Context Sensitive Design/Solutions: coming to a public meeting……..

1. Context Sensitive Design/Solutions: coming to a public meeting……..

2. Context Sensitive Approach • Asks about the purpose & need of a transportation project , and then addresses equally: -Safety -Mobility -Preservation *Aesthetic characteristics *Historic and cultural resources *Environmental and other community values • Context Sensitive Solutions involves a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach in which citizens and agencies are part of the design team.

3. Legislative Background on CSD/CSS • NEPA Act of 1969 • ISTEA of 1991 (Section 1016a addressed preservation of historic and scenic resources) • NHS Designation Act of 1995 • Provided Flexibility in funding • Stressed importance of preserving historic and scenic resources • Provided for transportation enhancement projects • Allowed for the development of flexible design criteria for Federal-aid projects not on the NHS

4. CSD/CSS Guiding Principles • Address the Transportation Needs • Safe, Financially Feasible, Implementable • Be an Asset to the Community • Accepted by Stakeholders; adds lasting value to the community • Be compatible with the Natural and Built Environments • Implemented with minimal impacts, is aesthetically appropriate

5. The CSD/CSS Framework and Project Approach • Establish the decision process • Identify project issues and community values • Select project options (exercise choice) • Develop alternative solutions that reflect the context • Evaluate alternatives and select preferred alternative.

6. Managing the Structured Decision Process: • Communicate to Stakeholders from the beginning and establish expectations: • Decision points in the process • Who will make each decision • Who will make recommendations for each decision • Who will be consulted on each decision • How will recommendations and comments be transmitted to decision makers.

7. CSD/CSS Decision Making Process • 4 Levels of Decision Making • Decision is made—no discussion • Decision is made—one chance to influence • Open to discussion—one person makes final decision • Everyone inputs—develops decision

8. Reflecting Community Values • Context Sensitive Solutions revolve around people--STAKEHOLDERS • Begin a process of management buy-in • Begin a process of public buy-in • Public Involvement Plan is the key • Identify Project Stakeholders • Know the community—know the context

9. How NEPA is Related to CSS • CSS is NEPA • Steps in the two processes are nearly identical and can be made to fit together very easily • Both aim at selecting the “best” alternative • Both are intended to provide adequate information for effective decision making • Both provide an interdisciplinary framework for considering the positive and negative impacts of agency actions.

10. Key Elements of NEPA • Why was NEPA enacted? • Public and agency scoping (problem ID) • Purpose and need for the improvement • Level of environmental analysis & consideration • Evaluation of alternatives

11. CSD/CSS and Safety • CSD/CSS addresses equally safety, mobility, and preservation of scenic, aesthetic, historic, environmental, and other community values.

12. Two ways to look at Safety • Nominal Safetyis examined in reference to compliance with standards, warrants, guidelines and sanctioned design procedure • Substantive Safety is the expected or actual crash frequency and severity for a highway or roadway

13. Nominal Safety There are three aspects of nominal safety: • Roadway design must enable road users to behave legally • Roadway design should enable the vast majority of users to operate without difficulties • Owning agency requires protection against claims of moral, professional, and legal liability

14. Substantive Safety The performance of the road—actual or expected—as measured or quantified in terms of accidents (number, type, severity, etc) • A function of what resources are available (roadway design and construction, maintenance, enforcement, emergency medical services) • A function of the “context” of the location

15. Traffic safety and what stakeholders need to understand • Substantive safety varies widely by project context (different facility types and conditions present inherently different risk profiles; and location can affect risk as well) • Combinations of design features, dimensions and elements influence substantive safety • Substantive safety involves both crash frequency and severity (property damage, injury, fatality)

16. The technology of substantive safety is emerging; it will be increasingly important • New tools for addressing substantive safety • Stay current • Go to http://safety.transportation.org/