Urban Transportation Planning Concepts

URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING CONCEPTS
INTRODUCTION:
The idea of urban transportation planning is not new. It has been around for centuries.
However, with the rapid growth of cities around the world and increasing pressure on space
in urban areas, it has become a more urgent issue than ever before.
Transportation systems in a city support its people and economy. Like arteries transporting
blood around a body, our roads, rail, trams, bike paths, and sidewalks enable people to move
around our urban landscape. They allow goods and services to be delivered to shops, schools,
factories, and places of business and commerce. If your arteries become blocked, the
consequences are dire. The same can be said of our transport systems.
Urban transportation is a complex process that is made more difficult by the need to balance
different objectives. There are many factors that must be taken into consideration when
developing an urban transportation plan, including the needs of different user groups and
their various modes of transport, the economic development of a city or region, and the need
for a sustainable environment.
The urban transportation planning process is also a collaborative process that involves
stakeholders from different sectors. The stakeholders include government agencies, private
sector companies, and community members.
URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING:

Urban transportation planning involves the evaluation and selection of highway or transit
facilities to serve present and future land uses. For example, the construction of a new
shopping center, airport, or convention center will require additional transportation services.
Also, new residential development, office space, and industrial parks will generate additional
traffic, requiring the creation or expansion of roads and transit services. Urban transportation
planning is concerned with two separate time horizons:
• The first is a short-term project emphasized to select projects that can be implemented
within a one- to three-year period. These projects are designed to provide better
management of existing facilities by making them as efficient as possible. Short-term
projects involve programs such as traffic signal timing to improve flow, car and van
pooling to reduce congestion, park-and-ride fringe parking lots to increase transit
ridership, and transit improvements.
• The long-term project deals with the long-range transportation needs of an area and
identifies the projects to be constructed over a 20-year period. Long-term projects
involve programs such as adding new highway elements, additional bus lines or
freeway lanes, rapid transit systems and extensions, or access roads to airports or
shopping malls.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING:
Urban transportation planning is a challenge that has been studied extensively. The goals and
objectives of urban transportation planning include to:
• Deliver sustainable roads

• Reduce traffic congestion
• Improve air quality
• Make sustainable mobility available to all
• Create attractive, livable urban communities
Achieving these goals requires an understanding of the urban transport system and its
components. It also means understanding how people use different modes of transport to
move around in cities.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

The transportation planning elements basically comprises planning of transport
systems/physical planning and financing.
• Planning of Transport Systems/physical planning
✓ The preparation of a structural plan for the area of which the authority
(metropolitan or local/regional) has jurisdiction
✓ The structural plan should contain land use policies and proposals for road and rail
network and to related services; e.g. rail terminals, public transport interchange facilities,
docks and airports
• Financing
✓ Transport was traditionally regarded as public goods.
✓ Transport infrastructure cost paid by public authorities
✓ Financial structure is tough depending on the type of infrastructure and the

administrative/political/geographical level in scope
ELEMENTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS

The transportation planning process comprises seven basic elements, which are interrelated
and not necessarily carried out sequentially. The information acquired in one phase of the
process may be helpful in some earlier or later phase, so there is a continuity of effort that
should eventually result in a decision. The elements in the process are:
▪ Situation definition
▪ Problem definition
▪ Search for solutions
▪ Analysis of performance
▪ Evaluation of alternatives
▪ Choice of project
▪ Specification and construction
A. Situation Definition
The first step in the planning process is situation definition, which involves all of the
activities required to understand the situation that gave rise to the perceived need for a
transportation improvement. In this phase, the basic factors that created the present
situation are described, and the scope of the system to be studied is delineated. The
present system is analyzed and its characteristics are described. Information about the
surrounding area, its people, and their travel habits may be obtained. Previous reports
and studies that may be relevant to the present situation are reviewed and summarized.
B. Problem Definition
The purpose of this step is to describe the problem in terms of the objectives to be
accomplished by the project and to translate those objectives into criteria that can be
quantified. Objectives are statements of purpose, such as to reduce traffic congestion; to
improve safety; to maximize net highway-user benefits; and to reduce noise. Criteria are
the measures of effectiveness that can be used to quantify the extent to which a
proposed transportation project will achieve the stated objectives. For example, the
objective “to reduce traffic congestion” might use “travel time” as the measure of
effectiveness
C. Search for Solutions

