Video: How KYTC Biologists Restore Streams, Wetlands

A recent video released by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet highlights how the agency’s biologists work to restore and improve streams and wetlands involved in state transportation projects.

[Above image via KYTC]

KYTC has worked closed with the Federal Highway Administration as well as other federal, state, and local agencies to identify and resolve environmental challenges on transportation projects. That results in more efficient environmental processes, thereby reducing time and funds to be expended on transportation projects, noted KYTC. 

KYTC noted that it works with a wide range of groups to tackle such mitigation projects, including the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, the American Indian Tribal Outreach program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others. Each of those “partnering efforts” discusses particular challenges common to transportation projects and provide resolutions beneficial to the environment.

State departments of transportation across the country tap into a variety of “biological resources” to minimize the environmental impact of infrastructure projects under their purview.

For example the Arizona Department of Transportation detailed in April 2022 how “biomonitor” teams from Northern Arizona University or NAU help the agency’s crews find and relocate endangered species – including snakes, birds and fish – from construction sites.

Specifically, those biomonitor teams train construction workers and others involved in transportation projects to identify any endangered species and what to do if they come across one. The teams also monitor construction activity and help safely remove any endangered species out of harm’s way.

Meanwhile, July and August every year, the North Carolina Department of Transportation temporarily lowers speed limits from 55 mph to 20 mph on the William B. Umstead Bridge – locally known as the old Manns Harbor Bridge – at dusk and dawn during the roosting period of purple martin bird flocks.

NCDOT noted in August 2022 that it has collaborated with the Coastal Carolina Purple Martin Society since 2007 to educate the public about the purple martin flocks, to protect both the birds and motorists.

From late July through August, the west end of the bridge becomes home to as many as 100,000 purple martins as they prepare for their annual migration to Brazil. The birds roost under the bridge at night, departing at dawn to feed and returning at sunset. The flock is so large during its peak that it is visible on radar.

Environmental News Highlights – February 15, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

Biden Touts Infrastructure in State-of-the-Union Speech – AASHTO Journal

Mobility Study Cites Roadblocks for U.S. Electric Vehicles, Sustainable Aviation – Reuters
State and Local Governments Face Persistent Infrastructure Investment Challenges – Pew

White House unveils plan to boost use of U.S.-made goods in infrastructure – Reuters

Republican Policymakers Spotlight Autonomous Vehicles’ Benefits – Transport Topics

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

How Hawaii DOT Plans for Resilience – AASHTO Journal (podcast)

Electric Vehicle Charging Networks Trend Toward Convenience – Government Technology

Kansas Lawmakers Want To Tax Public EV Charging – Green Car Reports

Planned EV fees aim to replace Vt. gas tax revenue – WCAX-TV

Nebraska DOT seeking information for electric vehicle charging network – KETV-TV

AIR QUALITY

Colorado Emissions Reduction Plan Ties Sustainable Transportation to State Funding – Planetizen

FHWA to Start Funding Program to Lower Truck Emissions at Ports – Transport Topics

Here’s how lawmakers want to fix Utah’s terrible air quality – Salt Lake Tribune
$150m public health benefit from electrification of Port of New York and New Jersey – Seatrade Maritime News

Five Powerhouse Climate Policies Can Rapidly Slash Emissions And Strengthen The Economy In Any State – Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology (Commentary)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

FTA Funding Research into ‘Transportation Insecurity’ – AASHTO Journal

IATA: Airline Passengers With Disabilities Should Travel With Dignity – eTurboNews

Kalamazoo, Holland, other cities to make rail stations ADA compliant after settlement – MLive

NATURAL RESOURCES

‘Slow down’: Colorado mountain residents concerned over wildlife deaths caused by trains – KMGH-TV

‘A national scandal’: how US climate funding could make water pollution worse – The Guardian

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Google Maps is getting this new ‘immersive’ view. Here’s why it might be useful – ZDNET

How The Los Angeles Crosswalk Collective Is Trying To Make Streets Safer … Their Own Way – LAist

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Just two hours spent in traffic fumes impairs brain function – Sustainability Times

Researchers find a link between traffic noise and tinnitus – University of Southern Denmark

Richardson, Texas looking to add 54 miles of bike trails for new transportation network – Community Impact

