editor – Page 50 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Environmental News Highlights – September 15, 2021

Connecticut DOT Raising Awareness about New Pedestrian Laws

The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Office of Highway Safety has launched a new campaign to raise awareness about a new statewide pedestrian safety law that goes into effect on October 1.

[Above photo Of Asylum Street in Hartford, CT, via Wikimedia Commons]

Dubbed the Pedestrian Rules campaign, it seeks to educate residents about how that new pedestrian safety law expands the circumstances under which motorists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks not controlled by traffic signals or police officers.

Currently, a driver must yield to a pedestrian, slowing or stopping as necessary, if the pedestrian has stepped off the curb or into the crosswalk. Under the new law, a driver must slow or stop as necessary if the pedestrian:

Is within any portion of the crosswalk.
Steps to the curb at a crosswalk’s entrance and indicates intent to cross by raising a hand or arm to oncoming traffic
Indicates intent to cross by moving any body part or extension of a body part into the crosswalk entrance, including a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, crutch, bicycle, electric bicycle, stroller, carriage, cart, or leashed or harnessed dog.

As under existing law, motorists who fail to yield at a crosswalk when required are subject to a $500 fine, the Connecticut DOT said.

Meanwhile, the act of “dooring” will also become illegal in Connecticut on October 1. That new law prohibits a person from causing physical contact between a vehicle door and moving traffic by (1) opening the door, if the moving traffic is traveling at a reasonable speed with due regard for the safety of people and property, or (2) leaving it open longer than needed to load or unload passengers.

“Across the country, we are seeing increased pedestrian fatalities and injuries,” said Joseph Giulietti, commissioner of the Connecticut DOT, in a statement.

“Nationally, we saw an unprecedented 55 percent increase in pedestrian deaths between 2009 and 2018,” he added. “And although we are seeing a small recent decrease, pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2018 and 2019 have not been this high since 1990.”

According to preliminary estimates released in June by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrian fatalities in 2020 totaled 6,205 – the same as 2019, the agency noted. Yet agency data indicates that the 2019 number is 44 percent higher compared to pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2010.

“This new pedestrian safety law is an important step to keep everyone safe, and ultimately save lives,” added Giulietti.

Concurrently, various states across the country are achieving significant reductions in pedestrian fatalities.

For example, while a report issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association in March showed pedestrian fatalities trended up in the first half of 2020, the report also noted how several state-directed efforts are successfully improving pedestrian safety.

That report found that pedestrian fatalities during the first half of 2020 declined in 20 states and Washington D.C. compared with the same period in 2019. Meanwhile, nine states – Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina – witnessed double-digit percentage and numeric declines in pedestrian fatalities in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same six-month period in 2019.

Based on analysis of 2017-2020 data, Arizona has experienced two consecutive years of declining pedestrian fatalities, while Delaware and Kentucky have experienced three consecutive years of declining pedestrian deaths.

GHSA’s report noted that most pedestrian fatalities occur on local roads, in the dark, and away from intersections – suggesting the need for safer road crossings and increased efforts to make pedestrians more visible through improved lighting and other countermeasures.

Kansas DOT Seeks Input on EV Charger Unit Placement

The Kansas Department of Transportation recently issued a request for information or RFI in advance of a request for proposals to install electric vehicle charging (EV) stations along the most traveled state highways.

[Above photo of an EV charging station by the City of Olathe, KS]

Through this RFI, the Kansas DOT said it seeks to receive input from “industry stakeholders and potential applicants” to help develop program criteria for awarding funding toward the installation of EV charging equipment to ensure “continuity of travel” across the state for travelers and commerce alike.

The agency added that it already has identified approximately 12 preliminary locations for the installation of Direct Current Fast Charging stations producing 50 kilowatts or more of power to improve public access to charging stations every 50 miles along primary corridors. Funding their installation would come from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust, which made approximately $2 million available to Kansas for EV charging infrastructure needs.

“We want to work in partnership with the private sector to expand EV charging stations,” noted Kansas DOT Secretary Julie Lorenz in a statement. “This RFI is the first step in that process.”

