What are "Context Sensitive Solutions?"
"When you design a transportation project that is meant to last 20 to 30 years, you want to avoid a cookie-cutter approach. Everyone benefits when...the completed project does what it is intended to do, looks good and reflects the community's values..."
--Mark Van Port Fleet,
Director, MDOT Bureau of Highway Development |
In 2003, Gov. Granholm issued an Executive Directive that requires MDOT to incorporate Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) into transportation projects whenever possible. Under CSS, MDOT solicits dialogue with local governments, road commissions, industry groups, land use advocates, and state agencies early in a project's planning phase. This dialogue helps to ensure that bridges, interchanges, bikepaths and other transportation projects "fit" into their communities. The CSS approach results in projects that respect a community's scenic, aesthetic, historic, economic, and environmental character.
Leading by example, MDOT has completed a number of projects that meet planning and engineering objectives while satisfying needs identified by the communities involved.
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