PRACTICAL SOLUTIONSOrganizat ional Change at WSDOTOrganizat ional Change at WSDOT

ROGER MILLAR, PE, AICP

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATIONAASHTO Knowledge Session – Accommodating Multimodal Transportation Options Within An ExistingFootprint

November 14, 2016

Agenda

• The Innovative DOT

• MultimodalDevelopment andDevelopment andDelivery

• Practical Solutions

WPA Mural – Wilkinsburg, PA

The Innovative DOT: A handbook ofpolicy and practice

Developed by

Smart Growth Americaand the

A new resource for state transportation officials

and the

State SmartTransportation Initiative

Released 2012

Updated 2014, 2015

• Describes strategies states can use to achieve the greatestoutcomes at the least cost with transportation investments.

• Documents innovative approaches state leaders are alreadyusing to make systems more efficient, government moreeffective and constituents better satisfied.

The Innovative DOT: A handbook ofpolicy and practice

effective and constituents better satisfied.

• Provides information on 34 policies and practices

– The benefits of each policy

– Steps for implementation

– Cases studies

– Resources for further information

Policies must address the current funding reality and provide ameans for getting the best outcomes out of transportationinvestments:

Selecting the Policies and Practices

Criteria for Inclusion

investments:

• Improved access to destinations, with greater choice for users

• More prosperous states and regions

• Preservation of existing infrastructure

• Reduced environmental impacts

• Healthier communities

• More transparent and accessible governance

What’s in the Handbook?

Eight Focus Areas

1. Revenue Sources

2. Revenue Allocation and Project Selection2. Revenue Allocation and Project Selection

3. Pricing

4. Increasing Transportation System Efficiency

5. Improving Options for Mobility and Access

6. Providing Efficient, Safe Freight Access

7. Integrating Transportation and Land Use Decision-Making

8. Improving DOT Processes

Multimodal Development andDelivery (M2D2)

Multi Modal Development & Delivery(M2D2)

A project to improve

state DOT institutional

capacity to plan, design,

construct, operate and

maintain state

transportation systems

for Complete Streets

and multiple modes.

Goals of M2D2

• Explore the needs andexpectations for eachtransportation mode

• Identify ways DOT canbalance those needs

• Understand barriers, gaps,• Understand barriers, gaps,and opportunities that existin current DOT practices,standards and guidance

• Develop a work plan toaddress barriers, gaps, andopportunities

Stakeholder Group workshops

• Land use &

transportation

• Active transportation

• Public transportation

• ITS & TDM

• Freight logistics

• Multimodal Integration

Review policy, standards, and guidancedocuments

Prioritize policies, standards, andguidance to revise

• Incorporate input fromworkshops

• Narrow down list to prioritydocuments

Poll: MDOT standards, guidance, policies, and documents to revise Top 1

Top 2

Documents Top 3Active

Transpo

Public

Transpo ITS TDMTOTAL

Funding template 27% 25% 21% 15% 22%

Scoping Manual & Checklist 6% 17% 12% 13% 12%

Gap: Bus stop design standard -- 10% -- -- 10%

Program/Project Management System:

Preconstruction Process Documentation

Manual

-- -- 14% 4% 9%

Road Design Manual 12% 2% 12% 4% 8%

Geometric Design Guide 10% 15% 0% 2% 7%

State Long Range Plan -- -- 0% 13% 7%

Call for Projects Memo & Instructions 16% 5% 5% 0% 6%

MPO LRP / Work plans -- -- 5% 7% 6%

Complete Streets Policy 8% 3% 0% 7% 4%

Workshops

documents

• Communications plan

• Training plan

5-year Transportation Program 4% 2% 7% 4% 4%

Highway Capacity Manual -- -- 2% 4% 3%

Signalization Capacity Software -- -- 2% 4% 3%

Strategic Plan / Scorecard -- -- 0% 7% 3%

MMUTCD 2% 3% 2% 2% 3%

Standard Plans 1% 2% 7% 0% 2%

Crosswalk Guidance 1% 3% 2% 2% 2%

Sidewalk Participation Rules 6% 3% 0% 0% 2%

Stewardship Agreement (MDO-FHWA) -- -- 0% 4% 2%

CSS Guideline for Stakeholder

Engagement1% 5% 0% 2% 2%

ITS Guidance 1% 0% 7% 0% 2%

ITE Trip Generation Manual -- -- 0% 2% 1%

Local Agency Program (LAP) Guidelines

for Geometrics2% 2% 0% 0% 1%

STIP 0% 3% 0% 0% 1%

Bridge Design Guide 1% 0% 0% 2% 1%

Monitoring and Reporting Projects 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%

