The document discusses the principles and characteristics of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) in transportation planning, emphasizing collaboration among stakeholders to craft effective transportation solutions that also enhance community and natural environments. It describes the outcomes of implementing CSS, which leads to projects that meet the needs of stakeholders, preserve environmental qualities, and are seen as valuable additions to communities. Additionally, it outlines a case study involving design alternatives for a transportation corridor in Woodville, Texas, focusing on environmental impact mitigation.

1. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Class 3 Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
1

2. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Class Exercise Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
So…What does
Context Sensitive Solutions
mean to you?
2

3. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Class Exercise Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Context?
3

4. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Class Exercise Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Sensitive?
4

5. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Class Exercise Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Solutions?
5

6. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
What is CSS? Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
More than Mitigation . . .
More than Enhancements . . .
More than a Fad . . .
Michigan DOT
6

7. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Principles Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Strive towards a shared stakeholder
vision to provide a basis for decisions
• Demonstrate a comprehensive
understanding of contexts
7

8. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Principles Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Foster continuing communication and
collaboration to achieve consensus
• Exercise flexibility and creativity to shape
effective transportation solutions, while
preserving and enhancing community and
natural environments
8

9. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Characteristics Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Establishes/Involves an interdisciplinary team early
– full range of stakeholders in all phases of a transportation
program (including transportation officials)
– skills based on the needs of the transportation activity
• Seeks to understand
– the landscape
– the community
– valued resources
– role of all appropriate modes of transportation in each
unique context before developing engineering solutions
9

10. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Characteristics Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Communicates early and continuously with all
stakeholders
– open, honest, and respectful manner
– tailors public involvement to the context and phase
• Utilizes a clearly defined decision-making process
• Tracks and honors commitments through the life
cycle of projects
10

11. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Characteristics Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Clearly defines the purpose and seeks consensus
– shared stakeholder vision
– scope of projects and activities
– incorporates transportation, community, and
environmental elements
• Secures process commitments from local leaders
• Tailors the transportation development process
– to fit the circumstances
– process that examines multiple alternatives, including all
appropriate modes of transportation
– results in consensus
11

12. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Characteristics Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Encourages agency and stakeholder participants to
jointly monitor how well the agreed-upon process is
working
– to improve as needed
– to identify any lessons learned
• Encourages mutually supportive and coordinated
multimodal transportation and land-use decisions
• Draws upon a full range of communication and
visualization tools
– to better inform stakeholders
– encourage dialogue
– increase credibility of the process
12

13. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Myths Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
CSS is not about . . .
• Compromising safety and standards
• Responding only to the “squeaky wheel”
• Spending more time and money
• Tacking on enhancements
13

14. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Outcomes Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Qualities of Excellence in Transportation Design
• Satisfies the purpose and needs of stakeholders
forged early in the project and amended
throughout project development
• Safe facility for the user and the community
• In harmony with the community, preserves
environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, and
natural resource values of the area, i.e., exhibits
context sensitive design
14

15. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Outcomes Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Qualities of Excellence in Transportation Design
• Exceeds expectations of designers and stakeholders
and achieves a level of excellence in people's minds
• Involves efficient and effective use of the resources
(time, budget, community) of all involved parties
• Designed and built with minimal disruption to the
community
• Seen as having added lasting value to the community
15

16. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Why Use CSS? Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Decide Design Defend
Re-Design
Delay
Listen Design Build
Michigan DOT
16

17. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Stakeholders Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Potential CSS Stakeholders
• Neighborhood associations and civic organizations
(communities)
• Land developers and builders
• Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)
• City and county regional planners
• State DOT transportation planners & engineers
• Federal and state resource agencies
• Regional transit authorities
17

18. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Special Interests? Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
18

19. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Benefits Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Solves the right problem
– reaches consensus with all stakeholders before the design
process begins.
• Conserves environmental and community resources
• Facilitates and streamlines NEPA process compliance
• Saves time
– gains consensus early
– minimizes litigation and redesign
– expedites permit approvals
• Saves money
– shortens project development process
– eliminates/minimizes obstacles
19

20. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Benefits Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
• Builds support from the public and from the
regulators
– partnering with the transportation agency
– parties bring full cooperation
– often additional resources
• Helps prioritize and allocate scarce transportation
funds in a cost-effective way
• Group decisions are generally better than individual
decisions
– more accepted and mutually satisfactory when made by
all who must live with them
• Serves the public interest, helps build communities
and leaves a better place behind
20

21. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Case Study Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Woodville, Texas Project Location
TxDOT Beaumont District
Goal of the study:
Develop design alternatives for a
major transportation corridor
through the rural community of
Woodville, Texas.
Specific Objective:
Avoid possible environmental
impacts and improve community
impacts due to construction of the
proposed U.S. Highway 69.

22. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Site Conditions Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Rolling terrain covered with pines and
oaks, and rich bottomlands with tall
hardwoods and some wetland areas.
City is surrounded by units of the Big
Thicket National Preserve, the
Angelina National Forest is to the
north, and to the east is the Sam
Houston National Forest.
Turkey Creek, a 30-mile long
watercourse flows through Tyler and
Hardin Counties. This creek has
been proposed as a connecting
corridor in the "String of Pearls"
concept for Big Thicket National Park.

23. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Existing Conditions Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Existing Railroad
Weland Area Right-of-Way Turkey Creek
Weland Area Existing Tree Cover

24. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Site Conditions Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design

25. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Elevated Roadway on Embankment

26. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Elevated Roadway on Embankment
Cross-Section
Frontage Road Main Lanes Frontage Road
Embankment
Appoximately 350’ Wide Structure Footprint
Excluding Frontage Roads

27. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Elevated Roadway on Mechanically Stabilized Earth
Walls (MSE) and Embankment

28. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Elevated Roadway on MSE Walls
and Embankment. Bridge over Existing Wetlands

29. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Elevated Roadway on MSE. Bridge over Existing Wetlands

30. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Cross-Section with MSE Walls
Frontage Road Main Lanes Frontage Road
MSE Walls
Approximately 228’ Wide Structure Footprint
with Frontage Roads

31. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Alternative A Estimated Quantities* Estimated Costs **
Embankment: Item 132 0509 713,524 CY $3,125,233
MS W ls: Item 423 0503
E al N/A N/A
Bridge: Girder, Prestressed, I-Shape (GP-1) 130,928 SF $4,895,667
Portland Cement R Mix: Item 275 0505
oad 33,081 T S
ON $2,883,094
H M T D
ot ix: ype 7,748 T S
ON $259,727
Total: $11,163,721
Cost Comparisons Alternative B Estimated Quantities* Estimated Costs **
March 2008
Embankment: Item 132 0509 625,493 CY $2,739,661
MS W ls: Item 423 0503
E al 49,742 SF $501,892
Bridge: Girder, Prestressed, I-Shape (GP-1) 130,928 SF $4,895,667
Portland Cement R Mix: Item 275 0505
oad 33,017 T S
ON $2,883,094
H M T D
ot ix: ype 7,748 T S
ON $259,727
Total: $11,280,041
.
* Notes: Alternative C Estimated Quantities* Estimated Costs **
1.) Calculated costs are meant for comparison purposes only Embankment: Item 132 0509 348,082 CY $1,524,600
and do not represent actual construction costs of the roadway. MS W ls: Item 423 0503
E al 86,755 SF $875,358
2.) Same extents were used to calculate the costs of each
Bridge: Girder, Prestressed, I-Shape (GP-1) 204,168 SF $7,634,239
Portland Cement R Mix: Item 275 0505
oad 30,385 T S
ON $2,653,173
alternative. H M T D
ot ix: ype 7,131 T S
ON $239,020
3.) Frontage road embankments, underpasses and culverts Total: $12,926,390
were not included in estimates.
4.) For cost estimate, median between main lanes was
considered paved. Alternative D
Embankment: Item 132 0509
Estimated Quantities*
226,981 CY
Estimated Costs **
$994,177
5.) See appendix, page 19, for detailed cost descriptions MS W ls: Item 423 0503
E al 102,147 SF $1,030,661
Bridge: Girder, Prestressed, I-Shape (GP-1) 204,168 S
F $7,634,239
Portland Cement R Mix: Item 275 0505
oad 29,040 T S
ON $2,535,737
H M T D
ot ix: ype 6,815 T S
ON $228,435
Total: $12,423,249

32. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Structure Aesthetics

33. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Visual Impact
Existing View

34. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
Alternatives Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
Visual Impact Alternative Improvements

35. Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation
CSS - Benefits Planning, Environmental Analysis and Design
35