Volume 1 Issue 9 | May 28, 2020
Transportation Planning Newsletter
Chair: Kristina Swallow, Nevada DOT Vice Chair: Lynn Weiskopf, New York State DOT

The Committee on Planning addresses all aspects of the transportation planning process including federal regulations, current industry practices, and emerging approaches and concepts. The committee is dedicated to providing State DOTs the expertise, resources and tools they need to implement a robust planning process within their agencies that is multimodal, multidisciplinary, innovative and consensus-oriented.
Committee News
LEAVE YOUR MARK: A CALL TO ACTION FOR FY2021 NCHRP RESEARCH PANEL MEMBER AND SYNTHESIS PANEL MEMBER NOMINATIONS

1) Translate problem statements into Requests for Proposals with well-defined objectives;

2) Review proposals and select the most capable research team to undertake the work;

3) Provide guidance on the technical aspects of the research during the life of the contract, by
commenting on Quarterly, Interim, and Final reports;

4) Serve as champions for implementation of the research results. 
Every year, there are exciting opportunities for AASHTO members to have direct participation in National Cooperative Highway Research (NCHRP) panels that directly oversee cutting-edge projects. The window of opportunity for FY2021 has opened, and again, there is an important need for Committee on Planning (COP) members to volunteer. These volunteers, especially those with state DOT perspectives, are critical to accomplish successful and actionable research benefiting transportation stakeholders.

Available volunteer positions include Panel Chair, AASHTO Monitor, and Panel Member. One may nominate and/or self-nominate panel member recommendations, as committee and subcommittee members could include others that work at your agency.

Panel nominations are due June 30, 2020. Nominations should be submitted online via the TRB website: 
https://volunteer.mytrb.org/Panel/AvailableProjects. Also, please send interested names to Matt Hardy, AASHTO Liaison who will submit the recommendations to NCHRP for consideration. It is important to note that NCHRP must balance many different aspects of forming a project panel and they make the final on decision on its composition.
Below is a list of some projects (in Problem Number order) related to the Committee on Planning. We hope you'll consider nominating someone to support some of these interesting projects!

  • A-01: Implementing and leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at Departments of Transportation
  • A-02: Research Roadmap for Knowledge Management
  • A-14: Transitioning Fuel Tax Assessments to a Road Usage Charge
  • B-09: Methods to Prevent Bridge Strikes by Trucks
  • B-10: Best Practices in determining rural transit fleet size – How to provide service for changing demographics of rural ridership (Right-sizing of rural transit fleets)
  • B-22: Resources for State DOTs to Consider Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change in NEPA Documents
  • B-26: National Design and Interoperability Standards for Truck Parking Information Management Systems
  • B-27: Guidance for Local Truck Parking Regulations
  • B-29: Utilizing Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) Data to Enhance the Use of Freeway Operational Strategies
  • B-30: Integrating Resiliency into Transportation System Operations
  • B-39: Impact of Spatial Segmentation on Travel Time Reliability Performance Measures
  • B-47: Best Practices for Using Online Tools in Public Involvement Processes
  • C-02: Design Guidance and Standards for Resilience
  • G-01: State DOT usage of bicycle and pedestrian data: practices, sources, needs, and gaps
  • G-20: Assignment of short-duration traffic volume counts to adjustment factor groups
  • Synthesis 52-13: Shared Micromobility Policies, Permits, and Practices
  • Synthesis 52-15: Measuring Investments and Benefits of Active Transportation Investments When Accomplished as Part of Other Roadway Projects
  • Synthesis 52-16: Visualization of Performance Measures
COVID-19

State departments of transportation are actively supporting their residents, businesses and local communities in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak. And in turn, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is working to support state DOTs in those efforts.

AASHTO remains committed to responsibly following federal and state recommended workplace actions related to COVID-19. We hope you’ll find the resources available at https://www.transportation.org /home/covid19/ useful.

If AASHTO staff can assist you with comments or questions regarding COVID-19, please email us at committeeonplanning@aashto.org.
2020 JOINT POLICY CONFERENCE
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official’s (AASHTO) 2020 Joint Policy Conference: Connecting the DOTs will bring together six AASHTO committees and councils to meet and discuss critical issues surrounding multimodal freight and passenger transportation. Focus areas will include planning, freight, maritime, security and resilience, environment and sustainability, and active transportation. With an estimated 300 participants from all 52 AASHTO member departments, this is a unique opportunity to reach out and connect with key decision-makers at state DOTs.

