The “Funnel of Elimination” in transit planning

The “funnel of elimination” is the typical way for transportation planning projects to comply with NEPA‘s rule that “appropriate alternatives” be considered for projects of major scale. Below are some examples of the funnels. Basically, the governor, mayor, or whoever has planning authority picks their favorite system, and the consultants or agency is directed to create an analysis showing that the preferred system is the best. So they choose several alternatives that can’t win, and several measures that ensure that the alternatives can’t win, then they draw a funnel shaped graph to pretend that they have balanced everything and are operating in an open, scientific manner. Continue reading