Virginia DOT Allocates $11.3M for EV Chargers

The Virginia Department of Transportation said it has allocated $11.3 million in federal funding to assist in the statewide construction of electric vehicle or EV charging stations.

[Above photo by Virginia DOT]

The agency added in a statement that this funding will also help close existing alternative fuel corridor gaps along I-64, I-77, I-81, I-85, I-95, and I-295.

That $11.3 million is the first allotment under Phase 1-A of its statewide effort over the next four years to distribute $100 million worth of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program funding; money that will help facilitate the deployment of third-party owned and operated EV charging stations at 18 sites across 13 counties, adding a total of 66 fast charging ports.

Notably, Virginia DOT said 14 of those charging stations are located within a half-mile of federally designated disadvantaged communities. Proposed locations were screened against federal requirements, with awardees selected through a competitive scoring process that evaluated location, station cost, level of applicant match funding, applicant qualifications, nearby amenities such as restrooms, dining, and shopping, and other customer experience-focused factors.

Other state departments of transportation across the country are engaged in similar efforts.

For example, the Illinois Department of Transportation recently released the first official notice of funding opportunity for round one of grants sponsored by NEVI program funding; grants that will provide up to $50 million for the construction of 46 charging stations across the state.

The Illinois NEVI program aims to accelerate the adoption of EVs by providing reliable access to charging on Illinois interstates and is part of a series of comprehensive initiatives to achieve the state’s goal of becoming a leader in manufacturing and deploying electric vehicles.

“This funding opportunity puts us one step closer to achieving [our state’s] goal to have one million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030,” said Illinois DOT Secretary Omer Osman in a statement.

Meanwhile, other state DOTs are deploying federal funds to either expand EV charger networks along highways under their purview or upgrade existing systems. Those initiatives include:

  • The California Department of Transportation – known as Caltrans – received some $63.7 million from the Federal Highway Administration to fix and install more than 1,000 chargers at 300 sites statewide.
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to repair or replace dozens of existing EV charging sites using a $5 million federal award. The agency also oversaw the completion and opening of Pennsylvania’s first federally-funded EV charging station in late December 2023.
  • The Ohio Department of Transportation also opened its very first NEVI-funded EV charging locale for operation in December 2023.
  • The New York State Department of Transportation is getting $13 million from FHWA to enhance the reliability of EV charging ports across the state.
  •  The Arizona Department of Transportation began seeking bids from private entities in January to build or upgrade electric vehicle or EV charging stations along several interstate highways.
  • The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet broke ground on the first NEVI-funded EV fast charging station in the southeastern United States in February. The agency is currently seeking proposals to install up to 16 additional stations along interstates and parkways statewide using NEVI funding – all part of Kentucky’s longer-term effort to add up to 40 new fast charging stations by 2025.

NCDOT Prepping for Annual Litter Cleanup Effort

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is gearing up for its annual “Spring Litter Sweep” event, to be held April 13-27 statewide.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

The Spring Litter Sweep – one of NCDOT’s many roadside litter removal initiatives – engages local communities to tackle the issue of roadside litter. During the two-week period, residents are encouraged to participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina’s roadsides. In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time picking up litter and collecting trash bags that are filled by volunteers, the agency noted.

“We’re grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers who step up each year to participate in the litter sweeps,” said David Harris, an NCDOT’s roadside environmental engineer, in a statement.

“Their commitment to helping us keep our roadsides clean is truly commendable,” he added. “Their hard work and passion contribute to a cleaner, greener North Carolina for generations to come.”

State departments of transportation are involved in a variety of litter cleanup efforts that remove tons of trash from along highways and state roadways across the country.

For example, the Arizona Department of Transportation recently noted that its “Adopt a Highway” volunteers continued to make a big difference in terms of litter cleanup along state highways in 2023.

The agency said roughly 850 volunteer groups – comprised of nearly 9,000 individuals – collected over 15,000 bags of roadside litter weighing some 103 tons from state highways mainly outside of Arizona’s metropolitan areas in 2023. The dollar value of that volunteer work equates to roughly $674,000; money the Arizona DOT said can be committed to other critical needs.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi Department of Transportation launched a new anti-litter webpage as part of a renewed statewide anti-littering campaign that kicked off in August 2023 – a “one-stop hub” that contains information about the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program, Mississippi litter statistics and resources, stormwater pollution information, anti-litter resources for school teachers, and much more.