Please know that AASHTO’s first priority is the health, safety and well-being of our attendees, volunteers and staff attending any AASHTO meetings. We continue to monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization’s statements and guidance closely. Currently, consideration for cancellation or postponement of upcoming AASHTO meetings as a result of COVID-19 is being made on a case by case basis.

At this time, no decision has been made regarding cancellation or postponement of the 2020 Joint Policy Conference. It is also possible that this conference will be held virtually. Additional details will be available in future editions of this newsletter.
Industry News
ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION

Cities are closing streets to make way for restaurants and pedestrians
Washington Post

De Blasio’s move to open NYC street to pedestrians leaves out low-income neighborhoods, map shows
Daily News
 
New Orleans Mayor Wants to Reimagine the French Quarter for Pedestrians and Outdoor Seating
Eater New Orleans

'Master plan' for East Baton Rouge envisions 100 miles of bike lanes, 250 miles of off-road paths
The Advocate

FREIGHT
 
Agriculture Supply Chain Upended by Virus, Expert Says
Transport Topics

FUNDING

State DOTs Reiterate Need for $50B in Stopgap Funding
AASHTO Journal

WYDOT director backs usage charge as solution to funding state roads
Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Massachusetts lawmakers discuss solutions to state’s transportation issues
WWLP-TV

INFRASTRUCTURE

A Stimulus Proposal Emerges From The Ashes With GOP Support: Infrastructure Spending
Forbes

INTERNATIONAL
 
UK Cities Trial ‘Red Carpet’ Crosswalks To Reduce Pedestrian Accidents
Cities Today

Transportation policymaking in Chinese cities
MIT News

MOBILITY  

Coronavirus is reshaping urban mobility
Axios

How mobility startups can help authorities fix public transport after the pandemic
Urban Mobility Daily

MPOs
 
Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission Forwards Work Goals for Year  
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Greater Nashville Regional Council official: ‘Priorities have shifted’ amid pandemic
Williamson Herald

Hagerstown/Eastern Panhandle MPO to update long-range transportation plan
Herald-Mail Media

OTHER
 
What does Maryland's Purple Line project team breakup mean for P3s?
Construction Dive

New PhD Graduate Examines How Uber, Lyft Have Used Policy Process To Gain Edge And Disrupt Transportation
UMSL Daily
 
PLANNING
 
How sport is helping to shape the smart cities of tomorrow  
SportsPro

RAIL

Amtrak needs $1.5 billion bailout, prepares to cut up to 20% of workforce
Reuters

Amtrak and PennDOT collaborate to restore Pennsylvania services
WHTM-TV

A new report strengthens the case for MARC “run-through” service to Virginia
Greater Greater Washington

Hassan, Thune introduce bipartisan bill on financing loans for rail infrastructure projects
New Hampshire Union Leader
 
ROADWAYS

As Lockdown Orders Lift, Can Cities Prevent A Traffic Catastrophe?
NPR News
 
Syracuse, New York Mayor to Launch Curbside Pickup Pilot Program for Retail Stores and Restaurants
Urban CNY

Not everyone’s impressed with slowing down traffic near Oakland’s ‘essential places’
San Francisco Chronicle column

FHWA Releases Integrated Corridor Management Video
AASHTO Journal

SAFETY 

What the COVID-19 pandemic could teach Denver about reducing traffic deaths
KUSA-TV

Changing Behaviors Key To Toward Zero Deaths Program Success
AASHTO Journal

The Safe System Approach With Robert Wunderlich, Director Of Center For Transportation Safety
ITE Talks Transportation podcast

TECHNOLOGY

Audio Should Play A Central Role In Smart City Planning
Smart Cities Dive 

SoftBank Joint Venture Uses Connected Car Data To Improve US Roads
VentureBeat

TRANSIT
 
Can U.S. transit workers be kept safe on crowded buses and trains?
PBS NewsHour

Chicago transportation advocates seek equitable route forward for public transit
Energy News Network
 
Remix Announces Tool to Expedite Transit Scenario Planning
Government Technology

New San Diego plan to divert transit money away from suburbs called unfair
San Diego Union-Tribune

Cities Must Rethink Public Transportation As States Reopen Amid Pandemic
NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
 
TRB Webinar: Evolution of Project Delivery Information Systems
TRB
 
Forecasting through COVID-19 will be crucial for the future of transportation
TRB