As an approach to transportation, CSS has spread rapidly since 1998. In large part this is because CSS practitioners and advocates understand and embrace its many important benefits:
1. Improved predictability of project delivery
2. Improved project scoping and budgeting
3. Improved long term decisions and investments
4. Improved environmental stewardship
5. Optimized maintenance and operations
6. Increased risk management and liability protection
7. Improved stakeholder/public feedback
8. Increased stakeholder/public participation, ownership, and trust
9. Decreased costs for overall project delivery
10. Decreased time for overall project delivery
11. Increased partnering opportunities
12. Minimized overall impact to human and natural environment
13. Improved mobility for users
14. Improved walkability and bikeability
15. Improved safety (vehicles, pedestrians, and bikes)
16. Improved multi-modal options (including transit)
17. Improved community satisfaction
18. Improved quality of life for community
19. Improved speed management
20. Design features appropriate to context
21. Minimized construction related disruption
22. Improved opportunities for economic development
—Information taken from Context Sensitive Solutions: Quantification of the Benefits in Transportation, NCHRP 15-3, Principal Investigator: Nikiforos Stamatiadis
Article / Paper / Report
Benefits of CSS - CSS Quick Facts
Agencies that have institutionalized CSS confirm that real, measurable benefits accrue to the agency, and ultimately to taxpayers and constituents of their states. Agencies can derive multiple benefits by integrating CSS into their day-to-day decisions and operations.
Article / Paper / Report
NCHRP Report 642 – Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive Solutions
As more organizations apply CSS principles, evidence continues to grow that measurable benefits result from this broadly informed and flexible approach to all phases of transportation decision making. Involving stakeholders in decision making yields transportation solutions that balance environmental, engineering, community, mobility, funding, and safety needs with the minimum of delay and controversy.
This report presents guidelines for quantifying the benefits of applying the principles of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) to transportation projects. The report will be of immediate interest to the staff of state and municipal agencies with responsibility for planning, programming, developing, and operating transportation projects of all types and sizes.
The following table, excerpted from NCHRP Report 642, contains a listing of the 33 Case Studies, organized by region, with hyperlinks to the individual case studies.
A road reconstruction project complete through the planning phase for a mixed urban, rural and parkland multi-modal corridor (transit, pedestrian, bicycles) addressing 12 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders with excellent public involvement and demonstrating stakeholder, shared funding, environmental, community, multi-modal, and safety benefits.
An under construction roadway reconstruction project with 14 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary team, very good stakeholder involvement, demonstrating stakeholder, joint development opportunities, environmental, safety, multi-modal, and community benefits.
An interstate reconstruction and environmental improvement project completed for a rural/parkland corridor involving 14 CSS principles including good use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent use of stakeholders and good public involvement and demonstrating stakeholder, multi-modal, safety, environmental, maintenance & operations and community benefits.
A road reconstruction project complete through the planning phase for a rural corridor involving all 15 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, involving all stakeholders, broad based public involvement, achieving consensus on purpose and need and maintaining environmental harmony, considering a safe facility for users & community, documenting project decisions, and creating lasting value for the community.
A completed urban multi-modal corridor (public transit, pedestrians and bicycles) with 10 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams and stakeholder involvement, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, safety, project delivery time, multi-modal mobility and community benefits.
A completed urban main street reconstruction project in a multimodal corridor (pedestrian and bicycles) with 10 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, good involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, construction and project costs, safety, project delivery and community benefits.
A road reconstruction/bridge replacement project completed for a multi-modal rural corridor (pedestrian, bicycles) involving 14 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent use of stakeholders and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, safety, environmental and community benefits.
A completed rural, low water crossing replacement over the Frio River with 15 CSS principles including excellent multidisciplinary team, stakeholder involvement, and public involvement plan; demonstrating reduced project costs and time, environmental, stakeholder, multi-modal and community benefits.
A completed urban highway reconstruction project with 15 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, joint development opportunities, environmental, and community benefits.
A completed multi-modal roadway reconstruction project in a multimodal corridor (transit, pedestrian and bicycle) with 12 CSS principles including good use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent stakeholder involvement, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, joint development opportunities, environmental, multi-modal, and community benefits.
A road diet completed urban project in a multi-modal corridor (transit, pedestrian, bicycles) with 9 CSS principles including very good use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement plan and demonstrating stakeholder, community and multi-modal benefits.
A completed rural roadway reconstruction project in a park setting with 10 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent stakeholder involvement, and very good public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, project delivery costs, safety, and community benefits.
A completed rural highway project in a national forest corridor using seven CSS principles (and associated benefits) including good use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, excellent consensus on purpose and need and excellent environmental harmony demonstrating stakeholder, environmental and quality of life benefits.
An interstate/local roads/overpass reconstruction project under construction (2007 est. completion) for a multi-modal urban corridor (transit, pedestrian, bicycles) in a metropolitan area involving 14 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent use of stakeholders and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, shared funding, environmental, community, safety, and project delivery cost benefits.