On another front, to make roadway debris removal operations faster and safer, the South Carolina Department of Transportation started installing “lane blades” on select highway incident response vehicles in 2023.

And in April 2023, the Illinois Department of Transportation launched a new public outreach effort called “Think Before You Throw!” as part of its ongoing awareness campaign to reduce littering on state highways and roads.

That “Think Before You Throw!” initiative aims to reduce roadside litter along the state’s more than 150,000 miles of roads by raising awareness of the negative environment impact of trash, for both state residents and the nearly 100 million tourists who visit annually, the agency said.

Environmental News Highlights – March 27, 2024

FEDERAL ACTION

New EPA Rules Tighten Vehicle Tailpipe Emission Levels -AASHTO Journal

FHWA Offering $44M in Active Transportation Grants -AASHTO Journal

 

What’s driving the surge in pedestrian deaths on roadways across the US -NBC News Now

EPA Didn’t Ban Gas Cars. It Cut Air Pollution So We Can Breathe Easier. -Forbes (Opinion)

SOLAR ECLIPSE

Preparing for the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse –FHWA

FAA warns of air travel disruptions in path of April 8 eclipse -The Hill

Find Your Path to the Total Solar Eclipse -511NY Rideshare/New York State Department of Transportation

Total guide to Texas eclipse travel -Texas Department of Transportation

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet making preparations ahead of April 8 solar eclipse -WPSD-TV

2024 Missouri Solar Eclipse -Missouri Department of Transportation

Agencies prepare for solar eclipse traffic flooding into southeast Oklahoma -Tulsa World

 

COVID-19

USDOT expects to deliver national aviation plan for communicable disease outbreaks by 2025 -Passenger Terminal Today

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Electrifying Trucking: $1 Trillion Needed for Infrastructure -Transport Topics

Governor signs bills creating electric vehicle charging station network across Wisconsin –AP

Drones could soon be used to remove graffiti from Washington highways -KING-TV

Which Mountain West cities have the most climate-friendly transportation systems? -Mountain West News Bureau

Native American tribes ditches traditional transportation with multimillion-dollar EV initiative -The Cool Down

Shell to focus on EV charging, closing 1,000 retail locations -Yahoo Finance Live

 

AIR QUALITY

Louisiana lawmakers move to protect combustible engine vehicles from future restrictions -Shreveport Times

As electric vehicle sales slow, US relaxes plans for stricter auto emissions standards for a while –AP

Trees and bushes near highways improve air quality -Earth.com

More testing facilities and new website enhance service for emissions program customersWisconsin DOT (media release)

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/EQUITY

Texas Air Quality Measurements Fail Hispanic Communities –Governing

Disabled riders need comprehensive public transportation planning –Prism

ODOT’s Mobility Management Program Provides Transportation To Oklahomans In Need -KWTV-TV

Blue Grass Airport Launches Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program -Blue Grass Airport (media release)

 

NATURAL RESOURCES

DelDOT caring for more than just the roads -WDEL Radio

CULTURAL RESOURCES

F1 and IndyCar Street Races Can Be an Economic Boon – and a Big Headache –CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

District of Columbia DOT Program Offers Vouchers for E-Bike Purchases -AASHTO Journal

TxDOT highlights rising bicycle, pedestrian crashes -Marshall News Messenger

Las Vegas advocate appeals for reinstatement of jaywalking fines amid pedestrian deaths -KSNV-TV

Houston deemphasizing commitment to ‘Vision Zero’ traffic safety initiative under new mayor -Houston Public Media

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Integration of Contingency Planning for Small Airports –ACRP

Former TRB Executive Director Neil Pedersen Has a Question: Are we willing to stick our necks out? -Thinking Transportation podcast

A national survey on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on school travel in the US. – Parents perspective -Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives

 

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Safety Zone; Storms With High Winds; Sector Maryland-National Capital Region Captain of the Port Zone -Coast Guard (Final rule)

Notice of Adoption of Department of Energy Categorical Exclusion Under the National Environmental Policy Act -EPA (Notice of adoption of categorical exclusion)

USDOT Issues $3.3B in ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded more than $3.3 billion via its Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Access and Equity (RCN) discretionary grant program to 132 infrastructure projects in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

[Above photo by USDOT]

The agency noted that the RCN program is a combination of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant program created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Grants from both programs seek to “reconnect” communities cut off in the past by transportation infrastructure, leaving such neighborhoods in many cases bereft of direct access to schools, jobs, medical offices, and places of worship.

