Biggest Expansion yet for U.S. Bicycle Route System

The Adventure Cycling Association and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials announced the designation of 18 new bicycle routes in five states, adding 2,903 miles to U.S. Bicycle Route System.

[Above photo by WSDOT]

The two groups said the new routes in California, Indiana, Ohio, Utah, and Washington State represent the largest addition to the USBRS to date in terms of both the number of designations and their total mileage. They added that two other routes – one in California and the other in Florida – were “realigned” to improve the bicycling experience.

With those new designations, the USBRS now extends 17,734 miles across 31 states and Washington, D.C., with at least 40 states currently developing U.S. Bicycle Routes.

“Twice each year, state departments of transportation play a significant role in the expansion of the U.S. Bicycle Route System by designating new routes,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director, in a statement.

“This summer, we are not only witnessing the highest number of designations in any single period to date, but we are also seeing why making improvements to existing routes when possible is important,” he noted. “In Northern California, for example, officials realigned U.S. Bicycle Route 50 to take advantage of a new paved path that is making cycling in the region safer and better than ever before.”

“With this addition of nearly 3,000 miles, the U.S. Bicycle Route System continues to pick up momentum — and the growth of the system benefits every person who has, is, or will be traveling by bike,” added Scott Pankratz, executive director of Adventure Cycling. “Adventure Cycling applauds our state department of transportation partners, who understand the role bike travel plays in our national infrastructure, supporting health and wellness, transforming communities, and increasing economic activity across the country.”

On February 23, AASHTO and Adventure Cycling signed a memorandum of understanding or MOU to formalize their 16-year partnership, which seeks to establish more than 50,000 miles of bike routes across the country.

AASHTO Hosting Environmental/Sustainability Webinar Series

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Committee on Environment & Sustainability (CES) and its subcommittees are hosting five webinars this September to discuss a wide array of recent trends, including those concerning environmental justice and transportation electrification at both the federal and state level.

[Above photo by the Missouri DOT]

Those webinars will occur each Thursday in September from 1:00-4:30 pm EST, with each session including a half-hour break.

The main purpose is to bring together all of AASHTO’s environmental members to analyze current and future environmental, sustainability, and equity policy efforts at the federal level along with a review of the latest “best practices” in those areas from participating state departments of transportation.

  • September 2: The “Opening Session” webinar will cover ongoing efforts regarding surface transportation reauthorization and include an update from the Federal Highway Administration. To register for this session, click here.
  • September 9: The Environmental Process subcommittee will cover environmental justice projects in both Minnesota and Oregon, as well as engage in regulatory discussion with participating state DOT attendees and FHWA officials. To register for this session, click here.
  • September 16: The Natural Resources subcommittee will cover a variety of topics including reduction of micro plastics from erosion and sediment control products, wildlife crossings, soil reuse, and stream mitigation. To register for this session, click here.
  • September 23: The Air Quality, Climate Change and Energy subcommittee will cover project level analysis and federal updates, as well as moderate a roundtable discussion regarding transportation electrification trends. To register for this session, click here.
  • September 30: The final session in this webinar series, hosted by the Cultural Resources subcommittee, will take a deep dive into post World War II construction and properties aging into National Register of Historic Places eligibility. To register for this session, click here.

Environmental News Highlights – August 11, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO Lauds Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill – AASHTO News Release

Fuel Efficiency, Electric Vehicle Mandates on the Horizon – AASHTO Journal

Booker Reintroduces Sweeping Environmental Justice Bill – Senator Cory Booker (Media release)

COVID-19

More workers are returning to the office. The pandemic-era commute might be changed forever. – Washington Post

Governor mandates vaccinations for transit workers as New York’s Covid cases surge – CNBC

NEPA

Revived Trump reforms in infrastructure bill could be freight-project windfall – American Shipper

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Pete Buttigieg And Michael Regan On What The Infrastructure Deal Does For The Climate – NPR’s All Things Considered

Climate in the infrastructure bill: A substantial investment in resilience. – New York Times

AIR QUALITY

New Mexico to impose new rules on vehicle emissions, aims to curb greenhouse gas – Carlsbad Current-Argus

Chicago Bus Shelters Monitor Air Quality – ITS International

Old and new solutions pave way to net-zero emissions farming, studies show – Mongabay

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Governors aim to reduce racial disparities in traffic enforcement, safety – WTOP Radio

Cut in infrastructure money for communities hurt by highways disappoints advocates – NBC News

