Federal transportation agencies and their state and local transportation partners are increasingly challenged to deliver projects faster, at a reduced cost, and with fewer staff. The goal of this research was to compile programmatic agreements (PAs) and exemptions so that agencies can take advantage of applicable concepts that may already be in place. These concepts can benefit project schedules and save taxpayers considerable expense. This mandate is urgent, and this synthesis of exemptions will contribute significantly to satisfying the immediate need to “work smarter” in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. In addition to the PAs and other documents collected by the project team, results can serve as a foundation for state DOTs interested in developing a new statewide PA that includes lists of excluded actions. This study can also assist states interested in revising, updating, or expanding their current PAs.
The agency’s final report is available here:
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP25-25(91)_FR.pdf
A PowerPoint presentation, summarizing the project and its results, is available here:
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP25-25(91)_Presentation.pptx
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This study was requested by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and conducted as part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 25-25. Final deliverables are NOT official publications of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, or the National Academies.