This effort by the agency reflects the impetus of an executive order issued by President Biden on August 5 for 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 to be zero-emission vehicles, which includes battery-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.

That dovetails with a plan also initiated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency on August 5 to mandate an 8 percent annual increase in fuel efficiency for passenger cars and light trucks between model-year 2024 and 2026.

Shoshana Lew, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, recently offered some state-level perspective on how to manage this transition to EVs – noting in a recent Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast that state DOTs will play a “critical role” in helping electrify the nation’s transportation system.

Environmental News Highlights – September 8, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

State DOTs Highlight Benefits of $1.2T Infrastructure Bill – AASHTO Journal

‘On Time with Tymon’ Discusses the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – Transportation TV

Lawmakers vow action after Ida floods Gulf Coast, Northeast – AP

As Congress Begins to Draft Infrastructure Reconciliation Legislation, Senate and House Have Competing Visions for the Future of Renewable and Clean Energy Tax Credits – Novogradac

These charts show which states will get the most money from Biden’s infrastructure bill – CNBC

COVID-19

FMCSA extends historic 50 state COVID-19 Hours of Service waiver, fuel haulers now covered – CDLLife

Majority of NJ Transit riders headed back to work, survey says. Do they feel safe getting there? – NJ.com

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Colorado Infrastructure Projects Include Emphasis On Green, Rail, Transit, Electric Vehicles – KCNC-TV

Ida exposes weak infrastructure as storms grow stronger – E&E News

Missouri Department of Transportation testing use of recycled materials in roads – KDOE-TV

Climate Change Is an Infrastructure Problem – Map of Electric Vehicle Chargers Shows One Reason Why – Governing

AIR QUALITY

Electric Vehicle Sales Are Booming In The U.S., But The Southeast Lags – WFAE Radio

30 kph max: Paris shrinks speed limit to protect climate – AP

Colorado DOT Pledges To Track Air Quality As Part Of I-270 Rebuild, But Pollution-Choked Commerce City Residents Are Skeptical – Colorado Public Radio

Port of San Diego Partners with Maritime Administration to Study Eelgrass Carbon Capture – Times of San Diego

Reliability problems stall transition to electric buses in Minnesota – Minnesota Reformer

NATURAL RESOURCES

Judge Vacates Trump’s Rollback Of Protections For Streams, Wetlands – WESA Radio

Ohio plans to discontinue use of controversial road deicer AquaSalina – Columbus Dispatch

Lake George Association unveils new tool for reporting water quality concerns – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Documenting the Last Pay Phones in America – CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

With e-bike use growing, Port Authority of Allegheny County will allow them on transit vehicles – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The battle over a pedestrian-bicycle trail plan continues in The Village – KFOR–TV

California will offer e-bike rebates with new Electric Bicycle Incentive Project – Spectrum News 1

Building Back Bicycle-Friendly – The American Prospect

Tell Austin Where To Build Sidewalks, Bike Paths And Urban Trails – KUT Radio

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Transportation Planning to the Extreme for Weather and Climate Change – TRB

Racial Equity Addendum to Critical Issues in Transportation – TRB

TRB Represented on “Future of Infrastructure” Webinar – TRB

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Interstate 405 ExpressLanes Project, in Los Angeles County, California – FHWA (Notice)

Notice of Funding Opportunity for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements – FRA (Notice)

Public Meeting of the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) Federal Advisory Committee – U.S. Geological Survey, (Notice of public meeting (via teleconference))

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Sunrise Wind Farm Project on the Northeast Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Sunrise Wind Farm Project on the Northeast Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf; Extension of Comment Period and Corrections – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice)

Safety Zones; Delaware River Dredging, Marcus Hook, PA – Coast Guard (Interim final rule; request for comments)

National Navigation Safety Advisory Committee Meeting – Coast Guard (Notice of federal advisory
committee meeting)

Public Meeting/Notice of Availability for Proposed Air Tour Management Plans at Bandelier National Monument; Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Arches National Park; Glacier National Park; Canyonlands National Park; Natural Bridges National Monument; and Bryce Canyon National Park – FAA (Notice)

Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2024–2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks – NHTSA (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

MnDOT Trying to Cut Back on Its Salt

When it snows in Minnesota, drivers want the roads and bridges cleared – now.

