www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step federal highway administration’s (fwha) surface transportation...

www.fhwa.dot.gov/HEP/STEP

Federal Highway Administration’s (FWHA)Surface Transportation Environment and Planning

Cooperative Research Program

(STEP)

STEP: A Federal Research Program - conducting research that links to practice.


Agenda

• What is FHWA’s STEP– STEP Background, Objectives, Emphasis Areas, Legislative

Guidance, Funding, Challenges & Implementation Activities

• STEP Stakeholders– Stakeholder Involvement, Outreach , Tier I, II, & III Stakeholders

• STEP Emphasis Areas – Estimated FY09 Funding, Research Highlights, Implementation

Timeline, Next Steps & Emphasis Area Contacts

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What is FHWA’s STEP?

• STEP Background – A federally-administered nationally oriented research program – Authorized in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy of Users (SAFETEA-LU)• Section 5207 – Surface Transportation Environment and

Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) • Section 5208 – Transportation Research and Development

(R&D) Strategic Planning

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What is FHWA’s STEP?

• STEP Objectives – Improve understanding of the complex relationship between

surface transportation, planning, and the environment

– Help identify, address, and reassess national research priorities for environment, planning, realty, and tools to support these areas

– Help achieve national objectives for streamlining, congestions,

reduction, safety, and security

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FHWA’s STEP Emphasis Areas

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FHWA’s STEP Legislative Guidance

• SAFETEA-LU requires, to the maximum extent practicable, that: – Best projects and researchers based on merit, open solicitations,

and selection by a panel of appropriate experts;

– DOT has a qualified, permanent core staff;

– Stakeholders are involved in program governance; and

– No duplication with the Future Strategic Highway Research Program (Section 5210 of SAFETEA-LU)

5


How is FHWA’s STEP funded? • SAFETEA-LU authorized $16.875 million per year for FY2006-2009

• Part of Title V Research – funds authorized in 5101(a)(1)

• Title V Research – over designated (i.e. funds designated exceed funds authorized

• Approximately $14 million anticipated to be available in FY09 due to

obligation limitations and rescissions

6


Who gets FHWA’s STEP money?

• STEP funds can be awarded to:– State governments – Metropolitan planning organizations– Local governments– Universities – Federal agencies– Private sector

7


How are FHWA’s STEP funds awarded?

• A variety of procurement mechanisms are used to award STEP funds including:– Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (ID/IQ) – Interagency agreements – Grants– Cooperative agreements – Small purchase contracts

• Broad Agency Announcements are used to obtain broad & diverse perspectives and options for advancing research initiatives

8


FHWA’s STEP Funds Match Requirement

• Congress mandated a 50% non-Federal match for grants & cooperative agreements

• “Non-Federal match” requirement does not apply to contracts or Federal Interagency Agreements

• SAFETEA-LU does not allow University Transportation Center or State Planning and Research funds to be used as the non-Federal match for STEP

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FHWA’s STEP Challenges • Sole source of funding for all FHWA Planning and

Environment research

• 50% match required for grants/cooperative agreements

• Must encompass existing national mandates, mandated studies and projects

• Support research that impacts a broad array of stakeholders

10


Stakeholder Involvement • On-going outreach & stakeholder feedback are used to refine &

implement the national STEP research agenda

• Partnerships are formed to leverage funds with other sources including: – Federal, State and Local agencies– National Cooperative Highway Research Program– Future Strategic Highway Research Program– Pooled funds & foreign jurisdictions

• Examples of outreach activities include: – National workshops – Annual community of practice conferences – Program advisory groups – Peer reviews

12


STEP Tier I Stakeholders • Federal Agencies and Tribes:

– Departments of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Agriculture, Energy, Interior (DOI) and Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

– National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management within the DOI

– Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Railroad, Aviation, Research and Innovative Technology, National Highway Traffic Safety Maritime Administrations, and Office of the Secretary of Transportation within DOT

– Over 500 federally recognized Native American Tribes

14


STEP Tier II Stakeholders

• State and Local Government: – State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) – Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) – Local government units

• Transit operators • County public works departments • City transportation departments

– State and local environmental and natural resource agencies– State Historic Preservation Officers – State and local health agencies

15


STEP Tier III StakeholdersNongovernmental Transportation and Environmental

Stakeholders

– American Automobile Association

– American Road & Transportation Builders Association

– American Highway Users Alliance

– Surface Transportation Policy Project

– Defenders of Wildlife– American Association of

Retired Persons– Sierra Club

– Conservation Law Foundation– American Council of

Engineering Companies– American Planning

Association– League of American Bicyclists– National Trust for Historic

Preservation– International Right of Way

Association– National Alliance of Highway

Beautification Agencies

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STEP Implementation Stages

Stage 1: Strategy Development/Outreach

• Update Implementation Strategy

• Publish Federal Register Notice

• Solicit feedback on research topics via

STEP Feedback System on STEP website


Stage 2 – Overall STEP Plan Development

• Emphasis area contacts review feedback• Assess national priorities/status of existing research• Develop research recommendations for each emphasis

area • Associate Administrator approves draft FY STEP Plan• Draft Plan is posted on STEP website• FYSTEP Plan is subject to completion of annual

appropriation


Stage 3 – Emphasis Area Work Plan Development/Implementation

• Emphasis Area contacts develop FY work plans for each emphasis area

• Identify specific projects for funding• Identify procurement methods/develop

Statements of Work • Solicit request for proposals, when

appropriate


Stage 4: Research Deployment and Dissemination

• Best practices, reports, presentations, brochures, newsletters, etc.

