Evaluate and Revise Plans
Plans can be revised because conditions on the ground have changed, new priorities emerge, innovative approaches become available, or evaluative information now provides new directions for the plan. In short, plans need revision when they are outdated. Although there is no hard and fast rule about how often plans need to be revised, plans that are ten or fifteen year old are ripe candidates for revision.
Evaluation of a plan is useful to guide the efforts of the project staff, to demonstrate project success to the public, and to assure continued support from sponsors. The extent and methods of evaluation may differ for a pedestrian and bicycle plan at the local, MPO, or state level, but the general principles stay the same. A thorough evaluation investigates the achievement of objectives using quantifiable measures, assesses the effectiveness of particular interventions and policies, monitors public opinion, and reassesses the actual program plan.
Because objectives and interventions are likely to vary across locations, planners should ask the following questions:
- Were the objectives met effectively (in general)?
- Did the interventions and treatments work as intended and helped achieve objectives?
- Did the treatment have unintended consequences?
