Action Plan: The Highway Planning Process

In 1970 a concerned Congress enacted legislation which directed the Secretary of Transportation to develop guidelines designed to assure that factors of social, economic and environmental significance are fully considered in highway related decisions. These guidelines were issued to the states by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Policy and Procedure Memorandum (PPM) 90-4, "Process Guidelines (Social, Economic, and Environmental Effects on Highway Projects)", Appendix A.

Recognizing the uniqueness of each state, the guidelines aim to influence the method or process by which highway projects are developed rather than prescribe specific conditions or procedures. The detailing of each state's individual process is its Action Plan.