Coordination of Highway Research

with 

University Transportation Centers (UTCs)

Michael F. Trentacoste

Associate Administrator for 

Research, Development, and Technology (RD&T)

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Webinar on National Highway Research Priorities

May 9, 2012
Webinar Series Topics and Dates

• 1- State of Good Repair, March 28th

• 2- Economic Competitiveness, April 5th

• 3- Safety, May 8th

• 4- Livability and Sustainability, May 9th ← today

• 5- Policy and Innovative Financing, May 10th

2
Invited Participants

• New UTCs

• State Research Managers

• FHWA Division Office Research Coordinators

3

Host and Presenters

• FHWA Research and Development (R&D)

Offices and Program Offices
Webinar Purpose

• Provide FHWA perspectives on national challenges 

and highway research priorities

• Opportunity for UTCs to consider highway research 

priorities in their research plans and initiatives

• Inform State Research Managers on priorities

• Provide FHWA contacts for follow-up 

communications and coordination 

4
For more information about UTC 

participation, contact:

Debra Elston, 202-493-3181

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research

Thanks for Your Participation

Thanks to Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration (RITA) for this 

Opportunity to Communicate Priorities to 

the UTCs
Visit our Web Site at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research 6
Livability and Sustainability

Mike Culp

Team Leader, Sustainable Transport and Climate 

Change Team

2012 National Highway Research Priorities Webinar Series

May 9, 2012
Topics Covered in Presentation

• Livability

– What are livable communities?

– FHWA’s role and related activities

• Sustainability

– What does sustainability mean for FHWA?

– Sustainable Highways Initiative and INVEST (Infrastructure 

Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool)

– Climate Change

• Areas of Consideration by UTCs

8
What is Livability?

Livability is about using the quality, location, and type of 

transportation facilities and services available to help achieve 

broader community goals such as access to good jobs, affordable 

housing, quality schools, and safe streets. This includes: 

9

 Addressing road safety and capacity issues through better 

planning and design

 Maximizing and expanding new technologies such as 

intelligent transportation systems and quiet pavements

9
What is Livability? (continued)

 Using travel demand management approaches in system 

planning and operations

10

 Developing high quality transportation to foster economic 

development

 Community design that offers residents and workers the full range of 

transportation choices

 Strategically connecting the modal pieces – bikeways, pedestrian 

facilities, transit services, and roadways into a truly intermodal, 

interconnected system

10
What are Livable Communities?

Places that have a variety of housing and 

transportation choices with destinations 

close to home.

“Livable Communities are where people have access 

to many different forms of transportation and 

affordable housing.....” U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary, Ray LaHood

See www.dot.gov/livability for more on USDOT’s perspective.

11
Partnership for Sustainable Communities 

(PSC)

• Housing and Urban Development (HUD), USDOT, 

and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• PSC Livability Principles:

• Transportation Choices

• Equitable, Affordable Housing

• Economic Competitiveness

• Support of Existing Communities

• Alignment of Federal Policies

• Value for Communities 

12
PSC 2012 Focus Areas

• Share Models of Local Successes 

• Continue Coordination to Make 

Government Work Better 

• Help Communities Solve Problems 

13
• Support livable communities through transportation-related 

projects, project activities, and programs such as:

– Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)

– Public Involvement

– Transportation Enhancements

– Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality

– Safe Routes to School

• Aid the planning and development of projects that may have:

– Multimodal, multifaceted dimensions 

– Nontraditional partners/sponsors 

– Interdisciplinary elements 

– Selection and criterion outside of the regular process 

What is FHWA’s Role? 

