7.1 Introduction
7.1.1 Overview
Corridor planning shapes a long-term vision for a corridor with the comprehensive analysis of a transportation corridor from a
multimodal
approach (passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, railroad, transit, aviation, maritime, and bike/ped). It focuses on a mix of transportation needs as they relate to the complex economic, demographic, and social characteristics of communities within the corridor. TxDOT uses three main types of studies to identify transportation needs related to the State system: Feasibility, Route, and Corridor studies. The following sections are consistent with Chapter 11 of the TxDOT Transportation Planning and Programming manual.7.1.1.1 Feasibility Studies
When a solution is unknown, a feasibility study is performed to determine possible alternatives and their viability. A feasibility study is part of the Planning phase of the project development process and is intended for limited project development. Feasibility studies establish design concepts, general ROW requirements, and associated project impacts. The typical elements of a feasibility study include evaluating alternative project solutions/concepts, analyzing current and future traffic, evaluating potential environmental red flags and fatal flaws, and developing planning-level cost estimates.
7.1.1.2 Route Studies
Route studies are typically conducted in an area around one or two cities/towns currently experiencing, or forecasted to experience, adverse traffic congestion that have safety issues due to outdated roadway design or need to determine routes for freight traffic. These studies typically follow-up a feasibility study. The purpose of a route study is to identify a preferred route that meets the local and regional travel needs. A route study is part of the Planning phase of the project development process and documents transportation needs for the purpose of subsequent detailed schematic and environmental studies.
7.1.1.3 Corridor Studies
Corridor studies provide agency-wide planning, programming, and implementation activities for a 25-year to 30-year outlook. A corridor study is critical to the Planning phase of project development as it provides direct linkage from the Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan (SLRTP) vision. TxDOT uses corridor studies as sources of projects for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), the Rural Transportation Plan (RTP), and the Unified Transportation Program (UTP).
Such studies establish a shared vision and consensus by allowing stakeholders and communities to set goals and objectives. Corridor studies vary in length and can be evaluated either from a regional perspective or statewide perspective. Corridor studies are effective tools in examining a transportation corridor's existing conditions, developing multimodal future conditions, and providing interim solutions for corridors as they evolve.
7.1.2 Purpose and Intended Use
The purpose and intended use of this chapter is to provide guidance on the type of information and analysis to include in a feasibility, route, or corridor study. This chapter includes details on defining overall scope for a corridor planning project, an overview of existing conditions data collection, and a process to identify and analyze existing and future traffic and safety conditions along the corridor. The rest of this chapter provides information on key considerations of corridor planning.
7.1.3 Limitations
The chapter is written from a traffic and safety analysis perspective for the three types of corridor planning projects (feasibility, route, and corridor studies), and does not include information regarding other aspects of the corridor planning process or details on next steps. This chapter does not include a step-bystep procedure for how to complete a corridor planning process. Components related to environmental documentation, pavement design, and other items not pertaining to traffic operations and safety analysis are not included in this chapter. For more information, refer to TxDOT’s TPP manual.
See Appendix H, Section 1 – External References (Reference 1)
, for a link to the TPP manual.