Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives (EHEI)
Awarding transportation projects that create or improve conditions for human activities.
Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives (EHEI)
- Memorandum: Designation of FHWA Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives and Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives for 2009
- Memorandum: Designation of FHWA Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives and Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives for 2008
- Memorandum: Designation of FHWA Exemplary Human Environment Initiatives for 2007
2009 Award Recipients
Congratulations to all of the State DOTs and division offices whose efforts are represented in this year's EHEI selections, and thank you to all who submitted proposals for this year. We also want to offer special congratulations to California, Delaware, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas because their projects were also selected as Exemplary Ecosystem Initiatives. We encourage you to continue to promote EHEI projects.
| Category | State | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Joint EHEI/EEI Recognition | California |
Development of the Caltrans Re-Vegetation Program in Northern California For developing an innovative and cost effective approach to re-vegetation. |
| Joint EHEI/EEI Recognition | Delaware |
Glenville Wetlands Mitigation Bank Project and Fox Point State Park For using a collaborative approach to manage flooding problems while improving the environment. |
| Joint EHEI/EEI Recognition | Idaho |
Idaho Transportation/Wildlife Database For developing an innovative tool that identifies the proximity of wildlife safety hazards. |
| Joint EHEI/EEI Recognition | Minnesota |
Vegetation Management Memorandum of Understanding--Fond du Lac For developing a process to manage vegetation without reliance on herbicides. |
| Joint EHEI/EEI Recognition | Oregon |
Culturally-Sensitive Dogbane Transplanting and Inter- and Multi-Agency Collaboration For developing an approach to preserve a culturally significant natural resource. |
| Joint EHEI/EEI Recognition | Texas |
Seymour Park Mitigation Site For reestablishing the link between a divided ecosystem while improving opportunities for outdoor activities. |
| Education and Training Programs | Michigan |
Guidelines for Stakeholder Engagement For developing a useful resource to educate people about Context Sensitive Solutions. |
| Education and Training Programs | Nevada |
Historic Stewart Indian Cemetery Outreach and Education Partnership For engaging the community to clean up and document an important historic site. |
| Education and Training Programs | Tennessee |
StopLitter™ - Tennessee's Had Enough For developing an innovative, multi-faceted campaign to reduce roadside litter. |
| Enhancing the Environment for Human Activities | Arkansas |
Tanner Street Bridge Replacement For employing a collaborative, context sensitive approach to replace a historic bridge. |
| Enhancing the Environment for Human Activities | Louisiana |
Front Street in Natchitoches For a collaborative approach to improve transportation facilities while maintaining the historic character of downtown. |
| Enhancing the Environment for Human Activities | Texas |
The Roma Visitors Center and Plaza Project For using a collaborative approach to rehabilitate a historic town center and improve facilities for pedestrians of all abilities. |
| Encouraging Nonmotorized Transportation | Minnesota |
Stillwater Lift Bridge Management Plan and Repair Project Stakeholder Involvement Process For employing an innovative approach that emphasized Universal Design to foster access for pedestrians of all ability levels. |
| Encouraging Nonmotorized Transportation | New Jersey |
Route 71 Pedestrian Tunnel For using a Context Sensitive Solutions approach to improve facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists. |
| Encouraging Nonmotorized Transportation | Oregon |
"Walk There! 50 treks in and around Portland and Vancouver" Guidebook Project For developing a unique collaboration between transportation and health organizations to promote walking. |
| Process Improvements | Utah |
Mountain View Corridor Environmental Impact Statement "Growth Choices" Process For using a process that helped citizens and elected officials understand how sustainable, context sensitive approaches can be used to plan for future. |
2008 Award Recipients
| Category | State | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Encouraging Nonmotorized Transportation | California |
Interstate 5/International Friendship Plaza For an innovative approach to create a bicultural transit, pedestrian, and bicycle plaza and gateway between the United States and Mexico. |
| Enhancing Environment for Human Activities | Kentucky |
Newtown Pike Extension-Southend Park Redevelopment and Community Land Trust For a collaborative approach within the state that formed a community land trust to ensure community cohesion and environmental mitigation. |
South Carolina |
Preservation of the Fishdam Ford Revolutionary War Battle Sit For finding and preserving a site of national historical interest while expediting roadway improvements. |
