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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Administration
Resource Center
Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program
MAP-21 - Surface Transportation Reauthorization Signed into Law
On July 6, 2012, after nine extensions of the previous surface transportation legislation (SAFETEA-LU), new surface transportation legislation entitled “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” (MAP-21) was signed into law. MAP-21 extended the existing legislation through September 30, 2012, and has an effective date of October 1, 2012. It expires on September 30, 2014. Most of the transportation planning provisions as we know them from SAFETEA-LU have been carried forward with minor changes, and some new ones have been added. Some key highlights in MAP-21 as it relates to the planning process include: performance based statewide and metropolitan transportation planning and programming processes, planning and environmental linkages (PEL), optional designation/establishment of regional transportation planning organizations, additional requirements for TMA MPO Board membership, and optional scenario development in metropolitan areas. MAP-21 also identifies seven national goal areas and calls for the establishment of performance measures. The changes to metropolitan and statewide planning under MAP-21 are substantive enough that FHWA and FTA will be jointly undertaking a rule making process to issue a revised, updated planning rule. Other new or existing rules outside of planning such as, for example, those related to environment, right-of-way, performance measures, and asset management plans will also be undertaken. New guidance on the CMAQ program and on the new Transportation Alternatives program as well as a set of Q and A’s on MAP-21 as a whole, including on planning, are forth-coming.
In our last Edition, we reported on some key dates for MPOs. One of those was reported incorrectly. The correct date for new TMAs to have a CMP is January 18, 2014.
We will repeat the list again. Key dates locals need to observe:
Before Oct. 2012, State’s should revise their intra-State PL funds formula.
By March 26, 2013 Governors must designate new MPOs.
By January 18, 2014, new TMAs must have a Congestion Management Plan
Within four years of the law MPOs must undergo a certification review.
March 26, 2016 New MPOs must have adopted a metropolitan long range plan (MTP) and transportation improvement program.
Before next MTP update, existing MPOs must expand their metropolitan planning area to include areas likely to be urbanized in 20 years.
Webinars and Materials Related to MAP-21 Changes:
FHWA has been having a series of webinars on various MAP-21 topics. You can find the recordings of them and registration for future webinars at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/webinars.cfm. FHWA’s web site with Fact Sheets and other MAP-21 material is at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21. FTA’s web site with MAP-21 materials can be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov/map21/index.html.
Updated National Highway System
FHWA released updated National Highway System
(NHS) maps in accordance with The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. Section 1104 expanded the NHS to include urban and rural principal arterials that were not included in the NHS before October 1, 2012. The maps identified on website http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/, are effective on October 1, 2012. For additional information regarding the NHS maps, please contact Stefan Natzke at stefan.natzke@dot.gov or 202-366-5010 or Mike Neathery at mike.neathery@dot.gov or 202-366-1257.
EVERY DAY COUNTS
EDC 2
FHWA has rolled out a second wave of innovations for its Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative, an effort focused on shortening the time needed to complete highway projects through the use of new technologies and innovative processes. FHWA will promote 13 innovations to state, local and regional transportation agencies, as well as to the design and construction industries. These initiatives range from innovative construction management techniques to paving machinery designed to use global positioning systems (GPS) to achieve higher quality, longer-lasting roadways.
EDC 2 Initiatives:
Programmatic Agreements II
Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects
Three-Dimensional Modeling
Intelligent Compaction
Accelerated Bridge Construction
Design Build
Construction Manager/General Contractor
Alternative Technical Concepts
High Friction Surfaces
Intersection and Interchange Geometrics
Geospatial Data Collaboration
Implementing Quality Environmental Documentation
SHRP2 National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training
Programmatic Agreements II
Programmatic agreements is a concept of establishing a streamlined approach for handling routine environmental requirements. The key is to consider repetitive actions on a programmatic basis rather than individually, project-by-project. Programmatic agreements II builds upon the initial programmatic approaches initiative of EDC by applying some of the newly developed agreements to new states or expanding them to include regions. The emphasis of these agreements will continue to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the highway development process while maintaining appropriate consideration of the environment. Through EDC2, FHWA will continue to focus on the expansion of programmatic approaches in general, but will also focus on developing new or expanding existing agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/edctwo/2012/patwo.cfm.
