Context Sensitive Solutions -- Case Study: A New Wave in Project Planning & Design

Editor's Notes

• #2: Formally initiated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 1998, Context- Sensitive Solutions (CSS) is a national trend in transportation planning and design that recognizes that all users have an integral stake in the ways in which the design of new transportation facilities and reconstruction of existing transportation facilities can affect the quality of their lives. The CSS process is being adopted by many states and is transforming the way transportation projects are designed.
• #3: So, what is it? First of all, we should clarify that the terms Context Sensitive Solution and Context Sensitive Design are used interchangeably. I prefer the word solution because it connotes a broader application. Federal Highway Administration defines it as a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to transportation planning and design that involves all stakeholders to develop a facility that fits its physical setting and preserves scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources, while maintaining safety and mobility. It is an approach that considers the total context within which a transportation improvement project will exist.
• #10: For the project in Kingsport, we assembled a team that included all the major disciplines that would affect the project: engineering, traffic planning, community impact and public relations, and environmental planning and permitting. That large team served as advisors to the core management team and the local stakeholder group. Having technical specialists available throughout the project helped us answer questions, provide advice, and give explanations to stakeholders and the public. This varied technical input on the front end of the project positively influenced our decision making because the team was better informed. Let me give you an example. . . . .
• #11: The Barger House was identified by the TDOT Historian assigned to the project team as a National Register Eligible Property. Identification of the property in the planning stages helped because it allowed us to set the alignment of the widening in our concept plans in such a way as to stay off the boundary of the Barger House property. If this identification had not been made early on, it could have cost the project time and money associated with a later-stage plan revision. It also helps us to be more consistent in what we show the public ---- we’ve saved them the surprise of a major alignment shift.
• #12: The Resource Team maintained a core group size of 18 members throughout the 21-month study process.
• #19: Public Involvement is another integral component of the Key Principle of Stakeholder Input. For the SR 126 project, we conducted three series of public involvement sessions. With each series, we met at two different times in two different locations. Days of the week for public involvement and location of meetings was determined based upon community input that was gathers from a postcard survey that was included in the first project newsletter. Attendance at all sessions was very good. At any given session, the attendance ranged from 100 to 300 people. Public Involvement Sessions provided a variety of formats for sharing information and gathering public input. These included formal presentations with question and answer sessions, informal viewing of maps and one-on-one discussion with project team members, written surveys, post-it notes that could be stuck on map displays with questions or comments, a court recorder for taking private verbal comments. The variety allowed people of all personalities to have a means that they could feel comfortable with to give their opinions.
• #20: Public Involvement is another integral component of the Key Principle of Stakeholder Input. For the SR 126 project, we conducted three series of public involvement sessions. With each series, we met at two different times in two different locations. Days of the week for public involvement and location of meetings was determined based upon community input that was gathers from a postcard survey that was included in the first project newsletter. Attendance at all sessions was very good. At any given session, the attendance ranged from 100 to 300 people. Public Involvement Sessions provided a variety of formats for sharing information and gathering public input. These included formal presentations with question and answer sessions, informal viewing of maps and one-on-one discussion with project team members, written surveys, post-it notes that could be stuck on map displays with questions or comments, a court recorder for taking private verbal comments. The variety allowed people of all personalities to have a means that they could feel comfortable with to give their opinions.
• #24: Because of the quality and quantity of public comment on the project, we were able to discern enough valuable input to shape the project to be more reflective of community concerns. What we discovered was that the community felt the primary need for improving SR 126 was safety, not capacity. Capacity was a concern for many, but not the primary concern. The majority of citizens indicated they were willing to sacrifice the performance of traffic flow in order to protect the area’s scenic qualities and the sense of community that they shared with their neighbors. And as with any situation when you ask 300 people what they want, there was some disagreement. Citizens were divided in their opinions about the acceptability of widening to a four-lane roadway.
• #31: The SR 126 Resource Team’s final recommendation included a list of seven Points of Interest to the Community that were considered scenic, historic, or community treasures. The team recommended that the final project design minimize impacts to these sites. The team recommendation also listed eleven enhancement features that were identified as desirable components of the final design. These included items such as: Use of natural elements for retaining and buffer walls Landscaping with native plant species Decorative guardrail where appropriate Use of decorative lighting with sensitivity to residential areas.
• #38: CSS solves the right problem by broadening the definition of "the problem" that a project should solve, and by reaching consensus with all stakeholders before the design process begins. CSS conserves environmental and community resources. CSS facilitates and streamlines the process of NEPA compliance. CSS saves time. It shortens the project development process by gaining consensus early, and thereby minimizing litigation and redesign, and expediting permit approvals. CSS saves money. By shortening the project development process and eliminating obstacles, money as well as time is saved. CSS builds support from the public and from the regulators. By partnering and planning a project with the transportation agency, these parties bring full cooperation, and often additional resources as well. CSS helps prioritize and allocate scarce transportation funds in a cost-effective way, at a time when needs far exceed resources. Group decisions are generally better than individual decisions. Research supports the conclusion that decisions are more accepted and mutually satisfactory when made by all who must live with them. CSS is the right thing to do. It serves the public interest, helps build communities and leaves a better place behind.
• #39: CSS solves the right problem by broadening the definition of "the problem" that a project should solve, and by reaching consensus with all stakeholders before the design process begins. CSS conserves environmental and community resources. CSS facilitates and streamlines the process of NEPA compliance. CSS saves time. It shortens the project development process by gaining consensus early, and thereby minimizing litigation and redesign, and expediting permit approvals. CSS saves money. By shortening the project development process and eliminating obstacles, money as well as time is saved. CSS builds support from the public and from the regulators. By partnering and planning a project with the transportation agency, these parties bring full cooperation, and often additional resources as well. CSS helps prioritize and allocate scarce transportation funds in a cost-effective way, at a time when needs far exceed resources. Group decisions are generally better than individual decisions. Research supports the conclusion that decisions are more accepted and mutually satisfactory when made by all who must live with them. CSS is the right thing to do. It serves the public interest, helps build communities and leaves a better place behind.