FHWA 50-15 Tuesday, July 14, 2015 Contact: Nicole Jones / Doug Hecox Tel: 202-366-0660

Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration Announce Year's Best

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today jointly announced the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) as one of this year’s eight Transportation Planning Excellence Award (TPEA) recipients.

“Building a world-class transportation system doesn’t happen overnight, and never by accident,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These awards recognize the critical role planning plays in meeting America’s future transportation challenges.”

PennDOT was recognized for its “Humanizing Infrastructure: Design for the Replacement of I-95” project, which led to the reconstruction of Philadelphia’s I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange. The “Humanizing Infrastructure” plan reconnected neighborhoods to the river by creating wider sidewalks, new bicycle and pedestrian routes, and active spaces under the highway.

“Improving travel space for all, whether pedestrians, drivers or bicyclists, is a priority,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “Plans like this one help to keep the public safe and traffic moving.” Selected by an independent panel, the awards are a biennial recognition by the FHWA and FTA of outstanding transportation planning practices performed by planners and decision makers in communities across the country.

This year, eight winners were selected of 35 TPEA submissions from around the nation. Criteria for selection included: community, public involvement and partnerships; context sensitive solutions; innovation and effectiveness; equity; implementation and strategy; multi-modalism; and potential for long-term benefits.

“It’s important to recognize the creative efforts of the nation’s transportation planners,” said Acting Federal Transit Administrator Therese W. McMillan. “The future of our infrastructure system begins with their vision.”

This year’s other winners include:

4th Street/Prater Way Bus RAPID Transit Project Awardee: Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, Nev. Category: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability, and Public Health

CHCNGA-TPO Community-Sensitive Performance-Based Planning Awardee: Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency Category: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability and Public Health

Minnesota 20-Year State Highway Investment Plan Awardee: Minnesota Department of Transportation Category: Public and Educational Planning, Training, and Outreach

Moving Forward Update 2035 Regional Transportation Plan Awardee: Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Colorado Category: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability, and Public Health

Mt. Hood Multimodal Transportation Plan Awardee: Oregon Department of Transportation Category: Emergency and Safety Planning

Project Connect North Corridor: Taking Transit Where No Transit Has Gone Before! Awardee: Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Texas Category: Public and Educational Planning, Training, and Outreach

Bus Stop Accessibility Study Awardee: Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission Category: Modeling and Technology Applications Planning and Environmental Linkages for Livability, Sustainability and Public Health, Public and Educational Planning, Training and Outreach

Additional information about the 2015 TPEA recipients can be found at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tpea/2015/

# # #