NATURAL RESOURCES

AASHTO Suggests Changes to Section 401 of Clean Water Act – AASHTO Journal

19 AGs to EPA: Roll back Trump’s clean-water rule ASAP – Reuters

The Darker Side of Tree-Planting Pledges – CityLab

Governor DeWine Announces $5 Million in H2Ohio Grants for Ohio River Basin Wetland Projects – Office of the Governor, State of Ohio (Media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

How Cleveland’s ‘Guardians of Traffic’ Made the Big Leagues – CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Moving Caltrans Into The Future Of Active Transportation – ITE Talks Transportation (Podcast)

Drivers must now move over when passing people walking and on bikes – NJ.com

After voted ‘Most Dangerous City for Driving,’ Dallas embraces Vision Zero goal to eliminate fatal crashes – Spectrum News 1

Here’s how e-scooter unicorn Bird plans to use geofencing tech to protect pedestrians – Silicon Canals
Transit Leaders Praise Innovative On-Demand Programs – Government Technology

Agency of Transportation Awards $3.3 Million in Bicycle and Pedestrian Grants – Vermont Agency of Transportation (Media release)

Hawaii DOT & Partners Launch 12th Annual Statewide Pedestrian Safety Month – Hawaii DOT (Media Release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Racial Equity Addendum to Critical Issues in Transportation – TRB

TRB Webinar: LED Roadway Lighting’s Effect on Driver Sleep Health and Alertness – TRB

Environmental Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure Should Be Assessed for All Federally Funded Projects, Says New Report – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (Media release)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Notice of Public Meetings Regarding ‘‘Waters of the United States’’; Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Recommendations – Corps of Engineers and EPA (Notice; announcement of public meeting dates and solicitation of pre-proposal feedback)
Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category. – EPA (Notice of rulemaking initiative)

Public Hearing for Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards – EPA (Notification of public hearing)

FY 2021 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Passenger Ferry Grant Program – FTA (Notice of funding opportunity)

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Alaska – Bureau of Land Management (Notice of intent)

Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; North Slope, Alaska – Fish and Wildlife Service (Final rule)

Alaska Region Supplement to Forest Service Manual 2720: Special Uses; Outfitting and Guiding Permit for Strictly Point-To-Point Commercial Transportation To, From, and Within the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Subunit of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area – Forest Service (Extension of comment period)

Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary; Announcement of Public Meetings – NOAA (Notice of virtual public meetings; correction)

Wyoming Regulatory Program – Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (Proposed rule; opening of public comment period and opportunity for public hearing on proposed amendment)

TRB Report: Include Resilience in Project Benefit-Cost Analysis

A new report issued by the Transportation Research Board calls on the U.S. Department of Transportation to include resilience factors within the benefit-cost analysis or BCA for infrastructure project justifications.

[Above photo by the Ohio DOT]

TRB’s report – entitled Investing in Transportation Resilience: A Framework for Informed Choices –  also recommends that resilience be measured and assessed using an “analytic framework” that incorporates detailed inventories of existing and planned assets, such as roads, runways, bridges, docks, and rail lines. It also seeks to include resilience within assessments of the characteristics and likelihood of future natural hazards, along with predictions of the vulnerability of the assets and their critical functions to those hazards.

[Editor’s note: In a related effort, the U.S. General Accounting Office recently issued a “Disaster Resilience Framework” to serve as an analytical guide for federal actions aimed at promoting resilience to natural disasters and changes in the climate across many policy areas, including transportation.]

The report – sponsored by USDOT and undertaken by the Transportation Resilience Metrics Committee – recommends that Congress fund a further study to define the types of data that transportation agencies need for resilience analysis, identify potential sources for this data, and explore how to make that data “more suitable” for analysis.

“Storms, floods, droughts, and other natural hazards are combining with sea-level rise and other effects of climate change to disrupt the functioning of the nation’s transportations systems,” said Joseph Schofer, professor of civil and environmental engineering and associate dean at Northwestern University, in a statement.

“Investing in resilience will require us to make carefully considered choices about how we spend money today to generate benefits that may not be realized until long into the future,” added Schofer, who authored TRB’s report.

The report also stressed that to make resilience a “routine and deliberate element” of transportation investments, Congress should consider requiring all federally funded projects involving long-lived assets to undergo “well-defined” resilience assessments that account for the risks from natural disasters and changing climate conditions.

State departments of transportation are also ramping up their focus on resilience strategies.

