0188

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.

1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank)

2. REPORT DATE

November 2017

3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

Final Report (June 2016 – November 2017)

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Trends in Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plans 2017

5a. FUNDING NUMBERS

HW2LA4 / QB655

HW2LA4 / QC182

6. AUTHOR(S)

Erica Simmons, William Lyons, Alexandra McNally, Angela Berthaume, Adam Perruzzi

5b. CONTRACT NUMBER

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

U.S. Department of Transportation

John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

55 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02142-1093

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER

DOT-VNTSC-FHWA-17-26

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration and

Federal Transit Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

FHWA-HEP-18-003

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

This report synthesizes key findings and trends from the 2017 Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan (SLRTP) Database, which represents key observations identified through a review of all 52 SLRTPs and Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIPs) published as of December 31, 2016. The research analyzed SLTRPs and STIPs to provide examples of individual States’ approaches to incorporating important transportation planning topics and trends into their plans, highlighting planning topics addressed in innovative or noteworthy ways. The research team found diversity in the approach, content, and emphasis of SLTRPs, with plans varying by structure, initiatives and goals, topics addressed, and horizon date. Analyses also revealed consistency among the SLRTPs. For example, the majority of plans referenced multiple modes and the overarching policies, goals, or visions guiding decision-making, and many plans referenced Federal planning factors and financial planning or analysis. This report is intended to be a technical resource for DOTs, statewide planners, and their partners to aid in developing and managing planning programs as they update their SLRTPs by highlight examples of approaches taken by their peers and providing insights to the content, structure, and approach of SLRTPs nationwide.

14. SUBJECT TERMS

Statewide long-range transportation planning, multimodal systems, performance-based planning and programming, transportation financial analysis, safety, travel and tourism

15. NUMBER OF PAGES

16. PRICE CODE

17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT

Unclassified

18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE

Unclassified

19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT

Unclassified

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

Unlimited

NSN 7540-01-280-5500

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)

Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18

298-102

Executive Summary

This report presents syntheses and observations from a comprehensive assessment of 52 current SLRTPs from all 50 States, the District of Columbia (D.C.), and Puerto Rico, identifying examples of how individual States approach important transportation planning topics in their plans. This report was developed by the Volpe Center for FHWA's Office of Planning.

The effort builds on earlier in-depth analyses conducted in 2002, 2005, and 2012 that reviewed SLRTPs to identify national trends and innovative examples of planning practices. The research team developed this report with a companion searchable database containing information on all SLRTPs. These products will be complementary resources for peer DOTs and other interested transportation organizations and are available at the FHWA and FTA Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) website at www.planning.dot.gov/stateplans/default.aspx along with any future updates to the report and database.

Federal legislation under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and implementing regulations require that States develop statewide transportation plans and outline ten factors that States must consider during transportation planning.^[1] However, States have latitude in choosing what to include in the SLRTP. This research explores the diversity of State approaches to SLTRPs, including responses to Federal regulations and the unique transportation needs and priorities of each State. The intent is to provide insights into continuing and emerging planning trends as reflected in the SLRTPs. It is important to note that the research was not based on a comprehensive review of the planning process of each State, including the development and implementation of each SLRTP. Instead, it was limited to an in-depth assessment of each SLRTP as one key product of the planning process. The research team also reviewed all 52 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIPs) for references to performance-based planning elements from the SLRTPs and conducted some limited review of related plans referenced in SLRTPs. To the extent possible, the team also made observations on the planning process based on evaluation of the SLRTPs.

This research will serve as a technical resource for State DOTs and their partners, FHWA, and other planners and researchers.

This report includes eight synthesis topics focusing on different SLRTP topics identified as of national interest by FHWA. Each synthesis assesses overall trends from the review of all 52 plans and provides examples of how SLRTPs address each topic. The syntheses cover the following topics:

Plan attributes: focuses on the approaches States took in developing the plans, plan update timeframes, and notable planning products.
Systems planning: provides information on plans that emphasize systems planning; for example, through reference to multimodalism, intermodalism, modal connectivity, and network-focused performance measures. Examples of plans that emphasize a modal focus are also provided.
Performance-based planning and programming: explores how plans incorporate performance-based elements such as goals, performance measures, and targets, into their SLRTPs.
Implementation approaches: explores how plans discuss implementation strategies and connections between the plans and States' transportation decision-making processes.
Financial analysis and funding strategies: identifies some examples of how SLRTPs discussed financial planning and analysis, including overall trends in these discussions and examples of plans that conducted financial scenario planning. Describes examples of funding strategies SLRTPs describe to address funding shortfalls.
Challenges and trends: provides information on SLRTPs that discuss particular challenges and trends impacting the transportation systems, with notable examples.
Noteworthy and innovative methods: provides notable examples of SLRTPs that use methods, such as GIS, data visualization, and scenario planning, to inform and communicate complex planning topics.
Special topics: provides summaries of special long-range transportation planning topics with notable examples, including travel and tourism, community development, and safety.

The companion database provides an easily searchable resource to explore key aspects of the 52 SLRTPs in detail. The database includes information on SLRTP plan type, modes, performance-based planning and programming, and other goals addressed in the SLRTPs.

The study team concluded that States are taking a number of approaches to develop SLRTPs. Plans vary widely in terms of their content, structure, initiatives and goals, and other factors. Additionally, plans are evolving over time in response to Federal or State transportation planning requirements, changing needs, and the state-of-the-practice in approaches to transportation planning topics. For example, SLRTPs have more comprehensive approaches to performance-based planning and programming than the research team observed when reviewing SLRTPs in 2012.

Continue to Contents…

^[1] The ten planning factors include economic vitality, safety, security, accessibility and mobility, environment, multimodal connectivity, system preservation, resiliency and reliability, and travel and tourism.