“While the purpose of transportation is to connect, in too many communities, past infrastructure decisions have served instead to divide,” said USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “Now [we are] acting to fix that.”

A slew of projects overseen by state departments of transportation were included in this round of RCP grants, USDOT noted:

  • The Colorado Department of Transportation: $2 million for the “Removing the Highway Barrier: Equitably Restoring Colfax and Federal Mobility and Land Use” project;
  • The Connecticut Department of Transportation: $2 million for its Greater Hartford Mobility Study;
  • The District of Columbia Department of Transportation: $2 million for its DC 295/I-295 Corridor Feasibility Study for the Washington, D.C., area;
  • The Delaware Department of Transportation: $2 million for the “Bridging I-95 Concept Study” that involves communities in and around Wilmington, DE;
  • The Hawaii Department of Transportation: More than $19.1 million for the “Connecting Pearl Highlands to Opportunity” project conducted jointly with the County of Honolulu, City of Honolulu, and the Honolulu Department of Transportation;
  • The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development: $2 million for its “Reconnecting Claiborne” study;
  • The Massachusetts Department of Transportation: More than $335.3 million for the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project;
  • The Maryland Department of Transportation: More than $3.3 million for the “Enhancing Easton” neighborhood access project along the US Route 50 highway;
  • The Maine Department of Transportation: $22.4 million for the “Reconnecting our Villages – Historic Libbytown” project;
  • The Minnesota Department of Transportation: $3.6 million for the “Highway 55 Community Partnership/A Roadway for All” project;
  • The Mississippi Department of Transportation: $9.6 million for the Bienville Boulevard/Scott Pruitt Memorial Highway Multi-Use Path project;
  • The Montana Department of Transportation: $24 million for “Reconnecting East Missoula” project coordinated with Missoula County, the City of Missoula, and the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization;
  • The New York State Department of Transportation: More than $180 million for the I-81 Connecting Syracuse project;
  • The Oregon Department of Transportation: $450 million for the I-5 Rose Quarter improvement project;
  • The South Carolina Department of Transportation: More than $10 million for the Dave Lyle Boulevard Pedestrian Bridge project;
  • The Utah Department of Transportation: More than $87 million to fund local street crossings of Interstate 15 in St. George at 400 East and 900 South;
  • The Wisconsin Department of Transportation: $2 million for the “Reimagining the National Avenue Interchange” project. 

FHWA Starts Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program

The Federal Highway Administration has officially launched its Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program, which aims to lower air pollution – specifically greenhouse gas or GHG emissions – via “reimbursement and incentive funding” for low carbon construction materials and products used in transportation infrastructure projects.

[Above photo by WVDOT]

Established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the FHWA’s low carbon program will make $2 billion available to state departments of transportation, Native American tribes, Metropolitan Planning Organizations or MPOs, and transportation other agencies to buy materials that create less pollution – including steel, concrete, and asphalt.

In a statement, the FHWA explained that it will use a “hybrid approach” to implement the program:

  • First, FHWA is making $1.2 billion available to states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico through a Request for Applications or RFA to fund activities and projects that reduce pollution, including carbon emissions, through the use of low-embodied carbon materials and products. The agency said this approach allows it to quickly provide reimbursement or incentive funds to states to begin eligible activities and incorporate low-embodied carbon materials on construction projects now.
  • Second, later in 2024, FHWA said it will make $800 million available for “non-state” applicants, including cities, Native American tribes, MPOs, and other transportation agencies through a notice of funding opportunity or NOFO. That NOFO will encourage applicants to partner with states where appropriate and will include offers of technical assistance for applicants, FHWA noted.

