PROGRAM DESIGN FOR INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

FEDERAL PROGRAMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES REQUIRE COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL PLANNING PRIOR TO INDIVIDUAL PROJECT APPROVAL. BOTH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ACT OF 1962 AND THE MASS TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 1964 REQUIRE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EFFECTIVE REGIONAL PLANNING AUTHORITIES WHICH WILL ENGAGE IN COMPREHENSIVE, CONTINUOUS AND COOPERATIVE PLANNING. IMPROVEMENT IN PLANNING IS BOTH AN ANALYTICAL AS WELL AS POLITICAL PROBLEM REQUIRING BOTH NEW PLANNING TECHNIQUES AND NEW ORGANIZATIONS FOR OBTAINING POLITICAL AGREEMENT. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES EXIST IN BOTH THE PROGRAM DESIGN AND PROGRAM EXECUTION PHASES OF SUCH COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING EFFORTS. THE CONCEPT OF PROGRAM DESIGN APPLIED TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS DESCRIBED. THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, MAINLY DURING 1965, RELATING TO THE PREPARATION OF PROGRAM DESIGNS FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND, LATER, FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION, IS REVIEWED. IMPROVEMENT OF PLANNING, BOTH IN SCOPE AND TECHNIQUE AS WELL AS IN RELATION TO PROFESSIONAL STAFFING, IS DISCUSSED. THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING AN ADEQUATE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL BETWEEN PLANNERS AND ELECTED DECISION MAKERS IS STRESSED. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANNING, PROGRAMMING, BUDGETING, AND ACTION SYSTEMS FOR TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT IS DISCUSSED, INCLUDING THE UNFOLDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPERATIONS RESEARCH, SYSTEM ANALYSIS, INFORMATION, AND ANALYTICAL SYSTEM DESIGN, AND INVOLVEMENT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS. WHILE DEALING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, THE PAPER STRESSES SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES EXISTING IN THE MAJORITY OF METROPOLITAN AREAS OF THE WORLD. /AUTHOR/