Planning Council
Guiding Principle: We collaborate and share transportation planning resources and best practices.
About the Planning Council
The Planning Council covers the planning of transportation facilities systems for people and goods, assessing land-use impacts, surveying travel and transportation systems, forecasting transportation needs and analyzing and evaluating transportation programs.
Among its many activities, the council has maintained its active role in technical product development. The council sponsors sessions during ITE’s Annual Meeting and Exhibit, focusing on a variety of issues, including transportation demand management in relation to operations and management, corridor planning methods and transportation planning models. The council continues its work on products such as the update of the site impact analysis recommended practice and success stories on congestion management.
Current Initiatives & Featured Resources
The Planning Council’s annual Action Plan guides the development of technical resources, educational content, and industry collaboration. Published resources are available below, with additional projects added as they are completed.
| Resource | Type | Status |
| Update Travel Demand Forecasting Section in Traffic Wiki | Web Resource | Coming Soon! |
| Understanding the Safe System Pyramid for Planners | Quick Bite | Coming Soon! |
| Redefining Functional Classification | Recommended Practice | Coming Soon! |
| What Is Urban Freeway Repurposing? | Quick Bite | Available |
| Safe for Whom? Vehicles as the Overlooked Variable in Safe System Implementation | Technical Brief | Available |
| The Future of Trip Generation – Old Data, Dead Ends, and a National Network: Rethinking the Path Forward | Quick Bite | Available |
For a comprehensive list of ITE research and resources, visit the full Library.
Get Involved!
Connect | 15 minutes
Stay connected through the Council's e-Community to follow discussions, receive project updates, and learn about new opportunities to get involved. Simply select "Join Community" to customize your notification preferences.
Explore | 1 hour
Attend a council meeting to learn about current projects and meet other volunteers; most groups meet 4–6 times per year. Meetings are open to all members.
Contribute | 2-5 hours per project
Review a draft publication, share a case study, or provide technical feedback on a project.
Collaborate | 1-3 hours per month
Join a council or committee and help develop technical resources, webinars, and conference sessions. Council members help identify strategic priorities and coordinate technical initiatives across committees. Committee members develop publications, webinars, conference sessions, and other resources while helping shape the council's annual work plan.
Current Planning Committees
Upcoming Meetings
Council meetings are open to all ITE members. If you're considering getting involved, curious about the Council's work, or would like updates on current projects and technical resources, we'd love to have you join us.
Register using the Zoom link below and visit the Council’s e-Community before the meeting to view the agenda and meeting materials.
July 20, 2026*: Register to Join
October 19, 2026: Register to Join
*Note: The July meeting will be held in person as a part of the Annual Meeting
Past Meetings
May 19, 2026: Agenda | Minutes
February 10, 2026: Agenda | Minutes
Council Leadership
Chair:
Dan Hennessey, P.E., TE, PTOE, PTP, RSP1
City of Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Co-Vice Chair:
Rachel McGuire, PTP
Jacobs
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Secretary: Vanitha Murthy, PTP, AICP, Eugene, OR, USA
Webinar Co-Lead: Michelle Christian, Tennessee DOT, Knoxville, TN, USA
Webinar Co-Lead: Mallory Scates, P.E., PTP, Freese and Nichols, San Antonio, TX, USA
Questions
Interested in learning more? Whether you have questions about the Council, would like to attend a meeting, or are considering getting involved, we're happy to help.
ITE Staff Liaison
Caitlin Cook
Program Director, Multimodal Planning & Analysis
ccook@ite.org
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