Planning study guidance

Find the guidance and tools to conduct and document a planning study.

Current guidance

Planning Studies Review and Approval Process Memorandum (PDF 285KB)

  • It is highly recommended that all WSDOT planning studies follow the same signature review process detailed in the memo. The M2 Team provides subject matter expert review in a predictable and effective manner.
  • However, Proviso funded studies often have their own rules and regulations as well as specific directions from the Legislature.
  • There are also extra steps to this process if the planning study is a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study. 

Active transportation guidance for planning studies

Explore active transportation-related considerations to develop a quality planning study.

Design guidance for planning studies

Consider priority design issues in the planning phase to reduce or redirect efforts during scoping and design.

Environmental guidance for planning studies

Use the guidance on this page to document environmental information, analysis and products during transportation planning for highway corridor and modal facility plans.

Freight guidance for planning studies

Use this guidance to incorporate freight consideration in the planning study development.

Maintenance guidance for planning studies

Avoid maintenance issues down the road by including this guidance in your planning process.

Priority & programming guidance for planning studies

Use this guidance to clarify your planning study recommendations in a way that WSDOT can support from a priority and programming perspective.

Public transportation guidance for planning studies

Use this guidance to include public transportation considerations in the process of developing planning studies.

Safety guidance for planning studies

Consideration of safety performance should be a part of the conversation throughout plan development (continuing through programming and design).

Transportation operations guidance for planning studies

Discover how incorporating transportation operations tools into your planning studies will benefit the project through its lifecycle.

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In 2023, speeding continued to be a top reason for work zone crashes.

Even one life lost is too many.

Fatal work zone crashes doubled in 2023 - Washington had 10 fatal work zone crashes on state roads.

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95% of people hurt in work zones are drivers, their passengers or passing pedestrians, not just our road crews.