Environmental News Highlights – October 19, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO Comments on FHWA’s Proposed GHG Rules – AASHTO Journal

As Electric Vehicles Shrink Gas Tax Revenue, More States May Tax Mileage – Route Fifty

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

California Strengthens Alliances for Transportation Electrification – Transport Topics

What a rebuilt southwest Florida might look like – AXIOS

Nearly a decade since Superstorm Sandy, New York City’s resilience projects are ‘plodding’ – American City and County

Mississippi River Reopens to Barge Traffic After Low Water Closures – Reuters

Self-Driving Cars Do Not Exist, Yet Drivers Still Think They Have One: Study – The Drive

California sends $300 million to help begin the planning process to move train tracks off Del Mar Bluffs – KGTV-TV

FWC creates hotline to address thousands of vessels displaced by Hurricane Ian – Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (media release)

HDOT testing asphalt mixes designed to improve pavement and the environment – Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (media release)

AIR QUALITY

Sony, Honda aim to deliver premium EV with subscription fees in 2026 – Reuters

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Six State DOTs Sign ‘Equity in Infrastructure’ Pledge – AASHTO Journal

Former Maryland Transit Exec Paul Comfort Authors New Book, ‘Conversations on Equity and Inclusion in Public Transportation’ – Cecil Whig

Most Maryland state agencies earn D’s and F’s on new environmental justice scorecard – The Hill

25 Native Tribes and Alaskan Villages Receive Nearly $9 Million From the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Transit – FTA (media release)

NATURAL RESOURCES

KYTC Helps Establish State-Focused Archaeological Website – AASHTO Journal

University Ecologists Studying Idaho’s Roadside Vegetation – AASHTO Journal

CULTURAL RESOURCES

New exhibit in Grand Central Terminal tells NYC’s history through urban planning – Gothamist

“There’s a bit of a cultural issue”: Pete Buttigieg gets real about the EV revolution – Vox

Cincinnati traffic boxes turned into pieces of art with hopes to deter graffiti – WXIX-TV

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Denver’s E-Bike Rebates Are So Hot They’re Gone Within Minutes – CItyLab

Glasgow installs automatic cyclist warning signs – Highway News

Safer streets targeted through Rochester’s bicycle plan update – Post Bulletin

Why are rural roads so much more deadly? New report explores – Family Safety & Health

The e-bike boom is getting increasingly dangerous, creating a push for stricter cycling rules – Fortune

These kids ride a ‘bike bus’ to school. Residents line the streets and cheer. – Washington Post

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Racial Equity, Black America, and Public Transportation, Volume 1: A Review of Economic, Health, and Social Impacts – TCHRP

E-Scooter Safety: Issues and Solutions – TRB

Research on Pavements and Other Transportation Materials Key to Sustainability – TRB

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Announcement of Fiscal Year 2022 Low or No Emission Program and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program and Project Selections; Correction – FTA (Notice; correction)

Enhancing the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users at Intersections; Request for Information; Extension of Comment Period – USDOT (Notice)

Air Plan Approval; California; Innovative Clean Transit Regulation – EPA (Proposed rule)

Federal Implementation Plans Under the Clean Air Act for Indian Reservations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington – EPA (Proposed rule)
Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment on Proposed Land Use Changes of Surplus Property at Everett-Stewart Regional Airport, Union City, Tennessee – FAA (Request for public comments)

Establishment of Lost Trail Conservation Area, Montana – Fish and Wildlife Service (Notice)

Notice of Availability of Draft Study; Extension of Comment Period – Coast Guard (Notice)

National Chemical Transportation Safety Advisory Committee; November 2022 Meeting – Coast Guard (Notice)

National Advisory Council; Meeting – FEMA (Notice)

Meeting of the Regional Resource Stewardship Council and the Regional Energy Resource Council – TVA (Notice)
Public Meeting of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee – Department of Interior (Notice of public meeting)

Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Public Meeting, Thompson Divide Area, Colorado – Bureau of Land Management (Notice)

Kansas DOT Wins Two Environmental Awards

The Kansas Department of Transportation recently received two awards for its stormwater management policies from the Water Environment Federation or WEF.

