CONFERENCE ON MAJOR INVESTMENT STUDIES IN TRANSPORTATION (MIS)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued joint planning regulations in response to the requirements set forth in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The joint planning regulations include provisions for major investment studies (MISs) where there are high-cost and high-impact transportation alternatives being considered. MIS regulations have now been in effect for more than two years. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) was asked to convene a conference of State and local planning practitioners involved in MIS activities. The conference focused on the following four topic areas: (1) policy issues; (2) the relation of MISs to the overall planning and project development process; (3) management and institutional issues affecting MISs; and (4) the transportation decision process for the MIS. This Circular contains the conference proceedings. The proceedings include a summary of the conference, prepared remarks for the plenary session and panel discussions, and workshop summaries. Appendix 1 contains the paper Major Investment Studies - A Value-Added Approach by L.G. Nungesser, and Appendix 2 the List of Conference Participants.