In addition to funding the use of cleaner construction materials that reduce pollution and carbon emissions for transportation projects, FHWA said its new low carbon program will provide resources for agencies to implement processes and coordinate with industry to quantify the emissions of construction materials.

That information will allow substantially lower carbon materials to be identified by comparing emissions to established thresholds, the agency pointed out, with funding also allowed for the development of specifications for low-embodied carbon materials that ensure adequate engineering performance for appropriate use on federal-aid projects.

Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, explained his agency’s perspective regarding the “climate benefits” from expanded use of low carbon materials during a panel discussion in January at the Transportation Research Board’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

“Our aim is to make infrastructure materials like pavement more effective, resilient, durable, and longer lasting than ever before,” Buttigieg explained at that session. “It’s about making the right kind of investments not just to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure but to redefine how it is built.”

He added that while only 60 years separated the first airborne flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., and America putting a man on the moon, the transportation industry still relies on infrastructure materials in use during the Roman Empire.

“Our role, then, at USDOT, is to make sure we have a good understanding of the role of materials we use in transportation and how they are encoded into the decisions we make,” the secretary said. “There is a very low level of attention paid to materials research, but an even marginal change in quality could be massive if multiplied out among all the projects we work on.”

Environmental News Highlights – March 20, 2024

FEDERAL ACTION

National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Plan Unveiled -AASHTO Journal



45 states, large metro areas submit climate action plans under Inflation Reduction Act -EPA (media release)

SOLAR ECLIPSE

Solar Eclipse Preparations -The Stream by AASHTO

Ohio governor signs executive order ahead of total solar eclipse -WLWT-TV



Wyoming Officials Share Lessons Learned From 2017 Eclipse Ahead Of Texas April Eclipse -WFAA-TV

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

New Jersey’s transit stations can help spur more affordable housing -WNET-TV’s NJ Spotlight News (video)

San Diego gets first electric tug boat in US -KUSI/KSWB-TV

Coastal US Cities Top Ranking of Climate-Friendly Transportation –CityLab

National League of Cities Launches New Mapping Resource to Support Transit Planning in Municipalities -National League of Cities (media release)

 

AIR QUALITY

Maryland DOT announces $55 million in federal funding to reduce transportation emissions -WBFF-TV


The Remarkable Potential of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Carbon Emission Reduction -Greek Reporter



The Role of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses in a Zero Emission Future -American Public Transportation Association (webinar)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/EQUITY

Caltrans Unveils New Transportation Equity Index Tool -AASHTO Journal

Aging advocates aim to expand public transit across New Hampshire -New Hampshire Bulletin

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Environmental Justice and Confronting the Climate Crisis -University of Michigan (livestream)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Wetland and Beaver Dam Water Quality Workshop to be held in Oskaloosa, OK -Oskaloosa Herald

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Washington State DOT’s Paint Maps: The Origin Story -WSDOT Blog

Drive with Aloha’ murals educate about drunk driving -Spectrum News

Husband, wife buried on runway at US airport greet thousands of planes every year -Fox Weather

How green is your next vacation? Here’s how to tell –USA Today (opinion)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Hawaii DOT Launches Statewide Aviation Noise Study -Island News

To Incentivize E-Bikes, First Map Your Destination -Government Technology

New York City Just Had Its Safest-Ever Year For Pedestrians. What Went Right? –CityLab

$50 Million to Enhance Active Transportation Across British Columbia –Momentum


DC transit officials will give city residents money toward a new electric bike -Washington Times

Coon Rapids, MN awarded state grant for active transportation plan -ABC Newspapers

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Advanced Air Mobility and Community Outreach: A Primer for Successful Stakeholder Engagement –ACRP

Advancing Gender Equity in the DOT Workforce –NCHRP


Respectful Response to People Experiencing Homelessness in Transit -TRB (webinar)

Artificial Intelligence Lets Bicycles ‘See’ -Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers With Disabilities Using Wheelchairs -Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking)



Notice of Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting -Surface Transportation Board (Notice)



Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Atlantic Shores North Project on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Offshore New Jersey -Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Lease Issuance, Site Characterization Activities, and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Maine Offshore the States of Maine, … -Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice)

The Stream by AASHTO: Solar Eclipse Preparations

The latest episode of the “The Stream by AASHTO” podcast – formerly the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP podcast – is the first of a two-part series exploring effective transportation management tactics ahead of and during a solar eclipse.

