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STEP 2010 Overview Handout

Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program

5 Facts You Should Know About STEP

• STEP is a federally administered research effort to help improve the understanding of the relationship between surface transportation, planning, and the environment.
• STEP funds can be awarded to state/local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, universities, federal agencies, and the private sector.
• STEP stakeholder input is used to help identify and prioritize STEP research topics.
• More STEP information and research results are available at: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.cfm

Program Overview

STEP is a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) research program authorized in the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A legacy for Users" (SAFETEA-LU).

Environment, Planning and Real Estate Initiatives

STEP research improves state of the practice regarding the impact of transportation on the environment.

• Climate Change
• Economic Development Case Studies
• Effects of Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs on Drivers
• Health and Environmental Benefits of Walking and Biking
• Improving Project Delivery
• Linking Land Use and Planning
• Mobile Source Emissions Analysis
• Stormwater Management Techniques

Supporting Tools

The following STEP tools are developed in partnership with state and local government.

• Census Transportation Planning Package
• FHWA Traffic Noise Model version 3.0 Development
• GIS for Transportation Applications Database
• Global Positioning System Tool for Corridor Vegetation Inventories
• Right of Way Professional Competency Navigator Tool
• Web-based Biological Assessment Tool

STEP Publications

Through STEP funding, the following publications were developed to support the various emphasis areas:

Environment

• Best Practices Manual: Wildlife Vehicle Collision Reduction Study
• Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Evaluation Study
• Guidebook: Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities
• Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure--Gulf Coast Study, Phase I
• State Transportation Liaison Funded Positions Study
• Structural Acoustic Analysis of Piles Study
• Ten (10) Simple Steps to Reducing Climate Change

Planning

• A Guide to Transportation Decisionmaking
• A Primer on Safety Performance Measures and the Transportation Planning Process
• Border Master Plans - California/Baja California
• Building Planning Capacity Between Public and Private Sector Partners with the Freight Industry: A Resource Manual
• Statewide Opportunities for Linking Planning and Operations
• The Transportation Planning Process: Key Issues

Real Estate Services

• Real Estate Acquisition Guide for Local Public Agencies
• Utilization of Right of Way Incentive Payments
• International Right of Way and Utility Scan

For further information on each publication, please contact the emphasis area representative.

How to Get Involved with STEP

Stakeholders are involved in a variety of ways. The information below provides tips for stakeholder participation.

• Review proposed FY2010 STEP Implementation Strategy, which outlines the likely research priorities for the year at: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/about_step/strategy/
• Develop and submit feedback on suggested lines of research that are related to the proposed STEP research priorities at: http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/step.nsf/home (link no longer active 5/12)
• Review Annual STEP Plan on the STEP website, once approved by HEP Associate Administrator at: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/resources/research_plans/
• After the STEP Plan has been approved, monitor FEDBIZOPPS.GOV. Funding opportunities will be posted at: www.fbo.gov

STEP Contacts

Stakeholders should contact individual STEP emphasis area representatives to discuss the status of research in specific areas. STEP contacts are located on the STEP website-www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/contacts/

Publication No. FHWA-HEP-10-012, January 2010

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