Somali National University

Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Dep’t
Course: Highway and Traffic Engineering
Chapter Two: Highway Planning and
Development Process.
Lecturer: Burhan Mohamed
Highway Planning and Development Process
 Highway design is only one element in the overall
highway development process.
 Historically, detailed design occurs in the middle of
the process, linking the preceding phases of planning
and project development with the subsequent phases
of right-of-way acquisition, construction, and
maintenance.
Highway Planning and Development Process
 Itis during the first three stages, planning, project
development, and design, that designers and
communities, working together, can have the greatest
impact on the final design features of the project.
 In fact, the flexibility available for highway design
during the detailed design phase is limited a great
deal by the decisions made at the earlier stages of
planning and project development.
Categories for New Design or Highway
Improvement
1) The existing physical
structure needs major
repair/replacement
(structure repair).
Categories for New Design or Highway
Improvement
2) Existing or projected
future travel demands
exceed available
capacity, and access to
transportation and
mobility need to be
increased (capacity).
Categories for New Design or Highway
Improvement
3) The route is
experiencing an
inordinate number of
safety and accident
problems that can only
be resolved through
physical, geometric
changes (safety).
Categories for New Design or Highway
Improvement
4) Developmental
pressures along the
route make a
reexamination of the
number, location, and
physical design of access
points necessary
(access).
 The Stages Of Highway Development

 Although the names may vary by State, the five basic

stages in the highway development process are:
1. planning,
2. project development (preliminary design),
3. final design,
4. Right of way, and
5. construction..
The Stages Of Highway Development

 After
construction is completed, ongoing
operation and maintenance activities continue
throughout the life of the facility
The Stages Of Highway Development

Planning
Although these activities
Project are distinct, there is
Development
considerable overlap
Final Design between all phases of
highway planning and
Right-of-Way development.
Construction

Fig. Process of Highway Planning

The Stages Of Highway Development
1. Planning
The Stages Of Highway Development
 The initial definition of the need for any highway or
bridge improvement project takes place during the
planning stage.
 This problem definition occurs at the State, regional,
or local level, depending on the scale of the proposed
improvement. This is the key time to get the public
involved and provide input into the decision making
process.
 The Stages Of Highway Development

 The problems identified usually fall into one or

more of the following four categories:
1. The existing physical structure needs major
repair/replacement (structure repair).
2. Existing or projected future travel demands exceed
available capacity, and access to transportation and
mobility need to be increased (capacity).
 The Stages Of Highway Development

3. The route is experiencing an inordinate number of

safety and accident problems that can only be
resolved through physical, geometric changes
(safety).
4. Developmental pressures along the route make a
reexamination of the number, location, and
physical design of access points necessary (access).
The Stages Of Highway Development
Factors to Consider During Planning
 It is important to look ahead during the planning
stage and consider the potential impact that a
proposed facility or improvement may have while the
project is still in the conceptual phase.
 During planning, key decisions are made that will
affect and limit the design options in
subsequent phases
The Stages Of Highway Development
Figure:
Factors to consider
in planning
The Stages Of Highway Development
Some questions to be asked at the planning stage include:
1. How will the proposed transportation improvement affect the
general physical character of the area surrounding the project?
2. Does the area to be affected have unique historic or scenic
characteristics?
3. What are the safety, capacity, and cost concerns of the
community?
Answers for such questions are found in planning level
analysis, as well as in public involvement during planning.
 The Stages Of Highway Development

2) Project Development
After a project has been planned and programmed
for implementation, it moves into the project
development phase.
At this stage, the environmental analysis intensifies.
The level of environmental review varies widely,
depending on the scale and impact of the project.
The Stages Of Highway Development

