Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3046-6659

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Thesis (Campus Access)

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair

V. Dimitra Pyrialakou

Committee Member

Kevin Orner

Committee Member

Gregory L. Newmark

Abstract

Transportation planning in the United States functions within a complex, multilevel governance structure where federal, state, and regional institutions collectively shape the identification, prioritization, and funding of infrastructure investments. Within this system, coordination is not only a procedural requirement but also a determinant of planning effectiveness, particularly in rural and small urban areas that often lack the institutional capacity of metropolitan regions. This study assesses how formal rules, organizational arrangements, and interactions influence the performance of rural/regional transportation planning frameworks across the Mid-Atlantic states [Delaware (DE), Maryland (MD), Pennsylvania (PA), Virginia (VA), and West Virginia (WV)]. To achieve this objective, the research applies a conceptual framework for multilevel coordination in rural transportation planning using an Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) approach.

The analysis centers on the planning and programming phase of the transportation project development cycle, where long-range visioning, fiscal constraint, and project selection intersect. This phase determines how federal objectives, established through legislation, are translated into actionable state and regional programs. Within this context, guidance from State Departments of Transportations (DOTs) plays a critical role in supporting both federally mandated Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and state-designated Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs).

Through a comparative institutional analysis, the research finds that the presence of RTPOs has the potential to strengthen transportation outcomes in rural and small urban areas. Counties served by such organizations exhibit greater capacity to develop multimodal projects, prepare coordinated long-range and short-term plans. The study also showed that by supplying methodological standards, clear institutional roles, funding procedures, and performance-based planning criteria, state DOTs can ensure consistency and coordination across governance levels. Additionally, the analysis demonstrates that variations in coordination effectiveness arise from differences in the policies and practices of State DOTs and regional organizations. The insights generated from this research can assist states and regional planning organizations in refining their existing frameworks and strengthening the institutional linkages that guide future transportation planning efforts.

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