Implementing Quality Environmental Documentation
This initiative seeks to implement existing recommendations and recent experience to improve the quality and, at the same time, reduce the size of NEPA documents. The initiative improves the quality of NEPA documents by making them more effective in disclosing the information used as a basis for making project decisions to the public and participating agencies including regulatory agencies who have permitting or review responsibilities. By improving the quality and readability of NEPA documents, FHWA and project proponents will accelerate project delivery and achieve better environmental outcomes. The initiative will promote recent best practice experience and build upon prior efforts, including recommendations from the May 2006 Report “Improving the Quality of Environmental Documents” – A Report of the Joint AASHTO/ACEC Committee in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. For more information see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/edctwo/2012/doc.cfm.
3D Modeling for Construction Means and Methods
3D modeling technology has been widely used by contractors on non-highway projects, and the potential for highway applications is just now being realized. With 3D modeling software, design and construction teams can connect virtually to develop, test, and alter project designs throughout the design and construction phases. Intricate design features can be viewed geospatially, or in a 3D view, from multiple perspectives, and simulations can be run to detect design flaws before construction begins. An overall benefit of the technology is an increase in productivity and efficiency of construction operations. For example, GPS-enabled construction equipment, when combined with the 3D terrain model can run all day and night while achieving accurate grades on the first pass. These technologies together can increase productivity by up to 50 percent for some operations. For more information see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/edctwo/2012/3d.cfm.
Improving Project Delivery with New GIS Technologies
Recent developments in web technology and commercial availability of cloud-based, Software as a Service (SaaS) data management, mapping, and analysis products are enabling public agencies to work with partners and stakeholders in new ways. Using SaaS products, Utah DOT has implemented a web-enabled data sharing and mapping platform called UPlan to collaborate with resource agencies and provide information to the public.
FHWA and AASHTO are working to evaluate collaborative GIS technologies and share lessons learned. Parallel Every Day Counts (EDC2) and AASHTO Technology Implementation Group initiatives will use UPlan as a model to evaluate and deploy cloud-based, SaaS collaboration and mapping technology for the purposes of improving the quality and speed of project decisions. Most State DOTs have established a stable GIS capability and are ready to take advantage of this technology. Collaborative GIS approaches build on existing staff capability, PEL principles, enterprise database, and web mapping applications. Expected benefits include:
Providing a common data view to agencies, process partners, and stakeholders.
Fostering collaboration through data-sharing with clear data governance.
Flexible use of data resources through dynamic user roles and group affiliations.
Focused use of staff and IT resources by shifting from internally developed and supported web applications to a hosted application.
For more information, see:
FHWA EDC2 - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/edctwo/2012/gis.cfm
AASHTO TIG - http://tig.transportation.org/Pages/UPlan.aspx
Scenario Planning Workshop
Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), the planning agency for the nine-county Denver region, hosted a Scenario Planning Workshop in Denver, CO on June 7-8. During the workshop, a variety of stakeholders gathered in Denver to discuss DRCOG’s scenario planning approach for their Regional Metro Vision 2040 long-range plan. At the workshop, a panel of national experts assembled to discuss various methodologies for building and assessing scenarios for the Denver region, and community members formed roundtables to consider different approaches, factors, and criteria that could be used to evaluate alternative future scenarios.
If you are interested in learning more about the workshop, please contact Rae Keasler at rae.keasler@dot.gov or 202-366-0329 or Jeff Price at jeff.price@dot.gov or 202-366-0843.
Scenario Planning Peer Exchange
The National Scenario Planning Peer Exchange was held as part of TRB’s Summer Meeting on July 8-10, 2012, in Irvine, California. The workshop presented different perspectives on scenario planning and detailed the multiple ways it can benefit states, regions, communities, neighborhoods, and others. Topics explored include a range of approaches for conducting scenario planning, and focused on how planners can develop meaningful scenarios and communicate scenario analysis with diverse public and stakeholder groups. The workshop also examined case study examples from practitioners on the development and use of a range of scenario planning tools by exploring how agencies can choose the right tools based on available data and resources, how tools can and should be used, and what analysis options are available to agencies with limited resources.
For more information about this event, please contact Rae Keasler at rae.keasler@dot.gov or 202-366-0329 or John Sprowls at john.sprowls at john.sprowls@dot.gov or 202-366-5362.
OPERATIONS
Talking Traffic Webinars
All Talking Traffic webinars are open to States, MPO’s, contractors, vendors, academia, and consultants. They are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m. eastern time.
