The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Planning, Environment and Realty's (HEP) Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) ended on September 30, 2012. For current HEP research information, please see HEP's research web site.
Stakeholder outreach, feedback, and participation in research efforts are critical to successful implementation of the STEP. For the past five fiscal years, FHWA has collected stakeholder feedback through a Web-based system. Stakeholders can target their feedback towards one of the 18 emphasis areas or submit general comments. In addition, throughout FY2010, FHWA collaborated with Federal, Tribal, and State partners, representatives of national associations, members of the academic community, private sector professionals, and individual citizens. Together they assessed research needs, identified potential funding sources, and designed appropriate research plans and activities. Hundreds of individuals were reached through meetings, teleconferences, and other events.