About

Benefits

Improved predictability of project delivery
Improved project scoping and budgeting
Improved long-term decisions and investments
Improved environmental stewardship
Optimized maintenance and operations
Increased risk management and liability protection
Improved stakeholder and public feedback
Increased stakeholder and public participation, ownership and trust
Decreased costs for overall project delivery
Decreased time for overall project delivery
Increased partnering opportunities
Minimized impact to human and natural environment
Improved mobility for users
Improved walk-ability and bike-ability
Improved safety (vehicular, pedestrian, bicyclist)
Improved multi-modal options (including transit)
Improved community satisfaction
Improved quality of life for communities
Improved speed management
Design features appropriate to context
Minimized construction related disruption
Improved opportunities for economic development

Context Sensitive Solutions is the art of creating public works projects that meet the needs of the users, the neighboring communities, and the environment. It integrates projects into the context or setting in a sensitive manner through careful planning, consideration of different perspectives, and tailoring designs to particular project circumstances. CSS is a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that involves all stakeholders in providing a transportation facility that fits its setting. It is an approach that leads to preserving and enhancing scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and environmental resources, while improving or maintaining safety, mobility, and infrastructure conditions.

CSS overview presentation (PDF)
CSS support center
FHWA CSS site
NCHRP Report 642: Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive Solutions
Context Sensitive Solutions National Dialog

Core strategies

Strive towards a shared stakeholder vision to provide a basis for decisions
Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of context
Foster continuing communication and collaboration to achieve consensus
Exercise flexibility and creativity to shape effective transportation solutions while preserving and enhancing community and natural environments

Vision

The use of CSS principles to create transportation solutions supports a new vision for the future. Consistent with that vision, each project should reflect a sense of the place where it is built and should fit physically and visually within the surrounding environment and community. Transportation professionals play a key role in making this new vision a reality. It is a vision that includes citizen participation, innovative design solutions, and safe roadways that improve mobility and enhance community beauty and the qualities of a place. CSS requires an early and continuous commitment to public involvement, flexibility in exploring new solutions, and an openness to new ideas. Community members play an important role in identifying local and regional problems and solutions that may better meet and balance the needs of all stakeholders.

Principles

Use interdisciplinary teams
Involve your stakeholders
Seek broad-based public involvement
Use a full range of communication strategies
Achieve consensus on purpose and need
Address alternatives and all transportation modes
Seek safe facilities for communities and all users
Maintain environmental harmony
Address community and social issues
Address aesthetic concerns and integrations
Use a full range of design choices and flexibility
Document project decisions
Track and meet all commitments
Use agency resources effectively
Create lasting value for communities and the public