Evaluation Criteria
Process
How transportation decisions were made and implemented.
- Demonstrates a proactive approach rather than crisis-driven reaction
- Modified or improved the project delivery, planning or program development process to reflect CSS principles
- Demonstrates institutionalization of CSS though improved or refined agency procedures or processes
- Established a process for incorporating CSS into design manuals, methods or other internal processes and tools
- Allowed management and stakeholders to reliably predict the project delivery schedule, costs, scope and general design outcomes, demonstrating the successful up-front application of CSS principles to activities such as early scoping work.
- Created a sound process for accurate project scoping, budgeting and execution based on CSS principles that can be repeated for other projects and programs
- Promotes and strengthens sound long-term planning decisions and investments
- Multi-modal planning
- Community and neighborhood planning
- Coordination with related environmental goals
- Inter-agency coordination, including between jurisdictions or transportation modes
- Green infrastructure planning
- Other
- Integrated infrastructure lifecycle issues to establish and implement appropriate maintenance and operational strategies
- Demonstrates that CSS can help manage legal risk and provide liability protection
- Rigorous documentation of design choices
- Meaningful involvement of stakeholders to address potential conflicts early
- Used resources efficiently (e.g., shared mitigation costs, shared analysis staff, partnerships for outreach activities)
- Improved stakeholder participation, ownership, responsibility and trust
- Created new or expanded partnering opportunities
- Used a multi-disciplinary, collaborative project team
Outcomes
What was done; tangible and intangible outcomes that benefit the sponsoring agency and stakeholders.
- Outcomes reflect stakeholder input
- Demonstrates an appropriate balance between mobility and access to destinations
- Improved walkability
- Improved bikeability
- Improved safety
- Vehicles
- Pedestrians
- Cyclists
- Others (e.g., maintenance workers, wildlife)
- Improved freight movement and inter-modal freight operations
- Expanded options for multi-modal travel and improved physical and operational connections between modes
- Demonstrates creativity in using design manuals and fundamental design controls to achieve Context Sensitive Solutions
- Actively took advantage of flexibility in design guidelines
- Addressed any conflicts related to choice of functional classification, design speed and design vehicle
- Responded to non-mobility local needs and opportunities
- Improved quality of life for community
- Scenic enhancement/preservation
- Aesthetic enhancement
- Cultural enhancement/preservation
- Historic preservation
- Archeological preservation
- Real estate value enhancement
- Placemaking and quality public space
- Community cohesion
- Recreational opportunities
- Economic development
- Physical health and activity
- Other
- Compatible with Natural Environment
- Environmental conservation/restoration
- Ecosystem function
- Connectivity of natural habitats
- Other
- Supports integrated land use and development with the transportation network (e.g., demonstrates 'Smart Growth' outcomes or natural lands conservation)
- For transportation planning (long-range, corridor, etc.), demonstrates how CSS principles were applied in developing the plan
- Collaborative approach to defining transportation problems and community vision
- Planning "products" feed directly into project development process (environmental screening, stakeholder contacts, agency partnerships, analyses)
- CSS principles applied to establish funding priorities (the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP)
- Other
- Minimized construction-related disruption
- Improves the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance and operations activities
- Documentation of process and decisions available and understandable to stakeholders
- Promotes sound long-term design decisions and investments
- Efficient operations
- Minimal and/or efficient use of materials including recycled materials
- Support for sustainable development patterns
- Sustainable stormwater management
- Best environmental practices in operations and maintenance
- Green infrastructure design elements
- Other
- Built staff capacity and expertise for CSS in future projects or programs
- Built partner and stakeholder capacity and expertise for CSS in future projects or programs
- Demonstrates application of improved design elements, methods or guidelines that can be transferred to other projects or programs
- Included CSS components that can serve as benchmarks to measure progress in fully integrating CSS into routine practice