[Above photo by the Kansas DOT]

The agency received a bronze model for innovation and a silver medal for program management as part of WEF’s National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Award contest.

“The quality of stormwater runoff is important to the health of our rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands,” noted Dale Kirmer, a staff engineer with Kansas DOT, in a statement.

“Rainwater can pick up many different pollutants when it hits the ground and has no treatment facility,” he added. “It drains into our waterways through pipes and ditches. The pollutants can cause turbidity (i.e. cloudy water) and overgrowth of algae as well as harm aquatic organisms and the ecosystem.”

The Kansas DOT manages compliance within six areas of municipal separate storm sewer systems, also known as MS4, on state-owned right-of-ways statewide. As a result, the agency has developed an MS4 compliance strategy that promotes stormwater quality, optimizes processes, and looks for new opportunities to minimize impacts to stormwater runoff.

The agency’s stormwater management plan includes several interconnected compliance elements, such as promoting an Adopt-a-Highway litter removal program; creating comprehensive construction site runoff requirements for all Kansas DOT projects; and focusing on post-construction stormwater management, specific to the highway environment.

In the future, the agency plans to keep identifying opportunities to improve its documentation processes, among other items. The goal is not to only check a box, Kansas DOT stressed; the goal is to improve the quality of stormwater runoff from the state’s transportation systems.

Other state departments of transportation across the country are engaged in water-management efforts that mirror Kansas DOT’s stormwater control philosophies in many ways.

For example, as part of its “Let’s Change This to That” public education campaign, the California Department of Transportation began highlighting the top six sources of stormwater pollution across the state in May as well as ways to prevent them from contaminating California’s waterways.

Meanwhile, in August, the hydraulics unit of the North Carolina Department of Transportation won a 2022 Pelican Award from the North Carolina Coastal Federation for its efforts to both protect and improve coastal water quality. The Pelican Award honors volunteers, businesses, agencies, and organizations that go “above and beyond” to ensure a healthy North Carolina coast for future generations.

The Federation commended the NCDOT team – one of three winners of Pelican wards this year – for its dedicated advancement of nature-based resilience initiatives, such as its work on the living shoreline project along N.C. 24. That project is part of NCDOT’s effort to make more than 500 miles of coastal roads resilient to storms using nature-based solutions.

In May 2021, the Maryland Department of Transportation unveiled three “smart ponds” built via a public-private partnership or P3 stormwater control project that seeks to reduce pollutants and curb local flooding.

The agency said this “smart pond” project is the first of its kind involving a state transportation department and it involved the Maryland Department of Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, Walmart, and The Nature Conservancy. Overall, the Maryland DOT said it owns about 800 ponds that could benefit from this smart pond technology.

Kentucky Updates Pedestrian/Bicycle Travel Policy

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently issued a new version of its “Complete Streets” roads and highways manual; a revision that represents the first update in more than 20 years to Kentucky’s pedestrian and bicycle travel policy.

[Above image via the KYTC]

“Highway safety has been one of my top priorities,” noted Governor Andy Beshear (D) in a statement.

“And that means safety for everyone who uses our transportation system – motorists, motorcyclists, transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians,” he added. “This provides valuable guidance to equip transportation industry partners across all levels to consider multi-modal systems when planning to support equity and accessibility in communities.”

KYTC pointed out that a “complete street” is one “safe and accommodating” for all users – be they motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians. Its design can vary according to land use, corridor characteristics, and types of travelers using it. As a concept, “complete streets” can also be adapted for all types of communities – urban, suburban, small town, and rural areas.

Implementation may include a dedicated space for pedestrians and cyclists, such as bike lanes, wide paved shoulders, sidewalks, crosswalks, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, roadway reconfigurations, and roundabouts, the agency noted.

“Historically, streets, roads, and highways were designed around cars and trucks,” explained KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “Today, our transportation planners and designers approach their tasks holistically, taking the needs of all users into account and building accordingly. There’s no one-size fits all recommendation as roadway features must be tailored to fit the community context.”

