1. Context Sensitive Solutions & Community Engagement
Presentation to City of Palo Alto Rail Committee on
Context Sensitive Solutions &
Community Engagement
March 22, 2017

2. Outline Introduction – Michele DiFrancia, Mott MacDonald
Overview of Context Sensitive Solutions – Gary Toth, Project for Public Spaces
Community Engagement – Scott Steinwert, Circlepoint
Rail Committee Direction
Since the last RC mtg, we’ve brought on Gary Toth with PPS, and been working with staff and Circlepoint to better incorporate CSS into the Community Engagement effort for this project.

3. 1
Introduction

4. Scope of Services Tasks Status Task 1 Support Council Rail Committee
Underway
Task 2
Convene Rail Technical Group
RC Direction
Task 3
Support CPA during CHSRA Envt Review Phase
Task 4
Conduct Rail Corridor Circulation Study
Partially Underway
Task 5
Conduct Context Sensitive Alternatives Analysis
Task 6
Prepare Draft & Final PSR and 15% Design Plans
TBD
Task 7
Complete Envt Analysis for Preferred Alternatives
Task 8
Financing Plans
Task 9
Additional Tasks

5. Proposed Schedule Millbrae Station ASP
Schedule is the same as presented at last RC mtg; will be updated with milestones suggested today. Goal is to do the AA in about a year.

6. Context Sensitive Solutions2
Context Sensitive Solutions

7. Gary Toth - PPS Bachelor’s Eng. Stevens Inst. of Technology 1973
34 years at NJDOT
9 years at PPS; Member AASHTO Task Force on CSS
Part of rewriting the CSS principles in 2007
Oversees the Management of FHWA’s CSS.org website
NJ Project Manager of the Smart Transportation (CSS) Guide for Pennsylvania and NJ
PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

8. From Joint AASHTO/FHWA Strategic Planning Process –
What is CSS?
“…a philosophy for doing business in a manner responsive to and in collaboration with a full range of stakeholders impacted by transportation decisions.”
From Joint AASHTO/FHWA Strategic Planning Process –
March 2007

9. “…a philosophy for doing business”
What is CSS?
“…a philosophy for doing business”

10. CSS Principles
These core principles apply transportation processes, outcomes, and decision making:
Strive toward a shared stakeholder vision to provide a basis for decision.
Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of contexts.
Foster continuing communication and collaboration to achieve consensus.
Exercise flexibility and creativity to shape effective transportation solutions, while preserving and enhancing community and natural environments.

11. CSS Qualities

12. CSS Decision-Making Process
Identify Context
Select Evaluation Criteria
Alternative
Analysis
Define Problem
Establish Vision
Identify Solution
Identify Stakeholders

13. Problem Definition Current conditions
Broad-based statement of the problem that reflects all aspects of community context.
Legitimizes full range of stakeholder (community) values.
Does not offer a solution.
Is not developed until stakeholders are meaningfully engaged to define community context.

14. Vision
Where we want to be: identifies desired outcomes from the solution
Creates a “common mental map” for success
Based on a understanding of community context and problem definition
Informs the development of evaluation criteria or measures of success

15. Evaluation Criteria: Measures of Success Attractiveness
Community Cohesion
Convenience
Energy Efficiency
Economic development
Minimized sprawl
Environmental Justice
Environmental quality
Traffic Operations
Accessibility
Safe for all users
Social Networking
Pedestrian friendly
Bike Friendly
Costs
Historic Preservation

16. CSS Decision-Making Process
Air/Water
Quality T R a N S P O A I
Property
Values
Education
Living
Wages
Aesthetics
Social
Networks
Land Use
Jobs
Health
Housing
Cultural
Resources
Recreation
Plants &
Wildlife
Life
Safety
Transportation

17. Why Measures? Moves the conversation from positions to issues
Facilitate an open, transparent and accountable decision-making process
Helps professionals have tangible metrics to use as evaluation criteria to compare alternatives
Clarifies roles and responsibilities
Lays the foundation for performance measures so results can be tracked
Helps demonstrates return on investment

18. Summary There are many ways to organize context components
Context components should reflect community values
Tools help organize/ translate community issues/ concerns into data
Context tools empower stakeholders to inform decision making
Tools provide a tangible link to problem definition, visions, evaluation criteria and solution identification = better, more informed decisions
Community context tools should be used very early in the project development process

