What is Context Sensitive Solutions and Why Should We Care

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What is Context Sensitive Solutions and Why
Should We Care?
H-GAC Context Sensitive Solutions
WorkshopSeptember 20, 2007
Jacob Riger, AICP
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Overview

• Understanding Context Sensitive Solutions
• Principles and land use relationships
• Legislative and legal framework
• Implementation benefits and challenges
• Resources and initiatives

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What is Context Sensitive?
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"Context sensitive solutions (CSS) is a
collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that
involves all stakeholders to develop a
transportation facility that fits its physical
setting and preserves scenic, aesthetic, historic
and environmental resources, while maintaining
safety and mobility. CSS is an approach that
considers the total context within which a
transportation improvement project will exist."
-- Federal Highway Administration
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Artist rendition
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Artist rendition
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Other Texas Examples (from TXDOT)

• McAllister Freeway Project - San Antonio
• Central Expressway Project - Dallas
• Wichita Falls Overhead Project
• Kelly Parkway - San Antonio
• Green Ribbon Project - Houston
• US 183/Loop 1 Landscape - Austin

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Principles of CSS
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CSS Can be

• A specific project that incorporates context
  sensitive design
• A planning process leading up to a specific
  project or a community plan

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Core Principles

• Addresses stakeholder/community objectives
• Increases user safety
• Promotes community livability
• Preserves environmental, scenic, aesthetic,
  historic, and/or natural resources
• Incorporates good urban design
• Provides lasting community value

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The Context in CSS

• Aesthetic
• Archeological
• Community
• Cultural
• Environmental
• Historic
• Recreational
• Scenic

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CSS and Land Use/Urban Design

• Community character
• Density, diversity, design
• Street design/character
• Function/type
• Street design
• Traffic flow, LOS, safety
• Context sensitive transportation investments

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Context Zones

• Suburban General Urban
  Urban Center Urban Core

Source Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company
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Related Concepts

• Context Sensitive Design
• Complete Streets
• Active Living by Design
• Scenario Planning
• Transportation Sustainability

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Legislative/Legal Framework
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Federal Level

• NEPA
• NHS Designation Act flexibility in highway
  design
• SAFETEA-LU promoting CSS principles in planning
  and project development
• Transportation Enhancements, other programs
• FHWA Vital Few Goal on Environmental Stewardship
  and Streamlining
• Objective Improve the environmental quality of
  transportation decision making by incorporating
  context sensitive solutions principles in all
  aspects of planning and the project development
  process.
• Training and research

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CSS in Texas
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Houston Region

• Support authorization of programs and standards
  that enhance state and local ability to mitigate
  the negative quality of life impacts associated
  with large infrastructure projects. Quality of
  life benefits can be realized through increased
  emphasis on native landscaping, regulation of
  large signs, incorporation of eco-friendly
  materials and design, etc.
• Source H-GAC Transportation Policy Council
  Legislative Committee, December 2006

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CSS Implementation
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Why Use CSS?

• Helps build stakeholder and community consensus
  early, saving time, money
• Builds public and regulatory support leverages
  partnerships and resources
• Broadens the definition of problem to advance
  more potential solutions
• Group decisions are generally better than
  individual ones
• Conserves environmental and community resources
  streamlines NEPA compliance
• Helps prioritize/allocate scarce transp. funds
• Source www.contextsensitivesolutions.org

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Why Use CSS? - TXDOT

• Ensure appropriate project design elements
• Provide unifying project vision
• Build consensus
• Establish ownership with stakeholders
• Provide a project that is responsive to the
  entire community

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Implementation Strategies

• As part of the planning process
• Strategic initiatives/mandates policies
• Stakeholder involvement program
• Shift in way agencies do business (philosophy)
• During project development
• Design flexibility
• Multi-disciplinary teams
• Standards and guidelines

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Implementation Challenges

• Change in philosophy/process
• Addressing LOS, traffic flow, safety, design
• Partnerships can be difficult
• Is the CSS process more expensive?

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Resources/Initiatives
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Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major
Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities
ITE/CNU MANUAL
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Concluding Thoughts

• CSS both project and process
• Reflects community values
• Land use-sensitive transportation investments
• Philosophy shift mobility and quality of life
  for people, not just efficient traffic flow

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Thank You!