Research Highlights

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty's research program supports projects with the goal of strengthening transportation planning and environmental decisionmaking. This page features recent research projects and activities that FHWA conducted to achieve this goal. Links to previous research highlights can be found at the bottom of the page.

Environment

The Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool (INVEST) Version 1.0 was released in October 2012 to assist State, regional, and local transportation agencies in evaluating the sustainability of their transportation plans, projects, and programs.
Going the Distance Together - Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) for Better Transportation, published in April 2012, is a guide designed to help practitioners find common ground with citizens by listening to them and understanding how transportation affects their quality of life.
Eco-Logical Successes, a report released in September 2012, highlights signatory agencies' strategic environmental programs, projects, and efforts that share the vision set forth in Eco-Logical. The ecosystem-scale approach to prioritizing, developing, and delivering infrastructure projects which are more sensitive to terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

Planning

The Asset Sustainability Index Report, released in July 2012, examines the concept of a suite of proposed performance measures centered around an Asset Sustainability Index.
Modeling and Analysis Needs and Resources for Small Metropolitan Area Transportation Planning: Report on a Peer Exchange, published in September 2012, is a report evaluating the current travel modeling and analysis needs and capabilities of small MPOs.
Considering Security and Emergency Management in the Planning of Transportation Projects was completed in May 2012. The guidebook highlights considerations, potential partners and sample measures for highway-related infrastructure projects.

Real Estate Services

The Visualization of Right-of-Way (ROW) Acquisition report, completed in June 2012, analyzed the reasons why visualization use during ROW acquisition is not common, despite its potential benefits, and explores how select state DOTs are applying this process to their work.
The Business Relocation Assistance Retrospective study report, released in the summer of 2012, analyzes actual costs businesses incur as a result of having to relocate for a public transportation project.

Previous Highlights

Environment Fact Sheet (July 2012)
Planning Fact Sheet (July 2012)
Real Estate Services Fact Sheet (July 2012)