This synthesis will be of immediate interest to land use and transportation planning officials, with special interest to state, regional, and local planners and administrators who must respond to the requirements of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA).

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have prepared this guide for transportation professionals, elected officials, and policymakers, as well as community and business interests, who want to understand and participate in the transportation planning and decisionmaking process. It has two objectives: first, to provide a framework for linking the various elements of ISTEA's transportation planning process together in a comprehensive manner; and second, to provide information, suggestions, and examples of ways to carry out the metropolitan planning process. Part One describes the changes Congress and the President envisioned in the transportation planning and investment process when they enacted ISTEA. Part Two discusses the products of the transportation planning process: the transportation plan and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Part Three describes the elements of transportation planning and how metropolitan areas can use them to develop transportation plans and TIPs that meet their needs and the expectations of the Federal Government. Part Four provides a reference guide to Federal regulations, guidance, and other useful information that have been published on ISTEA and the planning process.

This synthesis will be of interest to officials and staff of metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) representing regional communities of less than 200,000 population. It will also be of interest to state and local highway and transit agencies, administrators, and elected officials. Other officials, such as state legislators and officials in environmental agencies who interact with the MPOs will also have an interest in this synthesis. It presents information on changes that MPOs in smaller urbanized areas have made in response to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The adjustments in policy and practice in developing transportation plans and programs for the agency and the new requirements necessitated by ISTEA are described. With the advent of ISTEA, many of these small MPOs initiated changes in their role within the region and in the transportation planning process applied to carry out this role. Based on a limited sample of small MPOs, the types of changes in policy, procedure, staffing, intergovernmental relations, resource allocation, and training are discussed in this report of the Transportation Research Board. The issues associated with the changes are also highlighted. The techniques (models) that have been applied are described.

This synthesis presents information on current practices used by transportation agencies to complete the transportation development process (TDP). This process involves linking the planning, project development, environmental, design, construction, operations, and maintenance aspects of the overall transportation program. The purpose of the TDP is to implement a seamless process in which all these elements come together and in which there is continuous public involvement. This report will be of interest to regional and state transportation, planning, and environmental agencies who participate in the TDP and who are involved in both the development and policy aspects of the TDP. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes the history of the TDP, as well as the federal requirements that must be met under both transportation and environmental regulations. This process is made more complex by state and local regulations that must be observed in most jurisdictions. Throughout this process, as carried out by the state transportation agencies and the metropolitan planning organizations, there is continuous public involvement. Other programs, such as the transportation implementation plan, state transportation implementation plan, and environmental programs such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and requirements of other environmental laws must be integrated into the TDP. The complexities of this process are described, and some unique approaches to meeting its demands are presented.

In the past few decades, the field of transportation has changed dramatically. Deregulation and greater reliance on markets and the private sector has helped to reconfigure the transport industries, while the rise of intermodal goods and global commerce has produced efficiencies of operation and a greater interdependence among transport modes. In a

This synthesis will be of interest to officials of municipal, regional, and statewide transportation agencies who are responsible for the management of surface transportation systems in metropolitan areas. It presents information on the processes used by transportation agencies to monitor, evaluate, and implement a variety of solutions to the management of surface transportation systems. This is a complex and dynamic area of application, and the examples presented herein represent a selection of such applications in 1997. The concept of transportation system management is constantly changing and will continue to change, especially with further implementation of intelligent transportation systems. This report of the Transportation Research Board provides an overview of the generalized process that transportation agencies have found to be effective in managing the various aspects of their transportation systems. Specific case examples of effective management strategies are described for several metropolitan areas including Houston, Seattle, metropolitan New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.