STATE OF THE ART IN STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

The paper organizes the subject of statewide transportation planning and reports on the ability both to develop and to secure adoption and implementation of policies and plans for multimode transportation facilities serving entire states including their urban areas. Directions for the future are suggested which include means of developing policy plans and also means of planning better systems and carrying out productive research. Of the 6 dimensions (process dimension, real-world setting for the process, levels of planning, mode, linkages between transportation and other sectors, and implementation) suggested here, 2 are discussed in detail. Policy in statewide transportation is defined as determinations regarding allocations of resources, arrangements of institutions, and shared policies. Policy planning which analyzes alternatives and communicates the results to the policy-makers, is dependent on systems planning and other levels of statewide transportation planning. The art of policy planning is most advanced in states where alternative capital budgets (resource allocations) are studied. Systems planning at the state level is not substantially advanced. Technical advances need to be brought into productive use by state departments of transportation, particularly for rail freight, truck freight, aviation and highway assignments. Increasing and measured understanding is needed of the linkages between transportation and related sectors of the state in order that diverse government programs may be mutually supporting. Regionalization of the planning process which is the major thrust in legitimating transportation plans, promises better understanding of local problems greater local acceptance and easier interfield planning.