14
What is FHWA’s Role?

(continued) 

• Raise awareness

• Help practitioners understand the role of highways and 

related programs in supporting livability

• Engage in Partnership efforts and engage State 

departments of transportation (DOTs), State agencies, and 

metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in advancing 

goals of the partnership

• Connect partners with available resources

• Facilitate interaction among diverse local, regional, State 

and Federal partners to advance livability through 

transportation plans and programs, and coordination with 

other community elements

15
FHWA’s Progress

Awareness Building

Webinars

• CSS Clearinghouse Sponsored Livability Webinar 

(September 2009)

• CTE (Center for Transportation and the Environment) 

Livability Webcast (November 2009)

Capacity Building 

• FHWA/FTA (Federal Transit Administration) Livability 

Initiative Training 

• Transportation and Land Use Webinar 

• Freight and Livability Planning on the Web Session 

• How to Work with Partners to Advance Livability Webinar

16
FHWA’s Progress

(continued)

Capacity Building

• Livability in Transportation Guidebook 

• Livable Communities Strategic Initiative

- The Role of FHWA Programs in Livability: State of the Practice Summary

- Regional Livability Workshops

- Tool kit of materials (fact sheets, livability principles videos)

- Creation of Livable Communities Booklet 

• Development of Performance Measures Guidebook 

17
Areas of Consideration by UTCs

• Development of curricula that incorporate livability and 

sustainability principles and applications

• Tools and methods for livability/sustainability 

performance measurement

18
Questions?

19
Overview of Sustainability

• Satisfying basic social and economic needs, both 

present and future, and the responsible use of natural 

resources, all while maintaining or improving the wellbeing of the environment on which life depends

• Addressing environmental, economic, and social 

equity dimensions (triple bottom line)
What is a Sustainable Highway System?

• Integral part of sustainable development

• Satisfies functional requirements

– Fulfills transportation goals and needs

• Addresses development and economic growth

• Avoids, minimizes, reduces impacts

– Environment

– Consumption of resources

21
Sustainability and FHWA

• Deliver the Federal Aid Highway and Federal Lands 

Highway (FLH) programs in a more sustainable way

• Make wise investment decisions w/limited resources

• Encourage change in professional practice

• Take advantage of opportunities to include sustainability 

throughout the decisionmaking process

• Go beyond compliance 

• Seek Balanced solutions

• Stress implementation of sustainable practices: 

sustainability = action
Sustainability and the Project Lifecycle

• For sustainability to be 

fully integrated into 

highway and transit 

programs, it must be 

considered throughout 

the project lifecycle

• Must address 

sustainability from 

planning through 

operations

Project 

Development

Transportation 

Systems 

Management, 

Operations, 

and 

Maintenance 

System 

Planning and 

Processes

23
Examples of Sustainable Practices

• System Planning

– Integrated planning

– Mitigation banking

– Fiscal planning

• Project Development

– Cost-benefit analysis

– Construction equipment 

emission reduction

– Recycling and reuse of 

materials

• Operations and Maintenance

– Strong asset 

management

– Roadside vegetation 

management

– Infrastructure 

maintenance

24
Sustainable Highways Initiative

• Promote coordination within FHWA

– Regular meetings of the FHWA Sustainable Highways 

Working Group (Head quarters (HQ) program offices, 

divisions, Resource Center (RC) offices, FLH)

– Partnerships on key program/research gaps

– Coordination with other FHWA initiatives (i.e., Sustainable 

Pavements Program)

• Web site to serve as portal to access information on 

activities and available resources: 

www.sustainablehighways.dot.gov

• Case Studies to highlight initiatives and practices 

related to sustainability

25
Sustainable Highways Initiative

(continued)

• Strengthen engagement with DOTs and MPOs

– Sustainability Community of Practice 

– Assistance with development of sustainability initiatives within 

their agencies

• Coordination with other partners

– American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Council 

of Engineering Companies (ACEC), American Public Works 

Association (APWA), American Association of State Highway 

and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Association of 

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), and others 

– FTA, EPA, and other Federal agencies

• Development and deployment of decision tools: INVEST

26
What is INVEST?

A web-based, self-evaluation tool for measuring 

sustainability over the life cycle of a 

transportation project or program—from system 

and project planning through design and 

construction, to operations and maintenance

IN-VEST - Infrastructure Voluntary 

Evaluation Sustainability Tool

27
• Encourage sustainable highway practices

• Help agencies measure sustainability and support 

internal improvement

• Provide a framework for communicating with 

stakeholders and decisionmakers about sustainability

• Establish a method for identifying sustainable highway 

systems, projects, programs

INVEST Goals

28
• Voluntary Web-based Tool

• Lists “sustainable criteria” based on best 

practices for three project phases: 

– System Planning (SP)