For example, a panel of state DOT executives and managers – as well as a team leader from the Federal Highway Administration – shared their insights on infrastructure resilience via a peer exchange during the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2021 virtual spring meeting in May.

“We are seeing events such as wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes becoming more extreme and occurring more often,” explained Edwin Sniffen, deputy director of highways for the Hawaii Department of Transportation. “We are also seeing more ‘man-made’ issues, too, such as cybersecurity, terrorist attacks, and the like. So it is super important to make our [infrastructure] systems more resilient.”

Sniffen also stressed that formula funding mechanisms are critical to building more resilience into the nation’s transportation system during a hearing on May 13 before the Senate Committee on Appropriations. “When considering funding for resilience, the current core formula program eligibility could be expanded to consider resilience improvements,” he said during his testimony. “Or formula funding could be set aside to focus on resilience-related planning, coordination, and evacuation; or, a discretionary grant program for adaptation strategies could be established. [However] AASHTO generally recommends avoiding new plans, programs, and analysis processes as this increases cost and burden to state DOTs.”

Connecticut DOT Helping Battle Spotted Lanternfly Invasion

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to battle an invasion of the “spotted lanternfly,” which could severely affect the state’s agricultural crops – particularly apples, grapes, and hops, and ornamental trees.

[Above photo via Wikimedia Commons]

The spotted lanternfly – formally known as Lycorma delicatul – is not actually a fly, but an exotic and invasive sap-feeding planthopper that feeds on more than 70 species of plants. The preferred “host” of the spotted lanternfly is a plant known as “tree-of-heaven” or “Ailanthus altissima,” which itself is highly invasive and abundant along highways, in urban areas, and along the edges of agricultural and industrial areas.

The agency said in a statement that the concern is that the feeding of spotted lanternfly nymphs and adults on sap from trees and vines weakens the entire plant, while the excretions from these leaf-hopping insects encourage the growth of black sooty mold, thereby reducing photosynthesis.

As a result, agricultural crops face reduced yields due to the lanternfly’s feeding on fruit and general weakening of plants, if not destroying them outright.

To help combat the spread of this invasive species, the Connecticut DOT is spreading the word via informational posters and flyers at its rest stops about the spotted lanternfly invasion and is helping place traps in highway right-of-ways to help gauge the spread of this invasive pest. The agency added that it is training Connecticut field personnel in identification, reporting, and proper precautions to halt the spread of the lanternfly.

The agency also noted that during the months of August through November the adults of this pest can attach themselves or “hitchhike” on vehicles and trailers, so it is asking travelers to check their vehicles the lanternfly, and – if found – to take a picture, destroy the insect, and report it to The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

State departments of transportation across the country are regularly engaged in a variety of efforts to beat back invasive insect and plant species.

For example, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet highway crews engage in an annual effort – usually at the beginning of March – to control the spread of invasive plant species that can damage transportation infrastructure as well as interfere with motorist “line-of-sight.”

Such efforts sometimes involve usual tactics, as well. For instance, the California Department of Transportation launched a pilot project in February 2020 that used 300 goats for nearly a month to help remove invasive non-native weeds such as bur clover, mustard, and thistle from a 20-acre site adjacent to Highway 1 just north of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. Instead of relying on herbicides, Caltrans said the goal of this project is to deploy a “more sustainable approach” to revitalizing the native coastal prairie adjacent to a highway realignment project originally completed in 2017.

AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast: Monarch Butterfly Conservation with Kris Gade

Once ubiquitous in North America, the Monarch’s striking orange and black wings are likely the first image that comes to mind when picturing a butterfly. The Monarch is famed not only for its beauty but also for its role in a healthy ecosystem- the pollinators are a critical support to some uniquely American landmarks: from the Great Smoky Mountains to Zion National Park. Yet, over the past few decades, the Monarch has experienced a dramatic dip in population.

As the eastern members of this iconic species prepare for their annual migration to Mexico, we’ll sit down with Arizona Department of Transportation’s Roadside Resource Specialist, Kris Gade– one of the professionals leading the charge for Monarch conservation.

https://aashtos-etap-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/aashtos-etap-podcast-monarch-butterfly-conservation-with-kris-gade

AASHTO Provides USDOT with Transportation Equity Data Insight

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials submitted a 32-page letter on July 22 to the U.S. Department of Transportation containing advice for the agency as to how it can best collect transportation equity data. That letter came in response to a USDOT “Request for Information” issued in May.

[Above photo by the Oregon DOT]

An important theme stressed by AASHTO in its letter is that – given the diversity of populations, norms, and expectations throughout the states and the country as a whole – “one size does not fit all.”