A tale of trails: Colorado bike riders, advocates consider options for getting around – Fort Lupton Press

Efficiency Maine may add electric bikes to its rebate program – Sun Journal
How E-Bike Rebates Will Make Cycling Safer – CityLab

A call for integrating active transportation into physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines – The Lancet (Commentary)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Planning and Environment Linkages: Review of Statutory Authority and Case Law – NCHRP

Strategies to Reduce Highway Traffic Noise – TRB (webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Guidance for Grants and Agreements – OMB (Proposed rule; notification of proposed guidance)

Major Disaster Declarations and Related Determinations: Expiration of COVID–19-Related Measures – FEMA (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Searsville Watershed Restoration Project, Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, CA – Army Corps of Engineers (Notice)

Air Plan Approval; NC; Transportation Conformity – EPA (Proposed rule)

Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit – EPA (Notice; request for public comment)

Moore County Solar Environmental Impact Statement – TVA (Record of decision)

Notice of Meeting of the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group – FAA (Notice)

Notice of Joint and Individual Colorado Resource Advisory Council Meetings – Bureau of Land Management (Notice)

Video: How State DOTs Address Risk and Resilience

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently issued a video report on a “risk and resilience” knowledge session held during its 2022 Annual Meeting in Orlando.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

That knowledge session – sponsored by the American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) – examined how state departments of transportation address risk and resilience through their asset management plans.

Josh Beakley, ACPA vice president of engineering, moderated a panel of state DOT executives who shared their risk and resilience strategies as part of the knowledge session.

Those panelists included: Jennifer Carver, statewide community planning coordinator for Florida DOT; Pam Cotter, acting administrator of planning for Rhode Island DOT; Sandy Hertz, director of the Office of Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation at Maryland DOT; and Nathan Lee, director of technology and innovation at Utah DOT.

Risk and resilience are two issues the state DOT community regularly addresses as part of their strategic planning initiatives and are part of the key emphasis areas of AASHTO President Roger Millar, who is also the secretary of the Washington Department of Transportation.

Making the nation’s transportation system more resilient has been a major focus for Millar for much of his career.

He explained during a recent roundtable discussion at the 2023 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting that “resiliency” involves more than just toughening up infrastructure to withstand severe weather events and natural disasters.

“Resilience is a broad part of what we do in my world,” Millar said. “Many think of resilience in the context of climate change and natural disaster response, but to me, it is also about the need to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions such as shifting demographics, an aging population that will drive fewer cars, and economic changes such as moving from extraction industries like forestry and mining to technology and software companies.”

RIDOT Fully Converts to Energy-Efficient LED Lights

Governor Dan McKee (D) recently saluted the Rhode Island Department of Transportation for being the first state agency to fully convert its lighting resources to energy-efficient light-emitting diode or LED lights.

[Above photo by RIDOT]

The LED switchover project – the result of several years of collaboration between the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) and RIDOT – includes lighting at 23 RIDOT maintenance facilities and the retrofit of over 9,000 streetlights.

Combined, RIDOT said it should save over $1 million a year on electricity costs and an estimated $14 million over the life of these more efficient lighting systems. They also will save nearly 55,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

“I thank RIDOT and OER for their hard work and commitment to conserving energy through this comprehensive conversion to efficient LED technology,” Gov. McKee said in a statement. “In addition to dollars saved, this will contribute to the state’s green energy goals and commitment to meet the goal of the state’s ‘Act on Climate’ while reducing RIDOT’s carbon footprint.”

“This is a journey we have been on for the past several years, first with our streetlights and now with our facilities,” added RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr. “We are proud to lead the way with this energy-saving initiative that will not only save money but reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

Photo courtesy of RIDOT

Gov. McKee noted that OER is spearheading an energy- and emission-reduction effort among state agencies and municipal governments via its “Lead by Example Program.”  That program has helped Rhode Island state agencies successfully lower energy consumption by 12.7 percent in 2022 compared to 2014, with 60 percent of state-owned buildings either converted or in the process of converting to LED lighting and 95 percent of state government electricity consumption being offset by renewables.

Other state departments of transportation are deploying LEDs to help reduce energy consumption in different areas.

