Engineering > Transportation > Transportation Planning

Transportation planning activities support agency goals by providing transportation alternatives to decision makers. These activities are particularly important today. Current appropriations are much less than that necessary to keep the existing mileage of open roads at current service levels without unacceptable consequences.

Transportation planning helps identify opportunities to reduce the number of open roads and the service levels of roads remaining open to what can be sustained in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner with available funding. This assures compliance with safety requirements, environmental protection laws, and critical access needs.

In addition, transportation planning helps identify roads that can safely accommodate joint use by highway legal and off-highway vehicles in order to implement the rule limiting motor vehicle use on National Forests to designated roads, trails, and areas.