Transportation Plans

A Plan is a type of document that guides the work of transportation planning agencies, outlining a vision and strategic steps that will move them towards that vision. There are many types of plans that planners use, including land use plans, site plans, corridor plans, master plans and strategic plans. They can be project-specific, short-range, or long-range in scope. A good long-range plan includes what an agency wants to accomplish, how they want to accomplish it, and by when, and they often include Goals, Objectives, and Policies that inform decision-makers on how to prioritize funding for transportation projects. 

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT): Statewide Transportation Plan

The United States federal government requires all states to have a long-range statewide transportation plan. The FDOT makes and carries out plans for interstate highways, state-owned local roads, and various modes of transportation for the entire state of Florida. The Florida Transportation Plan is the agency’s single all-encompassing long-range statewide plan looking ahead to 2060.

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO): Long Range Transportation Plans

Federal law requires all projects receiving federal funding to be in a MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan. Metropolitan Planning Organizations exist to identify local conditions, needs and preferences to prioritize transportation projects receiving federal funds within their entire jurisdiction. They are the seminal plans for a region’s transportation system. LRTPs are updated every five years, and they look ahead 20 years.

Transit Agencies: Transportation Development Plans

The FDOT requires all transit agencies in the state of Florida to have a transportation development plan (TDP). Transit agencies, also called transit authorities, are generally recognized as government agencies or public-benefit corporation that exist to plan and operate public transportation services using public funds. TDPs in Florida are strategic long-range plans that look ahead 10 years. 

Cities and Counties: Comprehensive Plans

The State of Florida requires all counties and municipalities in the state to have comprehensive plans. The goal of a comprehensive plan is to responsibly manage the economic and physical growth of a city or county. They are separated into elements pertaining to things like land use and housing development, and they usually have a transportation or mobility element. They are rewritten every seven to 10 years, and they look ahead 20 years.

City

County

Regional Transportation Organizations: Master Plans

Regional transportation organizations are government agencies or public benefit corporations that coordinate and plan for the needs of an entire region. They often create strategic master plans to guide their funding priorities.

Private Industry Master Plans

Area-Specific Master Plans

Dayna Lazarus, TBMO Research Lead

Get More Info