AASHTO competed and has been awarded $3.1 million in SAFETEA-LU funding over the next three years for a Center for Environmental Excellence. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) provides that the goal of the Center is “To provide technical assistance, information sharing of best practices, and training in the use of tools and decision-making processes that can assist states in planning and delivering environmentally sound surface transportation projects.”
The existing Center for Environmental Excellence by AASHTO serves as an important resource for AASHTO member states and their partners seeking technical assistance, training, information exchange, partnership-building opportunities, and quick and easy access to environmental management tools. With the SAFETEA LU funding, AASHTO will build on the success of the Center to actively promote environmental excellence in transportation by providing a wide variety of services aimed at defining the state of the art in environmental protection, restoration, and enhancement, and promoting innovative techniques that maximize the efficiency, reliability, and consistency of delivering environmentally sound transportation projects and programs.
AASHTO and the Federal Highway Administration have developed a 2007/2008 work plan with the following focus areas:
- Improving planning and environmental processes to achieve better results and timeliness
- Advancing awareness of SAFETEA-LU environmental provisions and good practices
- Advancing use of technology, geospatial tools, and decision-support tools to support integrated decision-making
- Integrating Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) throughout all aspects of planning, project development, construction, maintenance and operations
- Advance Environmental Review Process Innovation to Support Congestion Relief and Public Private Partnerships
- Promoting commitment tracking methods and environmental management systems
- Increasing availability and access to information-sharing/problem solving activities
- Building partnerships to leverage and coordinate the Center’s activities and other related research efforts, and
- Advancing National Environmental Policy Act cost estimating and project oversight tools.
The Center will distribute regular e-mail updates regarding Center activities and programs. Sign up for these e-mails through the Center website.
If you are interested in partnering and/or leveraging to accomplish the Center’s goals, please contact Shannon Eggleston at seggleston@aashto.org or Shari Schaftlein at shari.schaftlein@dot.gov.
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