Transportation Planning Cheat Sheet
The core ideas of Transportation Planning distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.
Quick Reference
Four-Step Travel Demand Model
The traditional framework for forecasting travel demand, consisting of trip generation (how many trips), trip distribution (where trips go), mode choice (how people travel), and traffic assignment (which routes they take).
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
A federally mandated regional body responsible for transportation planning and programming in urbanized areas with populations over 50,000, coordinating local, state, and federal transportation investments.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
A planning approach that concentrates mixed-use development, including housing, retail, and offices, within walking distance of high-quality transit stations to maximize transit ridership and reduce auto dependency.
Mode Choice
The third step in the four-step model, where travelers' decisions about which transportation mode to use (car, transit, bicycle, walking) are modeled, typically using logit models based on travel time, cost, and convenience.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
A short-term (typically four-year) prioritized list of federally funded transportation projects and strategies within a metropolitan area, derived from the long-range transportation plan.
Transportation Equity
The principle that transportation planning and investment should distribute benefits and burdens fairly across all population groups, particularly addressing the needs of low-income communities and communities of color.
Travel Demand Management (TDM)
Strategies designed to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips and manage demand on the transportation system, including congestion pricing, carpooling incentives, flexible work schedules, and parking management.
Complete Streets
A transportation planning and design approach ensuring that streets are planned, designed, and operated to provide safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists of all ages and abilities.
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
A measure of total distance traveled by all vehicles in an area over a specified period, used as a key metric for evaluating transportation system performance, emissions, and the effectiveness of demand reduction strategies.
Land Use-Transportation Connection
The reciprocal relationship between land use patterns and transportation systems: transportation infrastructure shapes development patterns, and development patterns generate travel demand that shapes transportation needs.
Key Terms at a Glance
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