TRB Evaluation of the Planning and Environmental Linkages Program

In 2025, FHWA initiated a study conducted by a research team of consultants hired by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to provide a status update on how PELs are being used and what benefits the process is achieving. More specifically the objective was to explore the effects of Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) studies with regard to efficiency, implementation, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness.

We are very pleased to report that the PEL research has been published by TRB under their Cooperative Research Program (CRP)!

The PEL research report is available to read online: Evaluation of the Planning and Environment Linkages Program | The National Academies Press.

Please note that the input was kept anonymous. If you’re looking for a snapshot of the results and recommendations, we recommend Chapter 5: Key Findings by Research Objective, and Chapter 6: Conclusion and Considerations. 

Please reach out to Troy Halouska ([email protected]) if you have any questions about the research or results.