[Above image by AASHTO]

“The Stream by AASHTO” podcast is part of a technical service program for state departments of transportation provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It explores a wide array of environmental topics that affect transportation and infrastructure programs.

The first episode of this two-part series on solar eclipse preparations features insights from Michael White, assistant director of the Safety and Emergency Management Division within in the Missouri Department of Transportation.

White digs into the significance of preparation, planning, training, and effective communication conducted by his division ahead of the solar eclipse event scheduled to affect the United States on April 8. He also offers perspectives on advancing safety protocols and bolstering resilience to ensure operational continuity during such celestial events.

To listen to the full podcast on this topic, click here.

Caltrans Unveils New Transportation Equity Tool

The California Department of Transportation – known as Caltrans – recently unveiled a new “equity tool” designed to ensure all state residents benefit from the agency’s transportation projects. The tool also identifies communities most negatively impacted by the state’s transportation system, especially in the cases of high rates of traffic, vehicle crashes, air pollution, and limited transit options.

[Above image by Caltrans]

Caltrans said its new Transportation Equity Index or “EQI tool” will help inform project selection, program evaluation, and policy decisions; better align the transportation system to state environmental and equity goals; and help address other transportation-related inequities.

The agency said data from this new tool will be used to identify transportation-based priority populations to help end harms created or worsened by the state’s transportation system. Caltrans added that it also aims to advance equitable outcomes during project planning, development, and design phases – for both the department and partner public agencies – through the use of its EQI tool.

“We will use this tool to help ensure all California communities benefit from our transportation projects,” noted Tony Tavares, director of Caltrans, in a statement. “We need to identify the ways our transportation infrastructure has negatively impacted our communities and neighborhoods. Better data lets us build equity into our transportation system from the ground up.”

“Establishing the EQI tool shows our serious commitment to embedding equity in our decision-making to improve the quality of life for all Californians,” added Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency and a former Caltrans director.

“By more easily identifying and prioritizing communities with the greatest transportation needs, there is tremendous potential in this tool to help achieve an equitable transportation future for all,” he said.

The new EQI tool includes three key data indicators. The first focuses on household income and federally recognized tribal lands; the second measures traffic proximity, volume, and crash exposure; and the final considers access to destinations, measuring gaps in the transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks.

Caltrans said its new EQI tool – which began development in 2021 as part of the “equity commitment” built into the agency’s Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure – relies on both publicly available and internally developed datasets from public and private sources.

The department said the first application of its EQI tool will be to deepen the analytical capabilities within the Caltrans System Investment Strategy, which is a data and performance-driven system that guides transportation investments by Caltrans statewide. Additional applications for the new EQI tool are still under development, the agency added.

Environmental News Highlights – March 13, 2024

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT issues $3.33 billion to 132 projects through its Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant programsUSDOT (media release)

AASHTO Participates in USDOT’s Air Mobility Meeting -AASHTO Journal


The Power Of Community Engagement In Transportation -ITE Talks Transportation (podcast)

FHWA Announces Request for Information on Updating Federal Standards for EV Charging -FHWA (media release)

NEPA

NEPA Reform Long Overdue Say Western Tribes, Ranchers, And Local Governments -Western Wire

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Oregon court rejects cities’ request to toss climate rules -Oregon Public Broadcasting

Ensuring Climate-Smart Transportation Planning -National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (blog)

Governor discusses progress in Rhode Island’s EV charging infrastructure effort -WJAR-TV

USDA invests nearly $66M to improve roads, trails, and water quality as part of Investing in America Agenda -Forest Service (media release)

 

AIR QUALITY

Air quality in AZ is already bad, but Republicans want to end most vehicle emissions testing -AZ Mirror

House Bill Would Reset Connecticut’s Emission-Reduction Goals, Incentivize Businesses to Adopt Environmentally Sustainable Practices –CTNewsJunkie

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/EQUITY

Caltrans Launches Equity Tool to Help All Communities Benefit from Transportation Projects –Caltrans (media release)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Georgia DOT Forges Historic Bat Conservation Agreement -AASHTO Journal

