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FHWA Update AASHTO Subcommittee on Design July 26, 2010 Columbia, South Carolina

FHWA Update AASHTO Subcommittee on Design July 26, 2010 Columbia, South Carolina. Jon Obenberger, Ph.D., P.E. Preconstruction Team Leader Infrastructure Office of Program Administration Federal Highway Administration. FHWA Update:. Value Engineering Consultant Services

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FHWA Update AASHTO Subcommittee on Design July 26, 2010 Columbia, South Carolina

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  1. FHWA UpdateAASHTO Subcommittee on DesignJuly 26, 2010Columbia, South Carolina Jon Obenberger, Ph.D., P.E. Preconstruction Team Leader Infrastructure Office of Program Administration Federal Highway Administration

  2. FHWA Update: • Value Engineering • Consultant Services • Freeways & Urban Streets • Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares – A CSS Approach, ITE Recommended Practice & Congressional Hearing on Practical Design • FHWA Everyday Counts Initiative FHWA Update

  3. Value Engineering: Satisfied 2007 OIG Audit Recommendations & Findings: • Update FHWA’s VE policy • Integrate VE into FHWA’s risk assessment process • Develop VE program goals & measures • Promote successful practices • Need to conduct VE analysis on required projects, increase % of recommendations adopted & conduct VE analysis earlier in project development FHWA Update

  4. Value Engineering: (Cont.) Updated FHWA VE Policy clarifies: • When VE analysis is required • Need for & typical elements of a VE program • VE analysis process & key considerations • When to conduct a VE analysis • FHWA oversight, monitoring & evaluating of State DOT’s VE program & VE analysis on projects • http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders/13111a.htm FHWA Update

  5. Value Engineering: (Cont.) VE Goals, Performance Measures & Thresholds: • Goal 1: Maximize impact of VE analysis on projects cost & performance • % of VE recommendations implemented • % of estimated construction costs saved • Goal 2: Quality of VE programs • # of State DOTs w/ formal VE policy • # of DOTs w/ established VE program • % of projects w/ VE analysis conducted prior to 30% design FHWA Update

  6. Value Engineering: (Cont.) • Goal 3: Improve FHWA’s stewardship & oversight • Improve FHWA’s involvement in VE analysis • Ensure VE analysis is conducted on required projects • Integrate VE into stewardship & oversight plans • FHWA VE goals, performance measures & thresholds: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ve/ FHWA Update

  7. Value Engineering: (Cont.) 2010 OIG ARRA Advisory: • VE analysis required on ARRA projects similar to Federal-aid highway program funded projects • OIG findings – VE analysis: • Not being conducted on all projects • Being performed too late in project development • Staff involved in projects not aware of need to conduct & when to conduct a VE analysis • Not being conducted by locally administered projects FHWA Update

  8. Value Engineering: (Cont.) • Release 2009 VE results • Update VE regulations • Update NHI VE workshop • VE program performance monitoring • Identify, promote & share successful practices • Coordinate & share practices w/in VE community FHWA Update

  9. Consultant Services – National Reviews: • Locally administered projects – high risk designation • GAO Report 2008: • States increased reliance on use of consultants • Oversight & independence challenges – State DOTs & FHWA • OIG Audit 2009 – oversight consultants indirect cost rates & costs claimed Federal-aid highway projects • FHWA National Program Review 2009 FHWA Update

  10. Consultant Services: (Cont.) National reviews – findings & conclusions: • ~25% Federal-aid funding used for consultant services • Equivalent or alternative Brooks Act practices no longer allowed • Consultant services used in every aspect of project development, delivery & program management: • Large % projects use fixed price-lump sum in State DOTs • Inconsistent procurement methods • Inconsistent program services & capabilities FHWA Update

  11. Consultant Services: (Cont.) National reviews – findings & conclusions: (Cont.) • State DOT consultant services programs – improve: • Procurement policies, procedures & manuals • Consistency w/ policies & procedures • Oversight State DOT & local agency procurements • Consultants serving in “management” role & agencies fulfill responsible charge requirements • Conflict of interest - regulations & guidance needed FHWA Update