 Itcan range from a multiyear effort to prepare

an Environmental Impact Statement (a
comprehensive document that analyzes the
potential impact of proposed alternatives) to a
modest environmental review completed in a
matter of weeks.
The Stages Of Highway Development
 Regardless of the level of detail or duration, the
product of the project development process generally
includes a description of the location and major
design features of the recommended project that is to
be further designed and constructed, while
continually trying to avoid, minimize, and mitigate
environmental impact.
The Stages Of Highway Development
The basic steps in this stage include the following:
 Refinement of purpose and need
 Development of a range of alternatives (including the
"no build" and traffic management system [TMS]
options)
 Evaluation of alternatives and their impact on the
natural and built environments
 Development of appropriate mitigation
The Stages Of Highway Development
Project Development
AKA Preliminary Design
 Refine project need
 Develop a variety of design concepts
 Compare design concepts and their impacts
 Mitigation of impacts
Continuous public involvement
 Web site
 Newsletters
 Meetings
The Stages Of Highway Development
3) Final Design
After a preferred alternative has been selected
and the project description agreed upon as stated
in the environmental document, a project can
move into the final design stage.
The Stages Of Highway Development
 The product of this stage is a complete set of plans,
specifications, and estimates (PS&Es) of required
quantities of materials ready for the solicitation of
construction bids and subsequent construction.
 Depending on the scale and complexity of the project,
the final design process may take from a few months
to several years.
The Stages Of Highway Development

 Thefollowing paragraphs discuss some

important considerations of design, including:
• Developing a concept
• Considering scale and
• Detailing the design.
The Stages Of Highway Development
 Developing a Concept
A design concept gives the project a focus and helps to
move it toward a specific direction.
There are many elements in a highway, and each involves
a number of separate but interrelated design decisions.
Integrating all these elements to achieve a common goal
or concept helps the designer in making design decisions
The Stages Of Highway Development
 Some of the many elements of highway design are
a) Number and width of travel lanes, median type and
width, and shoulders
b) Traffic barriers
c) Overpasses/bridges
d) Horizontal and vertical alignment and affiliated
landscape.
The Stages Of Highway Development
All elements of highway design need to be part of an overall concept.
 The Stages Of Highway Development
Considering Scale
 People driving in a car see the world at a much
different scale than people walking on the street.
 For example, it has become common in many
suburban commercial areas that a shopper must
get in the car and drive from one store to the next
The Stages Of Highway Development
 The design element with the greatest effect on the
scale of the roadway is its width, or cross section.
 The cross section can include:
 a clear zone,
shoulder,
parking lanes,
travel lanes, and/or
 median.
The Stages Of Highway Development

 The wider the overall roadway, the larger its

scale; however, there are some design
techniques that can help to reduce the
perceived width and, thus, the perceived scale
of the roadway.
 Limiting the width of pavement or breaking up
the pavement is one option
 The Stages Of Highway Development

4) Detailing the Design

 Particularly during the final design phase, it is the
details associated with the project that are
important.
 Employing a multidisciplinary design team ensures
that important design details are considered and
those they are compatible with community values.
The Stages Of Highway Development

 Often it is the details of the project that are most

recognizable to the public.
 A multidisciplinary design team can produce
an aesthetic and functional product when the
members work together and are flexible in
applying guidelines.
The Stages Of Highway Development

5) Right-of-way, Construction, And

Maintenance
 Once the final designs have been prepared and
needed right-of-way is purchased, construction
bid packages are made available, a contractor is
selected, and construction is initiated.
The Stages Of Highway Development

 During the right-of-way acquisition and

construction stages, minor adjustments in the
design may be necessary; therefore, there
should be continuous involvement of the
design team throughout these stages.
The Stages Of Highway Development

 Construction may be simple or complex and

may require a few months to several years.
 Once construction has been completed, the
facility is ready to begin its normal sequence of
operations and maintenance.
 Stages of Highway Development
 Summaries of the five basic stages in highway
planning and development.
Stages Description of Activity
Identification of transportation needs and program
Planning
project to be built Within financial constraints.
The transportation project is more clearly defined.
Project Development Alternative locations and design features are
developed and an alternative is selected.
The design team develops detailed design and
Design
specification.
Right-of-way Land needed for the project is acquired.
construction Selection of contractor, who then builds the project.
Public Involvement
Public Involvement

Public
Involvement
Public Involvement
Doing things right - Engineering emphasis
•Safe
•Properly designed and built
•Efficient
•Cost effective
Doing the right thing - Planning emphasis
•Consistent with long-range plan
•Reflective of community values
•Public acceptance and “ownership”
Public Involvement
 Public
acceptance and “ownership” derives
from public involvement.

