Jack Faucett Analytics is leading an initiative for the FHWA to create a comprehensive framework for traffic, transit, land use, economic, and freight forecasts used in transportation planning. USDOT is increasingly challenged by inconsistencies in forecasting methods and findings across MPOs and their members, which often produce inconsistent views of transportation needs regarding appropriate investments, asset preservation standards, new capacity requirements, mitigation needs for environmental hazards, and economic development opportunities.
JFA is leading a three-year initiative to provide a framework enabling MPOs and state DOTs to consistently evaluate forecasts and their role in decision-making, and to provide guidance on divergent forecasts and their implications. The research aims to demonstrate how forecasting practices can be enhanced, improve travel forecasting outputs as new information becomes available, and support more agile transportation programming and planning through effective use of forecasts.