How Transportation Planners and Decision Makers Address Risk and Uncertainty

2000 ◽  
Vol 1706 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shomik Raj Mehndiratta ◽  
Daniel Brand ◽  
Thomas E. Parody
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Risk And Uncertainty ◽  
The Public ◽  
Real Options Approach ◽  
Transportation Projects ◽  
Metropolitan Planning

A wide cross section of transportation planners was interviewed to understand how issues related to risk and uncertainty are presently addressed in the metropolitan transportation planning process. The results and insights from these interviews are reported. It was found that many of the current responses to risks in making decisions on transportation investments could usefully be explained and improved upon by the new options approach. The examples and the analyses of the interviews show that metropolitan planning organization planners and more senior transportation executives and decision makers are certainly aware of the risks they face in investing in major transportation projects. Furthermore, they already are capable of responding to those risks in ways that can be better appreciated and explained by the options approach. What is missing in metropolitan transportation planning, and in the public-sector investment community at large, is an appreciation that there are advantages to identifying and analyzing risks early in the planning process, and that investments involving risk can be systematically analyzed in a risk management plan that uses the real-options approach. This may result in (much) higher value investments to accomplish the stated investment goals, while avoiding serious mistakes in investing in projects that may fall far short of the investment goals.

scholarly journals Understanding complete streets at the ground level: a look into how a complete street project is defined and influenced within the Greater Golden Horseshoe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Winters
Keyword(s):  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Complete Streets ◽  
The Public ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Planning Experts ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Project Level

The Complete Streets movement has become popular throughout North America as street renewal projects have begun to re-prioritize road users within the public right-of-way (ROW). Although the concepts and overall objectives of a Complete Street are becoming increasingly recognized in the transportation-planning field, a level of ambiguity exists when defining such projects through the existing built infrastructure. This major research paper has collected and presented data gathered from local transportation planning experts through the means of telephone interviews and a focus group, to understand how a Complete Street can be defined at the project level, and what factors might influence this definition. The findings of this paper show that the definition of a Complete Street can be largely dependent on surrounding context, as well as various considerations taken during the Complete Street's planning process.

Review of Long-Range Transportation Plans of Florida’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations

1998 ◽  
Vol 1617 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A. Mierzejewski ◽  
Margaret A. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Advisory Council ◽  
Metropolitan Regions ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Metropolitan Planning ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Planning Models ◽  
Transportation Research

On behalf of the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council, the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) conducted a review of each of the state’s 25 metropolitan planning organization (MPO) long-range transportation plans and the state’s 2020 Florida Transportation Plan (FTP), to compare the policy directions of the documents and suggest areas for consideration and inclusion in future plan updates. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues and concerns facing MPOs in Florida, each of the state’s 25 MPO long-range transportation plans was reviewed, and telephone interviews were conducted with each of the MPO executive directors or designated staff members. Following the telephone interviews, the plans were reexamined to determine the extent to which the issues or problems stated in the interviews were described in the plans. CUTR identified the concerns common to the majority of metropolitan regions, including funding shortfalls, determination of innovative financing strategies, involvement of the public, maintenance of a mobility/livability balance, and air quality conformance. Many of the metropolitan regions also identified the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act’s planning factors, the consideration of alternative land use scenarios, differences in project selection criteria, and intergovernmental coordination as other areas of importance during plan development. The study offered suggestions to improve integration of the various MPO plans with the FTP, and to suggest improvements to the MPO long-range plans. Items for future consideration include placing greater emphasis on policy trade-offs and less reliance on transportation planning models; applying the principles of strategic planning to the transportation planning process; and incorporating a strong visioning process. Additional recommendations include incorporating current issues and problems into the long-range plans; streamlining the reporting of performance measures; standardizing when plans are updated, as well as how costs and revenues are reported; and reporting financial information by responsible agency and facility type.

Responding to the Call: Incorporating Physical Activity and Health Outcomes in Regional Transportation Planning

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-106
Author(s):  
Michael Skipper ◽  
Leslie A. Meehan
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Active Transportation ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Transportation Projects ◽  
Metropolitan Planning ◽  
Transportation Policies ◽  
Transit Station ◽  
Transportation Plan

Active transportation refers to modes of travel that incorporate physical activity as part of the trip. Examples include walking and bicycling, as well as transit, since walking or bicycling is typically required for transit station access and egress. The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has recently restructured its regional transportation policies and programming priorities as part of the development of the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan to enable more active transportation by encouraging the implementation of infrastructure such as sidewalks, bikeways, and transit. The result is a significant increase in the number of federally-funded transportation projects in the greater Nashville region that provide opportunities for active transportation trips.

scholarly journals Advanced Modelling Tools to Support Planning for Sand/Gravel Quarries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6380
Author(s):  
Filippo Carlo Pavesi ◽  
Anna Richiedei ◽  
Michele Pezzagno
Keyword(s):  
Public Interest ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Planning Support ◽  
Planning Support System ◽  
Sand And Gravel

Sand and gravel quarry planning must guarantee the public interest in the procurement of raw materials while ensuring environmental sustainability. An Analyzing Planning Support System for sand and gravel quarry plan can assist decision-makers during the planning process. The proposed Analyzing PSS uses integrating geologic, economic, environmental, and geographic information to quantify raw materials and the size of quarries. This kind of tool is useful to support public authority decisions. The study provides the results of an experience conducted in the province of Brescia (NUT 3 in Northern Italy).

scholarly journals SPATIO-STATISTICAL MODELING OF HUMAN BRUCELLOSIS USING ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS: A CASE STUDY OF NORTHERN IRAN

