1. What is a Link? Planning and Environmental Linkages for 2014 and Beyond Carmen M. Stemen, MUP Planning & Environment Specialist FHWA Ohio Division Carmen.Stemen@dot.gov (614) 280-6848

2. Planning and Environment Goals We recommend that, in laying out new towns and villages, and in extending those already laid out, ample provision be made for a supply, in purity and abundance, of light, air, and water; for drainage and sewerage, for paving, and for cleanliness. Report of the Sanitary Commission of Massachusetts, 1850

3. PEL Planning and Environment Linkages An approach to transportation decision-making that considers: Environmental Community Economic

4. Benefits of Planning & Environment Linkages Relationship-building benefits:  Become an effective player in the decision-making process  Build interagency relationships early in Planning  Improve inter-agency relationships to resolve differences on key issues Improved project delivery timeframes and efficiency by:  Minimize duplication of planning and NEPA processes  Create a cohesive flow of information  Move from planning to design/implementation with less effort On-the-ground outcome benefits:  Design programs and projects to effectively serve the community's transportation needs  Provides tools to design better projects while avoiding/minimizing impacts on natural resources

5. TOOLS to Strengthen PEL Category 1: Institutional Changes  Champions and Exchanges  Training and Exchanges  Documenting new procedures/analysis  Organizational structuring  Executive-level commitment  Performance measures Example for Category 1 NOACA (Cleveland) SHRP2, Organizing for Reliability (TSMO - Transportation Systems Management and Operations) Project

6. TOOLS to Strengthen PEL Category 2: Planning and Environmental Process Enhancements  Develop long-range transportation plans in consultation with resource and regulatory agencies  Consider mitigation opportunities  Corridor planning, sub area planning, and tiering  Carry planning decisions into and through project development  Consider Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) Examples for Category 2 1)LACRPC (Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission), Transportation Infrastructure Risk Assessment for Flooding The extent of the Great Black Swamp prior to the 19 th Century – Wikipedia.org 2) ODOT’s revision of its Project Development Process (PDP)

7. TOOLS to Strengthen PEL Category 3: Coordination and Communication  Communicate with stakeholders  Establish standing inter- and intra-agency coordination groups  Develop Memoranda of Understanding/ Agreement  Fund staff positions at partner agencies  Planning and Environmental Process Enhancements Example for Category 3 National Gateway Clearance Initiative (FRA, FHWA, ODOT, Penn DOT, WV DOT, Maryland DOT

8. TOOLS to Strengthen PEL Example of Category 4 FHWA – Solicitation of DOT/MPO Greenhouse Gas (GHG) or Energy Analysis of Transportation- related Emission or Energy-use Sources in the Planning Process Category 4: Data and Analysis Tools  Document existing geographic data  Develop protocols and tools for sharing data and analysis among and within agencies  Improve access to and use of geographic resource data by transportation staff  Collect and maintain data regularly

9. Summary - Goals of PEL Goals: -create a seamless decision-making process -minimize duplication of effort -promote environmental stewardship -reduce delay from planning to project implementation Lays the foundation for broad consensus on goals and priorities in transportation

10. Resources FHWA’s website on Planning and Environment Linkages http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/integ/index.asp SHRP2 Solutions – tools for the Road Ahead website http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/ NOACA’s (Cleveland) websiteODOT’s PDP http://www.noaca.org/ http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/pdp/Pages/default.aspx LACRPC ‘s (Lima) websiteThe President’s Plan to Fight Climate Change http://lacrpc.com/ http://lacrpc.com/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/climate-action-planhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/share/climate-action-plan FHWA website http://dotnet.dot.gov/