• Peer exchanges, workshops, conferences

▪ Coordination with stakeholder groups/ other research programs (on-going)


FY09 STEP • A Federal Register notice in June 2008 requested public comment

on FY09 STEP Implementation Strategy

• 424 comments were received

• Approx. $14.5 million anticipated for FY09

• Funding levels subject to completion of FY09 appropriations

• STEP Plan posted on STEP website January 2009

13


STEP Emphasis Areas & Estimated FY09 Funding

• Environment – Water/Wetlands/Vegetation/Wildlife/ $1,070,000

Habitat/Brownfields – Environmental Streamlining and Stewardship

$1,663,500– Air Quality & Global Climate Change

$1,250,000– Outdoor Advertising Control/Realty Program

$585,000 – Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) $500,000 – Noise $390,000 – Bicycle & Pedestrian Health

$270,000 – Historic Preservation $225,000

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• Planning – Activities that Support State/Local/ $2,600,000

Tribal Planning Capacity Building – Congestion $750,000 – National Security, Defense, and Interstate $600,000

Planning– U.S./Canada and U.S. Mexico Border Planning $525,000– Public Involvement, Environmental $200,000

Justice, Visualization in Planning– Freight $200,000– Safety Planning $100,000

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• Tools to Support Environment & Planning– Travel Modeling

$1,170,000 – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) $405,000

• STEP Program Management and Outreach – Program Outreach $350,000

– Financial Management Support $350,000

– Web site support for Research and Programs $300,000

19


STEP Environment Research HighlightsClimate Change Local Mitigation and Impacts

– Pilot program with the New Mexico DOT to determine how much carbon dioxide can be captured in plants and soils along highway right-of-way (ROW).

20


STEP Environment Research Highlights

Ecological Grant Program– Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing

Infrastructure Projects outlines an ecosystem approach that identifies and addresses the greatest conservation needs associated with mitigation for infrastructure projects.

– Awarded 15 cooperative agreements to organizations in 10 states that will demonstrate how infrastructure development and ecosystem conservation can be integrated to harmonize economic, environmental, and social needs and objectives.

21



International Best Management Practices (BMP) Stormwater Database– Provides scientifically sound information to improve

the design, selection and performance of BMPs – Includes participation with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

22



Interim Report to the U.S. Congress on the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program – Demonstrates the extent to which bicycling and

walking can carry a significant part of the transportation load, and represent a major portion of the transportation solution

– Summarizes the progress and initial results of the FHWA and the four pilot communities' participation

23


STEP Planning Research Highlights

Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) Program – Provides information, training, and technical assistance

to help transportation professionals create plans and programs that respond to the needs of the many users of their local transportation systems

– The TPCB Peer Program provides opportunities for transportation planning professionals to share experiences and noteworthy, solution-based ideas and is designed to meet the specific needs of state, regional, local, or tribal governments

24


STEP Planning Research Highlights

Border Wait Times– Measures travel times in freight significant corridors

and border crossing times at major US land border crossings

– Satellite technology is used to develop terrestrial technology to automatically measure travel time and border crossing times

25


STEP Tools to Support Environment & Planning Research Highlights

Travel Modeling – Supports projects that implement synthetic population

models, dynamic network models and development of activity based models such as the Atlanta Regional Commission

– Supports technology deployment to planning agencies through technology transfer, training, and technical capacity building

26


STEP Tools to Support Environment & Planning Research Highlights

Using GIS in Planning and Environment Linkages– Report of three case studies illustrates how GIS has been

effectively implemented into the FHWA’s Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) approach

– FHWA GIS Transportation Webcast that represents the beginning of a series to highlight efforts in applying geospatial technologies

27


STEP Implementation Timeline • Winter

– Begin to implement current fiscal year, through appropriate procurement methods, agreements and partnerships. (May shift depending on appropriations)

• Spring – Refine STEP Implementation Strategy/Goals/Emphasis Areas; publish

Federal Register Notice and update website information to solicit feedback on next fiscal year STEP activities. Conduct outreach for next fiscal year by emphasis area, review research needs and identify gaps.

• Spring/Summer – Develop priorities for and fund critical research. Develop next draft fiscal

year STEP Plan for comment. • Fall/Winter

– Post current fiscal year plan on STEP website. (May shift depending on appropriations)

28


Environment Emphasis Area Contacts• Natural Environment

– Air Quality and Global Climate Change [email protected]– Water/Wetlands/Vegetation/Wildlife/ [email protected]

Habitat/Brownfields

• Human Environment – Historic Preservation

[email protected]– Bicycle/Pedestrian and Health

[email protected]– Noise [email protected]– Outdoor Advertising Control/ [email protected]

Realty Program Management

• Environmental Process Improvement – Environmental Streamlining Stewardship

[email protected]– Context Sensitive Solutions [email protected]

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Planning Emphasis Area Contacts

• Planning Focus Areas – Congestion [email protected] – Safety Planning [email protected] – Freight Planning [email protected]

• State/Local/Tribal Planning Capacity Building – Public Involvement, EJ, Visualization in Planning [email protected] – Other Activities that Support State/Local/Tribal [email protected]

Planning Capacity Building

• National/International Planning – US/Canada and US Mexico Border Planning [email protected] – National Security, Defense, and Interstate Planning

[email protected]

31


Tools to Support Environment & Planning Emphasis Area Contacts

• Travel Modeling [email protected]

• GIS/Spatial Information for Improved [email protected] Making

32


Program Management and Outreach

Emphasis Area Contact

• Contact: [email protected]

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How do I get more information?[Insert name and title of presenter]U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Office of Planning, Environment, and RealtyPhone Number:E-mail address:

Emphasis area contacts lead implementation of STEP research.

To contact emphasis areas directly, please visit for the most up-to-date

contact information: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/strategy.htm#iii

Or visit: www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm

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“This research has been funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Planning, Environment and Realty’s Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP)”.

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