Date of Award

12-1-2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Public Administration

First Advisor

Dr. Robert Blair

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the transportation decision-making process in urban areas with a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). It recognizes the importance of transportation planning for decision-making, in that planning supports decision-making. This research is a qualitative case study, which examines transportation decision-making in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) is the MPO of the urban area. Responsible parts for transportation planning are the MAPA Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) and the MAPA Council of Officials. The researcher conducts a series of interviews with members of the two groups in order to address the research questions. TTAC consists of technical experts who advise the local officials on transportation planning issues. Officials are the ones who make final decisions about projects, but they are usually not technically oriented. The study found out that officials often follow the recommendations of the technical experts closely and don’t challenge the technical information. The research discovered that the interviewees generally consider technical factors to be the most important tools for decision-making. In addition, funding influences decision-making more than other factors. In addition, decision-making in the urban area is generally objective and comprehensive, though sometimes objectivity and comprehensiveness are challenged.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the School of Public Administration and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Urban Studies University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 2005, Aleksandra Geogieva Tepedelenova

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