Planning Factors

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was enacted August 10, 2005, as Public Law 109-59. SAFETEA-LU authorizes the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 5-year period 2005-2009.

SAFETEA-LU also establishes the framework for the transportation planning process. The metropolitan planning process will establish a cooperative, continuous, and comprehensive framework for making transportation investment decisions in a metropolitan area. Program oversight is a joint Federal Highway Administration/Federal Transit Administration responsibility.

SAFETEA-LU requires eight planning factors that provide for consideration of projects and strategies that will—

  1. support the economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency;
  2. increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users;
  3. increase the security of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users;
  4. increase the accessibility and mobility of people and for freight;
  5. protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and State and local planned growth and economic development patterns;
  6. enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes, for people and freight;
  7. promote efficient system management and operation; and
  8. emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.

Significant provisions continued from prior legislation include:

  • Local officials, in cooperation with the State and transit operators, remain responsible for determining the best transportation investments to meet metropolitan transportation needs.
  • MPOs are responsible for adopting the metropolitan transportation plan (Plan); Governor and MPO approve the transportation improvement program (TIP).
  • The Plan and TIP remain separate documents.
  • A 20-year planning perspective, air quality conformity, fiscal constraint, and public involvement established under ISTEA.
  • Plan must contain: operational and management strategies to improve the performance of existing transportation facilities; investment and other strategies that provide for multimodal capacity increases based on regional priorities and needs; and proposed transportation and transit enhancement activities. [6001(i)]
  • A Congestion Management System is still required in Transportation Management Areas (TMAs) (urbanized areas larger than 200,000 population).
  • The planning process in TMAs requires DOT certification.

Modifications to the metropolitan planning process in the current regulations include the following:

Metropolitan Transportation Plan (Plan)

Following are summaries of the requirements found in 23 CFR 450.

  • Will be updated every 4 years (unless the MPO chooses to do so more frequently) in nonattainment and maintenance areas. Attainment areas remain on a 5-year update cycle.
  • Intermodal connectors are added as a transportation facility.
  • Include a discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out the activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain environmental functions affected by the MTP. The discussion is to be developed in consultation with Federal, State, and tribal wildlife, land management, and regulatory agencies.
  • Transit operators are to be included in the cooperative development of funding estimates for the financial plan section.
  • MPOs are required to consult with State and local agencies responsible for land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation, and historic preservation concerning development of the Plan.
  • Representatives of users of pedestrian walkways, bicycle transportation facilities, the disabled are specifically added as parties to be provided with the opportunity to participate in the planning process.
  • The MPO is to develop a participation plan in consultation with interested parties that provides reasonable opportunities for all parties to comment.
  • To carry out the participation plan, public meetings are to be: conducted at convenient and accessible locations at convenient times; employ visualization techniques to describe plans; and make public information available in an electronically accessible format, such as on the Web.
  • The Plan is to be published and made available electronically, such as on the Web.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

  • Will be updated every 4 years.
  • Will contain: priority list of projects and strategies for 4 years; financial plan; and descriptions (type of work, termini, length, etc.) of each project in the TIP.
  • Investments in pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities are to be included in the published annual listing of projects.

Transportation Management Areas (TMAs)

(see 23 CFR 134(k)(3) for additional details)

  • MPOs with populations greater than 200,000.
  • Must be certified not less than once every 4 years.
  • The phase-in schedule for compliance with the congestion management system may not be sooner than 1 year after designation of a TMA.