Purpose and Need

The Purpose and Need Statement sets the stage for consideration of the transportation improvement options and alternatives. It has three parts:

•  The Purpose
•  The Need
•  Goals and Objectives

The Purpose defines the mobility problem to be solved. The Need provides data to support the problem statement (Purpose). The Goals and Objectives describe other issues that need to be resolved as part of a successful solution to the problem. The Purpose and Need Statement is intended to clarify the expected outcome(s) of Cook DuPage Corridor Study and to justify that expenditure. In other words -- what the RTA is trying to accomplish and why it is necessary.

As such, crafting a Statement of Purpose and Need is one of the first steps in both the corridor planning process and again later, in the project development process. During the Corridor Planning process, a Preliminary Statement of Purpose and Need for Corridor Mobility Improvements was developed to guide the development of options for the Corridor; the preliminary statement is also a fundamental element in developing evaluation criteria by which to assess options and develop alternatives for more detailed consideration.