Gather information on pavement conditions from the district pavement engineer. For bridges, coordinate with bridge planning engineers in the Project Development Section of the Bridge Division. Identify community concerns and critical issues. In urban areas, this includes coordinating with the MPO. In some areas, coordination with municipal urban planning organizations, neighborhood land use planning groups, etc. may be appropriate. In urban areas, evaluate compatibility of the project with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). Consider all transportation modes, the need for multimodal alternatives, and intermodal freight transport. Coordinate with other disciplines (e.g. planner, landscape architect).

Consider the economic impacts and goals for freight transportation and freight movement patterns of the Freight Mobility Plan (FMP). Review existing geometrics and compare to current rehabilitation and reconstruction design criteria. Review traffic crash information to identify locations having a high incidence of traffic crashes (relative statewide incidence) for potential projects. Refer to the Highway Safety Improvement Program Manual, “Obtaining Crash Data” for information on how to obtain and analyze traffic crash information. Assistance in obtaining or reviewing traffic crash information is available from the Traffic Operations Division (TRF).