Context sensitive solutions (CSS)—  also known as context sensitive design (CSD) – is an approach to transportation design that considers the total context within which a transportation improvement project will exist. It is a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that involves all stakeholders to develop a transportation facility that fits its physical setting and preserves scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources, while maintaining safety and mobility.

As citizens' expectations for better, safer roads have increased, a growing awareness of communities' needs has also emerged among designers. These two key factors contributed to bringing about this transformation in highway design and construction. Congress, the Federal Highway Administration, governors, State legislatures, and State transportation agencies have all played an integral part in this important evolution of highways. Meanwhile, public interest groups have worked to make developing better methods of highway design a major part of their agendas.

For a history of CSD/CSS events and legislation, please link to FHWA/AASHTO CSD web site CSD History. Also see the FHWA-sponsored site www.ContextSensitiveSolutions.org.

As presented at the landmark 1998 Maryland Workshop “Thinking Beyond the Pavement, A National Workshop on Integrating Highway Development With Communities and the Environment,” the following are the basic principles of CSD/CSS:

Qualities of Excellence in Transportation Design

• The project satisfies the purpose and needs as agreed to by a full range of stakeholders. This agreement is forged in the earliest phase of the project and amended as warranted as the project develops.
• The project is a safe facility for both the user and the community.
• The project is in harmony with the community, and it preserves environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, and natural resource values of the area, i.e., exhibits context sensitive design.
• The project exceeds the expectations of both designers and stakeholders and achieves a level of excellence in people's minds.
• The project involves efficient and effective use of the resources (time, budget, community) of all involved parties.
• The project is designed and built with minimal disruption to the community.
• The project is seen as having added lasting value to the community.

Characteristics of the Process Contributing to Excellence

• Communication with all stakeholders is open, honest, early, and continuous.
• A multidisciplinary team is established early, with disciplines based on the needs of the specific project, and with the inclusion of the public.
• A full range of stakeholders is involved with transportation officials in the scoping phase. The purposes of the project are clearly defined, and consensus on the scope is forged before proceeding.
• The highway development process is tailored to meet the circumstances. This process should examine multiple alternatives that will result in a consensus of approach methods.
• A commitment to the process from top agency officials and local leaders is secured.
• The public involvement process, which includes informal meetings, is tailored to the project.
• The landscape, the community, and valued resources are understood before engineering design is started.
• A full range of tools for communication about project alternatives is used (e.g., visualization).

In August 2005, Congress enacted the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Section 6008 of the law encourages agencies to use CSS in designing transportation projects.  The provision authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to consider the FHWA report, Flexibility in Highway Design, as well as the CSS qualities and characteristics listed above in establishing standards to be used on the National Highway System.

Five states served as pilot states in implementing CSD/CSS. These states are Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, and Utah.

For more information on CSD/CSS, please link to FHWA/AASHTO Context Sensitive Design: Thinking Beyond the Pavement web site. Also see  www.ContextSensitiveSolutions.org as well as the FHWA and Context Sensitive Solutions web page.

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