4.2.1 Planning-Stage

A Planning-stage analysis is typically a lowdetail analysis applied to projects at an early development stage. While a Planning-stage analysis is low-detail, it uses accurate data and as much data as available for the study. Per the HCM, Planning-stage analyses are “directed toward broad issues such as initial complication identification, long-range analyses, and regional and statewide performance monitoring.” While Planning-stage analysis is often applied to high-level projects and large areas, it could also be applied to specific locations and projects that use many data inputs.
Planning-stage analyses:
  • Are conducted for projects such as short- or long-range studies, master plans, strategic plans, and alternatives analyses;
  • Help estimate high-level project cost;
  • Identify questions to be answered in later stages of analysis;
  • Rely on available data sources and supplement unknown inputs with default values; and
  • Use screening tools, TDM outputs, or other planning stage tools to select viable alternative for further analysis
    • Screening tools that can be implemented include general service volumes, CAP-X, and other spreadsheet-based tools
  • May use tools that are deterministic (report same results, given same inputs) and macroscopic (evaluate traffic stream as compared to individual vehicles); and
  • May use tools that are stochastic (account for randomness) and mesoscopic (evaluates both traffic flows/streams and individual vehicles)