Title: Agency Challenges to Integrating Context Sensitive solutions
Abstract: Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) is a new way of approaching transportation planning and implementation. Non-CSS transportation agencies view their mission as being responsible for building safe, efficient and effective transportation systems. These agencies recognize that under NEPA and environmental permitting regulations they must consider community goals and environmental impacts as a part of their transportation decision-making process. “Consideration,” however, does not mean that transportation goals take a back seat. In most cases the facilities that are built under a traditional approach meet all of the transportation goals and engineering standards that transportation agencies establish. CSS, however, goes beyond consideration. CSS implementation means that transportation, community and environmental goals are all on an equal footing. It means that it is possible that transportation goals and traditional engineering approaches may not be the primary driver for all of the final project decisions. This subtle shift—from transportation is number 1 to transportation is 1 of 3 equals—is at the core of the challenge of integrating CSS into transportation agencies and transportation decision-making. It raises implications that are difficult to understand let alone address. Yet transportation agencies across the country are moving to implement and integrate CSS. In some cases this is being done on individual projects as a project delivery risk management approach. In other DOTs CSS implementation is organization-wide and represents an overall shift in the fundamental culture of the state department of transportation (DOT). For these agencies there is a comprehensive examination and revision of policies, processes, procedures and standards to assure that they are “CSS friendly.” Wherever transportation agencies fall in the CSS implementation spectrum they face challenges. In preparation for a peer exchange the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently surveyed its members to establish a baseline for CSS implementation. Forty-five state DOTs responded to a question about barriers to the implementation of CSS. A significant number of the respondents identified resistance to change (56%), perceived higher cost (42%), clear understanding of CSS (40%), and liability concerns (16%) as challenges to CSS implementation. Each of these barriers raises interesting questions. This paper discusses some of those questions.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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