Statewide transportation plans have long served as a federal compliance requirement, but a growing number of state DOTs are reimagining these plans as true blueprints for investment decision-making — dynamic, performance-driven tools that connect planning directly to programming and demonstrate tangible value to decision-makers and the public alike.

This panel highlights innovations from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas that illustrate how Statewide plans can transcend compliance and drive meaningful, defensible investment strategies. Together, these three states offer a compelling and replicable model for how statewide transportation plans can evolve from static compliance documents into powerful strategic tools. Attendees will gain insight into the methodological innovations, stakeholder engagement strategies, and institutional changes required to make this transformation possible — and the measurable results that follow.

Speakers:
Paula Dowell, Ph.D., HNTB Corporation, Senior Vice President and National Practice Leader for Integrated Planning Services
Jeff Ely, P.E., MDOT, Chief of Staff
Sarah Moss, P.E., Louisiana DOTD, Statewide Planning Engineer
Casey Wells, TxDOT, Advance Transportation Planning Section Director