When You Are Expecting a Bypass

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• About the myths and facts surrounding bypass projects
• Mthods for effectively planning for both the direct and indirect impacts of bypasses on a community
• How to update your policies and practices to achieve better planning when a bypass is proposed

MORE SESSION DETAILS

The solution to transportation-mobility needs on major highways that pass through small- and medium-sized communities is increasingly a bypass. Yet a bypass may impact land use and traffic circulation both directly and indirectly. Those impacts should be thoroughly analyzed and understood by the community, stakeholders, and the state transportation agency. This session will examine the potential community impacts of a bypass and offer practical enhancements for policy and practice in state and local government planning. Methods for a more multidimensional approach to bypass planning and impact assessment and mitigation will be reviewed, including land use, network connectivity, and livability considerations (such as rightsizing the bypassed roadway). Educational resources developed in Florida for local planners, policy makers, and the broader public will also be discussed. The session builds upon a major study conducted in 2010 for the Florida Department of Transportation that looked at the impacts of bypasses; the study included a national knowledge search as well as in-depth policy analysis and recommendations for improvements to current planning practice and subsequent outreach.