However, simply dumping mass amounts of salt on the roads is an outdated practice for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Today, the agency is taking a new strategic – and more environmentally friendly – approach to how it removes snow and ice.

[Above photo by the Minnesota DOT]

“We want to minimize what we use,” explained Sue Lodahl, Minnesota DOT’s acting state maintenance engineer. “It’s about using the right chemical at the right time in the right location.”

During the 2020-2021 winter season, the agency spent $116 million and used more than 800 plow trucks and 354 million pounds of salt to combat 53 inches of snowfall, according to the department’s Annual Winter Maintenance Report. The salt usage was down about 15 percent from the previous year.

[To learn more about snow and ice fighting tactics, check out the winter operations podcast put together by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Snow and Ice Pooled Fund Cooperative Program, known as “SICOP.”]

The Minnesota DOT has also published “Winter Maintenance Best Practices,” a guide for using salt, with an emphasis on sustainable practices. “MnDOT seeks to reduce the use of salt on roadways while maintaining a high level of performance with regard to level of service recovery in winter operations,” the guide states.

The department’s Salt Solutions Program helps operations personnel make good decisions about selecting the best and safest materials for clearing the roads. As a result, the Minnesota DOT’s maintenance crews now have an arsenal of tools to fight snow and ice – including salt, potassium acetate, calcium chloride, sodium acetate and even beet juice.

[Editor’s note: The Minnesota DOT also began testing the technology on 10 of its snowplows in January that allows operators to activate digital highway signs to warn motorists when slow-moving vehicles are ahead on the road. That technology activates digital message signs to display certain messages as they pass, such as “Snowplow ahead, use caution” or “Maintenance vehicle ahead, use caution” during non-snow events. The message stays activated for several minutes after the snowplow passes the sign.]

Even with all the chemical options available, plain road salt – sodium chloride – is still the “go-to” material, yet it has its limitations. Salt is not effective if the temperature drops below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Moreover, if salt washes off the road, it can harm water, vegetation, and wildlife.

“We’re always going to use granular salt, but we’re trying to keep it on the road,” Lodahl said. “You can’t just put down salt. Otherwise, it will go into the environment.”

The Minnesota DOT also “pre-wets” the salt with truck sprayers just as it hits the road. The water helps the salt stay on the roadway, where it reacts to the heat from vehicle tires. “But if the temperature is less than 15 degrees, that’s when we move into calcium chloride,” Lodahl pointed out.

The department’s top priority is to achieve what it calls “bare lanes,” a condition in which 95 percent of the lane between the wheel tracks is free of snow and ice and travel speeds are not impacted. Last winter, the Minnesota DOT saw bare lanes 87 percent of the time. The Salt Solutions Program’s goal is to strike a balance between achieving bare lanes and protecting the environment.

In 2020, the agency also studied using potassium acetate almost exclusively on roads in Duluth, where the average daily winter temperature is 23 degrees. The study showed promise, but there are still some environmental unknowns about the long-time use of potassium acetate, Lodahl said.

“Salt is still our biggest tool, our best tool,” she explained. “Everything is going to have some environmental factor. If salt scatters, it’s not doing us any good, and it harms the environment.”

Lodahl added that salt sustainability “is very important to MnDOT. We cherish the environment and try to keep the roads safe.”

ETAP Podcast: Reducing Rolling Resistance Lowers Emissions

In this episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Mark Hoffman –assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Auburn University – and Karl Bohnenberger, his research assistant, explain how reducing the amount of energy required to keep a vehicle tire rolling can help lower greenhouse gas or GHG emissions.

[Above photo via Wikipedia Commons]

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, conventionally fueled vehicles use up 11 percent of their fuel to keep their tires rolling, while electric vehicles use up to 25 percent of their energy for this purpose.

Thus, reducing rolling resistance presents a “valuable opportunity” to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce the transportation sector’s carbon footprint simultaneously, argue Hoffman and Bohnenberger. To listen to this podcast, click here.