For example, the Arizona Department of Transportation upgraded the lighting system inside the Interstate 10 Deck Park Tunnel north of downtown Phoenix in March 2021. The agency replaced the “old style” high-pressure sodium lighting system in the Deck Park Tunnel – which originally opened in August 1990 – with 3,200 LED fixtures for a cost of roughly $1.4 million. The agency said the new LED fixtures – expected to last more than twice as long as their sodium predecessors – should result in energy savings worth more than $175,000 per year; savings that, over time, will help pay for the cost of installing the new LED-based tunnel system.

Environmental News Highlights – February 8, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

EPA proposal would change soot pollution standards for first time in 10 years: What we know – USA Today

Republicans erase ‘environmental justice’ from documents – E&E News

Interview with Pete Buttigieg on Spending $800 Million to Eliminate Traffic Deaths – Fast Company

The EV transition isn’t just about cars – the broader goal should be access to clean mobility for everyone – The Conversation (commentary)

President Biden Announces First of its Kind Infrastructure Investment for Nine Nationally Significant Mega Projects – USDOT (media release)

COVID-19

Bent, but Not Broken: How global supply chains demonstrate post-pandemic resilience. – Thinking Transportation (podcast)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

New York State’s Resilient Transportation System – AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast

Denver Bets on Rental Cars to Boost EV Adoption – CityLab

New York City will require Uber and Lyft to go 100 percent electric by 2030 – The Verge

Caltrans seeks rural, tribal volunteers for ‘road charge’ pilot – The Union

Virginia Port Authority’s Inland Port Switches to 100% Green Power – Maritime Executive

AIR QUALITY

Pathways to net-zero emissions from aviation – Nature Sustainability

Court upholds Minnesota ‘Clean Car Rule’ tied to California – AP

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Mobility Justice in Rural California: Examining Transportation Barriers and Adaptations in Carless Households – University of California, Davis

E-Bikes Raise New Debates Around Infrastructure and Equity – Government Technology

CT lawmakers and advocates seek stronger statewide environmental justice law – WSHU Radio

NATURAL RESOURCES

We need native seeds in order to respond to climate change, but there aren’t enough – NPR

How Las Vegas declared war on thirsty grass and set an example for the desert Southwest – Los Angeles Times

GPS tracking, simulations show optimal locations to help desert bighorn sheep cross freeways – Oregon State University

EPA outlines path for cleanup at UP’s former wood-tie treatment site in Texas – Progressive Railroading

Study finds small isolated wetlands are pollution-catching powerhouses – University of Waterloo

CULTURAL RESOURCES

City of Kansas City, Missouri DOT launch effort to stop downtown graffiti – KMBC-TV

MD tourism leaders seek to link Chesapeake Bay destinations with passenger ferry – WMDT-TV

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Paying More to Drive Less – Slate

Proposed SC-to-NC rail trail moving ahead, though some residents push back – Post and Courier

New autonomous car company Cruise adapts to bicycle riders, Austin policy – Daily Texan

Chicago’s Plan To Make Crosswalks Accessible For Blind Pedestrians Moving At A Crawl – WTTW-TV

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply: Final Report – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Long-Term Vegetation Management Strategies for Roadsides and Roadside Appurtenances – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Transport Agency Functional Resilience – Preparing for Severe Disruptions – TRB (Webinar)

Career Series #2 – Sustainable Mobility: New and Expanding Opportunities – TRB (Webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Renewal Package From the State of Alaska to the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program and Proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Assigning Environmental Responsibilities to the State – FHWA (Notice; request for comments)

Improving Road Safety for All Users on Federal-Aid Projects – FHWA (Notice; request for information)

Approval of Teterboro Airport (TEB) Noise Compatibility Program; Correction – FAA (Notice)

Noise Compatibility Program for San Diego International Airport, San Diego County, California – FAA (Notice of approval of noise compatibility program)

Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Wild and Scenic Rivers on Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest – Forest Service (Notice of availability)

Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan for the San Juan Islands National Monument, Washington – Bureau of Land Management (Notice)

Reorganization of Title 30—Renewable Energy and Alternate Uses of Existing Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf – Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Final rule)

Renewable Energy Modernization Rule – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Correction)

Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee Meeting – Natural Resources
Conservation Service (Notice of public and virtual meeting)