Who is the “public”

Public Involvement
The Public

The FHWA defines the public broadly as including all

individuals or groups who are potentially affected by
transportation decisions. This includes anyone who
resides in, has interest in, or does business in a given area
that may be affected by transportation decisions. The
public includes both individuals and organized groups.
Public Involvement
Stages of Public Involvement (From the lowest
level to the highest, 8 levels of citizen power)
1) Manipulation – People are placed on rubber
stamp advisory committees or advisory boards
to “educate” them or to engineer their support.
The public involvement process is molded into a
public relations vehicle.
 Public Involvement
2) Therapy – The focus of the response to a citizen’s
concern or idea is to “cure” the person instead of
addressing the concern.
3) Informing – A one-way flow of information
from officials to citizens with no channel provided
for feedback and no power for negotiation.
 Public Involvement
4) Consultation – Citizens provide input during the
public involvement process, but the input is
restricted.
5) Placation – During the public involvement
process, a few people represent a constituency in
the community on an advisory board or committee,
but they do not hold the majority of the votes.
Public Involvement
6) Partnership – The decision-making power
is distributed through negotiation between
citizens and officials.
Public Involvement
7) Delegated Power – Negotiations between
officials and citizens result in citizens
achieving dominant decision-making
authority. To resolve differences, officials
need to start the bargaining process rather
than respond to pressure from the other end.
Public Involvement
8) Citizen Control – This situation exists
when there are no intermediaries between a
group of citizens and a source of funds.
Public Involvement
 Publicinvolvement in transportation investment
decision-making is central to effective
development, operation and maintenance of a
quality transportation system.
Public Involvement
 Transportation investment decisions have far-
reaching effects and thus transportation decisions
must consider a wide array of factors including
land use impacts and the overall social, economic,
energy, and environmental effects of
transportation decisions
Public Involvement
 These factors often reflect community values
and may be difficult to quantify.

 Seeking out public input is essential to

adequately considering them.
Public Involvement
Benefits of Public Involvement
 A well-implemented public involvement
program can bring major benefits to the
transportation policy process and lead to better
decision outcomes.
 Public Involvement
 Beneficial results include:
 Public involvement promotes citizen “ownership” of
policies.
 Decisions are more reflective of community values.
 Decision makers understand the concerns of the public
and can be more sensitive to those concerns in the
implementation process.
 Decision makers interact more with their constituents.
Public Involvement
Strategies to Involve the Public
 Presentation – Information (mostly
non-interactive) flows one-way to the
public. Examples are:
 Newspaper articles, radio & TV
programs, speeches & presentations to
groups, exhibits, school programs,
brochures, newsletters, reports, letters,
and websites.
Public Involvement
 Receipt - Information flows from the public.
Examples are:
 Public hearings, survey questionnaires, public
inquiry, media balloting, public meetings.
Public Involvement
 Exchange – Information is exchanged amongst
a smaller group of professionals and interested
citizens. Examples are:
 Workshops, special task forces, interviews,
advisory boards, informal contacts, study
group discussions, and interactive cable TV.
Public Involvement
Effective Public Involvement
An effective public involvement process provides
for an open exchange of information and ideas
between the public and transportation decision makers.
The overall objective of a public involvement process is
that it be proactive, provide complete information,
timely public notice, full access to key decisions, and
opportunities for early and continuing involvement
Public Involvement
It also provides mechanisms for the public
agency to solicit public comments and ideas,
identify circumstances and impacts which may
have been known or anticipated by the public
agency, and, by doing so, to build support
among the public who are stakeholders in
transportation investments which impact their
communities.
Public Involvement
A good indicator of an effective public involvement
process is a well-informed public that feels it has
opportunities to contribute to transportation
decision-making processes through a broad array of
involvement opportunities at all stages of decision-
making.
Public Involvement
 Public meetings that are well attended,
frequent news media coverage on
transportation issues, public forums where a
broad representation of diverse interests are in
attendance, and a transportation program that
reflects an understanding and consideration of
public input are all indicators that the public
involvement process is effective.
Public Involvement
Ineffective Public Involvement

An ineffective public involvement process is one

that relies on one or two public meetings or
hearings to obtain input immediately prior to
decision making on developed draft programs or
projects.
Public Involvement
Additional Observations
Promoting public involvement is consistent with the
principles of a democratic government.

One of the most efficient forms of government is a

dictatorship, where one person makes all of the
decisions. However, a government that promotes public
involvement puts a higher priority on showing respect and
concern for its people than it does on being efficient.
Public Involvement
 One of the most difficult tasks that engineers
face is to seek out public input, and then exhibit
patience and understanding with it.
Thank very Much!

End of
Chapter two