The guidebook presents critical issues involved in planning for sustainable transportation systems (Chapter 2) and then reviews current practices in the US and abroad that address these issues (Chapter 3). One of the major challenges in implementing sustainability assessment for planning relates to data availability, so Chapter 4 describes potential data sources and examples of how data has been used in sustainability-related initiatives. Chapter 5 consists of case studies of sustainability practices that have been implemented by US transportation agencies or comparable agencies abroad. It also describes cutting-edge evaluation methods that have not been widely applied by transportation agencies, but could greatly advance sustainability evaluation and planning. There is a wide range of sustainability activities that can occur at transportation agencies, the focus of which put agencies on very different pathways to similar destinations. Agencies that have supporting legislation with allocated funding to pursue sustainability goals are in a different place than those that do not. An agency that already has a sustainability plan is starting from a very different place than one that has just started to talk about sustainability. Agencies that have already created interdisciplinary teams or hired new staff to deal with sustainability issues are at an advantage to those lacking personnel and experience. How an agency uses this guidebook will depend on their particular sustainability objectives and the extent of their current sustainability practices. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 can be considered a sustainability primer - a useful resource for agencies or transportation professionals that have little experience with sustainability or that want to focus on new areas that are unsustainable. The case studies presented in Chapter 5 vary widely in their level of comprehensiveness, issues addressed, and phases of the planning process impacted. Collectively, the case studies provide agencies with a range of examples from which they can select what best meets their sustainability priorities and needs.

available as a pdf (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/sustainability/sustain.pdf) or in html (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/sustainability/index.cfm)

External Links:

More Information: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/sustainability/index.cfm