AICP Transportation and Infrastructure Planning 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A planner is updating a regional transportation plan (RTP). Under federal requirements, the RTP must extend at least how many years into the future in non-attainment and maintenance areas?
- 20 years (Correct answer)
- 10 years
- 5 years
- 25 years
Correct answer: 20 years
Federal regulations require RTPs in non-attainment and maintenance areas to have a minimum 20-year planning horizon to ensure long-range consistency.
Question 2: The 'induced demand' concept in transportation planning suggests that:
- Adding roadway capacity generates new vehicle trips that offset congestion relief (Correct answer)
- Increasing transit frequency reduces automobile ownership proportionally
- Higher fuel prices suppress vehicle miles traveled in the short run
- Traffic calming measures induce cyclists to shift to driving
Correct answer: Adding roadway capacity generates new vehicle trips that offset congestion relief
Research consistently shows that new lane capacity attracts latent demand, causing traffic volumes to rise and congestion to return to prior levels.
Question 3: Which document formalizes the short-range (4-year) program of federally funded transportation projects that an MPO has approved for implementation?
- Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) (Correct answer)
- Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
- Statewide Transportation Plan (STP)
- Corridor Investment Study (CIS)
Correct answer: Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
The TIP is the MPO's fiscally constrained, federally required four-year schedule of transportation projects approved for federal funding.
Question 4: In infrastructure finance, a 'revenue bond' issued for a toll road differs from a 'general obligation bond' because it:
- Is backed solely by toll revenues rather than the government's taxing power (Correct answer)
- Carries a higher credit rating due to government backing
- Cannot be used for capital construction, only for operations
- Must be repaid within five years under federal rules
Correct answer: Is backed solely by toll revenues rather than the government's taxing power
Revenue bonds are secured only by the specific revenue stream (e.g., tolls) of the project, not by the full faith and credit of the issuing government.
Question 5: A planner applies the four-step travel demand model. Which step generates the origin-destination trip table used in subsequent steps?
- Trip distribution
- Trip generation (Correct answer)
- Mode split
- Trip assignment
Correct answer: Trip generation
Trip generation is the first step and estimates the total number of trips produced by and attracted to each traffic analysis zone.
Question 6: 'Complete Streets' policies require that transportation projects be designed to accommodate:
- All users and modes, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists (Correct answer)
- Only non-motorized users to reduce automobile dependency
- Freight vehicles and emergency responders as priority users
- Electric vehicles through dedicated charging infrastructure
Correct answer: All users and modes, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists
Complete Streets is a design philosophy that ensures roadways are safe and accessible for all ages, abilities, and transportation modes.
Question 7: A planner reviewing a State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) loan application should recognize that SIBs are PRIMARILY designed to:
- Provide revolving loans and credit assistance to leverage federal and private investment in transportation (Correct answer)
- Grant direct federal subsidies that do not need to be repaid
- Fund only transit projects in rural areas underserved by formula programs
- Replace the federal-aid highway program for states that opt in
Correct answer: Provide revolving loans and credit assistance to leverage federal and private investment in transportation
SIBs are revolving credit funds capitalized with federal and state contributions that offer loans, loan guarantees, and other credit tools to stretch transportation dollars.
AICP Transportation and Infrastructure Planning 5
A planner is updating a regional transportation plan (RTP).
Under federal requirements, the RTP must extend at least how many years into the future in non-attainment and maintenance areas?