Planning, Environment, & Realty

The public is the primary beneficiary of the nation's intermodal transportation system built to serve public mobility and productivity. Transportation decisions need to be made in an environmentally sensitive way, using a comprehensive planning process that includes the public and considers land use, development, safety, and security. Transportation planners undertake a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the potential impact of transportation plans and programs while addressing the aspirations and concerns of the society served by these plans and programs. Planners examine past, present, and prospective trends and issues associated with the demand for the movement of people, goods, and information at local, rural, tribal, metropolitan, statewide, national, and international levels.

The Planning pages contain information on various issues and programs related to transportation planning for our local, rural, metropolitan, state, tribal, other federal partners, and interested citizens. If you don't see the topic for which you are looking, check our Subject Index.

Policy/Guidance - Statewide and metropolitan transportation planning processes are governed by Federal law and applicable state and local laws if Federal highway or transit funds are used for transportation investment.

Planning Glossary - Search the Planning Glossary to help you in understand planning terms and acronyms.

Upcoming events for Planning.

• Canada/U.S. Border Transportation Planning
• Census Issues
• Climate Change & Planning
• Economic Development
• Freight Planning
• Land Use and Transportation
• Metropolitan Planning
• Mexico/U.S. Border Transportation Planning
• National Highway System
• Operations and Planning
• Rural and Small Community Planning
• Safety Planning
• Scenario Planning
• Smart Growth and Communities
• Statewide Planning
• Tools for Planning
• Tribal Planning
• Visualization in Planning

• Sec. 1303: Guidance on the Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program; February 1, 2006
• Sec. 1308: Delta Region Transportation Development Program
• Sec. 1904: Interim Guidance on FHWA Major Projects; January 27, 2006
• Sec. 1927: 14th Amendment Highway and 3rd Infantry Division Highway
• Sec. 5207: Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program
  • Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program, Implemenation Strategy (or PDF, 53KB); August 4, 2006, Federal Register
  • FY 2007 Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) Research Plan
  • Revisions to the Implementation Strategy and Request for Suggested Lines of Research for the FY 2008 STEP (or PDF, 54KB); June 25, 2007, Federal Register
• Sec. 6001: Transportation Planning
  • Statewide Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Transportation Planning; Final Rule (effective 3/16/07) (or PDF, 395KB); February 14, 2007, Federal Register
• Sec. 6011: Interim Guidance for Implementing the Transportation Conformity Provisions in SAFETEA-LU; February 14, 2006

• Certification Checklist for Travel Forecasting Methods
• Context Sensitive Solutions and Transportation Planning
• Context Sensitive Solutions Program Activities
• FHWA Resource Center Environment Team Newsletters and Publications
• FHWA Resource Center Planning Team Newsletters and Publications
• GIS in Transportation
• Induced Travel: Frequently Asked Questions

• Non-Metropolitan Local Officials Consultation
• MPO SAFETEA-LU Listening Session Web Conference
• Official Blog of the Secretary of Transportation
• Peer Programs
• Planning & Environment Linkages Implementation Resources New 8 Oct 2008
• Planning Glossary
• Transportation Planning Newsletter