Step 1: Identify Context
Identify the facility, travel behavior, social, economic, cultural, natural environment and political “context” for the project through a variety of methods. Highlight limitations and opportunities

Step 2: Engage Stakeholders
Identify, reach out to, and attract the attention and participation of all the relevant stakeholders in the community. Determine their relationship to the project and how they may affect the project.

Step 3: Define Issues, Goals, Values
Work with stakeholders to define the range of issues and values that are also part of the “context.” Stakeholder responsibility/roles in the project objectives should be addressed.

Step 4: Develop Problem Statement
Create a broad problem statement that meshes with existing “context” with community goals, issues and values (Steps 1, 2 and 3) without predetermining the solution. The problem statement guides the selection of the appropriate solution.

Step 5: Create Evaluation Framework
Use project and stakeholder goals, issues and values to create a method to evaluate alternative solutions for the problem. Create specific criteria and performance measures with stakeholders. Develop a practical method to apply criteria during the process.

Step 6: Generate Solutions
Generate a variety of solutions that address project context; stakeholder goals, issues and values; and transportation and safety purpose.

Step 7: Apply Criteria
Using the framework (from Step 5), apply criteria to alternative solutions and select an appropriate context sensitive solution.

Step 8: Implement Selected Solution

Source: Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities