Evaluate and Revise Plans
In order to stay applicable, plans should be evaluated and revised regularly. Plans can be revised for several reasons:
- Conditions on the ground change
- New priorities emerge
- Innovative approaches become available
- Evaluative information now provides new directions for the plan
Although there is no hard and fast rule about how often plans need to be updated, plans should include a periodic schedule for revision typically every five years and not exceeding 10 to 15 years.
Evaluation of a plan can be used to
- Guide the efforts of the project staff
- Demonstrate project success to the public
- 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
- Reviews the effectiveness of particular interventions and policies
- Monitors public opinion
- Reassesses the specific 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?
