At its monthly meeting yesterday, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board launched a new website that will help people better understand how transportation decisions are made in metropolitan Washington and get involved in the decision-making process.

The website, www.transportationplanninghub.org, details the different planning processes at the state, local and regional levels and explains the TPB’s unique role in pulling the plans together. For example, the website lists comprehensive plans (e.g., Frederick County’s Comprehensive Plan), city, county, and state-wide transportation plans (e.g., Arlington County’s Master Transportation Plan), as well as information on who operates and maintains area road and transit systems. The website stresses that public involvement is a key part of the decision-making process and provides links to various opportunities for people to get involved.

In addition to the planning processes, the website highlights high-profile projects in the region. This section includes projects in the TPB’s long-range transportation plan, such as the Purple Line in Maryland and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in the District of Columbia, as well as projects that do not yet have funding plans or anticipated funding sources identified, such as Metrorail extensions to Centerville or Potomac Mills in Virginia.

The website also includes a resources section with contact information and a table with links to all major transportation planning documents in the region.

The TPB and Council of Governments will be promoting the website through newsletters, social media and outreach to officials, stakeholders and citizen groups.