CTI Academy Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) Contractor Course

For some time the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) has presented a course on Context Sensitive Design (CSD) that dramatically changed the way we plan, communicate and design highway construction projects. The KTC course was very well received both regionally and nationally. The success was a direct result of the quality content and presentation that KTC offered, the affordable breakeven participant cost that was charged, and the very strong endorsement given by highway departments. Those endorsements included such things as mandating training in this philosophy and the incorporation of CSS into design work being done for state department of transportation's. KTC has presented this program 41 times, to 1,592 participants. KTC, in anticipating the natural progression of expansion of CSS to the construction contractors, prepared and offered a similar program designed to address the needs of the construction industry. This effort was not as well received as their previous endeavor for a number of reasons. Primarily the CSS mandate for contractors was not as clearly presented as it was with the designers'; therefore, the urgency on the contractors' part was not evidenced. CSS is a better way to build a highway; to manage environmental issues; and to satisfy concerned citizens. With the transportation community, as a whole, embracing the CSS concept, a better and more effective penetration into the contracting community is needed to show their willingness to change and present them as responsible stewards of our environment. Contractor motivation is clearly different than that of the designers and other transportation industry professionals. If CSS were presented as a better way to do business without sacrificing profits, it would be more acceptable to the contracting sector. In order to take advantage of this, the Context Sensitive Construction (CSC) course needs to address the issues that motivate contractor: profit, strengthening business operations, social standing, etc.