Divergence of potential state-level performance measures to assess transportation and land use coordination

Abstract

Although performance measures encourage agreement in other disciplines, measures for state transportation and land use may engender disagreement among stakeholders. A literature review and a survey of 25 states and three metropolitan planning organizations identified 41 such measures. No single measure best quantifies effective coordination because this coordination supports potentially conflicting goals, such as better access management and increased local autonomy. Further, when measures are computed under four benevolent scenarios that each generate the support of some stakeholders—reduced transit costs, reduced congestion, increased local autonomy, and increased compact development—some performance measures indicate improvement and others do not.