Transportation for Communities - Advancing Projects Through Partnerships
- User Portal
Are you a Partner or Stakeholder?
Partner Portal
Partners are the four groups who make decisions affecting transportation: FHWA, DOTs, MPOs, and resource agencies.
Stakeholder Portal
Stakeholders are anyone with an interest in transportation but without the authority to make decisions.
- Applications
Transportation Phases
- Long Range Transportation Planning
- Integrated Programming and Fiscal Constraint
- Corridor Planning
- Environmental Review Merged with Permitting
Agency View - FHWA
Transportation for Communities recognizes four decision making partners (FHWA, state DOT, MPO, and resource agency) within transportation decision making. Each partner has specific interests related to their organization's mission, and their individual role in the transportation process is based primarily on these interests. Partner interests can be specific to a particular phase or may be present throughout the process. The identified interests of each decision making partner provide the basis for much of the information available in Transportation for Communities - Advancing Projects through Partnerships.
The federal requirements that govern transportation decision making along with the agency interests directly affect each partner's role at key decisions. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is ultimately responsible for enforcing the laws and regulations that govern the transportation process. Although FHWA acts in an advisory role throughout much of transportation decision making, their interests are targeted to a collaborative and inclusive process as well as meeting the intent of the federal regulations. A summary of the FHWA role and interests for each phase are provided in the table below.
There are four possible roles in Transportation for Communities. The specific partner role can change from one key decision to the next throughout the phases, and multiple partners can have the same role.
Decision Maker - The agency or agencies that either acts as the lead agency or is required to take legal action in the decision-making process. This partner has the ability to stop the process if agency interests are not being met at this decision.
Advisor - A decision-making partner who provides feedback as to whether the decision is supported or opposed and whether there are particular issues of concern. While this partner cannot stop the process at the key decision, their feedback may be crucial input for future key decisions.
Observer - A decision-making partner with limited involvement in a decision. This partner is kept updated but does not provide direction.
No Role - A decision-making partner is completely uninvolved at the decision because the resulting action is outside of their agency’s involvement in the process.
The Decision Guide provides a summary of the partner roles at each key decision in the Basics tab. The specific role of FHWA is available as you roll over each key decision in the graphic below. Understanding partner roles and how they change throughout the transportation decision making process is essential to ensuring collaboration.
To get a snapshot of each Key Decision, roll over the Decision Guide graphic below. Click on any individual Key Decision to access detailed information including: purpose and anticipated outcomes; partner roles; integration with external planning processes; linkages across phases; questions to assist decision makers; and data, tools, technologies that support the decision.
LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
Advisor - ensures the process is inclusive and meets federal requirements
Advisor - ensures the LRTP reflects the community vision and goals
Observer - observes that all pertinent criteria are included in the evaluation of scenarios
Observer - observes that the LRTP is developed from established needs
Advisor - ensures the fiscal constraint requirement is met and funding is used appropriately
Advisor - ensures that strategies are inclusive and reasonable to consider
Observer - observes the process of evaluating and considering individual scenarios for consistency with the intent of federal regulations
Advisor - ensures the public review of the preferred scenario and subsequent adoption meet the governing requirements
Advisor - ensures air quality conformity is appropriately considered
Decision Maker - approves and accepts the air quality conformity analysis and documents the adopted LRTP meets federal requirements
PROGRAMMING
Advisor - ensures revenue sources identified are reasonable and appropriate
Advisor - ensures project cost and revenue allocation are inclusive, consistent, and appropriate
Observer - observes the identification of specific projects from the adopted plan scenario
Observer - observes the prioritization of projects from the adopted LRTP
Advisor - ensures the draft TIP has been developed in accordance with federal regulations and is appropriately submitted for public review
Advisor - ensures the incorporation of the TIP into the STIP meets all federal requirements
Advisor - ensures the draft STIP has been developed in accordance with federal regulations and is appropriately submitted for public review
Decision Maker - approves the STIP with respect to conformity and fiscal constraint
CORRIDOR PLANNING
Advisor - ensures the process of developing the corridor or sub-area plan is inclusive of appropriate federal and state agencies and considers other accepted plans
Observer - observes the development of problem statements and opportunities based on sound principles and process
Observer - observes the approval of goals that are consistent with accepted plans as well as community goals
Advisor - ensures state and federal agencies are appropriately included in the environmental review scope and analysis
Observer - observes that all relevant criteria are included in the evaluation methodology
Advisor - ensures the range of solutions considered is inclusive and consistent with accepted plans
Advisor - ensures the adopted solution set is consistent with accepted plans
Observer - observes establishment of prioritization criteria
Observer - observes prioritization of solutions for consideration in the TIP development process
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW/NEPA MERGED WITH PERMITTING
Decision Maker - ensures that the environmental review process is inclusive, considers a wide range of options, and meets federal requirements
Decision Maker - approves the notice of intent in accordance with federal requirements
Decision Maker - approves the development of the purpose and need in accordance with federal requirements
Decision Maker - ensures consideration of an appropriate study area for the beginning of the environmental review process
Decision Maker - approves the evaluation criteria, methods and measures that will govern the comparison of alternatives
Decision Maker - approves the full range of alternatives identified to meet the purpose and need; agrees to the elimination of specific alternatives
Decision Maker - approves the alternatives to be carried forward as meeting the purpose and need; agrees to the elimination of specific alternatives
Decision Maker - approves the release of the Draft EIS with conceptual mitigation for public comment
No Role - Action required only by federal permitting agency (s)
Decision Maker - approves the preferred alternative as meeting the purpose and need
LEDPA
Observer - observes the final jurisdictional determination by USACE
Observer - observes the determination of final avoidance, minimization and mitigation.
Decision Maker - approves the final EIS as meeting all federal requirements
Decision Maker - approves the federal Record of Decision (ROD)
Observer - observes the issuance of permits
| Long Range Transportation Planning | |
|---|---|
| Role Summary | Throughout most of the phase FHWA acts as an advisor and observer. FHWA's only decision-making role is to approve the air quality conformity of the LRTP. |
| Interests | FHWA wants to ensure that the long range planning process/resulting plan:
|
| Corridor Planning | |
| Role Summary | FHWA acts as an advisor or observer throughout corridor planning and has no decision-making role. |
| Interests | FHWA wants to ensure that the corridor planning process/resulting plan:
|
| Programming Integrated with Fiscal Constraint | |
| Role Summary | FHWA serves an advisor throughout most of the phase. FHWA's only decision-making role is to approve the STIP, Conformity Analysis & Fiscal Constraint Determination. |
| Interests | FHWA is interested in whether programming and the resulting TIP/STIP:
|
| Environmental Review Merged with Permitting | |
| Role Summary | FHWA is the formal decision maker throughout most of the environmental review phase but observes the jurisdictional determination. |
| Interests | FHWA is interested in whether the environmental review process/environmental document:
|