See Notice of Technical Assistance: Accelerating Practical Solutions Opportunity Below:

DOTs across the country are looking for innovative and flexible ways to meet users' needs in ways that cost less to build and maintain. We help DOTs put these ideas into action with our Practical Design technical assistance. Now, a version of this assistance is available for free through a new competitive opportunity.

Accelerating Practical Solutions is an opportunity for six state DOTs to win a one-day workshop with our expert transportation staff. The workshops will bring together DOT staff, MPOs, consultants, local governments, advocacy groups, transit agencies, and other partners working to meet and balance the changing needs of motorists, freight handlers, bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, and other travelers in a variety of contexts. Our staff will facilitate a discussion on best practices related to better project delivery to meet community goals and be cost-effective, and will help staff and stakeholders identify barriers and gaps in current practices.

Topics and issues that have come up in the past include:

• Identifying, meeting, and balancing the needs of all roadway users in a variety of contexts.
• Taking advantage of existing flexibility in design.
• Integrating transportation and land use decision-making.
• Clarification of policies, processes, programs, and methodologies related to design guidance.
• Project scoping procedures.
• Organizational culture to implement practical design.
• Examples of other transportation agencies successfully implementing practical design.

A set of recommendations will be presented to the audience for further discussion and reaction. Following each workshop, our staff will develop a short Recommendations Memorandum summarizing the barriers identified by participants and outlining the consensus on recommendations for updating existing practices and documents to address those barriers.

This program is made possible by the Governors' Institute on Community Design, a program of Smart Growth America. The Governors' Institute brings together leading practitioners and academicians in the fields of government, design, development, and regional economics to advise governors and state leaders as they seek to guide growth and development in their states.

How to apply

Applications are now open, and will be accepted until August 1, 2017. More information is available on the full application page:

Learn more

Join us for an informational webinar about this opportunity on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 2:00 PM EDT. We’ll provide an overview of the workshop and give prospective applicants the opportunity to ask questions about the application process. Register to join this free event:

We look forward to your DOT's application, and to potentially working with you later this year.

Sincerely,
Eric Sundquist
Director, SSTI

P.S. — If you're interested in more innovative transportation ideas, join us on July 12 for Parking Counts — Understanding demand in cities, a free webinar that will share lessons from two recent parking demand studies and offer guidance on conducting similar studies in other communities.