America's central cities depend on the co-operative efforts of local, regional, state, and federal agencies to meet their transportation needs. This study documents successful relationships and processes that used intergovernmental co-operation, co-ordination, and collaboration to strengthen large city transportation facilities and services. These successful experiences suggest lessons that can be applied to meeting a variety of central city transportation needs. The focus of this synthesis is on the nation's 12 largest metropolitan areas. The size and complexity of these areas, ranging from the New York metropolitan area with a population of 21.2 million in 2000 to Miami–Ft. Lauderdale with a population of 3.9 million, create particularly challenging political and organisational environments. This study is based on three sources of information. First, a review of the literature on intergovernmental co-operation in transportation and other fields. Second, a survey of transportation agencies in the 12 metropolitan areas, which identified 84 successful projects and processes involving intergovernmental co-operation. Third, case studies of 9 of the 84 projects identified in the survey. The case studies, which used in-depth interviews of staff from participating agencies and organisations, represent a range of project types including areawide planning, project planning, and transit and highway projects. The case studies also incorporate related issues of economic development, land use, the environment, and historic preservation. This report includes detailed accounts of each case study, 11 critical characteristics of intergovernmental co-operation, tools and techniques proven useful for coalescing effective intergovernmental relationships, a series of questions that can be used for self-assessment of co-operative opportunities, and results of the literature search. (A) This report may be accessed by Internet users at http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/nchrp/nchrp_syn_297.pdf
Samenvatting