LAP Application 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

M2D2 Resources

• https://smartgrowthamerica.org/work-with-us/workshop-types/practical-design

• http://www.flcompletestreets.coms.com

Practical Solutions at WSDOT

The world of transportation is changing

• The interstate system is done• New trends and themes are

emerging– Autonomous Vehicles– Connected Vehicles– Intelligent Transportation

SystemsPHOTO

Systems– Virtual Reality– Smart Growth/Walkable

Urbanism

• Aging infrastructure• More problems than $$ to fix

PHOTO

We’re adjusting with these changes

• Transformingapproach – findingpracticaltransportationsolutionsPHOTO solutions

• Goal: fix moreproblems, systemwide

PHOTO

Practical Solutions implementation

• Policies

• Procedures

• Standards

• Guidance• Guidance

• Training

• Strategic planning

• Communications

Adapting to change

• Considerations

– Culture change: near-term, long-term

– Knowledge management• Technical knowledge

• Business processes

• Case studies

• Lessons learned

– Change management

Practical Solutions culture change

• Themes

– Interdisciplinary engagement

– Cross-functional, enterprise-wide

– Community engagement and inclusion

– Learning culture: training, professional development– Learning culture: training, professional development

Implementation challenges/opportunities

• WSDOT Project Development Trainingprogram

• New/emerging tools for design/safetyanalysis

• Planning/political process, habits• Planning/political process, habits

• Evolving environmental considerations

• Regulatory reforms

What we are doing

• Improved business processes

• Empower agency staff to make decisions

• Provide tools that support decision making

• Support staff through training and development

• Support decisions that focus on the need for theproject

• Move from standards-based to performance-based design

How WSDOT defines Practical Solutions

• Data driven asset management

• Performance Based vs. StandardsBased

• Focus on need and least costsolution

• Results geared to benefit the• Results geared to benefit theTransportation System

• Emphasis on CommunityEngagement

• Interdisciplinary and collaborativedecision making

• Design based on land use andtransportation context

Focus areas

• Capital projects are a last resort: multimodal,demand management, operational, and off-system strategies considered first

• Incremental solutions (as opposed to all-in-oneprojects)projects)

• WSDOT Design Manual changes; CSS,implemented more fully

Road Diet Images Credit: League of American Bicyclists

The importance of context in roadwaydesign

PHOTOPHOTO

Example of money saving potential

• 500 miles ofWashington’s statehighway system are‘main streets’

– Looked at projectsover 10 years: delayover 10 years: delayon 47% of projects onthese streets

– Result of scope,schedule or budgetchanges

Pilot project: Main Street highways

• Consultedcommunity ahead oftime

• Over the past 10years could have:

– saved an average of$9 million per MainStreet project – about30%

– in reduced scope,schedule, and budgetchanges

Common question

• Is it true that implementing Practical Solutions means“starting over” on projects?

• What project teams do when they use this approach– develop a clear problem statement describing the performance

metrics that the project is meant to achieve

– engage with the community, proportionate to the complexity ofthe issuesthe issues

– evaluate no-build, multimodal, operational, and incrementaloptions

– start with the minimum needed to achieve the performanceneed

– reduce or minimize impacts: outside right of way, environment,existing structures

– minimize costs for materials, equipment, labor, long-termmaintenance

Work to implement Practical Solutions todate

• Policy development– Support decisions that focus on need for project

• Technical guidance– Move from standards-based to performance-based designs

– Provide tools that support decision making

– Design Manual changes in 2015, 2016– Design Manual changes in 2015, 2016

– Planning toolkit

• Training development– Support staff through development of skills, abilities

• Project development with the practical solutions approach

• Multimodal design

• Highway Safety Manual implementation

• Just-in-time training on new Design Manual changes

Lessons learned

• Political support for PracticalSolutions to transportationinfrastructure

• Collaboration improves thequality of project’s effect onthe multimodal transportationsystem

• Small fixes can make bigdifferences

• Culture change;learning/sharing/trust

Thank You! Resources

Roger Millar, PE, AICPSecretary of TransportationWashington State Department of TransportationMillarR@wsdot.wa.gov(360)705-7054

Practical Solutions• Maximizing safety system-wide• Encouraging innovation• Cost-effective solutions

WEBSITES• Moving Washington Forward: Practical Solutions• Practical Design Examples• FHWA’s Performance-Based Practical Design• FHWA’s Context Sensitive Solutions• Smart Growth America• WSDOT Design Policy Site• WSDOT Community Design

NCHRP• Synthesis 443 – Practical Highway Design Solutions• Report 783 – Evaluation of the 13 Controlling Criteria for

Geometric Design• Cost-effective solutions Geometric Design• Report 600 – Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems• Report 642 – Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive

Solutions

GUIDES & MANUALS• Understanding Flexibility in Transportation Design –

Washington• Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context

Sensitive Approach• NACTO: Urban Streets Design Guide• NACTO: Urban Bikeway Design Guide• FHWA: Road Diet Informational Guide• The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice• Highway Safety Manual