Research & Financial Services
The Planning and Environment (P&E) Research Program supports program and policy objectives that help the FHWA create the best transportation system in the world. The P&E Research Program primarily addresses research needs associated with the Human and Natural Environment Strategic Goal to enhance the community and social benefits of highway transportation and to improve the quality of the natural environment by reducing highway-related pollution and by protecting and enhancing ecosystems. In concert, the P&E Research Program also addresses comprehensive intermodal and multi-modal transportation planning and the fair and prudent acquisition and management of real property.
Planning Research
The FHWA's Planning Research focuses on providing quality data, analysis and information to transportation planners and decision-makers. One area of research is Transportation Planning Capacity Building where tools and resources are provided for State DOTs, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, rural and small communities, and tribal governments and other institutions to plan and fund transportation investments and operations. Other Planning Research initiatives support statewide and intermodal planning, safety conscious planning, lining planning to the NEPA process in addition to operations, forecasting transport demand and system changes, and sprawl, smart growth, and transportation land use.
Environmental Research
The FHWA's Environmental Research focuses on balancing concerns for the natural environment while adding value to the community. Areas of research are environmental streamlining, noise, air quality and global climate change, wetlands, water quality and ecosystems, and Tribal government consultation.
The FHWA Environmental Research Program (ERP) Projects Database (http://itre.ncsu.edu/fhwa-erp/) tracks and documents active and completed research from 1990 to present that has been funded by FHWA ERP.
Environmental Research: A Decade of Accomplishments 1990 - 2000 (HTML orPDF - 2.9 MB)
Environmental Research Needs Conference Proceedings, November 14-16, 1996
TRB Special Report 268 - Surface Transportation Environmental Research: A Long-Term Strategy
In 1998, as directed in Section 5107(c)(1) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Congress called for the establishment of an advisory board to recommend a national agenda for environmental research in the domain of surface transportation. To respond to this legislative mandate, the Federal Highway Administration contracted with the Transportation Research Board to create the Surface Transportation Environmental Cooperative Research Program Advisory Board (Advisory Board). The Advisory Board was formally charged with recommending a national agenda of energy and environmental research for the surface transportation community. From the start, the board realized that it would also need to focus on planning processes and methods. This resulted in the charge being amended to develop as national agenda for environmental and planning research related to surface transportation.
In developing this national agenda, the Advisory Board concluded that a major investment in transportation-environment research is needed to support the nation's growth and meet public expectations for improved transportation system performance. The nation's collective vision of a transportation system that is efficient, equitable, and environmentally benign is clear. To date, however, there exists no comprehensive strategy for realizing that vision.
To see the report, go to the Transportation Research Board web site at www.nas.edu/trb and click "Online Documents" then "TRB Special Reports" and finally "268."
Realty Research
The FHWA's Realty Research encourages local scale effectiveness and national scale relevance for the acquisition and management of highway real property interests. Realty Research activities develop methodology, technology, and systems appropriate for right-of-way agencies. Technological innovations are encouraged for property management routines such as integrated database resources and Internet access, particularly important for Outdoor Advertising Control and access management concerns. Other Realty Research incorporates advanced communication and training systems designed for new and established professionals. Realty Research continually supports the right-of-way information knowledge necessary for effective professional performance.
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To provide Feedback, Suggestions or Comments for this page contact Silvio Cutuli atsilvio.cutuli@fhwa.dot.gov.
