Our team partnered with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to develop a Project Scoping Guide that brings national best practices into the agency’s planning and design process. This guide introduces context-based design criteria tailored to Tennessee, addressing local, collector, and arterial roads while considering the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, micromobility users, motorcyclists, vehicle drivers, and transit riders.
Why It Matters
The Project Scoping Guide fits seamlessly into TDOT’s new Project Delivery Network, a modern approach to project delivery. By integrating this guide, TDOT can:
- Bring planners and designers together.
- Support flexible, informed decision-making.
- Ensure consistency across all regions.
Implementation in Action
To make this guide practical for real-world projects, our team collaborated with TDOT to:
- Conduct hands-on statewide training.
- Update standard drawings to align with the new approach.
Now, project teams have the tools they need to apply context-sensitive design principles across Tennessee.
The Bigger Picture
Manuals and guidebooks may seem humble, but they shape the future of transportation. While changes on the ground take time, resources like the Project Scoping Guide help create safer, more accessible, and more functional communities, influencing engineering practice for years to come.