Transportation decisions should be based upon fact-based analysis that provides the greatest public benefit for the resources invested.

Project choices should be first made based upon cost effectiveness in meeting the primary transportation system objective of reducing traffic congestion and maintaining air quality conformity. Measures of such projects should include cost effectiveness of improving mobility and air quality and the capital costs of each hour of traffic delay reduced and/or the annualized cost for each new transit rider.

The economic marketplace should be utilized in permitting individuals to maximize transportation choices and to improve mobility. Where appropriate, value pricing mechanisms should be integrated into the design of transportation investments. Revenues generated by value pricing mechanisms can be used to implement transit services that provide for equitable distribution of transportation system benefits.

Preservation and restoration of our neighborhoods and natural environment is a fundamental value that must be respected in the planning and implementation of transportation investments.

Transportation projects projects that have immediate impact and can be cost effectively implemented should be emphasized, while being balanced, with projects that provide future system capacity.

The metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program should be programs that can be reasonably and reliably delivered within the time frames and budgets provided. Construction and right-or-way should not be placed in the fiscally constrained transportation plan and programmed in the Transportation Improvement Program until there is a high probability that the project can obtain the necessary right-of-way and overcome neighborhood and environmental issues.

Transportation investments should be fairly distributed so that the benefits and burdens are equitably distributed. Investments choices so should made to accommodate both regional and local needs.