Integrating Sustainability into Transportation Planning

Integrating Sustainability into the Transportation Planning Process summarizes a 2004 conference in Baltimore, Maryland, that examined whether and how sustainability objectives can be introduced into the planning process for surface transportation facilities and operations. The report explores issues associated with sustainability, the vision of a sustainable transportation system, the state of the practice, and strategies for integrating sustainability concepts into transportation planning.

From the proceedings:

"At the most basic level, a sustainable transportation system is one that meets the transportation and other needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In considering the needs of future generations, however, the benefits of the
present transportation system should not be excessively inhibited or used as the justification for precluding future choices. Transportation planners and providers must continuously struggle with the trade-offs between the economic and societal benefits of transportation and the associated unsustainable environmental, safety, health, ecosystem, and equity impacts."