|
Tennessee |
Type II Noise Barrier Program For instituting a statewide review of their entire Interstate system to identify noise abatement needs. |
|
Utah |
Southern Corridor Sustainable Development Initiative For working on an innovative pilot project in conjunction with EPA and the City of St. George to protect the environment and identify sustainable development opportunities. |
|
| Process Improvement | California |
Form and Formation of the Humboldt County Tribal Transportation Commission For forming a Tribal Transportation Commission involving all of the tribes in Northern California to ensure their involvement in transportation decision making. |
Florida |
Efficient Transportation Decision Making For developing a collaborative transportation decision making process that protects the natural, cultural, and built environment. |
|
| Education/Training | Alaska |
Partnership for Progress For using a collaborative approach to develop public service announcements to help citizens improve safety and protect environmental resources. |
| Product Development | Georgia |
Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System For developing an innovative web-based tool that includes mapping layers for archaeological, historical, and natural environment features. |
| Others | Illinois |
US Business Route 20 Improvement For developing an innovative assistance approach to ensure community continuity before, during, and after roadway improvements. |
North Dakota |
Tribal Consultation Programmatic Agreement For developing a Tribal Consultation Committee and empowering tribes in North Dakota to protect their cultural resources and participate in transportation decision making. |
2007 Award Recipients
| Category | State | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Encouraging Nonmotorized Transportation | Colorado | 28th St Central Corridor Multimodal Improvements This project helped transform a vehicle dominated corridor to an aesthetically pleasing multimodal corridor with improved walking and bicycling facilities, and transit service. This project is an example of a "complete street" where all travel modes are safely accommodated. |
| Enhancing the Environment for Human Activities | Oregon | Vista House The Vista House, in use since 1918, is a key historic site along the Historic Columbia River Highway. This project involved retrofitting the site for ADA compliance without impacting aesthetics. The most innovative improvement was installing an elevator that cannot be seen when on the lower level of the structure, and therefore preserves the original aesthetics. |
| Arkansas | Pulaski County Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge (Big Dam Bridge) The construction of the pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Murray Lock and Dam in the Little Rock area connects trails on both sides of the river. It is the longest bridge specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists. |
|
| Process Improvements | Kansas | Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Pedestrian and Bicycle Trail This project forged an innovative cooperative agreement among the Kansas Department of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) that allows the PBPN to operate with greater self sufficiency regarding management of transportation projects on the reservation. |
| South Carolina | US 76 Bridge Project A significant interstate partnering effort resulted in a new bridge over the Chattooga River that connects US76 between South Carolina and Georgia and is within National forests. The team used a Context Sensitive Solutions approach to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, ensure that the bridge did not interfere with the scenery, and did not disrupt recreational river use. |
|
| Education and Training Programs | Mississippi | US Highway 45 Bypass Environmental Study As part of the US 45 bypass environmental study, the team developed an educational program for school children, their parents, and the local community environmental stewardship and transportation decision making. This project involved partnerships with elementary schools, local news media, city, State, and Federal agencies. |
| Product Development | Georgia | Historic Preservation of the Leake Archeological Site Partners including the area's Native American communities, city, county, State, Federal, media, and educators worked together to address looting of the Leake archeological site, increase public involvement in the data recovery plan, and provide law enforcement training needs regarding site protection. |
| Others | New York | Philip A Rayhill Memorial Trail The Philip A. Rayhill Memorial Trail connects several residential neighborhoods to shops, education facilities, and offices in the central New York State. This project has led to increased awareness of the need for walking and bicycling connectivity in other local comprehensive plans. |
If you have any questions regarding this program please contact Gabe Rousseau at gabriel.rousseau@dot.gov or (202) 366-8044.
To provide Feedback, Suggestions, or Comments for this page contact Gabe Rousseau at gabriel.rousseau@dot.gov.
