00800154

Component

TELUS - the Transportation, Economic, and Land Use System - is a data management and decision support system that enables transportation agencies, particularly metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), to meet the requirements of federal law efficiently and effectively. Because of the expanded planning and programming responsibilities that the Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) placed on MPOs, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) - the fourth largest MPO in the nation - sought to develop a system that would enhance its capacity to meet the legislative mandates. NJTPA joined with the Institute for Transportation at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT-IT), which served as the lead research institution for the project, and the Center for Urban Policy Research (CUPR) at Rutgers University to design and implement TELUS. This article, after providing background information on the need for and development of TELUS, describes TELUS National Version 1.0, which was shipped to approximately 340 MPOs and 50 state departments of transportation (DOTs) in June 2000. The article also examines the options to be included in future versions of TELUS. Concluding comments concern how TELUS is enabling MPOs and state DOTs to make project information more available and more timely, and to conduct comprehensive and rigorous impact assessments of the TIP (transportation improvement program) or STIP (state TIP) and individual projects.

English

p. 9-12,25

2000-9

TR News

Figures (3)

Decision support systems; Economic models; Information management; Land use models; Metropolitan planning organizations; State departments of transportation; Transportation planning

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991; TELUS (Computer program); Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century

Data and Information Technology; Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Oct 10 2000 12:00AM

• POINT OF VIEW: RAIL RIGHTS-OF-WAY: ANOTHER RESOURCE ENDANGERED
• POINT OF VIEW: ROAD SAFETY INFORMATION: SUPPLYING A VITAL NEED
• RESEARCH PAYS OFF: GISHYDRO2000: PERFORMING AUTOMATED HYDROLOGIC ANALYSES IN MARYLAND
• VISITOR TRANSPORTATION AT U.S. NATIONAL PARKS: INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY BUT PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT