Recommended Practices

 

NOTICES 

January 23, 2026: ITE to Develop New Recommended Practice on Balancing Transit Speeds, Bike Safety, and Pedestrian Comfort at Bus Stops. Click here for more information.

November 7, 2025: the ITE International Board of Direction rescinded eight RPs that were obsolete, outdated, or superseded by other publications and reports. Click here for more information. 

ITE Recommended Practices (RPs) are authoritative, consensus-based documents that provide transportation professionals with clear, practical guidance on methods, procedures, design approaches, and operational strategies. Unlike standards, which specify mandatory requirements, Recommended Practices offer voluntary, flexible guidance grounded in technical rigor and broad stakeholder input.

RPs support the profession by offering actionable direction in areas such as safety, traffic engineering, planning, operations, emerging technology, and multimodal system design. They represent the collective expertise of practitioners, researchers, and agency professionals working together to advance the state of practice.

 

Why develop and use ITE Recommended Practices?

• Evidence-Based and Practitioner Informed: RPs integrate research, best practices, and real-world experience to provide solutions that are technically sound and operationally feasible.
• Consensus-Driven: RPs reflect balanced input from a wide range of stakeholders—public agencies, private sector, academia, users, and the general public—ensuring broad relevance and fairness.
• Flexible and Adaptable: RPs are designed for voluntary use. Agencies may apply them directly or adapt the guidance to local policies, conditions, and transportation needs.
• Advance Safety and System Performance: Many RPs focus on improving safety outcomes, optimizing operations, and delivering transportation systems that support mobility, economic opportunity, sustainability, and accessibility.
• Transparent and Trustworthy: Each RP is developed following ANSI-aligned principles that ensure openness, balance, transparency, and meaningful consideration of feedback.

More information about the Recommended Practice process is available in this document. 

 

What is the value to agencies and practitioners of ITE Recommended Practices?

• For Agencies

  • Provides vetted, defensible guidance for planning, design, and operations.

  • Supports consistency across jurisdictions and projects.

  • Helps align decision-making with proven methods and national best practices.

• For Practitioners

  • Reliable reference for daily professional practice.

  • Foundation for innovation, problem-solving, and training.

  • Tools for staying current with evolving research and technology.

 

Explore ITE Recommended Practices

• Active RPs: PDF Listing active ITE RPs
• RPs Under Development or Being Updated
  • Vertical Deflection Speed Reduction Techniques (MUTCD Update)
  • Traffic Signal Preemption Near Railroad Grade Crossings (MUTCD Update)
  • Balancing Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Comfort at Transit Stops
  • Safe Systems Approach for Public Agencies
  • Guidelines for Determining Traffic Signal Change and Clearance Intervals
• Comprehensive Listing of RPs: Listing of all ITE RPs regardless of status.

 

Contact

Have questions or want help getting involved?

ITE Standards & Recommended Practices Program
Email: standards@ite.org