  12. Consultant Services: (Cont.) National reviews – findings & conclusions: (Cont.) • Procurement methods complying w/ regulations • RFP’s & contract requirements • Acceptance & use of audits, independent cost estimates & contract negotiations using: • Indirect cost rates • Direct salary rates & total compensation • FAR cost principles FHWA Update

  13. Consultant Services: (Cont.) FHWA Activities: • Continue collaboration w/ ACEC, AASHTO, ARTBA, etc. • Use AASHTO Audit Guide & develop 3 training courses • Developing FHWA Directive - certify indirect cost rates • Update Federal Regulations (23 CFR 172) • Completing cost recovery: • Determine final questioned costs – August 31, 2010 • Complete cost recovery – Dec. 31, 2010 • Developing FHWA stewardship & oversight toolbox FHWA Update

  14. Planning & Designing Urban Streets: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares – A CSS Approach, ITE Recommended Practice: • Use CSS principles in planning & project development • Collaborative & multidisciplinary development of project purpose, need, scope & decisions • Flexible use of design standards & criteria based on projects context, competing priorities & impacts • Balance setting, community objectives, all facility users, adjoining development, corridor & system needs FHWA Update

  15. Planning & Designing Urban Streets: (Cont.) Recommended Practice Describes: • Process using CSS principles & framework for planning & design of urban thoroughfare design • Uses target speed, context zones & thoroughfare type • Don’t use – ADT, design speed or functional class • Provides guidance on trade-offs for specific cross- section elements & intersection design • http://www.ite.org/css/ FHWA Update

  16. Congressional Hearing on Practical Design: • Using Practical Design & Context-Sensitive Solutions in Developing Surface Transportation Projects • FHWA, AASHTO, County, ACEC, ITE & Academic Reps. • Congressional issues of interest – June 10, 2010: • How are projects fit into a community? • How to right size – what should be basis (e.g., practical design, economic reasons, community needs)? • Need to mandate practical design or complete streets policies & design standards for urban streets? FHWA Update

  17. Congressional Hearing on Practical Design: (Cont.) • Complete Streets Legislation in congress: • Mandate all users able to travel on Fed-aid funded projects • States develop law & policy w/in 2-years Federal adoption • MPO’s develop policy • Majority panelists endorsed: • Not requiring practical design standards • Rely on CSS principles - tailor project to meet context & needs • Other interests endorsed: • Require project development process – doesn’t exist • Require urban street design standards be developed, adopted & used on projects – State DOT’s & FHWA won’t initiate FHWA Update

  18. FHWA Every Day Counts Initiative: • Partnership w/ ARTBA, AASHTO & Industry • Initiatives Focus: • Accelerate technology & innovation deployment • Shortening project delivery toolkit • Accelerate project delivery methods • Efforts: • Promote innovative practices w/ guidance, outreach material, training & successful practices • Implement practices in each state FHWA Update

  19. FHWA Every Day Counts Initiative: (Cont.) Accelerate technology & innovation deployment: • Warm mix asphalt • Prefabricated elements & systems • Adaptive signal control • Safety edge • Geo-synthetic reinforced soil Accelerate Project Delivery: • Construction manager at risk • Design-build FHWA Update

  20. FHWA Every Day Counts Initiative: (Cont.) Shortening Project Delivery: • Defining planning studies • Expanding use of programmatic agreements • Use of “In-Lie” fee & mitigation banking • Facilitate advancing delayed EIS’s • Clarify & use flexibility in preliminary engineering • Legal sufficiency enhancement • Flexibility in RW • Utility relocation & accommodation FHWA Update

  21. FHWA Every Day Counts Initiative: (Cont.) • Example – Utility Relocation & Accommodation: • Goal: Increase the use of innovative: • Agreement provisions • Construction contract provisions • Reimbursement methods • Outcome: DOT to use of one of these innovative techniques on a project for the first time FHWA Update

  22. Questions? FHWA Update

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