INVEST 101 - Introduction to INVEST

Sustainable Transportation Curriculum for Universities

Slide 1

INVEST 101: Introduction to INVEST

Slide 2

Rating Systems for Infrastructure

Prominent sustainability infrastructure rating systems:

1. BE2ST-in-Highways
2. Envision
3. GreenLITES
4. Greenroads
5. I-LAST
6. INVEST

These systems employ different methods of determining sustainability, emphasizing different sustainable factors.

Slide 3

INVEST — Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool

• INVEST is a web-based self-evaluation tool
• It includes voluntary sustainability best practices called criteria
• Developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• Links
  • https://www.sustainablehighways.org/
  • https://www.sustainablehighways.dot.gov/
  • https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/

Slide 4

INVEST — Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool (Continued)

Slide 5

Why Measure Sustainability?

Track and assess progress

Encourage broad participation of stakeholders

Evaluate sustainability of trade-offs

Meet or anticipate new requirements

Find and address programmatic barriers

Communicate benefits and goals

Using INVEST To Accomplish Your Goals | INVEST — Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation Tool | Federal Highway Administration

Slide 6

Benefits

Improve sustainability of specific transportation projects

Keep projects on track to meet sustainability goals

Provide contractors with incentives for implementing sustainability

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/1590/benefits.html

Slide 7

INVEST has modules to evaluate the sustainability of transportation projects throughout the project life cycle.

It helps prioritize and communicate balanced choices between different goals of transportation plans, programs, and projects.

Slide 8

INVEST Criteria

Slide 9

Criterion Scoring Example

Detailed background and scoring requirements are provided for each applicable criterion. Users then select responses to questions based on this guidance to determine the scores. Collaboration among stakeholders is vital to the scoring process.

Slide 10

Criterion Scoring Example (Continued)

Detailed background and scoring requirements are provided for each applicable criterion. Users then select responses to questions based on this guidance to determine the scores. Collaboration among stakeholders is vital to the scoring process.

Slide 11

INVEST Scoring

• Depending on the project or program being evaluated, a set of criteria are applicable
• Projects may receive a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum rating for achieving 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% or more, respectively, of the total achievable score for the relevant module
• Scoring can be done online on the INVEST website or offline by downloading fillable worksheets

Slide 12

INVEST Scoring Example

Slide 13

CASE STUDY — Planning

• MetroPlan Orlando, the MPO for central Florida, applied INVEST to help address health and sustainability in regional planning
• Evaluation of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan was conducted using INVEST's Systems Planning for Regions Module
• Received a Gold rating (129 out of 255 possible points)

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/779/97/metroplan-orlando-integrating-health-and-sustainability-principles-into-transportation-planning.html

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Case Study — Planning (continued)

Key Outcomes

Identification of areas of success and for improvement

Helped develop a multi-year health and sustainability approach

New relationships and enhanced relationships with non-traditional transportation partners

Increased support from elected and senior officials

Development of white papers

Identification of research topics

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/779/97/metroplan-orlando-integrating-health-and-sustainability-principles-into-transportation-planning.html

Slide 15

CASE STUDY — Project Development and Construction

• Ohio DOT included sustainability (measured by INVEST) as one of the criteria for scoring contractor proposals for a design-build contract for the second phase of the George V. Voinovich Bridge
  • Winning bid committed to INVEST Platinum rating (95 INVEST points out of a total possible of 126)

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/779/94/ohio-dot-george-v-voinovich-bridgecleveland-innerbelt-corridor.html

Slide 16

CASE STUDY — Project Development and Construction (continued)

• Collaborative workshop (eco-charette) was used to identify areas for improvement
• Selected outcomes
  • Reuse of materials
  • Earthwork balance to eliminate excess fill
  • Diversion of most of the construction waste

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/779/94/ohio-dot-george-v-voinovich-bridgecleveland-innerbelt-corridor.html

Slide 17

CASE STUDY — Operations and Maintenance

• ADOT conducted an evaluation of internal operations and infrastructure operations and maintenance areas using INVEST
• ADOT achieved a platinum rating, based on the self-evaluation

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/779/78/arizona-dot-using-invest-to-benefit-planning-programming-and-maintenance-in-arizona.html

Slide 18

CASE STUDY — Operations and Maintenance (Continued)

High-Scoring Areas

• Vehicle fuel efficiency and use
• Pavement management system
• Transportation management and operations
• Work zone traffic control

Areas for Improvement

• Sustainability plan
• Electrical energy efficiency and use
• Tracking environmental commitments
• Bridge management system
• Road weather management program

Source: https://www.sustainablehighways.org/779/78/arizona-dot-using-invest-to-benefit-planning-programming-and-maintenance-in-arizona.html

Slide 19 [end]

INVEST 101: Introduction to INVEST

 

 

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