FROM HANDSHAKE TO COMPACT: GUIDANCE TO FOSTER COLLABORATIVE, MULTIMODAL DECISION MAKING

This report is the result of a research project initiated by the Transit Cooperative Research Program and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program to identify and document examples of collaboration in multimodal decision making. The research has resulted in three companion products designed to be complementary to each other. These include a Research Results Digest (TCRP RRD 65/NCHRP RRD 288) (see TRIS 00969926), CRP-CD-52 (included with this report), and this handbook, which is designed to provide practical advice to transportation professionals interested in identifying, implementing, and sustaining collaborative activities. A method for assessing the health of an existing collaboration is proposed that allows one to identify areas of weakness and areas where improvement can occur. For those wanting to start a collaboration initiative, or for those already in a collaborative effort who want to reach a more involved level of collaboration, a multistep strategy is described. This strategy is portrayed as a ladder representing the often difficult need to undertake multiple efforts to reach the level of collaboration necessary to achieve an original purpose. The research for this handbook consisted of case studies of collaborative efforts in several policy/planning areas.