This includes “the many different federal agencies” that will be involved if USDOT adopts any “new or expanded transportation equity data collection program, tool, methodology development, or analytical methodology.”

AASHTO noted that, in general, to determine how well USDOT programs are affecting the safety and security of underserved people, “we first have to make sure we are collecting data in those areas that will help state departments of transportation make that determination.”

Armed with the correct data, AASHTO said state DOTs can then see what type of impact they are having.

“Organizations with limited resources can partner with state DOTs or other planning organizations to identify opportunities that support planning in underserved communities,” AASHTO added.

The group noted in its letter that there is an “existing body of knowledge and research” related to transportation accessibility that can be used to measure access to opportunities – such as jobs, schools, healthcare, etc. – and the impact that changes to the land use system and/or the transportation system has on access to opportunities.

The first resource is the “Transport Access Manual: A Guide for Measuring Connection Between People and Places,” which serves as a guide for understanding how to measure the performance of transport and land use configurations. The second resource is the “National Accessibility Evaluation Pooled-Fund Study,” led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which is constructing a “measurement of accessibility” to jobs across the entire country.

“Transportation projects are undertaken to provide connectivity — the ability for people or things to physically travel — between locations, or to lower travel times where connectivity already exists,” AASHTO noted. “As long-term infrastructure investments, transportation systems are not built to satisfy individual trips at specific times, but rather to provide capacity that can be used to satisfy a huge variety of potential trips over the system’s lifetime. Accessibility metrics directly reflect this potential by combining network travel times with the locations and value of the many origins and destinations served by a multimodal transportation system.”

AASHTO also expressed in its letter support for establishing a task force with state DOT representation to “provide recommendations to address current and future needs of the transportation workforce, factors and barriers influencing and attracting individuals—including those from underserved communities.”

Video Highlights Michigan DOT Diversity Recruitment Program

The Michigan Department of Transportation recently put together a video reviewing the benefits of its Transportation Diversity Recruitment Program or TDRP, which the agency is using to “educate and inspire” the next generation of transportation professionals.

[Above photo by the Michigan DOT]

“This program, its structure, the fact that it’s been around for eight years and it’s only getting bigger and better, is really incredible,” noted Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II (D) (seen above) in a statement. “As someone who’s benefited from having just thoughtful and conscientious mentors who helped to make me successful, that’s what we want for every young person who’s looking to pursue careers in whatever field.”

https://youtu.be/hzioMpvXzxc
The Michigan DOT said it has been working with students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and colleges throughout Michigan to offer valuable on-the-job training and job shadowing to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in engineering or other transportation-related careers.
The TDRP began with four students eight years ago and has grown to include 59 students this season. The Michigan DOT said this 10-week program allows students to work alongside other on-the-job training program participants, internal staff and external professionals who provide engineering, technical, inspection, and project management services for state road and bridge projects.

The agency also recently created a new executive-level position to help the agency incorporate equity and inclusion in all aspects of its business.

The Michigan DOT’s new position of chief culture, equity, and inclusion officer or CCEIO oversees areas within the Bureau of Transportation Planning, the Office of Organizational Development, the Office of Business Development, the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, and the Office of Economic Development.

The agency noted that it designed this new CCEIO position to help it make “meaningful progress” optimizing its organizational culture, aligning equity and inclusion goals with business outcomes while responding to changes or policies that affect employee and customer populations.

Environmental News Highlights – August 4, 2021

A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals

FEDERAL ACTION

Senate Moves $1.2T Infrastructure Package Forward – AASHTO Journal

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg On Wins, Losses, Future Of Infrastructure Deal – NPR’s All Things Considered


A Look at What the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Would Do – New York Times


Macroeconomic Consequences of the Infrastructure and Budget Reconciliation Plans – Moody’s Analytics (link to PDF)

COVID-19

Boston transportation leaders speak on sharing spaces, investing in communities post-COVID – Boston Herald


Public Transportation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and how it shapes transit’s future – Community Transportation Association of America (link to PDF)

 

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

North Dakota uniquely positioned for emerging carbon capture infrastructure revolution – KXMA/KXMB/KXMC/KXMD-TV

LaGuardia Airport Terminal First In The World To Achieve LEED v4 Gold Status – Environment and Energy Leader

 

AIR QUALITY

Hybrid Pioneer Toyota Pushes Congress To Slow Down Transition To Electric Cars – Forbes


