Css class 10 socio-economic context 120309

Context Sensitive Solutions in Transportation Planning, Environmental

Analysis and Design

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CSS within the Socio-Economic Context

Class 10


Analysis and Design

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• Community Impact Assessment (CIA)

• Application to team project

Learning Outcomes


Analysis and Design

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Re-Defining Context

Laws & Regulations

Project

Context

for

Transportation

Natural EnvironmentHuman Environment

Politics?Funding?


Analysis and Design

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• The Socio-Economic Community– Cultural resources– Economic structure– Social structure– Public health– Public spaces– Recreational amenities– Noise

Human Context


Analysis and Design

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• Community– Diversity– Neighborhoods

• Economic conditions– Income– Employment– Mobility– Navigable waterways– Industries

• Public facilities & services

• Land use planning– Existing development– Fast paced new

development– Zoning

• Cultural resources– Archaeological sites– Historical structures or

sites• Air quality• Noise• Railroads

Transportation Issues

Human Environment


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• Technical Issues– Traffic management

effectiveness– Compatibility with

regional planning– Emergency

evacuation routes– Cost-effective solution

• Public Involvement– Meets public

needs/perception– Supported by local

elected officials

Transportation Issues

Human Environment

http://www.dansmithartist.com/Weekly-Cartoons/Hurricane-Preparedness-8-3-06.jpg


Analysis and Design

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CIA – What is it?

Community Impact Assessment• Process to evaluate the effects of a

transportation action on a community and its quality of life – integral part of project planning and

development – Shapes outcome of a project– used continuously to mold the project– documentation of current and anticipated

social environment of area with and without action

• Should include mobility, safety, employment effects, relocation, isolation, and other issues


Analysis and Design

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Why Use CIA?

• Alerts affected communities and residents, as well as transportation decisionmakers, to the likely consequences of a project, and ensures that human values and concerns receive proper attention during project development


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Why Use CIA?

• Quality of Life• Responsive Decision-

making• Coordination• Nondiscrimination


Analysis and Design

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Impact Assessment

• Economic development opportunities • Regional development goals and

plans • Traffic congestion and safety • Transit considerations • Bicycle, pedestrian and greenway

considerations • Accessibility and parking

considerations


Analysis and Design

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Impact Assessment

• Business, institutional and residential relocations and impacts

• Community stability and neighborhood cohesion

• Tax base changes, changes in employment

• Visual impacts • Farmland impacts • Scenic rivers and water supply

watersheds • Title VI and Environmental Justice • Secondary/cumulative impacts


Analysis and Design

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Environmental Justice

“No person in the United States shall, on the ground

of race, color, or national origin be excluded from

participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be

subjected to discrimination under any program or

activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

– Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964


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Presidential Executive Order 12898 directed every Federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission byidentifying and addressing the effects of all

programs, policiesand activities on “minority populations and low-income populations.” The requirements of this Executive Order extend to all recipients and subrecipients of Federal financial assistance.


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Three fundamental principles of Environmental Justice (EJ)

1. To avoid, minimize or mitigate disproportionately high andadverse human health and environmental effects, includingsocial and economic effects, on minority populations andlow-income populations.

2. To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentiallyaffected communities in the transportation decisionmakingprocess.

3. To prevent the denial of, reduction in or significant delayin the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.


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Applies to All Transportation Decisions• Policy Decisions• Systems Planning• Metropolitan and Statewide Planning• Project Development and Environmental Review

under NEPA• Preliminary Design• Final Design Engineering• Right of Way• Construction• Operations and Maintenance


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Regional Mobility Authorities (RMA) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) Roles• RMAs are political subdivisions that can accelerate

needed transportation projects through the direction of a local board making local choices about local mobility needs to enhance the quality of life and economic growth of residents within a region

• MPOs are primary forum where TxDOT, transit providers, local agencies and the public develop local transportation plans and programs that address a metropolitan area’s needs. MPOs can help local public officials understand how Title VI and environmental justice requirements improve planning and decision making.


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Title VI Compliance and EJ• Enhance their analytical capabilities to ensure that

the longrange transportation plans and the transportation improvement program (TIP) documents comply with Title VI.

• Identify residential, employment and transportation patterns of low-income and minority populations so that their needs can be identified and addressed and the benefits and burdens of transportation investments can be fairly distributed.

• Evaluate and, where necessary, improve their public involvement processes to eliminate participation barriers and engage minority and low income populations in transportation decision making.


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Title VI Compliance and EJ – Transit Providers• Ensure that new investments and changes in transit

facilities, services, maintenance and vehicle replacement deliver equitable levels of service and benefits to minority and low-income populations.

• Avoid, minimize or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse effects on minority and low-income populations.

• Enhance public involvement activities to identify and address the needs of minority and low-income populations in making transportation decisions.


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Title VI Compliance and EJ – The Public• Participate in public involvement activities

(meetings, hearings, advisory groups and task forces) to help responsible state and local agencies understand community needs, perceptions and goals.

• Get involved with state and local agencies to link SAFETEA-LU programs with other federal, state and local resources to fund projects that support community goals.

www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ej2.htm www.txdot.gov


Analysis and Design

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Assessment Process

Define the Project Study Area • In coordination with engineers,

develop various project alternatives which satisfy the project purpose and need, and identify areas of potential impact


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Assessment Process

Develop a Community Profile • Determine the characteristics of the

affected area, such as neighborhood boundaries, locations of residences and businesses, demographic information, economic data, social history of communities, and land use


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Community Profile

• Geographic and political location • Race, ethnicity and age • Income, poverty status and

unemployment • Business activity/employment

centers • Public facilities, schools and

institutions • Police, fire, EMS and public services • Existing/future land uses and

present/future zoning • Local/regional land use and/or

development plans • Consistency with local/regional

plans


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Assessment Process

Analyze Impacts • Examine the impacts to the

community of the proposed action versus no action

• Identify and investigate the consequences of the transportation action


Analysis and Design

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Assessment Process

Identify Solutions • Identify and recommend potential

solutions to address adverse impacts• Techniques include avoidance,

minimization, mitigation, and enhancement


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Assessment Process

Use Public Involvement • Basis to develop project alternatives• Source of information to develop the

community profile• Tool to identify and evaluate impacts• Method to identify acceptable ways

to address impacts


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Assessment Process

Document Findings • In addition to oral presentations,

present the findings of the community impact assessment in written form for use by decisionmakers, to record findings, to disseminate to interested parties, and to support subsequent decisions


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Assessment Process

Iterative Process • Communities are dynamic and

constantly changing. As options change, the analyst must make appropriate re-evaluations and adjustments in findings, particularly if there are substantial time lapses in project development.


Analysis and Design

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• Part 3 - FHWA, Flexibility in Highway Design, 1997 http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/flex/

Reading Assignment

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/flex/


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• http://www.ciatrans.net/index.shtml

References

http://www.ciatrans.net/index.shtml

Css class 10 socio-economic context 120309

Technology

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