Environmental Considerations in Urban Transportation Planning

The systems approach to transportation planning has proven itself to be sound and effective. To accommodate itself to today's values, however, the planning process must be broadened so that it considers community impacts as fully as economic impacts. While current legislation and regulations mandate such an approach, additional research and data gathering are required to allow the full evaluation of community impacts. Transportation planning must conceive of strategies other than constructing new facilities. These include economic and land development policies and low capital intensive alternatives. More citizen participation and better intergovernmental decision-making on a metropolitan-wide basis are required if urban transportation plans are to gain public support and if their timely implementation is to be realized.