What is Travel Management Planning?

Travel Management Planning is the identification of a transportation system by provider agencies and organizations through interdisciplinary assessments, analysis, and a resulting set of objectives, prescriptions, and actions that explain what, why, and how road and trail systems and associated lands are to be managed and used to meet transportation needs. 

 
In the early 1980's, in response to Presidential Executive Orders, 11644 and 11989, the Bureau of Land Management began desginating all public lands in one of three off-highway vehicle designation categories, open, limited and closed.

The BLM Colorado manages 8.3 million acres of public lands of those, 42 percent are desginated " open ", 48 percent are "limited", and ten percent are "closed" to off highway use.

During the 1990's, Colorado's Resource Advisory Council (RAC) spearheaded an effort to develop guidelines for recreation to meet the Bureau's Public Land Health Standards. These RAC "recreation guidlines" were born out of the RAC's concerns about a preliferation of unplanned roads and trails and their impact on biophysical resource land health. Meanwhile, on a national level and in response to an increasing demand for recreation trails on public lands, the BLM developed an off-highway vehicle strategy and then a mountian bike strategy. A non-motorized/non mechanized strategy is planned. These strategies emphasize that the BLM should be proactive in seeking travel management solutions that conserve natural resources while providing for ample recreation opportunities.

In the spring of 2003, the BLM's Executive Leadership Team approved the BLM's Priorities for Recreation and Visitor Services. The importance of this guidance is under scored by tiering off the first of three key Department of the Interior's Strategic Plan recreation goals to "Establish a comprehensive approach to travel planning and management." Five subordinate milestones round out this priority: 

   (1) Address comprehensive travel management through land-use plans to improve access, opportunities, and experiences.

   (2) Improve on-the-ground travel management operations and maintenance to sustain opportunities and experiences, access, safety, and resource conservation. 

   (3) Improve signing, mapping, travel information, and education. 

   (4) Implement travel management through national motorized, mechanized, and non-motorized recreation strategies. 

   (5) Expand transportation/travel management partnerships and funding sources.




OPEN- all types of vehicle use is unrestricted at all times, anywhere in the area.  

LIMITED-  restricted at certain times, in certain areas, and/or to certain vehicular use. 

CLOSED-  off limits to all types of vehicle use and include units of the National Wilderness Preservation System.