National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee; March 2023 Meeting – Coast Guard (Notice)

Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts – Coast Guard (Correction)

Air Plan Actions; Nevada; Clark County – Department of Environment and Sustainability; Stationary Source Permits – EPA (Proposed rule)

Proposed Consent Decree, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Citizen Suit – EPA (Notice; request for public comment)

Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program; California; San Diego County Air Pollution Control District; Correction – EPA (Direct final rule; correction)

NCDOT ‘Bump-Outs’ Help Prevent Street Flooding

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is managing an innovative drainage project that captures storm-water runoff while addressing chronic flooding in a historic, coastal neighborhood.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

Cedar Street in Beaufort, NC, carries two lanes of traffic and off-street parking through a mix of residential and small businesses in this 310-year-old town. Because Beaufort is on the coast, untreated stormwater runoff easily flows into the estuary as the town’s current drainage system can’t hold up to flooding from hurricanes, tropical storms, or even heavy rain.

There isn’t enough room for a larger drainage system, so NCDOT turned to what are called “bio-retention cells” – concrete borders or “bump-outs” along the street that will filter stormwater before it enters the estuary. Those “bump-outs” funnel water to 14 collection areas that resemble planter boxes, where the water will be filtered before it enters a newly rebuilt storm-water main along Cedar Street.

To facilitate drainage, the town of Beaufort will use permeable pavement to rebuild the parking lanes on the street. The pavement should reduce runoff and filter pollutants from getting into the estuary.

NCDOT has used bump-outs before, but not in an urban setting, noted Andrew Barksdale, an agency spokesman. Because of the compact development along the street, the bump-outs seemed like a good application.

Photo courtesy of NCDOT

“The existing infrastructure and development along this road presented a challenge with building a traditional drainage system,” NCDOT engineer Jeff Cabaniss said in a statement. “This alternative system will be better for the environment and also contribute to the beautification of this historic town and improve its water quality.”

Cedar Street was a major thoroughfare before a high-rise bridge just north of the small town claimed the U.S. 70 designation and most of the traffic, but Beaufort still attracts tourists. Locals are proud of the area’s colonial history and are especially happy that ownership of Cedar Street will pass to the town when the project is completed.

“This project is a more economically friendly approach, which helps the town because we have been trying to clean up the estuary,” said Rachel Johnson, a public information officer for Beaufort. “When it’s done, this will be a town-owned project.”

Construction of the bio-retention cells is estimated at $925,000, with the resurfacing about $400,000, NCDOT’s Barksdale noted. The town of Beaufort is using state grant money to rebuild the parking lanes and expects to complete construction on this project by summer.

This is but one of several NCDOT flood-control initiatives occurring statewide.

For example, in May 2022, NCDOT activated a new flood-warning system that relies on a network of 400 river and stream gauges to help analyze, map, and communicate in real-time any flood risks to roads, bridges, and culverts.

That critical information goes to NCDOT maintenance staff responding to flooded roads and washed-out culverts yet also benefits local emergency management officials and the public accessing the department’s DriveNC.gov website for timely weather-related closures. “This state-of-the-art warning system our department has created will help us be better prepared for the next major storm,” explained Eric Boyette, NCDOT secretary, in a statement at the time. “Even though we’ve had some quiet hurricane seasons recently, we cannot let our guard down.”

ETAP Podcast: NYSDOT Details Transportation Resilience Efforts

Marie Therese Dominguez (above), commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation, recently joined the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast to discuss how her agency is working to build a more resilient transportation system.

[Above photo by the New York Governor’s Office]

Dominguez talked about how her agency tries to strengthen her state’s transportation system to better withstand severe weather events such floods, droughts, hurricanes, and in New York State’s case, winter storms.

Recently, the U.S. experienced a wave of winter storms that struck many regions of the country extremely hard – including upstate New York in and around the city of Buffalo. Dominguez shared with the ETAP Podcast how NYSDOT worked to help the region respond and recover from that storm, as well as the takeaways from the experience so the agency can apply what it has learned from its storm response to make the transportation network more resilient in the future.

Click here to listen to the full podcast.

State DOTs Receive FTA Grant Funding for Ferry Service

Several state departments of transportation received grant awards from the Federal Transit Administration as part of $384.4 million in funds issued via the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA, enacted November 2021, for expanding and improving the nation’s ferry service nationwide as well as accelerate the transition to zero-emission propulsion systems.