To elevate the state’s safety and equity priority, Gray also signed an official order outlining KYTC’s policy to meet the needs of all users and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act when planning, building, rehabilitating, and maintaining all state-maintained streets and roads. The users include motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, transit, and freight, benefitting people of all ages and abilities, the agency said.

Environmental News Highlights – October 12, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

State DOTs Joining White House Infrastructure Summit – AASHTO Journal

US House Lawmakers Introduce EV Tech Bill – Transport Topics

$39 Million In Marine Highway Grants Awarded – Waterways Journal

Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Program to Help Communities Seek Infrastructure Projects – USDOT (media release)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Historic homes may prove to be more resilient against floods – Washington Post

Cities push back against Legislature’s environmental policy preemptions – Florida Politics

California Finds Truck Parking Shortage Complicated by EV Mandates – Transport Topics

Barge Groundings Create Headaches on the Lower Mississippi – Maritime Executive

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $2 Billion from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Finance Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure – USDOE (media release)

FAA, Universities Pursue Critical Research to Achieve U.S. Aviation Climate Goals – FAA (media release)

AIR QUALITY

Feds Open More Funding for Diesel School Bus Phase-out – Route Fifty

Vermont’s new ‘Replace Your Ride’ funds cleaner transportation options – Vermont Business Magazine

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Six State DOTs Sign ‘Equity in Infrastructure’ Pledge – AASHTO Journal

As EVs Become More Mainstream in NC, Equal Access is Critical – Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (blog)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Forest Service reactivates planning for West Yellowstone-area timber project – Bozeman Daily Chronicle
The Dreadful Toll of Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions – and What We Can Do About It – Governing (commentary)

EPA Highlights Boston Harbor as a National Success Story to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act – EPA (media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Tribes ask US Supreme Court to hear case over destruction of sacred site near Mount Hood – Oregon Capital Chronicle

Restored rock road sign in Halifax County dates back to era of George Washington – Gazette-Virginian

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Connecticut DOT Awards Grant for Pedestrian Study – AASHTO Journal
California Governor Signs Bill Decriminalizing Jaywalking – Fox News

KDOT grants almost $30 million for “transportation alternative” projects – KSNW-TV

Proposed bicycle-pedestrian bridge over Potomac receives $20 million in federal funding – ARLnow

In Times of Crisis, Bikeshare Rolls On – Bloomberg CityLab

St. Louis mayor proposes $40M to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists – KSDK-TV

Caltrans Identifies Locations to Increase Safe Walking and Bicycling Options for Communities Statewide – California DOT (media release)

USDOT Marks the Start of National Pedestrian Safety Month, Stresses the Need to Protect Vulnerable Road Users – USDOT (media release

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Preparing the Next Generation of Airport Industry Professionals – TRB (webinar)

Historic Damage in Wake of Hurricane Ian – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Should Coastal Communities Rebuild or Retreat After Hurricane Ian? – Columbia University

Demand-driven design of bicycle infrastructure networks for improved urban bikeability – Nature Computational Science

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Environmental Justice Scorecard Feedback – Council on Environmental Quality (Notice of extension for request for information)

Air Plan Approval; Louisiana; Repeal of Excess Emissions Related Provisions – EPA (Final rule)

Local Government Advisory Committee and Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee: Request for Nominations – EPA (Notice of request for nominations)

Notification of a Public Meeting of the Chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and CASAC Ozone Review Panel – EPA (Notice)

Request for Information: Better Indoor Air Quality Management To Help Reduce COVID–19 and Other Disease Transmission in Buildings: Technical Assistance Needs and Priorities To Improve Public Health – EPA (Request for information through public comment)

Good Neighbor Environmental Board – EPA (Notice of meeting)

Proposed Policy on Enabling the Use of Unleaded Aviation Gasoline in Piston Engine Aircraft and Aircraft Engines Through the Fleet Authorization Process – FAA (Notice of availability; request for comments)

National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council – Forest Service (Solicitation for members)

FHWA Helps Initiate $1B Fish Passage Program

The Federal Highway Administration, along with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, recently made $1 billion in grants available over the next five years via a new “fish passage” program established by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021.

