Stay Tuned…
Further Webinars for 2012 will be posted shortly. Additional webinar topics for 2012 will include:
- Sustainable Roadsides & Urban Forestry: Designing streets so they are sustainable, safe, and attractive
- Creating links, connectors and street systems to reduce the cost of urban transportation
- Application of CSS at the Corridor level
- Saving time and money by using CSS in the project development process
- CSS and pedestrian and bicycle oriented traffic engineering ; emerging trends
- Traffic Calming and Roundabouts – cost effective tools for DOT designers/engineers
Past Webinars
When: April 17, 2:00 - 3:30PM ET
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org is pleased to present a webinar addressing trail issues in a wide range of contexts, including policy, funding, accessibility, streamlining methods to expedite project approval processes, and additional resources.
This free webinar is brought to you by FHWA, in partnership with the Project for Public Spaces and INDUS Corporation. The webinar will be on Tuesday, April 17, from 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET.
The webinar will include best practices, case studies, and significant opportunities for Q+A with the presenters.
Presenters:
- Christopher B. Douwes, Trails and Enhancements Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration
- Tracy Hadden Loh, Research Manager, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
- Robert Richards, Tennessee Greenways and Recreational Trails Coordinator, TN Depart of Environment & Conservation
Click here to view a recording of the webinar.
Click here to download the webinar presentation.
When: January 5, 2012, 1:30 - 3:00PM ET
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org is pleased to present a webinar on issues surrounding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) in transportation. This free webinar is brought to you by FHWA, in partnership with the Project for Public Spaces and INDUS Corporation. The webinar will be on Thursday, January 5, 2012, from 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET.
During the past 18 months, FHWA has placed renewed emphasis on the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This webinar is targeted towards CSS practitioners, to present basic ADA requirements and provide examples of creative applications of the requirements in the field.
Presenters
- Candace Groudine, Team Leader, FHWA Office of Civil Rights
- Mary Finch, Civil Rights Program Manager, FHWA - Michigan Division
- James A. Evensen, P.E., District Traffic Engineer, Wyoming DOT
- Lisa MacPhee, Attorney, FHWA
Click here to view a recording of the webinar.
Click here to download the webinar presentation.
When: September 21, 2011, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org is pleased to present a webinar on the safety and mobility benefits of roundabouts in transportation planning. This free webinar is brought to you by FHWA, in partnership with the Project for Public Spaces, and INDUS Corporation.
Presenters
- Michael Wallwork, President, Alternate Street
Design, P.A
- Howard McCulloch, Roundabout Design
Specialist, New York State Department of
Transportation
- Moderated by Keith Moore, FHWA
Click here to watch webinar
Benefits and Implementation
of Urban Forestry in Transportation
When: April 18, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org is pleased to present a webinar on the benefits of urban forestry in transportation. The aesthetic amenities of trees are widely appreciated
- this webinar will cover the additional
environmental, health, social, and safety benefits
that urban forestry within the right-of-way can
provide.
The webinar will also discuss methods by which
urban forestry can be enhanced in a wide range
of contexts, including creating urban forestry
planting and management systems.
Presenters will discuss research, case studies,
and projects they have worked on that support the
findings listed above.
- Pippa Brashear, Project Manager,
Project for Public Spaces
- Dr. Kathleen L. Wolf, Research
Social Scientist with the College
of the Environment, University of
Washington
- Philip Silva, co-founder and codirector
of TreeKIT
Click here to view the webinar slides (PDF)
Additional Resources
CSS Principles and Effective Corridor Planning
When: March 21, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
This webinar will provide in-depth information in applying CSS principles to planning corridors that work well for all users. Best practices will be presented for corridor planning within urban, suburban, and rural contexts. Case studies of successful corridor planning within the MaineDOT and FHWA Gateway 1 Strategic Plan will also be presented. Corridors are among the most important transportation routes in any community. They provide access to key destinations, while providing infrastructure for multiple modes of transportation. This webinar will outline tools and techniques to plan corridors so they provide a high level of mobility, while contributing to the livability and sustainability of the surrounding community.
- Gary Toth, Director, Transportation Initiatives, Project for Public Spaces
- Kat Beaudoin, AICP, Land Use Planner
Click here to view the webinar slides (PDF)
Webinar on Integrating Sustainability and Climate Change Concerns and CSS Principles
When: February 22, 2011, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
This webinar covered some recent efforts at the federal, state, and local level to incorporate concerns about climate change and sustainability into transportation planning and project development. Presenters from FHWA will cover ongoing climate change mitigation and adaptation work, including pilots, workshops and peer exchanges designed to assist state DOTs and MPOs with this process. FHWA staff will also discuss the Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation Tool, a new initiative to support transportation agencies in making highway projects more sustainable.
Who: Presenters during the webinar will include
- Mike Culp, Team Leader, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team,
- Diane Turchetta, Environmental Protection Specialist, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team,
- Rob Kafalenos, Environmental Protection Specialist, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team
Click here to view the webinar slides (PDF)
Click here to watch webinar
Additional Resources
June Webinar – ICF Manual on Livability
June 15th, 2:00-3:30 PM. ContextSensitiveSolutions.org presented a webinar on the soon to be released "Livability in Transportation Guidebook: Planning Approaches that Promote Livability" brought to you by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in partnership with ICF International, and Project for Public Spaces.
