Strategies for addressing or avoiding common constraints to speed delivery of transportation planning and environmental review projects.
Expediting Project Delivery (C19)
 For technical details, go to the fact sheet. |
Challenge
Improving and expediting the efficient delivery of needed transportation projects is high on everyone’s agenda - from the traveling public who desire the improvements to the transportation agencies that want to enhance their multi-modal networks. Transportation agencies are challenged to ensure that limited transportation revenue is most efficiently utilized to improve project delivery, reduce costs, and maintain environmental protection standards. The use of innovative approaches and early coordination with resource agencies, stakeholders, and the public can help transportation agencies achieve timely project delivery. Meeting these challenges will require a change in the way projects are planned and developed. A range of strategies is needed to address common constraints and expedite delivery from the earliest project phases.
Meeting these challenges will require a change in the way projects are planned and developed. A range of strategies is needed to address common constraints and expedite delivery from the earliest project phases.
Solution
SHRP2 has developed a Solution for Expedited Planning and Environmental Review. The product identifies 24 strategies for addressing or avoiding 16 common constraints in order to speed delivery of transportation projects. Constraints are grouped under six objectives:
- Improve public involvement and support
- Improve resource agency involvement and collaboration
- Demonstrate real commitment to the project
- Improve internal communication and coordination
- Streamline decision making
- Integrate across all phases of project delivery
The product suggests the likely effects of not addressing a constraint, categorized as low, medium, or high, and multiple strategies are suggested for each severity category. The solution includes a useful worksheet for each mitigation strategy that provides background and case examples.
Details on the strategies and constraints can be found in the SHRP2 report, Expedited Planning and Environmental Review of Highway Projects. Expedited Planning and Environmental Review is also incorporated into a suite of solutions located at the Web site Transportation for Communities—Advancing Projects through Partnerships (TCAPP), currently available as a beta site at www.transportationforcommunities.com
Benefits
This product saves time by reducing project delays while also providing innovative approaches to improve transportation decision making. When transportation improvements fail to occur, project and motorist costs can multiply, and public perception of agency performance worsens. This product allows agencies to anticipate where delays are expected to occur and to apply tested strategies to avoid or reduce delays during all phases of project development.