Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Class 4

CSSCSSand theand the

Project Development Project Development ProcessProcess

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Class Objectives:• Understand transportation agency

project development processes• Apply understanding for a sample

project

Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Definition:The overall process of advancing a

(transportation) project from concept to implementation.

Typically encompasses:• Define purpose and need• Planning• Location• Preliminary design• Final design• Construction

Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Individual tasks – up to 200 or more!

Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Components and Considerations• Area goals and needs• Stakeholder input• Project vision• Compatibility• Support for local objectives• Partnership agreements

– Roles and responsibilities– Outcomes – Funding– Other as applicable

Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Project Initiation• Identify need or problem• Identify and engage stakeholders

– Stakeholder examples? – students?

• Outreach and partnership development– Understand needs, goals, values*

– “Achieve excellence”css

• Agreement to collaborate on project– Objectives, process– “Memorandum of understanding”

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Examples of objectives and issues• Land development/redevelopment• Economic development• Aesthetics• (more – students?)

Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Planning• Identify context• Form multidisciplinary team• Agree on decision-making process• Formulate public involvement process• Develop consensus around a problem

and need statement– Mobility and safety– Community goals, issues, values– Environmental

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Planning (cont.)• Develop consensus project vision and

goals• Select project limits• Develop project statement

– “Solution neutral”– Purpose and need – Vision– Goals– Values

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Scoping• Analyze and fully understand the context• Reconfirm project statement• Develop criteria to evaluate alternatives

– Framework– Support vision, needs, issues, opportunities

• Develop wide range of alternatives• Reduce alternatives to reasonable options

– Apply criteria (general level)– Consider environmental

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Scoping (cont.)• Refine alternatives to feasibility• Evaluate alternatives• Discuss alternatives with community and

develop consensus around a preferred alternative

• Develop conceptual design• Test, evaluate, and discuss options• Environmental assessment/impact

statement (NEPA), if needed

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Scoping (cont.)• Seek consensus on conceptual design• With partners, seek official approval to

proceed to design• Understand environmental commitments• Complete preliminary design

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Design• Final design

– Construction, “compatibility”

• Partner agreements– Cost sharing, maintenance, coordinated

improvements, enhancements

• Right of way acquisition/utility coordination• Bids and construction contract awards

– Main transportation project– Partner projects

• Public, private

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Construction• Project awards• Maintenance of traffic and other activities

– Minimize resident, business, traveler disruption

• Construction• Community liaison/coordination – resolve

issues• Open project

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Operation and Maintenance• Operational adjustments• Adhere to maintenance agreements• Routine maintenance • Project performance sufficiency evaluation

– Meeting vision, objectives

• Discuss and capture lessons learned• Liaison to address issues, opportunities

– Ongoing– Newly arising needs

Stages and Steps

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and DesignCSS team

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Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Project Development

Conventional

CSS

Issue Resolution•Move issues to early stages where they are more easily addressed through changes and refinements

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Final Observations• Project development is a lengthy,

complex process• Projects are not defined at the

beginning• Context and collaboration are critical• There is no one formula for success• Experience, flexibility and good

judgment are keys to success

Project Development

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Wellborn & George Bush Grade Separation• Initial problem and need statement• Understanding of context• Potential stakeholders• Potential issues

First of series – due in one week: 2-3 pages

Class Exercise

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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Project development manuals• TxDOT• MassHighways

CSS guide:• ITE Context Sensitive Solutions in

Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities*

Resources