Section 3: Compliance with Planning Requirements
Anchor: #i1009812Overview
This section involves integrating project planning with various local, regional and statewide plans. As part of that integrated planning, applicable requirements are determined and complied with.
This section includes the following tasks. The tasks are listed in approximate chronological order but may be performed concurrently in some cases.
1300. Evaluate compliance with planning documents
1310. Identify and review related studies
1330. Identify area/regional goals and plans
1350. Identify corridor plan development needs
1360. Partnership plan review/coordination
1370. Identify funding alternative/feasibility - economics, value capture, sustainability
1380. Institutionalization of coordination/partnerships in project development
Anchor: #i10098271300: Evaluate compliance with planning documents
Description. After preparing a purpose and need statement (see 3240: Prepare “Purpose and Need” statement), the project manager assesses the following situations:
- Whether the proposed project follows the policy and mandates of the Texas Transportation Plan.
- Whether the project is consistent with regional and local transportation plans and other related local plans.
Pertinent Project Types. New construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation projects.
Responsible Party. Director of Transportation Planning and Development
Sub-tasks.
- Review Texas Transportation Plan, Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), and local master street plans and networks.
- Review Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO’s) Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) and projects selected by the district.
- Consult with district coordinators and local planning staffs for other modes, and assess need to incorporate design features to accommodate other modes (e.g., transit, pedestrian, bike, port, railroad, aviation).
- For projects along the Gulf Coast, consult the State's Coastal Zone Management Plan for project development considerations.
- Work with the district planning staff to coordinate with the MPO and other planning entities.
Critical Sequencing.
- Delays may occur without proper coordination with the MPO and other stakeholders.
- The project must be listed in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) before any federal transportation funds can be used.
Resource Material.
- TxDOT Transportation Planning Manual
- Texas Transportation Plan
- Public Transportation in Texas - Profiles and Projections
- Coastal Zone Management Plan (for projects along the Gulf coast)
- Regional Plans: Economic or Transportation/Highway - available from the Texas Review and Comment System (TRACS)
- Metropolitan Transportation Plan - available from the MPO in urban areas
- City plans including: comprehensive plan; regional transit plans; transit-oriented development (TOD) plans; other land use plans; economic/commercial development plans; street or transportation plans; neighborhood plans; and bicyclist/pedestrian plans; greenway/trails plans; and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) project plans or other similar plans for other value capture districts.
1310: Identify and review related studies
Description. Related studies may provide information for planning a project and assessing the relationship between a specific project and neighboring projects. Obtaining and reviewing these studies gives a broader perspective of regional needs.
Types of related studies include:
- Feasibility study
- Route study
- Toll road study
- Corridor study
- Subarea study
- Major Investment Study (MIS)/environmental documentation
- Value engineering study
- Similar studies that propose transportation capital investments.
Pertinent Project Types. New construction and reconstruction projects.
Responsible Party. Director of Transportation Planning and Development
Helpful Suggestions. Coordinate and consult with the Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Check with city, county, MPO, transit or special authority, and recognized neighborhood planning organizations for plans or studies in the affected area.
Critical Sequencing. This task should occur before preliminary design.
Resource Material. TxDOT Transportation Planning Manual
Anchor: #i10100271330: Identify area/regional goals and plans
Description. Coordination with other entities and other areas of expertise is important to ensure that projects compliment the surrounding community or local area. This early coordination is important since the transportation corridor may be only one component of the long term local objectives.
One method being used to coordinate efforts between entities is the consideration of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) principles to help establish the regional, local and neighborhood vision or long term objectives. While not applicable to all project types (i.e., restoration, preventive maintenance, etc.), CSS principles can result in compatibility between the transportation facility and its surroundings so that the two are mutually supportive. Transportation and development projects may be better accomplished in a joint development or well coordinated process that will meet the objectives of multiple stakeholders.
For example, local entities may wish to encourage certain development, preserve, change or sustain the character of a specific area of the community or set future sustainable development for an entire transportation corridor or area network.
More than just providing CSS principles for an individual project or corridor, this concept promotes the establishment of public and private partnerships that can support the project by (1) bringing together the future revenue streams with costs in order to provide funding for operation and maintenance, (2) creating funding for future projects; and (3) optimize return on public resources such as local tax bases. The establishment of these long term relationships that consider transportation projects in the context of regional or local overall objectives can be a significant future benefit.
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) have developed a proposed recommended practice document describing the use of CSS community process principles and context sensitive design for streets, intersections, and networks, providing design flexibility in project development. This ITE publication, Context Sensitive Solutions in Design Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities, 2005, looks at the project development process in terms of describing a transportation project as one part of the community of stakeholder’s overall objectives for an area. Again, while not applicable to all project types, a companion document, Context-Sensitive Design Around the Country, Transportation Research Board, 2004, offers many examples of this approach to project development including urban and rural environments. These resources and the resource material listed provide guidance for developing cooperative partnerships and using the CSS process.
