In Washington, the responsibility for land use planning and regulation resides with local governments. While local land use choices directly affect the capacity and safety of the state transportation system, the role of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in local land use is largely advisory. WSDOT encourages local governments to preserve the public’s investment in the state transportation system and delay the need for costly improvements by adopting transportation-efficient land use policies, mitigating development impacts on the state system, and practicing appropriate access control. The folio Concurrency, Land Use, and the State Transportation System (pdf 231 kb) describes WSDOT's role in the local land use process in more detail.
Other states have different tools for coordinating land use and transportation. WSDOT is looking to other states for ideas on effective ways to address local land use impacts on the state transportation system. Recently completed research summaries of other states’ transportation and land use policies are linked below.