Project Development Scorecard
Goal
Enhance mobility of freight movements, decrease fuel consumption and emissions impacts, and reduce freight-related noise.
Sustainability Linkage

Enhancing freight mobility supports the environmental and economic sustainability principles by providing features that make freight transportation more efficient, thereby reducing fuel consumption, decreasing emissions, and reducing noise pollution.
Background & Scoring Requirements
Scoring Requirements
Facilities installed for this requirement shall be consistent with the need, purpose, and appropriateness for freight mobility within the project footprint.
Requirement PD-13.1
1 – 7 points. Implement Freight Access Features
Implement one or more of the features in Table PD-13.1.A. Points for features are cumulative if roadways have more than one feature; however, this criterion shall not exceed a total of seven points.
TABLE PD-13.1.A POINTS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR FRIEGHT ACCESS PROJECT FEATURES
Requirement |
Points |
Feature |
Requirement Descriptions |
---|---|---|---|
PD-13.1a |
1 |
No-idling policy and signage (no-idling policy within certain parameters, such as outside air temperature) |
|
PD-13.1b |
1 |
Construct new rest area or rest stop, or expand existing rest area or rest stop |
|
PD-13.1c |
2 |
Safety improvements specifically for freight (e.g., additional safety signage, speed warnings systems for hills, other intelligent transportation system solutions) |
|
PD-13.1d |
2 |
Physical or otherwise constructed grade, alignment, or other design adjustments for truck safety, mobility, and the reduction of freight-related noise |
|
PD-13.1e |
3 |
Construct new dedicated truck delivery parking areas or repurpose an existing parking area for truck delivery-only. |
|
PD-13.1f |
3 |
Automated Weigh-In-Motion stations |
|
PD-13.1g |
3 |
Increase transportation efficiencies for moving freight through features such as dedicated rail or intermodal facilities. |
|
PD-13.1h |
4 |
Virtual Weigh-In-Motion stations |
|
PD-13.1i |
4 |
Construct a new electrified rest stop or electrify an existing rest stop |
|
PD-13.1j |
5 |
Construct a new or convert an existing mixed-traffic lane to a truck-only lane |
|
Resources
The following resources are referenced in this criterion and consolidated here:
- AASHTO, Policy on Geometric Design of Streets and Highways (2011) at https://bookstore.transportation.org/collection_detail.aspx?ID=110
Case Studies & Criterion Examples
Arizona DOT - Roundabouts and Local Partnerships: The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) used all three INVEST modules to validate strategic directions, increase knowledge across core functions, and advance a decision-making framework around sustainability best practices. This case study focuses on ADOT’s use of the Project Development module to score and improve the sustainability of twenty roundabout construction projects as well as ADOT’s use of INVEST training workshops to facilitate collaboration internally and with local governments. Roundabouts have seen increased application across the United States and in Arizona due to their safety and congestion reduction benefits. Using INVEST, ADOT scored twenty planned or under construction roundabouts. ADOT found the scoring process helpful both in improving the sustainability of the individual roundabout projects and in understanding the sustainability of the state’s roundabout program as a whole.
NOACA - Evaluation of Regional Safety Program Using INVEST: The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordination Agency (NOACA) is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Greater Cleveland area. NOACA used the INVEST self-assessment tool to evaluate its current Regional Safety Program (RSP), to identify improvements, and to identify where sustainability principles can be better incorporated. The ultimate goal was to improve the region’s sustainability by reducing fatal and serious injuries that negatively impact the social and economic principles through loss of life, injury and damages to personal and public property. Since 2008, NOACA has been actively analyzing crashes in the region and conducting road safety audits at various intersections. The Cleveland metropolitan region does not currently have an adopted goal or performance target related to transportation safety. To better focus efforts on reducing fatal and severe injury crashes in the Cleveland metro region, NOACA began revamping its Regional Safety Program (RSP) in the fall of 2013. To assist with the changes to the RSP, NOACA applied for an INVEST grant.
Arizona DOT - Using INVEST to Integrate Sustainability: The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) decided to use all three modules of INVEST – System Planning, Project Development, and Operations and Maintenance – to help the agency meet its sustainability goals across the transportation life cycle. ADOT used INVEST to integrate and advance existing sustainability efforts and to push forward new efforts. INVEST’s comprehensive sustainability framework and criteria helped ADOT institutionalize sustainability across the agency and with local partners through inclusion in manuals, trainings, and awards. This case study focuses on ADOT’s use of the Project Development module.
Arizona DOT - State Route 30 Sustainable Project Development: This case study describes the use of the INVEST PD module to analyze and score the ADOT State Route (SR) 30 project—an approximately 13-mile section of new freeway in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The new freeway would be built five (5) miles south of Interstate 10 and would run from Sarival Road in Goodyear east to Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) in the western section of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. SR 30 is a proposed new freeway managed by the ADOT that would eventually link with the proposed ADOT Interstate 11 project in western Maricopa County near Tonopah at its western terminus and with the existing Interstate 17 at the Durango Curve in Phoenix at its eastern terminus. The section of SR 30 analyzed and scored using INVEST is currently in the preliminary design and environmental assessment evaluation phase pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.
Scoring Sources
The project is considered to have met this criterion if the requirements above can be reasonably substantiated through the existence of one or more of the following documentation sources (or equal where not available):
- Purpose and need for freight access on the roadway project.
- Results of public input on proposed freight upgrades or installations, if any.
- Contract documents showing freight facilities.