Infrastructure Planning & Development Flashcards

Which public participation requirement is most associated with the environmental review process under NEPA?

Answer: Public scoping meetings and comment periods on draft EIS documents

NEPA requires agencies to conduct scoping to define the scope of an EIS and accept public comments on the draft document before finalizing it.

What is the purpose of a 'constructability review' during transportation project design?

Answer: Identify design elements that may be difficult, costly, or unsafe to build before construction begins

A constructability review examines plans from a contractor's perspective to catch design conflicts, sequencing issues, and unbuildable details early.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), transportation agencies must ensure that pedestrian facilities meet which standard?

Answer: Accessible design standards including curb ramps, detectable warning surfaces, and accessible pedestrian signals

ADA requires transportation agencies to make pedestrian facilities accessible through proper curb ramps, detectable warnings, compliant cross slopes, and accessible signals.

What is the primary goal of a 'travel demand model' in regional transportation planning?

Answer: Forecast future traffic volumes and travel patterns based on land use and demographic projections

Travel demand models simulate how people make travel decisions and forecast future volumes to evaluate transportation alternatives and infrastructure needs.

Which funding mechanism allows transportation agencies to leverage federal loans for large infrastructure projects with future revenue streams?

Answer: Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA)

TIFIA provides federal credit assistance (loans, loan guarantees, standby lines of credit) to help finance large surface transportation projects that generate future revenues.

In transportation planning, 'mode share' refers to:

Answer: The percentage of total trips made by each transportation mode (car, transit, walking, cycling)

Mode share measures how travelers distribute across available transportation options and is a key metric for evaluating multimodal planning success.

What is the primary distinction between a 'freeway' and an 'expressway' in US highway classification?

Answer: Freeways have full access control with no at-grade intersections, while expressways may have some at-grade crossings

A freeway provides complete access control with all grade-separated interchanges, while an expressway is a divided highway that may include some at-grade intersections.