ISTEA Planner's Workbook

Those who plan and design the future of our cities, communities and regions, are entrusted with numerous social, environmental, and economic goals that ultimately shape the quality of life for millions of people. Citizens, often through advocacy and involvement in civic organizations, expect planning and design professionals to provide or preserve safe neighborhoods where people of all ages can safely walk, bike and play; green spaces and recreational opportunities; and meaningful, accessible jobs. These goals and expectations are at the heart of the Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), which provides a planning framework for developing transportation systems that serve community livability.

In an effort to bring ISTEA to life, federal regulations governing statewide and metropolitan transportation planning, management systems and conformity were released in the fall of 1993. These regulations attempt to interpret and clarify the vision and requirements of ISTEA and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) and to provide guidance on implementation to States and metropolitan regions.

Because ISTEA and the CAAA have fundamentally changed the way in which transportation plans and programs are developed -- strengthening the role of the public, conforming transportation plans with air quality plans, constraining the programming of projects to available funding, analyzing transportation alternatives within corridors slated for major investment -- the regulations are crucial guides to state and local transportation planning. However, in many instances, the issues are so complex that they cry out for interpretation and guidance, for the benefit of all concerned, including elected officials, transportation and urban development professionals, and the law's new public partners.

The Planning Committee of the Surface Transportation Policy Project, of which we are the Chairs, has gathered together some of the most astute minds in the country who are currently working on these issues to cast additional light on the transportation planning process under ISTEA and the CAAA. The result is a compilation of papers that clarifies some of the most important, and sometimes controversial, issues that the legislation and subsequent regulations raise.

The emphasis on public involvement, planning considerations and financial constraint articulated by ISTEA signals some of the most sweeping changes in planning processes in recent memory. All interested individuals, including low-income and minority populations, are expected to be actively included in transportation decisionmaking. Social, economic and environmental factors are expected to be considered alongside more traditional concerns of mobility and capacity. Alternatives to the single occupancy vehicle are expected to be explored for major corridors. Transportation Improvement Programs are expected to accurately reflect fiscal realities. And land use patterns are expected to be closely examined.

At the same time, the Clean Air Act Amendments draw the processes of air quality and transportation planning more closely together than ever before, with conformity requirements placing greater responsibility for air quality on the transportation community. Additionally, management systems envisioned and required under ISTEA are intended to provide a mechanism to identify and address problems and opportunities in the transportation system.

The papers presented here provide -- in clear and user-friendly language -- the rationale behind many of the visions and requirements in ISTEA, the CAAA and the subsequent regulations. They also act as guidance on how to realize the promise these visions bring about. We are convinced that the direction in which ISTEA and the CAAA are taking us is one that will help all communities achieve the quality of life they seek. We are thrilled with the insight and information that the ISTEA Planner's Workbook delivers and hope that, as you read through its pages, you are inspired to realize the full potential of your own community.

Albert C. Eisenberg

American Institute of Architects

Co-Chair, STPP Planning Committee

Nancy S. Willis, AICP

American Planning Association

Co-Chair, STPP Planning Committee