Training and Workshops

The following training opportunities and resources help transportation and resource agency staff to implement PEL and strengthen links between environmental considerations and planning.

Webinar: Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Handbook and PEL Flowcharts

In April 2024, FHWA hosted a public webinar to highlight the recently released PEL resources: the PEL Handbook and three PEL Flowcharts. The webinar showcased the contents of the PEL Handbook, demonstrated the PEL Flowcharts and how to implement the various PEL authorities, and described how transportation planning information and decisions can be used in the environmental review process. The recording of the webinar is available here (passcode: ?0fd$qdz).

On-Demand Webinar: PEL Today

Recorded in June 2020, this on-demand webinar consists of three presentations from PEL experts and practitioners working in various roles related to PEL. Topics covered in this webinar include an overview of PEL authorities and available resources from FHWA, information about a state-level implementation of PEL, and the early involvement of resource agencies when using PEL approaches, specifically from the perspective of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The recordings of the webinar is available here.

Webinar: Planning and Environmental Linkages for Historic Preservation

In March 2013, FHWA hosted a webinar to present the results of a nationwide study to identify best practices for integrating planning and environmental review for projects affecting historic preservation. These best practices include programmatic agreements, historic property databases, statewide management plans for historic bridges, and staff liaison programs with State Historic Preservation Offices. A recording of the webinar is available here.

Webinar: Guidance on Using Corridor and Subarea Planning to Inform NEPA

FHWA's PEL program recently offered a new training webcast to help transportation planning and environmental practitioners better understand how to conduct corridor or subarea planning studies with the goal of using information and decisions to inform the environmental review process. The course provides information on planning and initiating a study, conducting a study, and making a study viable for NEPA. A recording of the most recent “Guidance on Using Corridor and Subarea Planning to Inform NEPA” webinar is available here.

PEL 101: The Tools for Adopting and Implementing a PEL Approach

FHWA's PEL program has conducted several sessions of the training webcast titled “PEL 101: The Tools for Adopting and Implementing a PEL Approach.” The purpose of the training is to help transportation professionals and resource agency practitioners to better understand, coordinate, and integrate transportation planning and the environmental review process. The course provides an overview of PEL, how it works and the associated benefits, and information on the tools and methods for implementing the PEL approach. A recording of the most recent PEL 101 webinar is available here.

Webinar: Integrating Transportation Planning and NEPA Decision-Making

The Integrating Transportation Planning and NEPA Decision-Making Webcast provides an overview of how transportation planning and NEPA decision-making can be mutually supportive, and presents case studies demonstrating successful integration. In addition to the presentations, it includes panel response to audience questions submitted during the original webcast. The webcast was first conducted on September 23, 2008 by the Center for Environmental Excellence by AASHTO in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. The webcast is available to view in streaming video or for download as a PowerPoint presentation- content is no longer available.

SUMMARY REPORTS

Texas PEL Peer Exchange

This report summarizes the PEL Peer Exchange held in Austin, Texas on August 21-22, 2019.
PDF  |  HTML

Washington, DC PEL Peer Exchange

This report summarizes the PEL Peer Exchange held in Washington, DC on August 14-15, 2019.
PDF  |  HTML

Colorado PEL Peer Exchange

This report summarizes the PEL Peer Exchange held in Denver, Colorado on April 3-4, 2019.
PDF  |  HTML

Illinois PEL Peer Exchange

This report summarizes the PEL Peer Exchange held in Springfield, Illinois on December 10-11, 2018.
PDF  |  HTML

MDOT SHA PEL Peer Exchange

This report summarizes the PEL Peer Exchange held in Hanover, Maryland on December 12-13, 2017.
PDF  |  HTML