Priority Programming and Project Selection

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 48: Priority Programming and Project Selection outlines the procedures followed in programming (the matching of available projects with available funds to accomplish the goals of a given project). The 15-step basic programming process, derived from a review of published documents and interviews with highway administrators, ranges from project initiation through modification. Several steps (e.g. prioritizing and financial analysis) are described in detail, and a list of definitions for the basic terms used in planning and programming is provided.