What is Scenario Planning?
Scenario planning is an approach that can help transportation professionals
prepare for the future. Scenario planning provides a framework for developing a
shared vision for the future by analyzing various factors (such as transportation,
health, economic, environmental, and land use issues) that affect regions or communities.
Scenario planning, which can be conducted at the statewide level, for metropolitan
regions, or at the neighborhood scale, tests various future alternatives that meet
state, community, or regional needs. A defining characteristic of successful public
sector scenario planning is that it actively involves the public, business community,
and elected officials on a broad scale, educating them about interactions between
multiple trends and trade-offs, and incorporating their values and feedback into
future plans.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) see scenario planning as an enhancement of, not a replacement for, the traditional
transportation planning process. The approach enables communities and
transportation agencies to better prepare for the future and make more effective
decisions in the present.
FHWA maintains a website that provides detailed information on scenario planning
resources, tools, and techniques, and also highlights innovative examples from around
the country. The website is available at:
www.fhwa.dot.gov/Planning/scenplan/index.htm
Is Scenario Planning Training or Technical Assistance Available?
FHWA and FTA are updating USDOT's approach to providing scenario planning assistance
to state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), metropolitan/regional planning organizations
(M/RPOs), and other transportation decision-makers. We encourage you to monitor
this website for forthcoming opportunities to apply for federal resources to support
your agency's scenario planning efforts.
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Who Can Apply for Scenario Planning Training?
The Transportation Planning Capacity Building Scenario Planning Program encourages
many different types of agencies to learn more about scenario planning through customized
webinars and on-site workshops, including:
- Councils of Government (COGs)
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
- Other transportation decisionmakers
- Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs)
- State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)
- Transit Agencies
- Tribal Governments
If your agency does not appear in the list above, call 617-494-2310 or email a TPCB
Scenario Planning Program Manager (contacts listed below) to determine if your agency
is eligible to apply.
Contact Information
For more information on the TPCB Scenario Planning Program or to learn more about scenario planning training opportunities, contact:
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