The goal of this course is to provide participants with the analytical and policy tools required for effective transportation planning. Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Transportation Planners and Engineers
• Public Policy Analysts and Urban Planners
• Municipal and State DOT Staff
• Environmental and Land Use Consultants
• Transit Authority Managers
• Civil Engineers involved in infrastructure design
• Students in Planning, Engineering, or Public Administration

• Case Studies of successful and failed transportation policy implementation
• Hands-on Exercises with simplified travel demand modeling software
• Group Activities: Developing a funding strategy for a multi-modal corridor
• Discussions on the ethics of transportation pricing and equity
• Individual Exercises: Critiquing a regional transportation plan (RTP)
• Guest speaker presentations from MPO staff and DOT engineers

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Transportation Planning

• Historical evolution of transportation planning and policy (e.g., ISTEA, MAP-21)
• The role of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and state DOTs
• The 3-C Planning Process: Continuing, Comprehensive, and Cooperative
• Integrating transportation with comprehensive land use plans
• Key data sources and performance metrics in transportation planning
• Social, economic, and environmental impacts of transport systems

• The Four-Step Travel Demand Model (generation, distribution, mode choice, assignment)
• Understanding elasticity of demand in relation to price and time
• Methods for data collection: surveys, sensors, and emerging data sources
• Forecasting future travel demand and network capacity needs
• Introduction to basic traffic flow theory and network performance

Unit 2: Transportation Policy and Finance

• National, state, and local transportation policy objectives
• Addressing social equity, access, and mobility for all users
• Demand Management (TDM) strategies: parking, pricing, and incentives
• Policy levers for promoting mode shift (e.g., bicycling, transit)
• Safety policy: Vision Zero and the Safe System approach
• Policies for mitigating transportation's environmental footprint

• Sources of transportation funding (gas tax, tolls, general fund, bonds)
• Principles of transportation economics: externalities and public goods
• Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and project evaluation criteria
• Alternative financing mechanisms: PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships) and Value Capture
• The economic impact of infrastructure investment on regional growth

Unit 3: Multi-Modal Planning

• Analyzing transit service characteristics and performance metrics
• Principles of transit network design and route planning
• Planning for high-capacity transit (BRT, LRT, Commuter Rail)
• The economics of transit fare policy and subsidy levels
• Integrating transit service with land use (Transit-Oriented Development - TOD)

• Planning for complete streets and the hierarchy of road users
• Assessing demand and designing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists
• Policy and design integration for freight logistics and goods movement
• The role of ports, airports, and intermodal facilities in regional economies
• Safety and security considerations for all non-motorized users

Unit 4: Technology and Future Trends

• Introduction to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• Data collection, management, and use in real-time traffic management
• Planning for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and their impacts
• The role of shared mobility (TNCs, bike-share) and Micro-mobility
• Cybersecurity and data privacy in modern transport networks

Unit 5: Project Development and Implementation

• The process of preparing a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
• Requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or equivalent
• Public involvement strategies for transportation projects
• Right-of-way acquisition, condemnation, and legal considerations
• Performance-based planning and data-driven prioritization