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The Portsmouth City Council unanimously adopted a ground-breaking Master Transportation Plan (MTP) prepared by WRT as lead consultant. The firm previously developed the city's Destination Portsmouth Comprehensive Plan, several sub-area plans, and other projects to implement the Comprehensive Plan.

The MTP addresses all of Portsmouth's transportation modes, including vehicles, transit, bicycles, pedestrians, freight movement, and potential passenger rail. "This has really been an amazing project," said Paul Holt, Portsmouth's Planning Director and Deputy City Manager. "A lot of kudos were expressed by City Council for such a comprehensive and solid plan, which will help to set the framework for so many quality of life improvements for Portsmouth citizens for many, many years to come." The city is moving aggressively forward with implementation, and recently was awarded nearly $10 million in grant funding by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization for projects recommended in the plan.

"In the past, transportation planning has too often focused on moving cars with little consideration for community impacts and alternative means of transport," said WRT Principal David Rouse. "The Portsmouth MTP is a new type of plan that integrates transportation with city land use goals, balances automobile and freight movement with transit, bicycle, and pedestrian travel, and addresses broader sustainability issues such as energy security and climate change."