Illinois Department of Transportation releases report to governor and General Assembly on Context Sensitive Solutions

In 2003, the legislature passed a bill instructing the Illinois Department of Transportation to adopt Context Sensitive Solutions principles in its planning and design of major projects. The resulting research and preliminary guidelines are included in this newly released report.

May 20, 2004

For over a year, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has been carefully researching and developing a set of guidelines and an approach to Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) that will work best for Illinois’s unique transportation circumstances. The culmination of this research and preliminary guidelines are contained in the recently released Regarding C ontext Sensitive Solutions .

The report takes a three-fold approach — defining IDOT’s research and development of CSS policy; setting guidelines for design flexibility and stakeholder involvement; and an outline for future work IDOT must do to expand upon and develop good Context Sensitive Solutions.

With this report as a first step, IDOT will continue to engage the professional, business and advocacy communities to address issues and concerns beyond this report that might include:

Examination of IDOT’s cost-sharing policies for bicycle and pedestrian accommodation.
Consideration of how to integrate greater public involvement in the initial project conception and planning process.
Development of regular courses and training on CSS in the state’s engineering schools.
Development of an excellence in design award for outstanding project achievements.
Updating, where necessary, IDOT’s design manuals to reflect a greater emphasis on stakeholder involvement and design flexibility.

MPC’s Transportation Committee provided insightful input to IDOT on the development of these preliminary guidelines. The committee will continue to work with the agency to educate local and elected officials on CSS and tools to implement these polices.

For more information regarding IDOT’s development of CSS policy, visit the Context Sens itive Solutions Web site or contact Mi ke Moss , policy advisor to the secretary, at (312) 793-2250.