Snowy days often lead to salty streams. Ohio’s trying to fix that -WYSO Radio

FAQs: Air Quality in National Parks -National Parks Conservation Association

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Red Covered Bridge: Illinois DOT Fixing an Antique –Illinois DOT (blog)

Ambassadors for active transportation, honoring women in flightKUAF Radio


Arkansas governor, agency heads lay out plans for April 8 solar eclipse -KARK-TV

A Vote for Safer Streets from the Heart of Car Culture –Governing

Sioux Falls, South Dakota opens trail system to more motorized bicycles -Dakota Scout

 

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Pittsburgh wants to make streets safer with Vision Zero -KDKA-TV

Hawaii’s e-bike dilemma: Safety, laws, confusion -KHON-TV

Silencing the Roar: Noise Pollution in Aviation –Airways

Los Angeles voters approve ‘Safe Streets’ Measure HLA -KTLA-TV

A new approach to transportation: Pairing off-street parking with electric scooters -Argonne National Laboratory

Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments seeking public’s input in 2050 “Active Transportation Plan” survey -KRDO-TV



WisDOT joins nationwide effort to prevent traffic deaths -Wisconsin DOT (media release)

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lessons of Agency Resilience During Periods of Disruption -TRB (webinar)

Concrete Pavement Preservation -TRB (webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Request for Information on the J3400 Connector and Potential Options for Performance-Based Charging Standards -FHWA (Notice)

Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public Meeting -Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (Notice of public meeting)

Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public Meeting -Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (Notice of public meeting)



Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public Meeting -Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (Notice of public meeting)

Electric Vehicle Working Group -Department of Energy (Notice of open meeting)

Request for Information; Extension of Comment Period (Vessel Response Plans) -Coast Guard (Notice)

National Navigation Safety Advisory Committee Meeting; April 2024 Meeting -Coast Guard (Notice)

Notice of Final Federal Agency Action on the Authorization for the Revolution Wind Farm and Revolution Wind Export Cable Project Offshore Rhode Island -Army Corps of Engineers (Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)



Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Florida Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Water Quality -EPA (Notice of availability; request for public comments)

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) (Renewal) -EPA (Notice)

 

Hawaii DOT Opens First NEVI-Funded EV Charging Station

The Hawaii Department of Transportation officially opened its first electric vehicle or EV charging station partially funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program on February 28.

[Above photo by Hawaii DOT]

The EV charging station at the Kahului Park & Ride on Maui consists of four 150 kW DC fast chargers with Combined Charging System and CHArge de MOve ports. The station – located along Route 380, also known as the Kuihelani Highway – cost $3 million to design and build, with $2.4 million coming from the NEVI program and $600,000 from the state’s highway fund.

“Providing drivers with the opportunity to choose alternatives to vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines is a critical part of the strategy to get Hawaii to a clean energy portfolio by 2045,” said Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii DOT, in a statement.

“When we began planning our department’s conversion to EVs we calculated an estimated annual reduction in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions of 8,700 pounds per vehicle, which is roughly the amount of energy used by an average American home in half a year,” he added.

[Editor’s note: In June 2023, Hawaii DOT deployed the state’s very first autonomous all-electric passenger shuttle bus. Developed in collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, the AV Star All-Electric Autonomous Min-E Bus is an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant vehicle that can hold 14 passengers or 10 passengers and two passengers in wheelchairs. The vehicle is also equipped with the Perrone Robotics “TONY” system – short for “To Navigate to You” – autonomous system that Perrone said meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.]

To qualify for NEVI funding, EV charging stations must meet criteria such as having EV charging publicly available 24/7 and being no more than one mile away from the nearest U.S. Department of Transportation-designated Alternative Fuel Corridor.

The Kahului Park & Ride along Kuihelani Highway was selected as the state’s first NEVI-funded EV charging site because it is accessible 24/7 and its location is adjacent to the Maui Alternative Fuel Corridors, the Hawaii DOT noted.

The agency added that EV charging will be free to the public at this location through March 10, as time-of-use rates are being finalized. Payment and charger availability can be checked through the EV Connect App at evconnect.com/ at that time, with payment via credit card also accepted at this EV charging locale, Hawaii DOT added.