[Above photo by the WSDOT]

Formally entitled the “National Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration-Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage” program, it seeks to help communities remove and repair culverts found under roads that can prevent fish passage. FHWA said the program’s aim is to help state, local, and tribal governments protect local economies that count on healthy fisheries while also making key roads less prone to flooding.

“Many tribal and underserved coastal communities depend on thriving fish populations for their livelihoods, and this program, which will remove, replace, and repair harmful culverts, will improve the natural environment and the economic wellbeing of Tribal, coastal, and low-lying communities,” said Stephanie Pollack, FHWA’s acting administrator, in a statement.

“[These] grants will both help restore fish populations and make roads more durable and resilient to climate events, creating cascading benefits for communities that rely on the fisheries economy,” she added.

The agency explained that barriers to freshwater migration are a major cause of declining populations of anadromous fish, which live primarily in the ocean, but return to freshwater streams to spawn. This fish passage program seeks to help remove or redesign culverts and “weirs” that create such barriers, allowing anadromous fish populations – including salmon, sturgeon, lamprey, shad, and river herring – to access freshwater habitats for spawning.

FHWA noted that a “weir” allows for the controlled passage of water over a low-headed dam, while a culvert allows for the subterranean passage of water through a channel underneath an obstacle, such as a road.

Tribes, state, and local governments can apply for a portion of the $196 million of fiscal year 2022 funding currently available through this new program via a notice of funding opportunity issued by FHWA on October 6.

Across the country, state departments of transportation regularly provide support to a wide variety of efforts aimed at protecting numerous wildlife species and their habitats – such as birds, pollinating insects, bats, cactus, and of course fish.

For example, the Arizona Department of Transportation recently illustrated in an April blog post 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.

In terms of fish protection, the Washington State Department of Transportation went so far as to build an “engineered creek” to provide a better and safer avenue to spawning areas.

The engineered creek includes native vegetation, strategic bends, and elevation changes designed to support “every life cycle of fish,” WSDOT explained. It features places for fish to lay eggs and hide from predators, allowing the salmon to “naturally move” from freshwater to saltwater habitats and back again.

University Ecologists Studying Idaho’s Roadside Vegetation

Ecologists at Idaho State University are working with the Idaho Transportation Department to turn state roadsides into veritable “Swiss army knives” of vegetation so they are both more fire-resistant and more welcoming to pollinating insects.

[Above photo by Idaho State University]

Joshua Grinath, assistant professor of community and global change ecology at the school, and his students recently wrapped up the first growing season at three experimental sites along I-15 in Eastern Idaho.

They are working with three different types of ecosystems at those sites, figuring out how to make the land more hospitable to native plants and less so for invasive weeds. That research also includes increasing the habitat’s fire resistance, while becoming a more attractive habitat for pollinators like bees and butterflies.

[Editor’s note: In a July 2021 episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Matthew Quirey – a  landscape design and research fellow with The Ray – explained how roadside landscapes, more often termed the “right-of-way,” are now being viewed as “habitat assets” instead of maintenance burdens among state departments of transportation.]

Grinath’s research team is testing how different combinations of mowing, herbicide treatments, and seed applications can improve native plant survival in those roadside locales.

This research received its primary funding via a grant from the Idaho Transportation Department, with additional funds supplied by ISU’s College of Science and Engineering, as well as the school’s Office for Research.

In September, the team received additional funding to test how adding certain types of bacteria, fungi, and micronutrients to the soil may improve restoration.

“Roadside management is most commonly focused on a single issue, such as erosion control, but other challenges may be able to be addressed simultaneously,” Grinath explained in a blog post. “Considering these issues simultaneously will help Idaho Transportation Department save taxpayers money and address urgent land management concerns.”