– Project Development (PD)

– Operations and Maintenance (OM)

Overview of INVEST

29
• Other sustainable highways tools used as 

references (GreenLITES, I-LAST, Greenroads)

• FHWA SMEs (subject matter experts) provided 

significant assistance and advice

• Coordination with professional/stakeholder 

organizations

Overview of INVEST

(continued)

30
Evolution of INVEST

• Beta Test version

– Released Fall 2012

– Over 700 comments from AASHTO, EPA, SMEs, others

• Pilot Test version

– Released Fall 2011

– Over 1200 comments from pilot test participants, SMEs, FTA, 

others

• Version 1.0

– Release expected Summer 2012

Available on the web for public review and 

use 31
• Testing done on the Project Development (PD), System 

Planning (SP) and Operations and Maintenance (OM) 

criteria from July 2011 to February 2012

• Objectives were to obtain input on:

– Further refinements to the criteria

– Scoring and achievement levels

– Making the tool easier to use

Pilot Testing of INVEST

32
INVEST Pilot Test Locations

PD Criteria Testing

OM Criteria Testing

SP Criteria Testing

Independent test of 

Beta/Pilot version

Montana DOT 

(4 projects)

City of Peoria, AZ

D.C. DOT

Maryland DOT

North Carolina DOT

Oregon DOT

Western Ohio DOT

Federal Lands

Western 

Federal Lands

Central Federal 

Lands

Monterey County, 

CA

Washoe 

County, NV

Nevada DOT

Utah DOT

Nashville Area MPO

North Central Texas 

Council of Governments

Puget Sound Regional Council

Georgia DOT

Pioneer Valley

Planning Commission 

Nevada DOT

Arizona DOT
Lessons Learned from Pilots

• Overall pilot agencies were supportive and 

enthusiastic about INVEST

• Pilot agencies suggested many good technical and 

contextual changes to the criteria and Web interface

• Pilot agencies would like to see:

– More information and a guide for using the tool

– Additional examples of sustainable practices, case studies, 

etc.

34
Changes for INVEST 1.0

• Currently making significant changes to INVEST as a 

result of pilot feedback

– More flexibility in selecting relevant PD criteria to address 

urban versus rural and large versus small project concerns

– Provision for the ability to record notes or comments within 

INVEST

– More opportunities for partial credit (i.e., gradation in point 

scale within criteria)

– More emphasis on the process of using the tool and 

learning (not the score!)

35
Project Development Criteria

• PD-01: Economic Analyses

• PD-02: Life-Cycle Cost Analyses

• PD-03: Context Sensitive Project 

Development

• PD-04: Highway and Traffic Safety

• PD-05: Educational Outreach

• PD-06: Tracking Environmental Commitments

• PD-07: Habitat Restoration

• PD-08: Stormwater

• PD-09: Ecological Connectivity

• PD-10: Pedestrian Access

• PD-11: Bicycle Access

• PD-12: Transit and HOV (high occupancy 

vehicle) Access

• PD-13: Freight Mobility

• PD-14: ITS (intelligent transportation systems) 

