During the 2017 National Regional Transportation Conference, Shari Schaftlein shared the Federal Highway Administration's update on resources related to human environment. FHWA program areas are interrelated with agency priorities.

1. Advancing Human Environment Stewardship
Shari Schaftlein,
Director, Office of Human Environment
June 30, 2017

2. U.S. DOT Priorities:
• Safety
• Accelerated Project Delivery
• Technology Advancements
What is the relationship of Human Environment
Stewardship to these priorities?
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3. FHWA Program Areas
• Context Sensitive Solutions
• Environmental Justice
• Quality of Life/Livability
• Multimodal System Planning
• Connectivity
• Economic Development
• Sustainability and Resilience
• Transportation Planning and Health
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4. CSS Overview
• Flexible and creative
transportation solutions
• Collaboration and consensus
based decision making
• Internal and external
stakeholder involvement
• Preserving and enhancing
resources
• Physical setting (contextually
appropriate design)
• Performance measures - timely
project delivery
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5. CCS and Rural Areas
 Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) in Practice Brochure
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability/resources/cssbrochure.cfm
 Using Active Transportation and Context Sensitive Solutions
to Enhance Livability in Rural Communities and Small Towns
Webinar
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/css/webinars/usingactivetrans/inde
x.cfm
 Case Studies
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/css/case_studies/

6. ND CSS Targeted Technical Assistance

7. Ensure communities have a meaningful
voice in the transportation decision-
making process.
Ensure that impacts to communities and
citizens are recognized early and
addressed throughout the transportation
decision-making process.
Identify and prevent discriminatory
effects through active administration of
programs, policies, and activities.
Prevent the denial of, reduction in, or
significant delay in receipt of benefits by
minority populations and low-income
populations.
Environmental Justice
(EJ) at the FHWA
means identifying and
addressing
disproportionately high
and adverse effects of
the agency's programs,
policies, and activities
on minority populations
and low-income
populations
Overview
Core Principles
Environmental Justice
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8. EJ and Rural Areas
 Developing and Advancing Effective Public Involvement
and Environmental Justice Strategies for Rural and
Small Communities
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/pu
blications/effective_strategies/index.cfm
 Environmental Justice Analysis in Transportation
Planning and Programming (In Development)
 Fundamentals of EJ Web-based Course (Coming Soon
to National Highway Institute)
 Advanced EJ Analysis Course (In Development)
 Case Studies:
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/ca
se_studies/

9. • Connectivity
• Livability/Quality of Life
• Transportation Alternatives /Bicycle and Pedestrian
• Context Sensitive Solutions /Design
• Economic Development/Revitalization
• Sustainability and Resiliency
• Community Impact Assessments
• Design Flexibility
• Performance Management/Performance Based
Practical Design
• Walkable Multimodal Thoroughfares
• Safe and affordable transportation choices
• Civil Rights/non-discrimination
• Environmental Justice
Evolving Terminology for
Human Environment Stewardship
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10. Transportation and Livability
• Better integration of multimodal
transportation infrastructure and facilities
• Expand opportunities for economic
development
• Provide safe and adequate
accommodations for all users
• Increase community connectivity and
cohesion
• Capitalize on the value of existing (context
sensitive) community amenities
• Enhance access to jobs, schools, and
other services
• Help improve overall quality of life
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11. Urban/Rural Needs
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12. Urban/Rural Resources
Resource Urban Rural
Dually
Applicable
Developing and Advancing Effective Public Involvement
and Environmental Justice Strategies for Rural and Small
Communities
X
Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks
X
Innovative Street Design Practices and Accessibility (In
Progress)
X
Best Planning Practices: Metropolitan Transportation Plans X
Environmental Justice Analysis in Transportation Planning
and Programming, State of the Practice (In Progress)
X
The Why and How of Measuring Access to Opportunity
X
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13. Transportation and Livability Resources
Foundational
• Livability in Transportation Guidebook
• The Role of FHWA Programs in Livability
• Creating Livable Communities Report
• Regional Livability Workshop Summaries
Recent
• The Why and How of Measuring Access
to Opportunity, A Guide to Performance
Management
• Updated Case Studies
• Best Practice Videos
Work in Progress
• Community Impact Assessment
Guidebook Update
• Community Connections, EDC-4
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14. Human Environment Newsletters
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability/he_digest
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability/newsletter/
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15. Recent FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle
Resources
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16. 16
Performance-Based Practical Design +
Transportation Systems Management and Operations
Better Complete Streets

17. Economic Development Resources
“Transportation should play a
significant role in promoting
economic growth, improving the
environment, and sustaining
quality of life." Declaration of
Policy, 23 USC 101
• FHWA Economic Development
Case Studies
• FHWA Transportation and
Economic Development Portal
• Supporting Economic
Development with Highway
Investment Report (Nov 2015)
• EconWorks (Economic Impacts
Analysis), Webinar Series
• The Conservation Leadership
Network Courses
(http://www.conservationfund.org/what-we-do/conservation-leadership-network/upcoming-courses)
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18. State and Local Coordination
• Over1,200participating
Communities
• Over$17billion dollarsin
federalresources
• 15Federalagencies
administeringPlace-based
Initiative programs
• Increasedinteragency
planning(andanumberof
potentiallyduplicative
interagencystructures)
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19. INVEST – FHWA’s Sustainability Tool
• Infrastructure Voluntary
Evaluation
Sustainability Tool
(INVEST)
• Web-based self-
assessment tool
• Specific to
transportation
• Helps stakeholders go
above and beyond
• Practical - connects
sustainability principles
with action
• Nationally vetted – pilot
tested across the
country, 3000+
comments
• Voluntary
• Free, easy to use
• Flexible
www.sustainablehighways.org
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20.  Promotes context sensitive
design rather than a one-
size-fits-all solution
 Informs decision making
goals to measure success
implementing transportation
projects that support
community revitalization
 Enhances strategies to
improve safety and
multimodal access to jobs,
education, and other services
Community Connections: An EDC-4 Initiative
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21. Transportation Planning and Health
 Framework for Better Integrating Health into Transportation
Corridor Planning
 Transportation and Health Tool (THT)
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22. Transportation Equity
• Congestion Pricing and Tolling
• Multimodal Access
• Transportation Investment Analysis: shared
benefits and negative impacts
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23.  Livability:
 http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability
 Environmental Justice:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice
 Bicycle and Pedestrian:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/index.cfm
 Economic Development:
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/economic_development/
 Sustainable Transportation:
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/
 Community Connections:
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_4/connections.cfm
 Health in Transportation:
 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/health_in_transportation/
Program Websites
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24. Questions?