In this phase of the planning process, consideration is given to a variety of ideas, designs,
locations, and system configurations that might provide solutions to the problem. This is
the brainstorming stage, in which many options may be proposed for later testing and
evaluation. Alternatives can be proposed by any group or organization. The
transportation engineer has a variety of options available in any particular situation, and
any or all may be considered in this idea-generating phase. Among the options that
might be used are different types of transportation technology or vehicles, various
system or network arrangements, and different methods of operation. This phase also
includes preliminary feasibility studies, which might narrow the range of choices to those
that appear most promising. Some data gathering, field testing, and cost estimating may
be necessary at this stage to determine the practicality and financial feasibility of the
alternatives being proposed.
D. Analysis of Performance
The purpose of performance analysis is to estimate how each of the proposed
alternatives would perform under present and future conditions. The criteria identified
in the previous steps are calculated for each transportation option. Included in this step
is a determination of the investment cost of building the transportation project, as well
as annual costs for maintenance and operation. The number of persons or vehicles that
will use the system is determined, and these results, expressed in vehicles or
persons/hour, serve as the basis for project design. Other information about the use of
the system (such as trip length, travel by time of day, and vehicle occupancy) are also
determined and used in calculating user benefits for various criteria or measures of
effectiveness. Environmental effects of the transportation project (such as noise and air
pollution levels and acres of land required) are estimated. These nonuser impacts are
calculated in situations where the transportation project could have significant impacts
on the community or as required by law
E. Evaluation of Alternatives
The purpose of the evaluation phase is to determine how well each alternative will
achieve the objectives of the project as defined by the criteria. The performance data
produced in the analysis phase are used to compute the benefits and costs that will
result if the project is selected. In cases where the results cannot be reduced to a single
monetary value, a weighted ranking for each alternative might be produced and
compared with other proposed projects. If the benefit-cost ratio result is positive, the
evaluation of alternative sites requires additional comparison of factors, both for
engineering and economic feasibility and for environmental impact.
F. Choice of Project
Project selection is made after considering all the factors involved. In a simple situation,
for example, where the project has been authorized and is in the design phase, a single
criterion (such as cost) might be used and the chosen project would be the one with the
lowest cost. With a more complex project, however, many factors have to be considered,
and selection is based on how the results are perceived by those involved in
decisionmaking. If the project involves the community, it may be necessary to hold
additional public hearings. A bond issue or referendum may be required. It is possible
that none of the alternatives will meet the criteria or standards, and additional
investigations will be necessary.
G. Specification and Construction
Once the transportation project has been selected, the project moves into a detailed
design phase in which each of the components of the facility is specified. For a
transportation facility, this involves its physical location, geometric dimensions, and
structural configuration. Design plans are produced that can be used by contractors to
estimate the cost of building the project. When a construction firm is selected, these
plans will be the basis on which the project will be built.
EFFECTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Urban transportation planning is a crucial component of any city’s efforts to improve its
quality of life, economic competitiveness, and environmental sustainability. Urban
transport planners develop plans that help in the decision-making process, considering
the needs of all stakeholders, and achieving the desired level of service to ensure an
efficient, safe, and sustainable transport system. The process of urban transport planning
is complex and includes:
• Safety issues like traffic congestion and accidents
• Environmental issues like air pollution and noise levels
• Social issues like income disparities between different populations
• Economic factors like the cost of transportation services for consumers
• Political factors like how much power local governments have over the transportation
network in their city
• Technological factors such as how quickly new innovations can be adopted by people
in cities
Urban transportation planners coordinate urban transport functions. It’s a complex
function, which requires deep collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure an
effective partnership between the public and private sectors.

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URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING CONCEPTS

URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING:

• Deliver sustainable roads

BASIC ELEMENTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

• Planning of Transport Systems/physical planning

✓ Transport was traditionally regarded as public goods.

✓ Transport infrastructure cost paid by public authorities

✓ Financial structure is tough depending on the type of infrastructure and the

ELEMENTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS

C. Search for Solutions

EFFECTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

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