for System Operations

• PD-15: Historical, Archaeological, and Cultural 

Preservation

• PD-16: Scenic, Natural, or Recreational 

Qualities

• PD-17: Energy Efficiency

• PD-18: Site Vegetation

• PD-19: Reduce and Reuse Materials

• PD-20: Recycle Materials

• PD-21: Earthwork Balance

• PD-22: Long-Life Pavement

• PD-23: Reduced Energy and Emissions in 

Pavement Materials

• PD-24: Contractor Warranty

• PD-25: Construction Environmental Training

• PD-26: Construction Equipment Emission 

Reduction

• PD-27: Construction Noise Mitigation

• PD-28: Construction Quality Control Plan

• PD-29: Construction Waste Management 36
Operations & Maintenance Criteria

• OM-01: Internal Sustainability Plan

• OM-02: Electrical Energy Efficiency and Use

• OM-03: Vehicle Fuel Efficiency and Use

• OM-04: Reuse and Recycle

• OM-05: Safety Management

• OM-06: Environmental Commitments Tracking System

• OM-07: Pavement Management System

• OM-08: Bridge Management System

• OM-09: Maintenance Management System

• OM-10: Highway Infrastructure Preservation and Maintenance

• OM-11: Traffic Control Infrastructure Maintenance

• OM-12: Road Weather Management Program

• OM-13: Transportation Management and Operations

• OM-14: Work Zone Traffic Control

37
System Planning Criteria

• SP-01: Integrated Planning: Economic Development and Land Use

• SP-02: Integrated Planning: Natural Environment

• SP-03: Integrated Planning: Social

• SP-04: Integrated Planning: Bonus

• SP-05: Access and Affordability

• SP-06: Safety Planning

• SP-07: Multimodal Transportation and Public Health

• SP-08: Freight and Goods Movement

• SP-09: Travel Demand Management

• SP-10: Air Quality

• SP-11: Energy and Fuels

• SP-12: Financial Sustainability

• SP-13: Analysis Methods

• SP-14: Transportation Systems Management and Operations

• SP-15: Linking Asset Management and Planning

• SP-16: Infrastructure Resiliency

• SP-17: Linking Planning and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act)

38
Ways INVEST can be used

• Single or multiple projects

• Prospective versus retrospective

• Planning or OM programs and processes

• Inform SOPs (standard operating procedures) at 

a program level (e.g., standard specifications) 

• Communicate sustainability goals and 

performance to stakeholders

39
Next Steps

• INVEST 1.0 will be released Summer 2012

• Marketing and communications plan under 

development

• FHWA 2013 Strategic Implementation Plan

• Initiation of Deployment Program (PY13)

40
Areas of Consideration by UTCs

• Development of curricula that incorporate livability and 

sustainability principles and applications

• Tools and methods for livability/sustainability 

performance measurement

• Research of emerging, more sustainable 

technologies and their potential applications (e.g., 

new pavement technologies)

41
Questions?

42
Climate Change and Transportation

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Mitigation

• Reduce GHG Emissions (CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4 (methane), N2O 

(nitrous oxide), etc.)

• Slow rate of change and reduce impacts

Climate Change Adaptation

• Changes to climate - Sea levels (lakes and streams), temperature, 

precipitation, storms

• Plan for and deal with expected impacts

43
End Sector GHG Emissions

Source: U.S. EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2009 (U.S. EPA, 2011)

44
Transportation-Related GHG Emissions

Source: U.S. EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2009 (U.S. EPA, 2011)

45
 Five GHG “legs”

1. Vehicle efficiency

2. Low-carbon fuels

3. Reductions in travel 

(including land use)

4. Vehicle/System Operations

5. Construction, Maintenance, 

and Agency Operations

 Examples

• Higher fuel economy standards

• CA’s low carbon fuel standard

• Less travel, could be in part due to 

land use changes

• Signalization, Intelligent 

Transportation Systems, Ecodriving

• Materials, maintenance practices

What is the full array of transportation 

strategies to reduce GHG?

46
• Energy and Emissions Reduction Policy Analysis Tool (EERPAT) 

and GHG Mitigation Reference Sourcebook 

(http://www.planning.dot.gov/FHWA_tool/)

• Handbook for Estimating GHG Emissions in the Transportation 

Planning Process (Late 2012)

• Potential GHG Reductions from Highway Operation and 

Management Strategies (Late 2012)

• Planning-Level Assessment of Construction and Maintenance 

Emissions (2013) 

FHWA Mitigation Activities

47
• Sea level rise and storm surge

• Precipitation changes

– More intense precipitation events

– Flooding

– Snowpack changes

• Increase in hurricane intensity

• Increase in very hot days

• Permafrost thawing

What Climate Changes Will Impact 

Transportation?

48
Why Does FHWA Care About Climate Change 

Adaptation?