Future Talking Traffic webinar schedule:
Nov. 13, 2012 TBD
Dec. 11, 2012 TBD
For this and future Talking Traffic webinars, we will be using the same web address, phone number, and pass code. register for the Talking Traffic Webinar at
http://fhwa.adobeconnect.com/fhwatalkingtraffic/.
Audio Portion Please Dial:
877-848-7030 Pass code: 6217068
For more information, contact Steven Jessberger, steven.jessberger@dot.gov, 202-366-5052.
Transportation and Health
FHWA’s Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program held a a webinar on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 to discuss planning research initiatives related to transportation and health that are planned or underway.
Speakers included representatives from FHWA, the John A. VOLPE National Transportation Systems Center, the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Puget Sound Regional Council, the San Diego Association of Governments, and Sacramento Area Council of Governments. They addressed research underway and highlight case studies and best practices for taking a holistic approach to health in the transportation planning process.
For more information, contact Sarah Mashburn, 202-366-6515 Sarah.Mashburn.ctr@dot.gov.
Social Media Tools
Social Media tools have drastically changed the way people relate and connect to each other and the world around them. It’s not whether or not the public, companies, Government agencies, and organizations will embrace Social Media — it’s already here. As a follow up to the February 2012 article, the upcoming Environmental Quarterly has an article discussing the different types of Social Media platforms and the pros and cons of each. You can find the article at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/environment/publications.cfm.
Updated Guidance on Functional Classification and Urban Area Adjustment
The 1976 FHWA document “Guide for Functional Classification of Highways” was revised in 1989 as “Highway Functional Classification: Concepts, Criteria and Procedures.” Since then a 1991 addendum was added and a 2008 memorandum provided “Updated Guidance for the Functional Classification of Highways.” The FHWA Office of Policy agreed to integrate these changes with the latest research in an updated version that is now available in draft form. This also includes guidance on the adjustment of urban boundaries even though they are separate determinations.
While the basic elements of functional classification remain the same, the guidance is strengthened and modernized to ensure better consistency between the States. The seven functional classes integrates Other Freeways and Expressways in rural areas and Minor Collectors in urban areas, which States started to use in 2008. Many data systems have been or are in the process of being updated, including HPMS, NBI, FMIS, and systems at FRA and NHTSA. For further information, contact Joe Hausman at 202-366-5047.
Geospatial Network Requirement Changed in HPMS
On August 7, 2012, the FHWA Office of Planning and the Office of Highway Policy Information signed a joint memorandum to the FHWA Division Administrators and Resource Center Directors notifying them of changes to the geospatial network reporting requirements in the Highway Performance Management System (HPMS). Beginning with the submittal of the 2013 data due June 15, 2014, the HPMS geospatial network requirement will be expanded to cover all public roads including dual carriageways on divided highways. To ensure compliance, the Office of Highway Policy Information is asking that a plan be submitted by June 15, 2013 describing how each State will meet the new requirements. The geospatial networks in HPMS are the backbone of the new Data Integration Platform that is currently being developed, which links HPMS, the National Bridge Inventory, the Fiscal Management Information System, and the Recovery Act Data System. The expanded networks will allow for a more accurate and complete analysis of the fiscal, infrastructure, operational, environmental, and safety data currently collected by FHWA and the U.S. DOT.
Data Related Events
October 1 – 3rd quarter 1512 reporting begins
October 22-25 – Highway Information Seminar, Arlington, VA (NHI Training Facility) http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/his.cfm
Highway Safety Manual Integration Guidebook
The FHWA Office of Safety recently released a new resource entitled Integrating the Highway Safety Manual into the Highway Project Development Process. The guidebook provides examples of opportunities for integrating the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) into all phases of project development such as planning, alternatives development and analysis, design, operations, and maintenance. The application of safety analysis tools such as the Integrated Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM), SafetyAnalyst, the CMF Clearinghouse and NCHRP 17-38 spreadsheet are also discussed. The HSM Integration guidebook is intended for practitioners of state and local agencies who want to reduce crashes and improve overall safety on their projects. You can access the document at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsm/hsm_integration/.
Release of IHSDM Model 8
FHWA has released the 2012 version of the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM – version 8.0.0). It is now available for free downloading at www.ihsdm.org. Please be advised that this 2012 Release contains major enhancements focusing on 1) a Beta version of crash prediction capabilities for mainline freeways segments based on draft Highway Safety Manual (HSM) materials developed under the National Cooperative Highway Research Project 17-45; 2) a new site-based data input and analysis capability that provides users with more flexibility in how data are entered; and 3) improvements to Help/Documentation and System Administration Tool.
