Context Sensitive Solutions Technical Assistance: Washington State Department of Transportation
Purpose and Objectives of the Workshop
FHWA sponsors a Technical Assistance (TA) effort to support states in applying CSS to challenges they face in the transportation sector. Each state participating in the TA effort is invited to identify one issue to tackle using a CSS approach, with FHWA assistance. Participating states can also join a virtual peer exchange for sharing information, challenges, lessons learned, and successes. Each state and state agency faces unique issues, but the results and key findings of these CSS efforts can offer valuable insight to other states.
The primary purpose of this workshop was to help WSDOT create a process for better applying the principles of context identification and Performance Metrics to actual project design and construction. WSDOT wished to examine its existing guidance and identify opportunities to improve it—in collaboration with state transportation engineers, planners, and key policy personnel, and with input from key stakeholder groups.
The TA workshop had the following objectives:
- Examine challenges and opportunities from other state DOTs that have implemented CSS in all stages of transportation decision-making. Review recent and emerging research addressing the use of context to guide design decisions (e.g., NCHRP 15-52, Developing a Context-Sensitive Functional Classification System for More Flexibility in Geometric Design).
- Facilitate discussion among the WSDOT Region staff regarding the challenges and opportunities they have encountered with regards to understanding and integrating both context identification and performance metrics into planning and project development (programming, environmental review, and design) at key decision points (KDPs).
- Demonstrate the importance of a shared vision and goal for achieving success, using “real world” WSDOT examples. The examples were selected to illustrate the importance of considering transportation and land use context, along with WSDOT and stakeholder perspectives, when undertaking either planning or project development. An ideal solution integrates the diverse visions of the community, WSDOT, local government, and resource agencies into a shared, common vision.
- Critically review the effectiveness of existing tools and guidance developed by WSDOT. Initiate a discovery process and a plan for using the review findings to improve the process of establishing context, and of integrating associated Performance Measures into decisions, at both the planning and project levels. Consider the potential benefits of integrating emerging tools (e.g., NCHRP 15-52) into process improvement efforts.
- Identify opportunities for improving the context definition guidance document, which is part of WSDOT’s existing Design Manual. Discussion may explore opportunities and challenges associated with the development and implementation of that guidance (e.g., data, training, tools, collaboration, technical support, suitability of emerging national work, etc.). Noteworthy, is that the workshop discussion led organically to the question of how understanding and defining context supports design decisions, and a shared consensus that WSDOT’s guidance should encourage flexibility in transportation design and decision making.
The workshop took place on December 14, 2016 at the Kent Maintenance Center in Kent, Washington. It was attended by 20 participants representing several regions of the state—Eastern, Olympic, South Western, South Central, North Western, and North Central Washington—as well as WSDOT headquarters (HQ). The workshop was facilitated by CSS subject matter experts (SMEs).