 Need to protect integrity of transportation investments, safety

– Infrastructure has long design life (decades)

– Infrastructure needs to handle new conditions as climate changes

– Adaptation is ensuring that we plan our infrastructure for the future

 DOT Climate Change Adaptation Policy Statement (June 2011)

– “The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) shall integrate consideration of climate 

change impacts and adaptation into the planning, operations, policies, and programs of DOT in 

order to ensure that taxpayer resources are invested wisely and that transportation infrastructure, 

services and operations remain effective in current and future climate conditions. “

– FHWA Goal: Systematic consideration of climate change vulnerability 

and risk in transportation decisionmaking, at system and project levels

49
 FHWA Adaptation Initiatives

• FHWA is developing and sharing information on 

tools and methodologies that States and MPOs 

can use to assess risk and prioritize actions:

– Climate projections

– Critical asset identification

– Vulnerability assessment methodologies

50
Regional Climate Change Effects (2010) 

• Report synthesizes information on climate-change projections for 

transportation decisionmakers

– Snapshot: Summarizes recent science 

• Projected changes by region 

– Annual, Seasonal Temperature (change in oF)

– Seasonal Precipitation (percent change)

– Where information exists: sea level rise and storm activity

• Also includes information at local, State scales

• Received assistance from climate experts at National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS), Department of Energy (DOE), etc.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/climate_effects/

51
FHWA Vulnerability Assessment Framework

52

• Goal: Identify most vulnerable assets to climate 

change threats

• Steps: 

– Develop inventory of infrastructure assets

– Gather climate data

– Assess vulnerability and risk of assets to projected climate change

– Analyze, prioritize adaptation options

– Monitor and revisit

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/conceptual_model62410.htm
CALIFORNIA

WASHINGTON

NEW JERSEY

Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk 

Assessment Pilot Locations

Oahu

San Francisco Hampton Roads

HAWAII

VIRGINIA

Central

Coastal
• 2100 Coastal area inundation:

– 48 miles roadway (43 on major roads)

– 3 miles New Jersey (NJ) Transit 

tracks

– 31 total rail miles impacted

– Ocean city municipal airport

• 2100 Central Study Area 

inundation:

– 14 miles roadway (1 on major road)

– 1.4 miles NJ Transit lines

– 14 miles major freight lines

New Jersey 

Pilot Results

Source: Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of New Jersey's 

Transportation Infrastructure:

http://www.njtpa.org/Plan/Element/Climate/FHWAConceptualModel.aspx

54
Gulf Coast Project

• Phase 1

– Overview of climate change impacts on transportation 

infrastructure in central Gulf Coast (completed 2008)

• Phase 2

– Focus on one metropolitan area – Mobile, Alabama

– Development of adaptation tools and strategies that 

will be transferable to other areas

– Timeframe: 2010-2014

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/gulf_coast_study

55
Areas of Consideration by UTCs

• Investigate impacts of climate change and extreme 

weather on infrastructure planning, design, construction

56
Questions?

57
Exploratory Advanced Research

• Goal: Conduct research on longer term and 

higher risk breakthrough research

• Opportunities for UTC involvement

– Idea generators 

– Conductors of sponsored researcher

– Peer evaluators

– Audience for research results

58
Human Behavior and Travel Choices

• This focus area leverages research concepts 

from the social sciences, including psychology 

and economics, along with more traditional 

research for improving safety, reducing 

congestion, and improving the livability of the 

Nation's communities

59
Technology, Advanced Policies for 

Energy and Resource Conservation 

• This focus area cuts across infrastructure, 

operations, and societal and complex natural 

systems to support innovative methods for 

reducing highway industry costs and move 

towards sustainability

60
Integrated Highway System 

Concepts (Connected Systems)

• This focus area can improve system operating 

efficiency reducing energy needs for travel

61
Breakthrough Concepts in Material 

Science

• This focus area leverages new approaches in 

materials science ... for sustainability [and] ... to 

enhance highway safety, reliability, and 

resilience

62
Summary: Areas of Consideration 

by UTCs

• Develop curricula that incorporate livability and 

sustainability principles and applications

• Tools and methods for livability/sustainability 

performance measurement

• Investigate impacts of climate change and extreme 

weather on infrastructure planning, design, construction

• Research emerging, more sustainable technologies and 

their potential applications (e.g., new pavement 

technologies)

63
Any questions?

For more information, contact:

Sustainability and Climate Change: Mike Culp, 202-366-9229

http://www.sustainablehighways.dot.gov/

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/

Livability: Gabe Rousseau, 202-366-8044

www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability

64
Visit our Web Site at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research 65