Context Sensitive Solutions Current Activities and Training Opportunities

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ContextSensitiveSolutions(Current Activities
and Training Opportunities)

• R. Keith Moore, FHWA

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CSS Activities

• I. Planning
• Workshops on Linking Planning and NEPA
• Integration of CSS in Transportation Planning
• Land Use and Transportation Integration -
• Scenario Planning
• Executive Order 13274
• The Ecologic Guide
• II. Design
• Context Sensitive Urban Street Design Guide
• Safety Consequences of Flexibility in Highway
  Design - NCHRP Research Project 15-22
• AASHTO Guide for Achieving Flexibility in Highway
  Design
• III. Maintenance
• Best Practices CD on Road Weather Management
• Fundamentals of Road Weather Management, NHI
  Course No. 137030A

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CSS Activities (continued)

• IV. Advancing CSS State-of-the-Practice Training
  and Technical Assistance
• CSS Technical Assistance - FHWA Resource Center
• CSS Training Delivery - Univ. Of Kentucky Course
• FHWA CSS Training Course
• CSS Training Delivery - FHWA Resource Center
• Integrating CSS Into University Curricula
• CSS Web Site Development
• Midwest Regional CSS Workshop
• AASHTO CSS Excellence Awards
• CSS Sessions - ITE Technical Conference
  "Transportation Solutions for the Real World".
• AASHTO 2006 National CSS Conference
• Support for AASHTO CSS Peer-to-Peer Training
• Development publication of an Integrating CSS
  in Construction State-of-the-Practice Report
• CSS Performance
• Integration of CSS into NHI and FHWA Training
  Courses
• CSS National Dialog
• Green Highway Initiative (GHI)
• CSS Primer and Outreach Materials

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CSS Activities

• Integration of CSS in Transportation Planning -
  Context Sensitive Solutions in the Transportation
  Planning Process is a set of frequently asked
  questions and answers which address issues such
  as how such planning differs from traditional
  planning the challenges and obstacles associated
  with integrating CSS and planning the community
  impact of such planning any cost-savings or
  project delivery time recognized from integrating
  CSS and planning the presence of CSS in a
  community's Long Range Plan or Transportation
  Improvement Program and potential for CSS to help
  streamline transportation decision making..

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CSS Activities

• Context Sensitive Urban Street Design Guide -
  This project will produce a guide to assist
  transportation practitioners with applying
  context sensitive solution in the planning,
  design, development and implementation of roadway
  improvements on major urban thoroughfares in
  urbanized areas. This document will present
  strategies and techniques on how to integrate the
  consideration of CSS concepts and practices into
  the planning for and design of these
  improvements. These approaches will consider the
  design criteria, adjoining land use, site access,
  community character, pedestrians, multi-modal
  needs, environmental, and other community
  interests and considerations. The ITE Technical
  Conference in San Antonio, TX, March 19-22, 2006
  provided a forum to gain feedback on this
  resource. The final draft document will be
  initially published as draft ITE proposed
  recommended practice in 2006 to allow the entire
  transportation community to review and provide
  comments.

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CSS Activities

• Best Practices CD on Road Weather Management -
  The CD captures a variety of traffic, emergency,
  and maintenance management practices that
  alleviate the impacts of weather. The best
  practices were obtained through interviews with
  state and local practitioners. Each of the
  practices includes information on the
  applications, results, lessons learned and
  contacts. The CD can be requested at
  http//www.nawgits.com/fhwa/rw_mgt_cd_req.html.

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CSS Activities

• CSS Training Delivery - Univ. Of Kentucky Course
  - This training course will provide a three-day
  overview of CSS. The primary goal is to
  sufficiently familiarize project development
  staff and consultants with CSS and enable a
  continued approach to the awareness of the wide
  array of issues impacting development and
  transportation. In addition, a secondary goal is
  to achieve a general consensus or buy-in by high
  level staff that CSS was a necessary and
  desirable procedure to implement for project
  development. Since 1999, this course has reached
  1,700 people in 17 states. Primarily targeted to
  reach state DOT employees, in FY 2006, the
  audience has been extended to include a MPO.

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CSS Activities

• FHWA CSS Training Course - The purpose of this
  course is to provide participants with a general
  appreciation and understanding of the key
  concepts, techniques, institutional issues,
  opportunities and other issues to consider
  associated with integrating context sensitive
  solutions into all phases in the planning,
  development, design, and implementation of
  transportation improvements. Presentation of the
  course will be in an interactive format so that
  the participants are actively involved in the
  learning experience. This three-day course is
  complete and currently available. Course number
  FHWA-NHI-142050, course title Context Sensitive
  Solutions.

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CSS Activities

• CSS Training Delivery - FHWA Resource Center -
  Members of the Environmental and Safety/Design
  Technical Service Teams provide training tailored
  to the needs of individual states and/or
  projects. After becoming aware of the general
  principles and processes of CSS through the two-
  or three-day curricula mentioned above, many
  groups will wish to "drill-down" to the next
  layer of CSS techniques available to them.
  Training on specific topics can be developed on
  an as-needed basis.

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CSS Activities

• Integrating CSS Into University Curricula - The
  Center for Transportation and the Environment
  (CTE), based at North Carolina State University,
  working in conjunction with FHWA will develop a
  university-based CSS course. The purpose of the
  initiative is
• To create an academic network identifying
  opportunities to promote the integration and
  implementation of CSS principles in current and
  future transportation curricula.
• To develop and implement a Context Sensitive
  Solutions course for civil engineering and
  planning students enrolled in undergraduate
  studies, complementing a previous effort that
  targeted graduate students. The development of
  the supporting academic network and curriculum
  has a projected delivery date of 2006.

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CSS Activities

• CSS Web Site Development - Funding for the
  continued development and maintenance of a
  web-based resource center entitled
  www.Contextsensitivesolutions.Org." This
  resource center is being developed by the Project
  for Public Spaces through an existing cooperative
  agreement with the National Park Service. The
  website is available to the public, targeting the
  novice CSS practitioners as well as advance CSS
  experts.

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For More Information

• Keith.moore_at_.dot.gov
• [phone]
• Or
• www.contextsensitivesolutions.org
• www.fhwa.dot.gov/csd/activities.htm
• www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/home.aspx