The IHSDM is a suite of software analysis tools for evaluating safety and operational effects of geometric design decisions. This 2012 Public Release includes six evaluation modules, namely – Crash Prediction, Policy Review, Design Consistency, Intersection Review, Traffic Analysis and Driver/Vehicle Modules. The 2012 version of Crash Prediction Module (CPM) serves as a faithful implementation for the 1st edition of AASHTO’s HSM’s Part C – Predictive Methods for two-lane rural highways (HSM - Chapter 10), multi-lane rural highways (HSM - Chapter 11), urban and sub-urban arterials (HSM - Chapter 12), and proposed draft chapter for freeways. In addition, software development efforts to support proposed draft chapter for interchanges will begin shortly. The other IHSDM evaluation modules are applicable to rural two-lane highways. For more information on the Highway Safety Manual, please go to: www.highwaysafetymanual.org.
A web conference to all individuals and/or organizations for an introduction of this 2012 IHSDM was held Tuesday, October 16, 2012. Following lists two useful references and contact information for your future usage:
IHSDM Technical Support: IHSDM.Support@dot.gov; (202)-493-3407
IHSDM Training Courses: FHWA-NHI-380071 (a 2-day on-site training) and FHWA-NHI-380100 (a newly developed Web-delivery course) in the NHI catalog at http://nhi.fhwa.dot.gov
INVEST Software Release
INVEST is a web-based collection of best practices developed by FHWA to assist transportation agencies seeking to integrate sustainability into their highway projects and programs. A voluntary, self-evaluation tool, INVEST provides a wealth of information across the complete lifecycle of a highway, enabling transportation professionals to compute a sustainability score and track agency progress in system planning, project development, and operations and maintenance. Available to the public since 2010 in a beta version, and more recently in a pilot test version, INVEST 1.0 will be released to the public on October 10, 2012. At that time, all existing worksheets and scores generated by earlier versions of INVEST will be retired. For more information, see http://www.sustainablehighways.org/.
Scenario Planning Peer Exchange
The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the metropolitan planning organization for the 13-county northern New Jersey region, will host a U.S. DOT sponsored Scenario Planning Workshop at its offices in Newark, NJ on October 23-24, 2012. The workshop will convene a wide range of stakeholders to consider NJTPA’s proposed scenario planning approach for NJTPA’s long-range transportation plan update and a HUD-supported Regional Plan for Sustainable Development. NJTPA seeks input from national peers and U.S. DOT experts on how best to apply visualization tools for scenario planning and considerations for scenario development, analysis, and implementation. Staff from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (Pittsburgh), and Envision Utah will share insights, best practices, success factors, and lessons learned in the area of scenario planning.
The workshop will also support the New Jersey Sustainable Communities Consortium’s development of a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development for the 13-county region funded in part through a $5 million 2011 HUD Regional Planning Grant. If you are interested in learning more about the workshop or attending this event, please contact Rae Keasler at 202- 366-0329 or Jeff Price at 202-366-0843. Additional information on the FHWA and FTA scenario planning program is available here.
Integrating Conservation and Highway Planning
TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) Report S2-C06-RW-2: An Ecological Approach to Integrating Conservation and Highway Planning, Volume 2 is designed to help transportation and environmental professionals apply ecological principles early in the planning and programming process of transportation capacity improvements to inform later environmental reviews and permitting. Ecological principles consider cumulative landscape, water resources, and habitat impacts of planned infrastructure actions, as well as the localized impacts.
The report introduces the integrated ecological framework, a nine-step process for use in early stages of highway planning when there are greater opportunities for avoiding or minimizing potential environmental impacts and for planning future mitigation strategies.
Information developed as part of the project that produced SHRP 2 Report S2-C06-RW-2 is included on the on the Transportation for Communities: Advancing Projects through Partnerships web site.
Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction Program: First Assessment Report
The FTA has released a report that provides an overview and preliminary analysis of the FTA’s Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction Program (TIGGER) program.
The TIGGER program provides capital funds to transit agencies for projects that would reduce the agency’s energy use and/or greenhouse gas emissions. Find the report at http://fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_Report_No._0016.pdf.
Impact of Parking Supply and Demand Management on CBD Congestion, Transit Performance and Sustainable Land Use
The Florida Department of Transportation has released a report that explores the connection between parking supply and demand management strategies and transportation system outcomes such as congestion management, revenue streams, and more. The report has been posted on TRB’s web site at http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Summary_TE/FDOT_BDK77_977-07_rpt.pdf.
SWRPA Bicycle-Pedestrian Safety Corridor Study
Summer’s agreeable weather in Connecticut brings out more pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy the outdoors as recreationalists and commuters alike. Since 2000, bicycle commuting has grown by 50% in the state. Most modes are sharing busy transportation corridors in southwestern coastal Connecticut, so safety conflicts can be inevitable. Building upon the region’s safety goals in their Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, the South Western Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (SWRPA), the MPO for Connecticut’s panhandle, contracted with VN Engineers, Inc., to produce The Bicycle-Pedestrian Safety Corridor Study (http://www.swrpa.org/Uploads/SWRPA_Bike-Ped_Safety_Corridor_Study_Final.pdf) which pinpoints sites of greatest concern, identifies individual deficiencies, and outlines specific safety countermeasures for each location. For more information, contact Mr. Alex Karmen at karmen@swrpa.org.
Talking Freight
The Talking Freight seminars are sponsored by the FHWA and are held via web conference. The seminars are held on the third Wednesday of each month, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. The first hour of each seminar is dedicated to the presentations and the remaining 30 minutes are for audience question and answer. Future webinars are:
November 14 - Freight Academy Capstone Projects
December 19 - Freight Transportation’s Role in Economic Development
New and Improved “Integrating Land Use and Transportation” Toolkit
If you haven’t visited the Land Use and Transportation web page on the Office of Planning web site lately, make a special point soon to check out the updated land use/transportation in-depth case studies. A few of them are new, a few original ones were removed, and the remaining case studies have been “refreshed” to reflect their current status. In addition, the many “tools” have just undergone major revisions and reformatting. These tools are brief descriptions of various projects, programs, models, and other approaches to coordinating land use and transportation activities applied around the country and will soon replace the original versions found on this web page. The combined toolkit of case studies and tools is intended to be shared with transportation and planning agencies at all levels of government, as well as any other organizations with interests in enhancing planning and development decisions to improve the connections between land use, transportation, economic opportunities and community enhancements. For more information, contact Robin Smith 720-963-3072, robin.smith@dot.gov.
Activity Based Modeling Webinars
In 2012, the Travel Model Improvement Program (TMIP) has hosted a series of 12 webinars on Activity Based (AB) Modeling which you can find on their web site. The target audience is transportation modelers with no prior experience in AB Modeling. The Program is now adding three sessions on the MPO experiance with implementing AB Models. The webinars will be:
11/15/2012 San Francisco County Transportation Authority
12/13/2012 Denver Regional Council of Governments
The presentation slides and session recordings are available on the Recorded Webinars section of the TMIP Online Community of Practice http://www.tmiponline.org.
The Transportation Planning Excellence Awards Program is a biennial awards program developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and co-sponsored by the American Planning Association and the Transportation Research Board. The program provides a unique opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding transportation planning practices performed by planners and decision makers in communities across the country.
An independent, expert panel of judges reviews each nomination. Generally the projects go well beyond standard practice to demonstrate an exceptional level of innovation and creativity. The list of 2012 Award Winners and Honorable Mentions, as well as other program information can be accessed at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tpea/2012/.
Federal Aid Essentials
The FHWA Resource Center has developed a training program aimed at improving local public agencies knowledge of the Federal Aid Process. Federal-aid Essentials is a central online library of informational videos and resources. Each video addresses a single topic, condensing the complex regulations and requirements of the Federal-aid Highway Program into easy to understand concepts and illustrated examples.
Topics describing the project development process include:
Federal-aid Program Overview
Civil Rights
Environment
Finance
Right-of-Way
Project Development
Project Construction and Contract Administration
Each topic includes, a vast library of videos, printable takeaways and additional resources/contacts consisting of links to local program Web sites, manuals, references, local technical assistance programs, and local program coordinators. It can be found at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials/index.cfm.
FHWA PLANNING DISCIPLINE ACTIVITIES
Let’s Talk Planning
The FHWA and the FTA strive to provide the planning staff with current policy information, guidance, and an opportunity for dialogue on key programmatic issues. The “Let’s Talk Planning” (LTP) series of web meetings are information-sharing sessions for the FHWA and the FTA planners. These internal meetings are generally held the second Wednesday every three months via webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Material from previous LTP sessions can be found on the FHWA Planning Discipline SharePoint site.
Mark your calendars! The scheduled date for the upcoming 2012 webinar is:
Dec. 12, 2012 TBD
If you have suggestions for LTP sessions, contact: Ralph Rizzo, ralph.j.rizzo@dot.gov, 401-528-4548, Rae Keasler, rae.keasler@dot.gov, 202-366-0329, or John Sprowls, john.sprowls@dot.gov, 202-366-5362.
”Planning On the Web” Training Seminar Series
To help support the FHWA and FTA staff and promote continuous professional development of agency planners, the FHWA Resource Center is offering a series of internal web-based training seminars through an initiative known as “Planning on the Web” (POW). The POW training sessions are for the FHWA staff and will generally last 90 minutes to two hours.
Mark your calendars. The dates of the 2012-2013 POW sessions are:
Nov. 20, 2012 Air Quality / MOVES
Jan. 22, 2013 How to conduct a Federal Planning Finding
If you cannot attend the POW session for a particular month, the presentations and other information resources are available on the Planning Discipline SharePoint Reference Library. An Outlook appointment for each session will be sent to the FHWA Field Planners e-mail group approximately three weeks before each session. We hope to “see” you at the next session and hear your feedback on the session, as well as future POW topics. If you have a topic that you think would be valuable to offer as a POW web-based training seminar, contact Lisa Randall, Ken Petty, or any member of the RC Planning Technical Service Team.
FHWA Planning Discipline Awards
FHWA’s Planning Leadership Council (PLC) recently announced a new FHWA Planning Discipline Awards SharePoint site. It is open only to FHWA staff. The new Planning Discipline Awards SharePoint site supports the annual Planning Discipline Awards program designed to recognize the accomplishments of FHWA Planning staff. Through this new site, nominations can be submitted for each of the FHWA Planning Discipline award categories throughout the year. Each award program now offers a simplified nomination process. Nominations are submitted and edited directly through SharePoint to a private folder that is only visible and accessible by the author of the nomination. Additionally, this new approach enables you to submit and edit nominations throughout the year until the specified closing date.
As part of the new FHWA Planning Discipline Awards program, the PLC also initiated a new Retiree Recognition Program to celebrate the years of service provided by Planning Discipline members who have decided to retire. Anyone can submit a Retiree Recognition at anytime throughout the year using a simple on-line form.
These changes to the FHWA Planning Discipline Awards offer greater flexibility and the opportunity to nominate deserving individuals when you think of it, rather than waiting for the opening of a nomination period. For more information about the Planning Discipline Awards SharePoint site or the FHWA Planning Discipline Awards program, contact Theresa Hutchins, theresa.hutchins@dot.gov, 360-753-9402.
Staff Changes
There have been changes in staff recently.
From Office To Office
FHWA Offices
Tamara Christian From FL Division Planning To GA Division Planning
Theresa Claxton From TX Division Planning To TN Division Planning
Theresa Parker From FL PDP To EFLHD Planning
Morgan Malley From STIPD Program To GA Division Planning
Jack Lord From WA Division Planning To CA Division Planning
Susan Grosser From HQ Office of Planning To Retirement
Steve Foust From Kansas Division Planning To Retirement
WORKSHOPS & TRAINING
FHWA Resource Center Training
For information, see contacts at www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/planning/index.cfm. You can find the Planning Menu of Resource Center technical assistance, and training at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/planning/courses.cfm.
11/28/2012 Implementing an Effective Congestion Management Process, Austin, TX
National Transit Institute Training
For registration instructions see: www.ntionline.com/CourseDates.asp For session dates, see the list below.
Start Date End Date Location
10/24/2012 10/25/2012 Salisbury, MD
National Transit Database
11/7/2012 11/9/2012 Charlotte, NC
Introduction to Transportation Conformity
12/5/2012 12/6/2012 Scottsdale, AZ
National Transit Database
02/13/2013 02/14/2013 Charlotte, NC
National Transit Database
03/05/2013 03/06/2013 Olympia, WA
National Transit Database
National Highway Institute Courses
Try out the NHI Web site at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/home.aspx. Also, you can now check the schedule of web conferences at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/eventcalendar.aspx.
With the States experiencing difficulties with travel budgets, the FHWA has invested in web-based courses to make it easier for people to get the training they need.
