Companion Guide to Video February 2014

www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials

How can we deliver better projects faster, 

reduce congestion, and improve safety while 

the number of motorists grows and budgets 

shrink? 

These are three critical issues facing every 

transportation agency. 

Transportation researchers have found many 

solutions to address our shared problems, such 

as how to design bridges that go up faster and 

stay up longer, preserve pavement, and 

increase highway capacity by improving 

operations. 

The challenge for most agencies is how to take 

advantage of these innovative practices so that 

“business as usual” can mean business that is 

effective and efficient. 

To meet this challenge, the Federal Highway 

Administration, in partnership with the 

American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials, and the Transportation 

Research Board, has launched the second 

Strategic Highway Research Program, called 

SHRP2. 

Like its predecessor, SHRP2 turns proven 

research into ready-to-deploy guides, reports, 

online tools, training, and other practical 

products for use by State and local 

transportation agencies. 

Federal-aid Program Overview

SHRP2: Tools for the Road Ahead

The new program provides ready-to-deploy products and processes to 

address some of today’s toughest transportation challenges
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

SHRP2 also provides implementation assistance

to State departments of transportation, 

metropolitan planning organizations, and tribal 

and local transportation agencies. 

Implementation assistance can take the form of 

training, technical assistance, and financial 

support. 

SHRP2 offers products in four focus areas:

• Renewal

• Reliability

• Capacity

• Safety

Renewal products help transportation 

organizations rapidly restore highway 

infrastructure while minimizing delays and 

disruptions to users and providing longerlasting, easier-to-maintain facilities. Renewal 

products address bridges, pavements, utilities, 

railroads, nondestructive testing, and project 

delivery. For example, the SHRP2 Innovative 

Bridge Designs Toolkit offers approaches to the 

design and construction of complete bridge 

systems that make accelerated bridge 

construction economical for major and minor 

bridge projects. 

Reliability products help agencies improve their 

operations and management of the 

transportation system and address the type of 

events that make travel times unreliable, such 

as crashes, work zones, special events, and 

inclement weather. 

For example, one training product instructs first 

responders on a common set of practices so 

they can effectively work together to respond 

to and clear traffic crashes. Instructional 

techniques using case-study analysis, role-play 

scenarios, and field workshops make this 

training interactive and engaging. 

Capacity products introduce collaborative 

decisionmaking as a way of expediting the 

planning and delivery of roadways that meet 

environmental, economic, and mobility needs. 
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

For example, the SHRP2 Implementing EcoLogical product offers a nine-step planning 

roadmap to help agencies achieve better 

environmental outcomes at a lower cost. The 

product includes tools, guidelines, and model 

agreements that can integrate into an agency’s 

ecosystem approach to conservation, planning, 

and environmental permitting. 

Safety products create a better understanding 

of driving behavior that can be used to design 

improved safety countermeasures, driver 

training programs, and vehicles. 

The major products from the Safety area are 

two databases that contain video recordings of 

more than 3,000 drivers over a one- to two-year 

period. Using this data, the safety community 

can move past traditional observations of 

collisions or near misses, to an understanding of 

how and why it happened. 

These are just some of the ways in which SHRP2 

solutions, together with implementation 

resources, will help State and local agencies 

more efficiently and effectively restore 

infrastructure, reduce congestion, and deliver a 

highway system that will serve the Nation 

through the 21st century. 

The Federal Highway Administration invites you 

to visit the SHRP2 Web site and learn more 

about innovative, practical solutions that help 

your agency further its mission of saving lives, 

money, and time.
Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies

The content of this 

document is not a 

substitute for 

information obtained 

from State departments 

of transportation, 

appropriate FHWA 

Division Offices, and 

applicable laws. 

Scenarios have been 

simplified for emphasis 

and do not necessarily 

reflect the actual range of 

requirements applicable 

to the scenario or this 

topic. This document

was created under 

contract number 

DTFH61-11-D-00025 by 

the Federal Highway 

Administration, U.S. 

Department of 

Transportation, and is 

offered to the public to 

heighten and focus 

awareness of Federal-aid 

requirements within the 

local public agencies 

community and 

reinforces the 

importance of these 

necessary policies, 

procedures, and 

practices.

This Companion Resource 

is the script content for 

the video production of 

the same name. 

Additional Resources

• Overview of SHRP2 Solution’s Implementation Assistance Program, 

including how to obtain technical or financial assistance, or both 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/ImplementationAssistance

• Overview of SHRP2 Solutions from a transportation agency perspective

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/YourSHRP2/TransportationAgencies

• Overview of SHRP2 Solutions for Safety focus area

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Safety/List

• Overview of SHRP2 Solutions for Renewal focus area

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Renewal/Listhttp:/www.fhwa

.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Renewal/List

• Overview of SHRP2 Solutions for Reliability focus area

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Reliability/List

• Overview of SHRP2 Solutions for Capacity focus area

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Capacity/List

• Resources and information to help implement SHRP2 Solutions

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Resources

• SHRP2 Solutions frequently asked questions

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/FAQ