Possible outcomes in considering the CSS principles and partnerships include:
- Long-range vision for the community and project
- Community values and issues
- Supporting data
- Community and agency priorities
- Development of interdisciplinary teams
- Education of stakeholders regarding issues, process, and constraints
- Establishing planning process, which identifies decision points and stakeholder roles and responsibilities
- Identification of design flexibility within the project development process.
Consult the following possible partners/stakeholders:
- municipal departments
- chambers of commerce and regional economic development organizations
- professional and non-profit local organization chapters
- Councils of Government (COGs)
- community leaders
- adjacent property and business owners
- developers
- redevelopment and community development agencies
- economic development agencies
- transit authorities
- special authorities and improvement districts
- school districts
- public utilities
- public housing
- rural areas' Texas Review and Comment System (TRACS) agency
- railroads, ports/harbors, bus companies
- regional transit authorities and rail districts.
Usually, the following district staff have established contacts with local entities:
- director of transportation planning and development
- community development and planning directors
- advanced project development engineer
- area engineer
- public transportation coordinator
- bicycle coordinator
- pedestrian coordinator
- planner
- public information officer.
The following divisions may be contacted:
- Aviation Division for project development within airport property and interface issues
- Multimodal Section of the Transportation Planning and Programming Division (TPP) for water, rail freight, and ports issues
- Public Transportation Division.
Pertinent Project Types. All projects except preventive maintenance and restoration projects.
Responsible Party. Director of Tranportation Planning and Development
Sub-tasks.
- Identify stakeholders in project area.
- Coordinate CSS workshop for partners/stakeholders to establish area/project visions, goals, objectives, issues, and opportunities.
- Establish contacts and/or teams for ongoing feedback and to move project issues forward.
- Participate in related workshops sponsored by project stakeholders.
Resource Material.
- Federal Highway Administration, Flexibility in Highway Design, 1997
- Transportation Research Board, NCHRP Report 480: A Guide to Best Practices for Achieving Context Sensitive Solutions, 2002
- American Association of State Highway Officials, A Guide for Achieving Flexibility in Highway Design, 2004
- Institute of Transportation Engineers, Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities, An ITE Proposed Recommended Practice, 2005, as ammended
- Transportation Research Board, Context-Sensitive Design Around the Country, Circular EC067, July 2004.
1350: Identify corridor plan development needs
Description. Network and corridor planning is an early opportunity to establish a framework for integrating specific urban thoroughfare projects into a local area’s overall objectives. This represents an early opportunity to bring public and private stakeholders together to discuss the transportation project. This helps to expedite the project development process by identifying and addressing key issues, opportunities, and community objectives early rather than for the first time during the planning and design of the individual roadway project.
This integrated network and corridor planning process can:
- Determine the relationships and needs for both mobility and land uses along the corridor and in the area.
- Determine how decisions for individual thoroughfare segments affect the corridor and the transportation network as a whole.
- Establish objectives, operational concepts, context-based functions, performance measures and thresholds, transect- or context-zones, land uses, access control and functional classification for an entire network or corridor, which can be applied to individual thoroughfare segments in project development.
- Allow for policy, social and public discussion of debate on issues that impact a broader area than an individual thoroughfare segment.
- Bring to light additional related studies that may provide information for planning a project and assessing the relationship between a specific transportation project and neighboring community projects. Obtaining and reviewing these studies can give a broader perspective of network and corridor needs. Types of related studies include: feasibility study, route study, toll road study, corridor study, major investment study (MIS), market study, fiscal impact study, value capture study, environmental documentation, and value engineering study.
Pertinent Project Types. New construction, reconstruction, and some rehabilitation projects.
Responsible Party. Director of Transportation Planning and Development and Project Managers
Subtasks.
- Coordinate this work with district staff and divisions listed in Section 1330.
- Review local planning documents.
- Review any speciality municipal plans for study area.
- Review special purpose studies (for example, study to create economic development area around major terminal or TOD).
- Review Public Transportation in Texas - Profiles and Projections.
- Review other specialty plans, as appropriate (e.g., water/wastewater, other utility, aviation, railroads, ports).
- While obtaining plans, inquire from the agency whether they can advise of other relevant plans or agencies to contact.
- Meet with regional and local agency staff and discuss area objectives together with the need to bring stakeholders into the process.
- Assess corridor mobility and land use opportunities, needs, issues, objectives, and existing plans and, with stakeholders, determine which ones should be considered or developed further.
Helpful Suggestions. Coordinate and consult with the Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Meet with city, county, COG department managers, and other public or private stakeholders to obtain input and published plans or information.
Critical Sequencing.
- Obtain local plans early because project planning by public and private local entities may affect transportation project planning.
- This task should occur before preliminary design.
Resource Material.
- TxDOT Transportation Planning Manual
- Municipal plans (comprehensive land use, transportation, housing, redevelopment, water/wastewater)
- City, county and MPO transportation plans and projections: street, transit, pedestrian and bicycle, aviation, freight or transportation plan
- Local economic development plans or value capture scenarios
- TRACS regional plans
- Chamber of Commerce, regional economic development organization, or regional visioning publication
- Councils of Government/MPO.
