Security

Abstract

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was passed into law in August of 2005 and established new requirements for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to follow when developing their Regional Transportation Plans (RTP). In 1991, the Inter-modal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) stated safety and security should be addressed as appropriate by MPOs. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21 Century (TEA-21) developed seven planning factors to be considered in the transportation planning process. One of these seven factors was to “increase the safety and security of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users”. Traditionally, the emphasis has been placed on safety with security given little attention. SAFETEA-LU now requires that MPOs address security as a stand alone planning factor.