19. “…a philosophy for doing business”
What is CSS?
“…a philosophy for doing business”

20. Does it Take Longer?

21. 3
Community Engagement

22. CSS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
MILESTONES
PROBLEM
DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
EVALUATE
& REFINE
ALTERNATIVES
IDENTIFY
PREFERRED
ALTERNATIVE
ALTERNATIVES
DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Each process milestone will feature community involvement activities to distribute information to and gather feedback from the public.
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
COMMITTEE
& COUNCIL
MEETINGS
City Council Hearing
Community Advisory Committee/ Technical Advisory Committee
Rail Committee
Public at Large
OUTREACH
TOOLS
Community
Engagement Plan
Interviews
Factsheet
Mailer
Community
Meeting
Website Content
eBlast
Online Survey

23. CSS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
MILESTONES
PROBLEM
DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
EVALUATE
& REFINE
ALTERNATIVES
IDENTIFY
PREFERRED
ALTERNATIVE
ALTERNATIVES
DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Provide Project Background
Introduce Process
Determine Make-up of Committees
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
Establish roles and responsibilities for Public at Large, Community Advisory Committee, and Technical Advisory Committee
COMMITTEE
& COUNCIL
MEETINGS
Community Advisory Committee/ Technical Advisory Committee
Rail Committee
OUTREACH
TOOLS
Community
Engagement Plan
Interviews
Website Content

24. Potential Stakeholders
Caltrain (PCJPB)*
Palo Alto Planning & Community Envt Dept, Public Works Dept, Utilities Dept*
Canopy
Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC)*
CARRD
PAUSD
CHSRA*
Partners in Education
Friends of Caltrain
Project Safety Net
Homeowner & neighborhood associations
SPUR
League of Women Voters
Stanford
Local businesses/ Chamber
Transform
Mid Pen Media Center
VTA*
* Potential TAC members

25. CSS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
MILESTONES
PROBLEM
DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
EVALUATE
& REFINE
ALTERNATIVES
IDENTIFY
PREFERRED
ALTERNATIVE
ALTERNATIVES
DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Define problem
Establish community needs/priorities
Define program goals
Develop evaluation criteria
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
COMMITTEE
& COUNCIL
MEETINGS
Community Advisory Committee/ Technical Advisory Committee
Rail Committee
Public at Large
OUTREACH
TOOLS
Factsheet
Mailer
Community
Meeting
Website Content
eBlast
Online Survey

26. CSS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
MILESTONES
PROBLEM
DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
EVALUATE
& REFINE
ALTERNATIVES
IDENTIFY
PREFERRED
ALTERNATIVE
ALTERNATIVES
DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Generate alternatives based on problem definition
Establish needs/priorities
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
COMMITTEE
& COUNCIL
MEETINGS
City Council Hearing
Community Advisory Committee/ Technical Advisory Committee
Rail Committee
Public at Large
OUTREACH
TOOLS
Factsheet
Mailer
Community
Meeting
Website Content
eBlast

27. CSS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
MILESTONES
PROBLEM
DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
EVALUATE
& REFINE
ALTERNATIVES
IDENTIFY
PREFERRED
ALTERNATIVE
ALTERNATIVES
DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Assess developed alternatives relative to program goals and evaluation criteria
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
COMMITTEE
& COUNCIL
MEETINGS
Community Advisory Committee/ Technical Advisory Committee
Rail Committee
Public at Large
OUTREACH
TOOLS
Factsheet
Mailer
Community
Meeting
Website Content
eBlast
Online Survey

28. CSS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
MILESTONES
PROBLEM
DEFINITION & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
EVALUATE
& REFINE
ALTERNATIVES
IDENTIFY
PREFERRED
ALTERNATIVE
ALTERNATIVES
DEVELOPMENT
TIMELINE
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Report on preferred alternative
Provide insight on implementation steps and further engagement opportunity
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
COMMITTEE
& COUNCIL
MEETINGS
Community Advisory Committee/ Technical Advisory Committee
Rail Committee
Public at Large
City Council Hearing
OUTREACH
TOOLS
Factsheet
Website Content
eBlast

29. Rail Committee Direction4
Rail Committee Direction

30. Thank You