1360: Partnership Plan Review/Coordination
Description. As the planning process at this point begins to move the project from the planning process toward the initial stages of design development, coordination of the partnerships that have been established become critical. The stakeholders have to make solid and supported commitments to the project effort at this point. The expected outcomes of this step include commitments for:
- Joint/coordinated progress toward transportation improvement concepts and plans for land use enhancements and development.
- Innovative solutions that meet project needs, reflect community values, and enhance resources.
- Compatibility and support of the transportation improvement within its context of the surrounding area and activitites.
- Expedited approval of the project through early and consistent stakeholder involvement.
- Agreement on the relationship between sustainable land uses/urban design and the transportation system.
- Agreement on multi-modality potential including vehicular, transit, pedestrian, bicycle and green infrastructure such as trails.
- Agreement on the travel demand forecasts and network functionality for various modes of travel that will guide the project development process.
- Identification of any performance measures, sustainability goals or milestones that will be used in project development.
- Application of CSS, design flexibility and documentation of design decisions (see 2000: Conduct Design Concept Conference, Design Summary Report (DSR)).
- Commitment for continuation of stakeholder input throughout the design of the project.
- Assurance that commitments made in the planning process are honored through construction.
Pertinent Project Types. All projects except preventative maintenance and restoration projects.
Responsible Party. Director of Transportation Planning and Development and Project Managers
1370. Identify funding alternative/feasibility - economics, value capture, sustainability
Description. As part of the partnership coordination, the transportation project development process considers the effects of financial decisions on costs, liability risks and operations and maintenance. Application of CSS partnerships/principles and design flexibility can affect these funding considerations in specific project applications.
Depending on the type and timing of the project, the stakeholders may need to consider a range of alternatives to traditional transportation funding. These alternative funding sources can provide a broader approach to project development and offer opportunities within corridors beyond just the transportation facility itself.
Some non-traditional funding and resource considerations include:
- Economic development potential
- Value capture through public improvement districts, tax increment reinvestments zones and other special district or public-private agreements
- Transportation reinvestment zones
- Public improvement districts
- Private funding or donation
- Bonding capacity
- Comprehensive development agreements
- Pass-through financing and other cost recapture approaches
- Consideration of savings from long-term project and resource sustainability.
Pertinent Project Types. All projects except preventative maintenance and restoration projects.
Responsible Party. Director of Transportation Planning and Development and Project Managers
Subtasks.
- Identify potential funding sources and partners as appropriate (local government entities, other public agencies, adjacent property owners, other private sources, etc.).
- Consider advantages, disadvantages, and necessary actions to make the best options viable.
- Identify appropriate agreements to facilitate long-term sustainability of the project and its context by supporting and tracking future capital investment, debt service, credit enhancements as well as operation and maintenance.
1380. Institutionalization of Coordination/Partnerships in Project Development
Description. The institutionalization of coordination/partnerships developed early in the project development process is necessary if it is to be sustained through the project planning phase, the development phase and the construction phase. Even at the individual project level, unless these partnerships are actively involved, the likelihood of a successful project that meets as many objectives as possible within the local context can be significantly reduced. Further, and perhaps more importantly, the partnerships created should be maintained for future development beyond simply the immediate project, corridor or area transportation network.
There are several ways to assist in maintaining these partnerships and coordinating these efforts. For example, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is required for each urbanized area with a population of 50,000 or more. The MPO’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) is a long-range plan that identifies transportation facilities functioning as an integrated transportation system. Early project planning and development must be coordinated with applicable MTP’s.
The public involvement process (see 3010: Determine public involvement needs) is an additional activity requiring coordination with the MPO. An MPO may have its own specific public involvement requirements.
Different vehicles for sustaining these partnerships may function better in different circumstances. These partnerships and project coordination can result in:
- Better identification of community transportation, land use, development, activity centers, and other context issues that provide future direction.
- Identification of public and private stakeholders priorities.
- Development and coordination of interagency multidisciplinary teams.
- Regular communication among stakeholders.
- Better educational outreach and transparency for agencies involved in project development.
- A pattern for future coordination of transportation issues within established community contexts.
- Identification of design issues, area planning goals, environmental process coordination, and/or construction phasing.
- Feedback on individual projects through construction as well as future coordination efforts.
Pertinent Project Types. Projects or facilities contained in the MTP.
Responsible Party. Director of Transportation Planning and Development and Regional/Local Agency Planning Directors
Helpful Suggestions. Coordinate with the district and local agency planning staff.
Resource Material. TxDOT Transportation Planning Manual
Subtasks.
- For individual corridors or projects, review each task in Section 3 to ensure that any later task revisions are still appropriate. This review process may necessitate revision of conclusions about the Project Need and Scope. This feedback loop will insure that issues are not overlooked so that the project will (1) support community sustainability and economic development goals, and (2) allow for project development to stay on schedule.
- Maintain regular involvement and communication among stakeholders.