A completed rural roadway reconstruction project with 10 CSS principles including excellent use of an interdisciplinary team, excellent stakeholder involvement, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, project delivery costs, safety, and community benefits.
A road reconstruction/interchange-overpass construction project completed for a multi-modal urban corridor (pedestrian, bicycles) involving 12 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent use of stakeholders and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, shared funding, environmental, community, project delivery costs, and safety benefits.
A planning study for light rail in the preliminary design phase involving 10 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent use of stakeholders and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, community, and multi-modal benefits.
A completed coastal urban highway and rail project using 14 CSS principles and associated benefits including good use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, community and safety benefits.
A bridge replacement project in Charleston Harbor, SC, with multimodal (pedestrian and bicycle) facilities utilizing 9 CSS principles including interdisciplinary teams, involve all stakeholders, broad based public involvement, full range of communication methods, consider all alternatives and modes, community & social issues, aesthetic treatments & enhancements, safe facility for users & community, and use all resources effectively.
A completed 5-lane retrofit rural project in a tourist area with a multimodal corridor (pedestrian and bicycle) with 8 CSS principles including excellent stakeholder involvement, excellent public involvement plan, and very good interdisciplinary team; as well as demonstrating stakeholder, aesthetic (retaining walls and plants), multi-modal, and community benefits.
A completed roundabout installation project maintaining environmental harmony, addressing aesthetic treatments (gateway) and enhancements with excellent stakeholder involvement, excellent public involvement for delivering a safe facility that improves mobility for all users and meeting all commitments.
A coordinated sidewalk reconstruction/utilities upgrading project currently under construction for a historic corridor involving 4 CSS principles including good use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent use of stakeholders and good public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, project delivery cost s, environmental, and community benefits.
A rehabilitation and improvement of a Main Street completed urban project in a pedestrian corridor with 9 CSS principles including very good use of interdisciplinary team s, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating community, partnering, stakeholder , and project savings benefits.
A planning study to improve an urban section in a multi-modal corridor (transit, bicycles, and pedestrians) with 8 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, multi- modal, and community benefits.
A completed rural (small community) roadway improvement project in a historic corridor with 13 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, safety, project delivery and community benefits.
A project in preliminary design in a multi-modal corridor (pedestrian and bicycles) using 14 CSS principles including excellent stakeholder involvement, excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, and very good public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, safety, community, and project delivery benefits.
A completed historic bridge replacement project that exemplifies the utilization of a full range of design choices involving stakeholders and public while maintaining environmental harmony, addressing aesthetic treatments and enhancements, considering a safe facility for users and the community and improving safety along with bikeability and walkability.
A preliminary engineering study to identify multi-modal rural and urban corridors (transit) involving 12 CSS principles including good use of interdisciplinary teams, good use of stakeholders and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, project delivery costs, environmental, multi-modal, safety and community benefits.
A completed urban bridge reconstruction adjacent to a multi-modal corridor (pedestrian and bicycles) with 15 CSS principles including excellent use of interdisciplinary teams, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement plan demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, safety, multi-modal, project delivery and community benefits.
A completed rural roadway reconstruction project with 10 CSS principles including a very good use of an interdisciplinary team, excellent stakeholder participation, and very good public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, environmental, safety, and community benefits.
A transit improvement project in the planning phase with 10 CSS principles including a very good use of multi-disciplinary team, excellent involvement of stakeholders, and excellent public involvement demonstrating stakeholder, multi-modal, joint development, and community benefits.
A regional planning study examining long range transportation improvements including light-rail, bicycle facilities and expanded transit services, that utilized 7 CSS principles including involve all stakeholders, seek broad-based public involvement, use full range of communication methods, consider all alternatives and modes, community & social issues, provide a safe facility for users & community, and a lasting value for the community.
The Business Case for CSD/CSS Agencies that have institutionalized CSD/CSS confirm that real, measurable benefits accrue to the agency and ultimately the taxpayers and constituents of their states.
more...
from
NCHRP Report 480: A Guide to Best Practices for Achieving Context Sensitive Solutions
Traffic Calming Benefits, Costs and Equity Impacts
"This paper describes a framework for evaluating traffic calming programs. Potential benefits include road safety, increased comfort and mobility for non-motorized travel, reduced environmental impacts, increased neighborhood interaction, and increased property values. Traffic calming can help create more livable communities and reduce suburban sprawl. Traffic calming costs can include project expenses, liability claims, vehicle delay, traffic spillover, problems for emergency and service vehicles, driver frustration, and problems for bicyclists and visually impaired pedestrians."
-- T. A. Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute
"As engineers, we can spend $150 million on a project and maybe 50 people will show up at the ribbon cutting. But we can do an enhancements project that improves Main Street and you'll have the whole town turn out."
"...the best of all roads are those which foster movement towards a desirable social goal."
--
John Brinkerhoff Jackson
"The hallmarks of a successful CSS project are that:
It met the transportation need;
It is considered by those who use it an asset to their community;
The improvement fits in with the built and natural environment"
NCHRP Report 642 – Quantifying the Benefits of Context Sensitive Solutions 
