The Office of Human Environment's (HEPH's) Research and Financial Services Team administers research programs and financial support to HEP for research initiatives. The Team provides leadership, coordination, and support of research activities, and manages financial records for HEP's research programs. The Team also works toward improving outreach, communication, and partnerships between Federal, State, and local stakeholders in managing the research programs.
For more information, please contact HEP's Primary Research Coordinator: Thanh Tran, 202-366-4085
HEPE develops and implements programs and activities that help accelerate project delivery for FHWA-funded projects by improving the environmental review and permitting processes to reduce regulatory burden, timeframes and costs.
HEPE's research efforts focus on improving the NEPA process to ensure a balanced and efficient approach to transportation decision-making that considers potential impacts on the human and natural environment, as well as the public's need for safe and efficient transportation improvements.
HEPE's research also centers on methods to better develop projects, reduce their overall impacts and improve associated mitigation options. Another research goal is to improve coordination and communication between State DOTs, resource and regulatory agencies, and state and local agencies, as well as the public, to create efficiencies in project review. Methods and tools like Eco-Logical, mitigation banking, and regional and national programmatic efforts are examples of HEPE's research focus areas.
Contact: Anne Rowe, 202-366-4196 | Fact Sheet (135KB)
HEPH develops and implements programs and activities which enrich human interaction with transportation systems. The Office provides leadership and direction for mobility innovation, connected multimodal networks, economic development, national highway systems planning, and bicyclist and pedestrian initiatives.
The Office's efforts focus on collaborating with stakeholders to improve quality of life, supporting successful economic development outcomes from highway investments at the regional and local level, planning and implementing research, and managing human environment-related funding programs. These efforts support technical assistance delivery and development of tools to advance multimodal innovation among Federal and non-federal groups. The Office also provides training and consultation on highway systems and mobility options, and helps ensure that Federally-supported transportation networks enhance the human environment.
HEPH's research focuses on transportation equity, and planning, designing, and implementing a highway system that offers minimum disruption and meets the mobility, environmental, and economic needs of livable communities.
Contact: Mike Neathery, 202-366-1257 | Fact Sheet (188KB)
HEPN develops and implements programs and activities to minimize the adverse impact of transportation on the natural environment. The Office identifies and carries out a comprehensive research program to address natural environmental issues related to transportation. These issues include air quality, highway noise, resilience, and sustainability.
Contact: Connie Hill Galloway, 804-775-3378 | Fact Sheet (157KB)
Transportation planning provides a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the potential impacts of transportation plans and programs while addressing the aspirations and concerns of the communities served by these plans and programs. The Office of Planning (HEPP) leads and implements programs and activities that advance comprehensive State, metropolitan, rural, tribal, international, and multimodal planning.
The Office's research efforts focus on advancing surface transportation planning with partners, customers and throughout FHWA by providing a cooperative, performance-driven process by which long and short-range transportation improvement priorities are determined. HEPP's research supports many emphasis areas including: census and travel modeling, congestion management, emergency preparedness and security, environmental linkages, freight planning, non-motorized planning, performance management, public involvement, and scenario and visualization.
Contact: Sarah Smith, 202-366-2042 | Fact Sheet (318KB)
The Office of Real Estate Services (HEPR) develops and implements programs and activities to advance the fair and equitable acquisition and management of real property.
The Office's research activities focus on improving the regulations and policies for acquiring and managing highway real property interests, developing improved methodology, technology, and systems for right-of-way agencies, while advancing technological innovations and research that streamline right-of-way acquisition processes.
HEPR's research emphasizes:
HEPR has led development of updates of its two primary regulations, 49 CFR and 23 CFR. As part of that development, FHWA considered current needs and requests from its partners and stakeholders to eliminate duplicative and outdated language, and streamline processes to better meet current Federal-aid highway and other Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policy Act for Federal and Federally-assisted program needs.
Contact: Melissa Corder, 202-366-5853 | Fact Sheet (147KB)
