Recommendations for Developing Customer Focus in Statewide Transportation Planning Process

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ushered in a new era in transportation planning, transforming the missions of transportation departments into more diverse agendas that include information management and long-range planning. Today's transportation officials face a complex task. Success in transportation planning is measured not just in terms of connectivity and operational efficiency, but in the ability to respond to a host of complicated concerns; the ability to achieve a variety of operational, managerial, and financial objectives; and in proficiency in involving the public in the entire transportation planning process. The Colorado Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Colorado at Denver, conducted a three-phase investigation on the development of customer focus in the statewide transportation planning process. From this systematic methodology, the research team established a series of recommendations for developing a customer focus in the statewide transportation planning process. These recommendations were developed in several areas including broadening the mission and process; strengthening public involvement in project orientation; improving organization flexibility; and implementing marketing orientation, market research process, and techniques and approaches for dealing with high priority public involvement issues.