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-4/W18 ◽  
pp. 969-973
Author(s):  
N. Seyedalizadeh ◽  
A. A. Alesheikh ◽  
M. Ahmadkhani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Human Brucellosis ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
The Public ◽  
Control And Management

Abstract. Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases which is endemic in Iran. This disease is considered a significant hazard to citizens’ health and imposes heavy economic burdens, hence, requires a thorough control and management plan. The aims of this study are identifying the areas having the highest risk of brucellosis, as well as discovering the contributing environmental factors. The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method was used to model the probability of brucellosis in Golestan, Mazandaran, and Guilan provinces. The possible contribution of 12 environmental parameters in this disease was also measured using the Jackknife method. The results showed that the highest risk of brucellosis is located in southern Golestan, East, and West of Mazandaran, and south of Guilan province, and moisture, slope, vegetation and elevation are the most effective environmental factors on the spatial distribution of the disease. In addition, the probability of the disease in northern Iran increases from west to east. These findings could assist the public health managers and decision-makers in organizing a more efficient public health system.

Implementing Integrated Transportation Planning in Metropolitan Planning Organization: Procedural and Analytical Issues

1996 ◽  
Vol 1552 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Reinke ◽  
Daniel Malarkey
Keyword(s):  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Puget Sound ◽  
Benefit Cost Analysis ◽  
Metropolitan Planning ◽  
Total Social Cost ◽  
Benefit Cost ◽  
Integrated Transportation Planning

Integrated transportation planning is an emerging transportation planning concept that is intended to help seek those policies, programs, and projects that meet a given set of transportation goals and objectives for the minimum total social cost. Its elements include analysis of a full range of alternatives, the use of benefit-cost analysis to compare alternatives, public involvement in the development and evaluation of alternatives, analysis of uncertainties in forecasts of future conditions, and continuous monitoring of transportation system performance. The theory and methods of integrated transportation planning for implementation by a metropolitan planning organization developed for the Puget Sound Regional Council are discussed. The discussion includes how integrated transportation planning fits into the strategic planning process, the similarities and differences between integrated transportation planning and the current transportation planning process, and the analytic issues raised by implementing integrated transportation planning.

Options Approach to Risk Analysis in Transportation Planning

2000 ◽  
Vol 1706 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Brand ◽  
Shomik Raj Mehndiratta ◽  
Thomas E. Parody
Keyword(s):  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Real Options Approach ◽  
Commitment Cost ◽  
Investment Decision Making ◽  
Planning Methods

The applicability of the real-options approach to risk management to the metropolitan transportation planning process is described. The options approach to risk analysis brings to investment decisions the insight that there is an inherent value in option-creating actions (by resolving uncertainty, enabling flexibility, or uncovering new and relevant information) and a cost associated with exercising options (irreversible commitments of resources and time). The options approach moves investment decision making from simply choosing whether to build a project to a regime that considers a range of possible decisions, with the potential value of each decision measured in terms of its option-creation value and irreversible commitment cost. This approach is specifically designed to maximize the value of investments having the characteristics of transportation projects that are subject to uncertainty and risk in their outcomes. Also described is the new options approach; examples that illustrate the value of different kinds of options are given. By recognizing the value of improved information—and actions to obtain it—the options approach can give real impetus to improved planning methods. Because the analysis tools provided by the options approach make it possible to value the additional information that improved planning can provide, recommendations are provided on how—and in what parts of the metropolitan transportation planning process—the new tools of risk analysis can most appropriately be applied.

scholarly journals Understanding complete streets at the ground level: a look into how a complete street project is defined and influenced within the Greater Golden Horseshoe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Winters
Keyword(s):  
Transportation Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Complete Streets ◽  
The Public ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Planning Experts ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Project Level

The Complete Streets movement has become popular throughout North America as street renewal projects have begun to re-prioritize road users within the public right-of-way (ROW). Although the concepts and overall objectives of a Complete Street are becoming increasingly recognized in the transportation-planning field, a level of ambiguity exists when defining such projects through the existing built infrastructure. This major research paper has collected and presented data gathered from local transportation planning experts through the means of telephone interviews and a focus group, to understand how a Complete Street can be defined at the project level, and what factors might influence this definition. The findings of this paper show that the definition of a Complete Street can be largely dependent on surrounding context, as well as various considerations taken during the Complete Street's planning process.

The Road to Iraq

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Idrees Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Iraq War ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Road ◽  
Cohesive Group ◽  
Political Agents

The Road to Iraq is an empirical investigation that explains the causes of the Iraq War, identifies its main agents, and demonstrates how the war was sold to decision makers and by decision makers to the public. It shows how a small but ideologically coherent and socially cohesive group of determined political agents used the contingency of 9/11 to outflank a sceptical foreign policy establishment, military brass and intelligence apparatus and provoked a war that has had disastrous consequences.

Participatory Mapping in Browns Canyon National Monument, Colorado (USA)

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
John Harner ◽  
Lee Cerveny ◽  
Rebecca Gronewold
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Bureau Of Land Management ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Us Forest Service ◽  
Natural Resource Managers

Natural resource managers need up-to-date information about how people interact with public lands and the meanings these places hold for use in planning and decision-making. This case study explains the use of public participatory Geographic Information System (GIS) to generate and analyze spatial patterns of the uses and values people hold for the Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado. Participants drew on maps and answered questions at both live community meetings and online sessions to develop a series of maps showing detailed responses to different types of resource uses and landscape values. Results can be disaggregated by interaction types, different meaningful values, respondent characteristics, seasonality, or frequency of visit. The study was a test for the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service, who jointly manage the monument as they prepare their land management plan. If the information generated is as helpful throughout the entire planning process as initial responses seem, this protocol could become a component of the Bureau’s planning tool kit.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document