Environmental News Highlights – October 5, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO Comments on ‘Buy America’ EV-Focused Waiver – AASHTO Journal

Delaware, California Launch New Litter Cleanup Efforts – AASHTO Journal

Supreme Court to hear high-stakes challenge to Clean Water Act – Washington Post

Bipartisan group of senators press Buttigieg on overdue tourism infrastructure plan – The Hill

Historic Step: All Fifty States Plus D.C. and Puerto Rico Greenlit to Move EV Charging Networks Forward, Covering 75,000 Miles of Highway – FHWA (media release)

COVID-19

Transport Canada to Remove All COVID Restrictions From October 1 – Travel Agent Central

Public Transportation Ridership Rises to More than 70 Percent of Pre-Pandemic Levels – American Public Transportation Association (media release)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Illinois DOT weighing EV tax to offset gas tax revenue loss – WTVO-TV

Remnants Of Hurricane Ian Will Test North Carolina DOT’s New Flood Early-Warning System For Roads – Charlotte Observer

Electric School Buses Aid Power Grid in Moments of Need – Government Technology

Hertz is teaming up with oil giant BP to install thousands of EV chargers in the U.S. – CNBC

Port of Albany passes on federal funding for wind project – WNYT-TV

AIR QUALITY

New Mexico to be Part of ‘Clean Freight Corridor’ – Transport Topics

Exxon’s Long-Shot Embrace of Carbon Capture in the Houston Area Just Got Massive Support from Congress – Inside Climate News

NY proceeds with plan for zero-emission vehicles by 2035 – AP

‘It makes climate change real’: How carbon emissions got rebranded as ‘pollution’ – Grist

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

People of color are as interested in buying electric cars as white consumers – the biggest obstacle is access to charging – The Conversation

As Self-Driving Cars Hit the Streets, New Equity Concerns Emerge – Route Fifty

Advocates say speed-limiting tech in new cars could address gender disparity in crash statistics – Cox Media Group Washington Bureau

EPA Finalizes Environmental Justice Action Plan for Land Protection and Cleanup Programs – EPA (media release)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Beachwalk and trees fall into the ocean due to erosion at popular Maui beach

Beachwalk and trees fall into the ocean due to erosion at popular Maui beach

Winter swells could bring back beach, but long-term fix elusive – Maui News

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Infrastructure Law Sends $1.1 Million To National Park Service For Transportation Needs – National Parks Traveler

Dual-Language Highway Signs Unveiled By Oneida Nation, Wisconsin DOT – WITI-TV

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Transportation “Insecurity” Increasing Among Americans – AASHTO Journal

Grappling With the Traffic Safety Crisis – National Conference of State Legislatures (podcast)

NYC Proposal Offers Cash for Spotting Parking Violations in Bike Lanes – CityLab

Maryland transportation authorities celebrate “Walktober” by promoting pedestrian safety – WJZ-TV
‘We’re about 20 years behind’: Improving bike and pedestrian safety in the City of Omaha – KMTV-TV

New Jersey lawmakers want to study goal of zero traffic deaths by 2035 – New Jersey Monitor

Push for suicide prevention barriers on Taft Bridge prompts DDOT review of all DC bridges – WJLA-TV

Flint hosts workshop about becoming more bicycle friendly – WJRT-TV

Las Vegas Isn’t a City for Pedestrians, But We Could Make It One – Las Vegas Weekly (commentary)

SEPTA Offers New Way For Customers To Report Cleanliness Issues on System – SEPTA (media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Era of Smart Infrastructure Demands Strong Data, Technology Management – TRB

Safer Intersections for Pedestrians and Bicyclists – TRB (webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Airport Terminal Program; FY 2023 Funding Opportunity – FAA (Notice of funding opportunity)

Announcing Two Virtual Public Outreach Events – Coast Guard (Notice of outreach events)

ETAP Podcast: Pennsylvania’s New Statewide Anti-Litter Program

This episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast interviews Yassmin Gramian and Natasha Fackler, secretary and infrastructure implementation coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, respectively, about the state’s new anti-littering program.

[Above photo by PennDOT]

PennDOT helped launch the new program – formally entitled “PA Fights Dirty: Every Litter Bit Matters” – in August along with several other state agencies.

The creation of this campaign is one of the many recommendations made by Pennsylvania’s first-ever Litter Action Plan, released in December 2021. That plan also won a Pennsylvania Governor’s Awards for Excellence in May.

