PennDOT is engaged in a number of interrelated efforts that, together, will help us integrate Smart Transportation into everything we do.
Outreach to Local Governments and Other Partners: Smart Transportation requires land use and transportation decisions to be made in coordination with one another. To do this, we must continue working with local governments and our other partners in community building. A number of activities related to this initiative will be rolled out over the next several months; check back soon for more information, email us at smarttransportation@state.pa.us, or find your local Smart Transportation contact’s information here.
Linking Planning and NEPA: We are defining a new planning process that will be used to better understand transportation problems, the potential solutions and related costs before they are programmed for funding. Criteria used to determine if a project receives funding will be based on Smart Transportation principles and Pennsylvania’s Keystone principles. Click here to download the Keystone principles.
Revisions to the Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) Process: The Department is currently revamping the HOP Process to more closely align it with the principles of Smart Transportation.
Revisions to the Design Manuals and other Policy Documents: We are changing our rules and standards to better reflect the principles of Smart Transportation, so that our projects can be sensitive to the local land use, environmental, and social contexts. We are also updating the process that we use to develop projects to include more planning activities and provide more flexibility.
Internal Training Sessions: Finally, we are also training all of our staff on the principles of Smart Transportation, and how they can use these principles in their everyday jobs.