[Above photo via the FTA]

In total, FTA awarded 23 grants across 11 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands to fund a wide variety of projects, including the replacement of old vessels, fleet expansions, and the construction of new terminals and docks.

Nearly $100 million of the national grants will go toward low- and no-emission ferries, helping decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, it said.

The agency is making all of that funding available through three FTA competitive grant programs:

  • FTA’s Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program provides competitive funding to states for ferry service in rural areas. FTA is awarding $252.4 million to eight projects in four states via this program.
  • FTA’s Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program provides competitive funding for electric or low-emitting ferries and charging equipment that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative fuels or on-board energy storage systems. FTA is awarding $97.6 million to seven projects in seven states via this program.
  • FTA’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program supports capital projects to establish new ferry service, and repair and modernize ferry vessels, terminals, and facilities and equipment in urbanized areas. FTA is awarding $34.4 million to eight projects in six states and the U.S. Virgin Islands via this program.

“Today’s announcement represents a record amount of support for transit ferries in our country,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez in a statement. “For the first time ever, we are able to provide competitive grant funds for passenger ferry service in rural areas and help ferry operators reduce their climate impact.”

Seven state DOTs are receiving FTA funds for a variety of ferry projects:  

  • The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, which is receiving six grants for nearly $286 million, will build passenger ferries to replace or modernize older vessels and make critical dock upgrades in several communities. The grants will improve the condition and quality of the Alaska Marine Highway System, which runs 3,500 miles and serves 35 communities, particularly for people in remote locations with high transportation costs.
  • The Georgia Department of Transportation will receive $4 million on behalf of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to buy a new electric ferry to replace an older vessel for the continuation of daily transit services in McIntosh County. The DNR operates passenger ferry service between Meridian, and Sapelo Island, ensuring residents have access to medical, education, shopping needs and other mainland points of interest.
  • The Maine Department of Transportation will receive $28 million through the Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program to build a hybrid-electric vessel to replace a 35-year-old ferry. The new hybrid-electric vessel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote environmental sustainability for the roughly 600 residents of the island of Islesboro, a rural community in upper Penobscot Bay that relies on passenger ferry service.
  • The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will receive $6.6 million through the Passenger Ferry Grant Program to modernize the Hingham Ferry dock to improve safety and accessibility and ensure it stays in a state of good repair. MBTA will stabilize the ferry dock, reconstruct walkways, upgrading lighting, safety and security systems and facilitating back-up power, allowing for an increase in ferry capacity, operational flexibility, and resiliency.
  • The Michigan Department of Transportation will receive $6.6 million to renovate docks and build a new ferry for the Charlevoix to Beaver Island route. Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and the most remote inhabited island in the Great Lakes.
  • The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division will receive $1.34 million to modernize the NCDOT Manns Harbor Shipyard paint facility, increasing safety and bringing it up to a state of good repair. Modernization work at the shipyard, built in the 1960s, will include replacing interior lighting with LED, installing explosion-proof lighting and using fire-retardant paint to increase efficiency and provide a safe working environment.

The Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division will receive $11.6 million for three projects: building a new Southworth Ferry Terminal; construction of an electric charging facility at the Clinton Ferry Terminal; and upgrades for its electronic payment system for passenger fares.

FHWA Issues Tribal Grants, Seeks Program Input

The Federal Highway Administration recently issued millions in tribal roadway safety grants while also launching two new efforts to help states, cities, and local governments improve road safety as well. 

[Above image by the FHWA] 

First, FHWA issued 70 tribes some $21 million to support 93 projects that improve road safety on tribal lands. That funding comes from the agency’s Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund and the list of grant recipients in this round of grants includes 16 tribes that have not previously participated in the program. 

FHWA noted in a statement that this tribal grant funding supports a range of roadway projects, including the development of safety plans, data analysis activities, pedestrian infrastructure improvements, roadway departure countermeasures, intersection safety, visibility, and “traffic calming” efforts. 

To broaden its roadway safety support efforts, FHWA posted a new Request for Information or RFI to gather feedback from states, cities, and local governments on ways to improve upon “Complete Streets” programs, while also issuing a new waiver ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent states and Metropolitan Planning Organizations or MPOs from engaging in “Complete Streets” efforts. 

