Have you ever wondered how decisions are made about transportation projects that affect your life? How do government officials decide where to put a bus stop, road, or bridge? How are these and other transportation projects planned? And how can you make sure your opinions are heard and considered by the planners, road designers, elected officials, and other citizens? The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) wrote this guide to give you the answers to these and other transportation-related questions. We hope this guide will help you understand how transportation decisions are made at the local, state, and national levels. We believe that the better citizens understand the transportation decisionmaking process, the more certain it is we will have a transportation system that is safe, efficient, and responsive to public needs and concerns about their communities and the natural environment.