urban-mobility-transport-planning-method

# Urban Mobility Transport Planning Method ## Freeze the planning decision and geography Record sponsoring authority, jurisdiction, decision to be informed, study geography, zone and network system, base year, forecast horizon, scenario dates, modes, population scope, model/data cutoff, option set, reporting audience, owner and qualified reviewers. Distinguish a study area, modeled area, affected area, service area and engagement geography. Do not silently substitute one boundary for another. Assign stable IDs to data sources, network/service versions, models, scenarios, measures, populations, option components and engagement records. Every numeric value requires unit, denominator, time period and price/year basis where applicable. A generic benchmark or upstream example is not local evidence. ## Establish the multimodal network and service baseline Inventory walking links and crossings, cycling facilities, public-transit routes/stops/service, roadway lanes and controls as represented in authorized data, freight facilities/routes, shared-mobility services and first/last-mile connections. Record topology and service version, date, collection method, observed quantity, known closures or temporary conditions, data owner and limitations. Reconcile authorized GTFS, counts, travel surveys, origin-destination matrices, probe data, census/demographic sources, land use, employment, parking, crash, emissions and cost sources. Preserve geography, sampling frame, expansion factors supplied, time period and privacy suppression. Do not infer current service from an old feed or treat modeled links as observed facilities. ## Trace travel-demand model evidence Use only an authorized supplied model, whether four-step, activity-based, sketch-planning, STOPS or another documented method. Trace input datasets and transformations through generation/activity, distribution/destination, mode choice and assignment or the actual model stages. Record model/software version, scenario configuration, parameters and source, calibration targets, validation comparisons and exceptions. Keep observed data, model input, calibrated parameter and forecast output separate. State how induced demand, land use, fares, service, road pricing, parking, telework, freight and external trips are represented only if documented. Never import upstream trip rates, mode shares, reduction percentages, capacity values or solver defaults. ## Evaluate accessibility as distinct from mobility Define the opportunity, population, geography, mode, time/cost threshold or impedance function, time period and denominator behind every accessibility measure. Record network/service and land-use versions. A travel-time reduction is not automatically improved access, and increased vehicle movement is not automatically public benefit. Assess first mile and last mile connectivity, transfer burden, schedule availability, physical accessibility, reliability and affordability where supplied. Report distributional outcomes and coverage gaps. Do not select catchment distances or thresholds from the upstream Skill; use only locally authorized definitions and test sensitivities. ## Compare multimodal option packages Describe each package by component and implementation dependency across walking, cycling, transit, road, freight, shared mobility and transportation demand management. Keep an option, scenario and policy assumption distinct. Trace expected network/service changes and affected model inputs. Compare authorized measures using consistent geography, horizon, baseline, denominator and uncertainty: access, reliability, travel time, passenger or vehicle throughput, operating/capital cost, emissions, safety and equity. Do not hide tradeoffs in an unapproved weighted score. Record whether results are observed, modeled, estimated or stakeholder-stated. The Skill may expose dominance or sensitivity but cannot select a preferred option. ## Analyze performance and uncertainty For every result, record source/model version, baseline/comparator, value/unit/denominator, statistical or model uncertainty, forecast range, sensitivity and known omitted effects. Check calibration and validation evidence against the decision use. A model validated for one geography, mode or time period is not automatically transferable. Challenge scenario inconsistency, double-counted benefits, incompatible cost years, changes in network/service supply not reflected in demand, suppressed negative outcomes and averages that conceal distribution. Preserve contradictions between models or stakeholder evidence and name the qualified resolver. ## Trace equity, safety and environmental evidence Disaggregate supplied outcomes by authorized geography and population categories while following privacy and statistical-disclosure controls. State classification source and limitations. Map who receives access, reliability or cost benefits and who bears displacement, delay, exposure, severance, crash or environmental burdens. Do not assert a protected-class effect without appropriate evidence and legal review. Record crash and safety evidence with exposure denominator, period, severity definition, geocoding quality and regression-to-mean limitations. Record emissions/noise/air-quality outputs with model and scenario identity. The Skill cannot make legal equity, environmental conformity, civil-rights or safety-design determinations. ## Preserve public engagement and involvement evidence Record public engagement purpose, authority, date, method, geography, languages/accessibility, invited and participating groups, materials/version, comments or themes, response/disposition and known participation gaps. Stakeholder input is evidence of a statement or preference, not statistical population representation unless the method supports that claim. Do not claim consensus or community consent. Link option changes and unresolved questions to engagement evidence. The Skill cannot contact the public, publish material, promise implementation or replace formal public-involvement requirements. ## Frame implementation and funding without commitment Trace option components to dependencies, phasing, responsible agencies, cost estimate class, price year, funding source eligibility as supplied, operations/maintenance implications, procurement, rights-of-way and risk. Separate potential source, programmed funding and authorized commitment. Record delivery uncertainty and decision gates owned by the public authority. Never adopt a plan, metropolitan transportation plan or Transportation Improvement Program, commit funds, select procurement or represent an agency. The planning owner prepares a decision register only. ## Bounded upstream adaptation Retain from the MIT upstream Skill only its multimodal demand/network/accessibility/options structure; walking, cycling, transit, freight and service decomposition; scenario comparison; first/last-mile thinking; and implementation framing. Exclude all embedded trip rates, mode-share targets, reduction percentages, catchment distances, capacity thresholds, standard excerpts, solver assumptions and prescriptive conclusions. No upstream numeric value is authoritative. ## Join and stop rules Run baseline/data, demand/accessibility, option/performance and equity/safety/engagement roots from one frozen boundary. Join by stable IDs and preserve contradictions, distributional effects, model limitations, engagement gaps and unresolved authority decisions. Stop on undefined geography/horizon, stale or incompatible data/network/service, missing lineage, absent calibration/validation, incomparable scenarios, undisclosed assumptions, privacy risk, unclear cost year, missing engagement evidence or absent public authority. Never conduct live routing/dispatch, change signals, close roads, guarantee ridership, approve engineering, determine compliance, adopt a plan, commit funds or make public promises.