EVs Growing in Rural Calif. Thanks to Local Partnership – Government Technology

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Building the future by recruiting a diverse workforce, developing talent – Michigan DOT’s Talking Michigan Transportation podcast

What It Looks Like to Reconnect Black Communities Torn Apart by Highways – CityLab

NATURAL RESOURCES

Sound Transit teams with regional agencies for ‘Trees for Rail’ – Progressive Railroading


Keep It Clean, Utah – Utah DOT


Forgotten oil and gas wells linger, leaking toxic chemicals – AP

 

CULTURAL RESOURCES

More Art, Fewer Accidents? – The Philadelphia Citizen


National parks are so crowded that Congress is getting involved – Bloomberg

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Study Examines Links between Commuting, Air Pollution – AASHTO Journal


MnDOT, Tourism Center asking for input on teleworking project – Minnesota DOT



Moovit Integrates Lime Electric Scooters, Bikes, Mopeds Into Transit Planning App – TechCrunch

Senate’s E-BIKE Act could make electric bikes a lot cheaper – The Verge

Midland City Council approves updated U.S. bike route plan – Midland Daily News

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Racial Equity Addendum to Critical Issues in Transportation – TRB



Transporting New Energy Options Safely is Key for U.S. Economy – TRB


TRB Webinar: Road Passages and Barriers for Small Terrestrial Wildlife – TRB


TRB Webinar: Roadsides as Transportation Assets – Georgia Case Study – TRB

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Port Access Route Study: The Pacific Coast From Washington to California – Coast Guard (Notification of study; request for comments)

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; Monitoring Requirements for Use of Dispersants and Other Chemicals – EPA (Final rule)


Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program (Renewal) – EPA (Notice)

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



Membership in the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group – FAA (Solicitation of applications)
Public Meeting/Notice of Availability for Proposed Air Tour Management Plans at Mount Rainier National Park; Death Valley National Park; Everglades National Park; and Olympic National Park – FAA (Public meeting/notice)

Notice of Availability of a Final General Conformity Determination for the California High-Speed Rail System, Bakersfield to Palmdale Section – FRA (Notice)

Notice of Matching Fund Opportunity for Ocean and Coastal Mapping and Request for Partnership Proposals – NOAA (Announcement of matching fund program opportunity, request for proposals, and request for interest by October 29, 2021)


Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Morro Bay, California, East and West Extensions – Call for Information and Nominations – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice)


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind Project Offshore North Carolina – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice; request for comments)

Minnesota DOT Issues Fifth Sustainability Report

The Minnesota Department of Transportation released its fifth annual “Sustainability and Public Health Report,” documenting the agency’s progress towards its sustainability and climate goals. Based on data through 2020, the report now also includes additional public health and transportation resilience measures.

[Above photo by the Minnesota DOT]

The Minnesota DOT noted that state law directs it to reduce carbon pollution from transportation, prioritize walking, bicycling, and transit – all while meeting a variety of Minnesota energy and environmental goals.

“Transportation remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and Minnesota, which is why MnDOT is committed to doing our part to create a low-carbon future for our state,” said Tim Sexton, assistant commissioner and chief sustainability director, in a statement.

According to the 65-page report, the Minnesota DOT has reduced emissions from its facilities by 39 percent since 2019 – exceeding its 30 percent reduction goal – while reducing water use by 27 percent (exceeding its 15 percent goal) and converting 97 percent of all highway lighting to energy-conserving and longer-lasting light emitting diodes or LEDs.

However, the agency noted in the report it is not on track to meet its 30 percent emission reduction goals for the transportation sector by 2025. The Minnesota DOT added that its report also highlighted the need to include more active transportation options on its projects and achieve its goal of meeting 90 percent of needs for bicycling. Right now, the agency said it is at 62 percent.

The Minnesota DOT also noted in its report that it plans to redouble efforts to reduce non-motorized serious injuries and fatalities, which began trending upwards in 2020 – reflecting national uptick in pedestrian fatalities and injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, pedestrians comprised 17 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2019. Additionally, 6,205 pedestrians died in traffic crashes, which is 44 percent more compared to 2010.

To help address that issue, the agency released its first Statewide Pedestrian System Plan on May 26 – a plan that provides policy and investment guidance to improve places where people walk across and along Minnesota highway – followed by a new statewide pedestrian safety campaign launched in late July called “Let’s Move Safely Together.” 

Minnesota DOT’s efforts are also reflective of a broader push among state departments of transportation to reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries.

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