Each State has a different process for making transportation decisions. In some, the legislature annually approves the transportation capital investment program. Others have independent or quasi-independent commissions, boards, or authorities that are responsible for transportation decisions. In all cases, elected officials at the local, regional, or State level need good information to guide their decisions, and the ISTEA planning process is designed to provide this. This guide discusses how good transportation planning can be conducted by States and presents a new framework for transportation decision making as envisioned in ISTEA.

Have you ever wondered how decisions are made about transportation projects that affect your life? How do government officials decide where to put a bus stop, road, or bridge? How are these and other transportation projects planned? And how can you make sure your opinions are heard and considered by the planners, road designers, elected officials, and other citizens? The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) wrote this guide to give you the answers to these and other transportation-related questions. We hope this guide will help you understand how transportation decisions are made at the local, state, and national levels. We believe that the better citizens understand the transportation decisionmaking process, the more certain it is we will have a transportation system that is safe, efficient, and responsive to public needs and concerns about their communities and the natural environment.