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                        Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
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                R&T Portfolio: Planning, Environment, and Realty
    

    
    
          As the United States population and economy continue to grow and place larger demands on the Nation’s transportation infrastructure, improving the Nation’s transportation system to handle the stress is crucial. Project planning, programming, and delivery rely on effective and efficient processes to produce the most benefit to the U.S. transportation system. Additionally, careful consideration and mitigation of the environmental impacts of projects is required to minimize the effects that projects might have on noise, air quality, and other environmental factors.

To make better informed plans and decisions about highway projects, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty develops new planning methodologies and environmental review processes to ensure the most beneficial infrastructure projects can be built as quickly as possible. The Planning, Environment, and Realty program area advances the processes that FHWA and other public sector partners use to screen, evaluate, and deliver projects that improve safety and mobility for the Nation.

Planning, Environment, and Realty Research Activities

Planning, environment, and realty research assesses new tools and processes to enable better planning decisions and project outcomes. FHWA develops tools and datasets to enable performance-based transportation planning and programming, maximizing the benefits of infrastructure investment. FHWA is investing in project delivery through regulatory reform and expedited permitting. Environmental research will continue to look at infrastructure resiliency and alternative fuels.







Images sources and copyrights: © 2011 iStockphoto.com; © 2007 iStockphoto.com; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; E. Peter Steenstra © 2019; FHWA
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**Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty**
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20003
United States

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          Last updated: Monday, August 1, 2022 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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