“Every Litter Bit Matters” seeks to get state residents to ensure that every piece of their trash, regardless of size, is disposed of properly as research shows only 3 percent of Pennsylvanians approve of littering, yet 40 to 50 percent of them admit to littering roadways and other public areas.

“Every Litter Bit Matters” also seeks to educate state residents about “situational littering,” such as leaving trash on the ground next to a full can or in a stadium, as well as reminding them that litter of all sizes stacks up and creates problems, Gramian and Fackler explained.

PennDOT noted that a 2019 Litter Research Study found that Pennsylvania has more than 500 million pieces of litter on its roadways, with more than 85 percent of those pieces measuring less than four inches in size. That study also found that litter-related cleanup costs currently total around $350 million each year.

To listen to the full podcast, click here.

KYTC Helps Establish State-Focused Archaeological Website

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently helped establish a new website highlighting more than 100 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites across the state’s 64 counties.

[Above photo by the Kentucky Heritage Council]

KYTC launched the new website – Discover Kentucky Archaeology – in collaboration with the Kentucky Heritage Council-State Historic Preservation Office, a Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet agency. The website documents the “diversity and richness” of Kentucky’s archaeological record and the scientific documentation and research undertaken by more than 100 archaeologists who have and continue to contribute a “shared understanding” of the past.

Examples of “prehistoric” times covered by the website begin with Paleoindian-era sites (prior to 8000 B.C.) and range from Grizzly Newt – an Early Archaic (8000 to 6000 B.C.) Native American rock shelter located within the Daniel Boone National Forest – to McGilligan Creek, a Late Woodland (A.D. 500 to 1000) village in Livingston County.

Meanwhile “historic” time period examples include Saltpeter Cave, a Frontier era (A.D. 1750 to 1820) niter mine in Carter County, through sites like Peanickle; a Postbellum and Industrialization (A.D. 1865 to 1914) African American community on a ridgetop just outside Lawrenceburg.

Every profile of an archaeological dig on the new website – created by the Kentucky Archaeological Survey – includes a summary, findings, a focus on “what’s cool,” and links to related materials. Other sections include opportunities for public education, outreach, and discovery. Additional features and content for the website – designed by Kentucky Interactive LLC – will come as research and funding allow, KYTC said.

The new website received its funding via an alternative mitigation agreement for bridge projects, financed by the federal government. Through a consultation process, outlined by federal statute and supported by the Federal Highway Administration, consulting parties agreed to create a publicly available guide to Kentucky archaeological sites.

“While we are dedicated to preserving significant archaeological resources, sometimes damage from construction projects to cultural resources can’t be avoided,” said Craig Potts, executive director of the Kentucky Heritage Council and state historic preservation officer, in a statement.

“In this instance, we worked with partner agencies and consulting parties to develop a way to offset these damages by investing in public outreach to increase understanding of the importance of these sites and what they have yet to tell us about Kentucky’s heritage,” he said.

“As we build a better Kentucky that meets the needs of the future, [we are] committed to protecting and preserving Kentucky’s past,” added KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “This initiative makes historical information accessible and enjoyable to discover across multiple periods and parts of the state.”

State departments of transportation across the country are involved in a variety of archaeological support efforts.

For example, in August, archaeologists from the Maryland Department of Transportation began helping excavate two small Colonial-era cabins near the historic Elkridge Furnace in Howard County, MD, located on land originally purchased for a highway project.

This effort follows a previous dig conducted by Maryland DOT’s archeological team in 2021 that helped discover a historic home site once owned by the father of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who helped slaves escape north via the Underground Railroad.

Meanwhile, in February, the Nevada Department of Transportation and contractor Mead & Hunt began collaborating on an effort to develop a “multiple property documentation form” or MPDF to help preserve Latino-related properties statewide, with a primary focus on the cities of Las Vegas and Reno.

In addition, in January, the Colorado Department of Transportation debuted a documentary called “Durango 550 – Path of the Ancestral Puebloans” to show how the agency worked with archaeologists and regional Native American tribes to document, study, and ultimately share the discoveries unearthed near Durango in southwest Colorado.

