The Transportation Planning Excellence Awards (TPEA) Program is a biennial awards program developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), to recognize outstanding initiatives across the country to develop, plan and implement innovative transportation planning practices. TPEA is cosponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Eligible nominations must be for an organization involved in a planning project or process that has used FHWA and/or FTA funding sources to make an outstanding contribution to the field of transportation planning. Award winners will be announced in the spring of 2012 and will attend the Awards Ceremony at the 2012 TRB Summer Meeting.

"Excellent planning work occurs in many communities and States across the country, but the Transportation Planning Excellence Awards winners go well beyond the standard practices and incorporate truly innovative and extraordinary efforts," says Associate Administrator Gloria M. Shepherd of the FHWA Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty. "These winning projects are making outstanding contributions to the field of transportation planning."

Deputy Associate Administrator Sherry Riklin of the FTA Office of Planning and Environment notes that "an important change this year is the inclusion of ‘Rural and Small Community Planning' as an Award category. We look forward to seeing nominations of innovative planning practice across a wide range of topics and regional settings, demonstrating innovation, collaboration, and strategic use of federal funding."

The award categories will include:

• Asset Management
• Education and Training
• Environmental and Transportation Planning Linkage
• Emergency Management Planning
• Freight Planning
• Land-Use and Transportation Integration
• Livability/Sustainability
• Modeling and Technology Applications
• Operations and Planning Linkage
• Planning Leadership
• Public Involvement and Outreach
• Rural and Small Community Transportation Planning
• Safety Planning
• Tribal Transportation Planning

More information and the nomination form are available on-line at: www.planning.dot.gov/tpea2012 or email Angel Williams at [email protected]