APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF EFFORT FOR PLANNING FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED COMMUNITIES

Because of the need for a responsive local transportation planning process, the transportation planner is faced with the need to ascertain the appropriate level of effort. A uniform, highly structured study design is not appropriate in all cases nor is it always effective. This paper is an attempt to define the role of transportation planning in relation to the local general plan, thereby providing guidance for the integration of planning activities, elements, and products into an administrative process. Guidelines for the appropriate level of professional effort for transportation planning for small and medium-sized cities are given as a function of the growth characteristics and general transportation planning activities of the urban areas. (Author)