The Best of the Best

How do transportation agencies ensure that their decisions are environmentally sensitive, while taking into account many complex factors such as the public, land use, development, safety, and security? The answer is planning. Transportation planners comprehensively analyze and evaluate the potential impact of transportation plans and programs while addressing the aspirations and concerns of the society they serve. Sometimes they even go above and beyond to create a collaborative, balanced, and financially feasible transportation plan. The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration developed the awards program, and the American Planning Association is a cosponsor. The awards recognize outstanding initiatives across the country that develop, plan, and implement innovative transportation planning practices. The 2015 awards recognized eight winners and applauded eight other projects with honorable mentions. These projects rep resent a small cross section of the exemplary work being undertaken across the country and can provide signposts to guide the next generation of innovative projects.