FHWA’s RFI – called the “Improving Road Safety for All Users on Federal-Aid Projects” – seeks public comments from state, regional, and local agencies on changes to design standards or other regulations to help develop more “Complete Streets” and “Complete Networks” across the country. Comments are due by March 20. 

FHWA noted that a “Complete Street” is a roadway planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of roadway users of all ages and abilities. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motorists; it includes children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, the agency said. 

Meanwhile, FHWA’s “Complete Streets” funding waiver will allow states and MPOs to use federal funding for 100 percent of the expenses associated with certain planning and research activities. 

“Safety is foundational to our work and these efforts are two more critical tools to improve safety for all road users,” said FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt in a statement.  

“These resources recognize that safety is a shared responsibility and require input and action from our stakeholders and state partners as we collectively work to build a safe transportation system for everyone,” he explained. “We need multiple layers of protection in place to prevent roadway crashes and minimize the harm caused when they occur.”

Environmental News Highlights – February 1, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT Official Gives Cities Tips for Winning Federal Transportation Grants – Route Fifty

Proposed Update to Renewable Fuel Standard Could Benefit EV Makers – Transport Topics

EV Hype Overshadows Public Transit as a Climate Fix – CityLab

State AGs Give EPA Until End of January to Respond to Year-Round E15 Petitions – Progressive Farmer

Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Protections for Tongass National Forest – USDA (media release)

FHWA Providing $29.4 Million in ‘Quick Release’ Emergency Relief Funding to California, Four U.S. Federal Land Management Agencies for Flood Damage Repair – FHWA (Media release)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

The hidden environmental costs of the transitioning to electric vehicles – NPR

How North Carolina is planning to recoup the gas tax from electric vehicles – WCNC-TV

A giant solar microgrid is coming to New York City’s JFK airport – Canary Media

Port of Long Beach doubles down on environmentalism, announces wind turbine facility – Long Beach Business Journal

Amsterdam’s Underwater Bike Garage Is Next-Level Cycling Infrastructure – CityLab

AIR QUALITY

Aviation Industry in Crosshairs for Next Biofuel Push – Roll Call

Traffic pollution can impair brain function – The Hill

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Can Nonprofit Electric Car-Shares Boost EV Affordability? – Governing

The Economic Impact Of EVs On Households – Not All Are Equal – CleanTechnica

Some cities turn to free public busing to counteract inequity – PBS NewsHour

NATURAL RESOURCES

With Howitzers and Helicopters, States Trigger Road-Clearing Avalanches – Stateline

Salton Sea lithium deposits could help EV transition, support economically devastated area – PBS NewsHour (video)

Environmentalist wants to see state funding used to restore water quality in Tampa Bay Area waterways – WTVT-TV

Wisconsin Governor Takes Total Control of Resources Agency – U.S. News and World Report

As Nutrient Reduction Strategy turns 10, why aren’t Iowa’s waters safer and cleaner? – Des Moines Register (Opinion)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

How to build a better bike-share program – Grist

Fort Smith directors pedal forward on new plan for bicyclists, pedestrians – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

E-bike ban on hold in Key Biscayne. Will state and county act? – Key Biscayne Independent

Explosive Growth Expected Across the Micromobility Sector – Government Technology

Houston Transit Agency Proposes Bike Share Takeover – Planetizen

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

FY 2023 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program – FTA (Notice of funding opportunity)

Notice of Availability: Proposed Updates to Joint Development Circular – FTA (Notice)

Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation; National Forest System Lands in Alaska – Forest Service (Final rule and record of decision)

Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards – EPA (Final rule)

Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter – EPA (Proposed rule)

Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit – EPA (Notice; request for public comment.)

Withdrawal of the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Mississippi River Hatchie/Loosahatchie, MS River Mile 775–736, Tennessee and Arkansas, Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study – Army Corps of Engineers (Notice)

Public Meeting of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park; Commission Notice – National Park Service (Meeting notice)

BNSF Railway Bridge Across the Missouri River Between Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota; Record of Decision – Coast Guard (Notice)

Renewable Energy Modernization Rule – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice of proposed rulemaking)