INTRODUCTION AND CONFERENCE SUMMARY TO THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS ON TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED COMMUNITIES

This conference was designed to provide for the exchange of experiences among transportation planners of small cities (less than 200,000 people), to provide guidance for transportation policies and programs, to foster the development of future activities in this area, and to provide a document that will reflect the proceedings of the conference and serve as a basic resource for practitioners, administrators and policymakers. The keynote address considered the federal perspective of planning for transportation in medium-sized communities. The paper is a mandate for (a) greater flexibility in organization and administrative arrangements; (b) improved communication between the decision maker, the planner, and the general public; and (c) simplification in the administrative planning requirements as well as simplified planning procedures. A paper on the state perspective presents many of the concerns and frustrations that result from the failure of the traditional transportation planning process to meet the needs of smaller areas. Local determination and a responsive program reflective of local goals and priorities is a requirement for an effective planning process. Another paper assessing the appropriate level of effort, also dismisses the value of a uniformly applied transportation planning process and suggests guidelines for the planning effort as a function of the growth characteristics of the city and local problems. Similar findings and recommendations noted in the various workshops are listed.