Environmental News Highlights – September 28, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

Four Federal Agencies Plan Broad GHG Reduction Push – AASHTO Journal

MARAD Initiates Low Carbon Shipping Study – AASHTO Journal

Biden’s point man on infrastructure law – Politico

Wildfire Smoke Is Erasing Progress on Clean Air – New York Times

DOE and DOT Announce Gabe Klein to Lead Joint Office of Energy and Transportation – US Department of Energy (Media release)

COVID-19

Can E-Bikes Rescue the Covid Bicycle Boom? – Bloomberg (Commentary)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Unwinding really backward policy:’ California abolishes decades-old parking requirements – Sacramento Bee

Michigan DOT enters 5-year partnership to build first public in-road EV charging system in Detroit – WDIV-TV

In Houston, a generations-deep community is being dismantled by mandatory buyouts. – Grist

Hawaii’s road usage charge for EVs could have twists and turns – The Center Square

US’s Top Ports Face Calls to Go Green After ‘Unmitigated Growth’ – Bloomberg

NJ Transit Advances Zero-Emission Bus Conversion With Design And Investment Planning Study – NJ Transit (Media Release)

AIR QUALITY

California orders 29 hydrogen trains for inter-city services – International Railway Journal

The airline race for a breakthrough fuel to cut one billion tons of carbon is just starting – CNBC

Oregon on track to follow California emission standards – no new gas vehicles sold by 2035 – KPIC-TV
Minneapolis is the latest US city to demand emissions-free shipping – Grist

15 Most Polluted Cities in the US – Earth.org

Amtrak Aims to Achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2045 – Amtrak (Media release)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Biden administration launches environmental justice office – AP

University Program Opens Highway To Success For Drivers With Autism Spectrum Disorder – Mercyhurst University
DOJ to tackle environmental justice issues that have ‘too long beleaguered’ communities – NBC News

NATURAL RESOURCES

Welcome to the High Desert highway that is one-of-a-kind in Oregon – Central Oregon Daily News

Weed Wranglers wanted for Bloomington Parks and Recreation – WBIW Radio

Delaware Governor, Keep Delaware Beautiful, Delaware DOT Launch Litter Free School Zone Program – State of Delaware (Media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Higher Ground: America’s oldest Black town is trapped between rebuilding and retreating. – Grist

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Michigan Governor Unveils Statewide Mobility Strategy – AASHTO Journal

Denver Pedestrian Bridge Closed Because No One Knows Who Owns It – Denverite

New protected bike lanes causes confusion and anger over parking in Tower District – KMPH-TV
New Joe Louis Greenway will stretch through 23 communities, 4 cities – Detroit News

San Francisco May Require E-Scooters To Have Anti-Sidewalk Technology – Route Fifty

DC lawmakers vote to end right turns at red lights; making ‘Idaho Stop’ legal – WTTG-TV

FHWA Applauds RIDOT’s Leadership in Pedestrian Safety and Financial Stewardship – Rhode Island DOT (Media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions – Public Engagement across the Transmission Development Lifecycle: from Planning to Permitting – TRB (Webinar)

Withstanding Climate Change – Resilient & Flexible Pavement – TRB (Webinar)

The Chemistry of Fires at the Wildland-Urban Interface – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Risks and Rewards for Electrifying Fleets – Association for Commuter Transportation (Webinar, link to registration)
Minimobility: The next big thing in urban mobility? – McKinsey & Company

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

FY 2022 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for Transit Buses Demonstration and Automated Transit Bus Maintenance and Yard Operations Demonstration – FTA (Notice of Funding Opportunity)

Use of Inland Ports for Storage and Transfer of Cargo Containers – USDOT Office of the Secretary (Notice of request for information)
Notice of Recreational Target Shooting Closure on Public Lands in the Anderson Butte Area of Jackson County, OR – Bureau of Land Management (Notice)

Notice of Receipt and Request for Review of Noise Compatibility Program – FAA (Notice)