The ideas of livability and Context Sensitive Solutions have the potential to transform America's communities so that they not only have improved transportation systems, but are also sustainable, vibrant, and foster personal and social well-being.
This webinar, and the forthcoming guidebook that is written by ICF International, and sponsored by FHWA and FTA, are intended to help practitioners at the federal, state, and local level understand how to implement livable transportation solutions in a wide range of transportation projects, including projects that are guided by the CSS approach.
A recording of the webinar is available to view here.
Using CSS to Help Transportation Investments Foster Livability
May 18, 2:00-3:30 PM ET. ContextSensitiveSolutions.org presented a webinar on applying CSS to transportation investments in order to achieve livability sponspored by FHWA, in partnership with the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, Renaissance Planning Group, and Project for Public Spaces.
The ideas of livability and Context Sensitive Solutions have the potential to transform America’s communities so that they not only have improved transportation systems, but are also sustainable, vibrant, and foster personal and social well-being.
This webinar is intended to help practitioners at the federal, state, and local level understand which CSS principles to apply, and in which situations, in order to address obstacles to livability in America’s diverse urban, suburban, and rural landscapes.
Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive Solutions, NCHRP Report 642
April 28, 2:30-4:00 PM ET. Nikiforos Stamatiadis, PhD, PE, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Kentucky will present a webinar on NCRHP Report 642: Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive Solutions. This free webinar is sponsored by FHWA's Office of Planning, Environment and Realty’s Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP), in partnership with the University of Kentucky, and Project for Public Spaces. As more organizations apply the principles of Context Sensitive Solutions, evidence continues to grow that measurable benefits result from this broadly informed and flexible approach to all phases of transportation decision making.
This webinar presented guidelines for quantifying the benefits of CSS to transportation projects. The report will be of immediate interest to the staff of state and municipal agencies with responsibility for planning, programming, developing, and operating transportation projects of all types and sizes.
ITE Walkable Urban Thoroughfares Manual + Elgin, IL CSS Case Study
March 30, 2009. John Norquist, President and CEO of the Congress for New Urbanism, Brian Bochner, Senior Research Engineer at the Texas Transportation Institute, and Gary Toth, Director of Transportation Initiatives at the Project for Public Spaces presented ITE Walkable Urban Throroughfares Manual along with an Elgin, IL CSS Case Study. Sponsored by FHWA, in partnership with the above organizations, this webinar featured the restoration of a 19th century street grid system in Elgin, IL.
A recording of this Webinar is now available for viewing. The Urban Thoroughfares Manual is available on the Context Sensitive Solutions website: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach: An ITE Recommended Practice
Livability Forum
September 24, 2009 – ContextSensitiveSolutions.org presented a Forum on Livability in partnership with the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Forum on Livability was the first national-scale opportunity for dialogue with some of the key U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) leaders and staff engaged in the new transportation and livability initiatives of the Obama administration. Click here for more information. A recording of this Webinar is now available for viewing.
Complete Streets and Context Sensitive Solutions
June 11, 2009 – Gabe Rousseau, Ph.D., Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager, FHWA Office of Natural and Human Environment, Barbara McCann, Executive Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition and principal of McCann Consulting, and Michael Ronkin, Owner, Designing Streets for Pedestrians and Bicyclists LLC provided an overview of FHWA's perspective on Complete Streets; including a discussion on the importance of pedestrian and bicycle issues, and what federal programs and policies are available to support communities in their Complete Streets efforts.
The webinar detailed the design and implementation strategies of Complete Streets and how they relate to Context Sensitive Solutions initiatives. The presenters also reviewed the accelerating adoption of complete streets policies and laws across the country.
A Guide to Building CSS Knowledge and Skills for Successful Project Delivery
May 14, 2009 – Leigh Lane and Lisa Murphy from The Louis Berger Group; and Keith Harrison, Safety/Geometric Design Engineer with the Federal Highway Administration Resource Center introduced the online "Guide to Building CSS Knowledge and Skills for Successful Project Delivery" (a.k.a. the Training Guide). A step-by-step, easy to navigate guide that can help anyone interested in developing and/or delivering CSS-related training to staff at varying levels.
Sustainable Stormwater Management Practices
April 16, 2009 – Wendi Goldsmith, President of the Bioengineering Group, Inc., and Clark Wilson, Urban Designer at the EPA Office of Smart Growth, discussed the importance of sustainable stormwater management practices, along with innovative strategies for natural onsite stormwater storage and treatment.
Sustainable stormwater management seeks to eliminate, where possible, the negative impacts of construction activities that disturb the natural hydrologic cycle resulting in elimination or reduction in the permeability of soils, increased "flashy" runoff and general water quality degradation.
Using Design Flexibility to Achieve Context Sensitive Solutions
September 29, 2008 – Led by Gary Toth, Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives at Project for Public Spaces and former Director of Project Planning and Development at New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Jeffrey Shaw, Safety and Design Engineer with the FHWA Resource Center, the presentation discusses the importance of flexible design in achieving context sensitive solutions and a variety of methods for finding the flexibility that exists in most roadway design manuals. These strategies include selecting appropriate design controls, such as design speed and design vehicle, and making careful choices about traffic projections and level of service targets. The webinar also covers tort liability and how design flexibility can allow for proactive roadway designs that fit into their context.