Interested in taking an NHI web-based Training (WBT) Course? View this help guide on enrolling in an NHI WBT course.
Please click here for a complete list of NHI web-based courses. Look for these web based courses on NHI’s web site:
ITS Deployment Analysis System
Integrating Freight in the Transportation Planning Process - Standard Version
Integrating Freight in the Transportation Planning Process - Accessible 508 Version
Introduction to NEPA and Transportation Decisionmaking
Administrative Record
Traffic Monitoring and Pavement Design Programs
Highway Performance Monitoring System: An Introduction
Highway Traffic Noise: Basic Acoustics
Introducing Highway Federal-Aid - Standard Version
Introducing Highway Federal-Aid - Accessible 508 Version
New - Principles of Evacuation
Planning Tutorial
Scheduled Courses in the Next Quarter:
Start Date End Date Location
10/23/2012 10/25/2012 Salem, OR
Beyond Compliance: Historic Preservation in
Transportation Project Development
10/23/2012 10/25/2012 Tampa, FL
Highway Traffic Noise
10/29/2012 10/30/2012 Atlanta, GA
Pedestrian Facility Design
11/13/2012 11/14/2012 Helena, MT
Pedestrian Facility Design
11/13/2012 11/15/2012 Baton Rouge, LA
Access Management, Location and Design
11/14/2012 11/15/2012 Helena, MT
Bicycle Facility Design
12/11/2012 12/13/2012 Jefferson City, MO
Highway Traffic Noise
2/6/2013 2/7/2013 Atlanta, GA
Bicycle Facility Design
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2012-2013 Calendar
Oct. 22-25, 2012 Highway Information Seminar,
Arlington, VA
Oct. 23, 2012 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern time STEP Webinar on Transportation and Health
Nov. 7-8, 2012 Every Day Counts II Summit, Dallas, TX
Nov. 12-13, 2012 12th TRB National Light Rail and Streetcar Conference, Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 15-19, 2012 AASHTO Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 27-28, 2012 Every Day Counts II Summit, Sacramento, CA
Nov. 29-30, 2012 Every Day Counts II Summit, Portland, OR
Dec. 10-11, 2012 Every Day Counts II Summit, Warwick, RI
Dec. 13-14, 2012 Every Day Counts II Summit, Atlanta, GA
Jan. 13-17, 2013 92nd TRB Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
May 5-9, 2013 TRB’s National Transportation Planning Applications Conference, Columbus, OH
FHWA Planning, Environment and Realty:
www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/calendar.htm
FHWA Resource Center:
www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/
calendar.htm
Transportation Research Board:
http://www.trb.org/calendar/
New Flipbook Newsletter Option
Our Newsletter is distributed directly to FHWA Division Offices and FTA Region Offices by email. It is also posted to the FHWA Resource Center web site, http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/planning/publications.cfm, and a list of partner organizations such as AMPO, NARC, APTA, AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Planning, and the Resource Center Planning list serve are notified they can find it there. On the web site, we have posted Adobe PDF versions and a 508 compliant Word version. Over the years, we have been asked to create an easier to read on the web version. Starting with this version we will also be posting a flipbook, ebook, version. It is directly viewable on the web. You can click on the page edges to change pages or select a topic from the index. Try it out!
Photo Credits:
Page 1 left - Envision Utah from Public Roads Sept/Oct. 2005
Page 1 left center - Forest highway, Photo courtesy of istockphotos
Page 1 right center - Portland light rail, Photo courtesy of istockphotos
Page 1 right - Church St. Marketplace, Burlington, VT. Retrieved from Wiki Travel http://wikitravel.org/en/Burlington_%28Vermont%29
Page 8 - Corridor Study report cover from South Western Connecticut Regional Planning Agency website
Clipart courtesy of Microsoft
NOTICE: The information and articles in this newsletter are for your information and do not necessarily
constitute policy positions of the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration.
The mention of commercial products, their source or their use in connection with material reported herein
is not to be construed as either an actual or implied endorsement of such products.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Ben Williams, Co-Editor
Metropolitan Planning Specialist,
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3671
ben.williams@dot.gov
Rae Keasler, Co-Editor
Transportation Specialist
FHWA Office of Planning
(202) 366-0329
rae.keasler@dot.gov
John Sprowls, Contributing Editor
Community Planner
FTA Office of Systems Planning
(202) 366-5332
john.sprowls@dot.gov
