editor – Page 60 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Environmental News Highlights – January 27, 2021

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Nominations Sought for Outstanding Achievements in Historic Preservation – Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Press release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Brattleboro coalition advocates for safer infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians – Brattleboro Reformer

Safety campaign to emphasize law requiring motorists to move over for cyclists – KLAS-TV

Littleton to improve pedestrian safety with CDOT grants – Littleton Independent

Virginia Beach Trail could be ‘life-changing’ when complete – WAVY-TV

When Commuting Comes Back, the E-Scooters Will Be Ready – CityLab

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: Options for Reducing Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft – TRB

TRB Webinar: People Movers and Shakers – Quality of Life in Airport Communities – TRB

Webinar: Transportation Inflection Reflection – Shared-Use Mobility Center

Q&A: IBTTA president Mark Compton – ITS International

Equity Summit – Smart Growth America (Announcement)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Streamlining U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permitting of Rights-of-Way – Fish and Wildlife Service (Proposed rule)

Delegation of Authority to the Commonwealth of Virginia To Implement and Enforce Additional or Revised National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Standards and New Source Performance Standards – EPA (Notice of delegation of authority)

Delegation of Authority to the State of West Virginia To Implement and Enforce Additional or Revised National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Standards and New Source Performance Standards – EPA (Notice of delegation of authority)

Written Determination: Bicycle Use on Visitor Center Connector Trail at Arches National Park – National Park Service (Notice)

Buttigieg Highlights Climate, Active Transportation at Senate Hearing

Pete Buttigieg – former 2020 Democratic candidate for president and mayor of South Bend, Indiana – highlighted the importance of climate policy and active transportation needs within the Biden-Harris administration’s infrastructure investment plan during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 21 to be the 19th U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

“Safety is the foundation of the department [of transportation’s] mission, and it takes on new meaning amid this [COVID-19] pandemic,” Buttigieg said in his written testimony. “We must ensure all of our transportation systems – from aviation to public transit, to our railways, roads, ports, waterways, and pipelines – are managed safely during this critical period, as we work to defeat the virus.”

Nominated to be USDOT secretary by President Biden in December 2020, Buttigieg also stressed that investment in transportation infrastructure will play a critical role in both restoring and growing the U.S. economy.

“We need to build our economy back, better than ever, and the Department of Transportation can play a central role in this by … creating millions of good-paying jobs, revitalizing communities that have been left behind, enabling American small businesses, workers, families and farmers to compete and win in the global economy, and tackling the climate crisis,” Buttigieg said.

“Infrastructure can be the cornerstone to all of this, and you have my commitment that I will work closely with you to deliver the innovation and growth that America needs in this area,” he emphasized.

Yet Buttigieg stressed during the question and answer portion of the hearing that, “ultimately, we cannot afford not to act on climate. The question becomes: How can we do that in a way that creates economic benefit in the near term, as well as preventing catastrophe in the long term?”

Buttigieg also stressed the need to expand the nation’s “mobility vision” when it comes to supporting active transportation efforts.

“There are so many ways that people get around,” he explained. “Often we’ve had an auto-centric view that has forgotten historically about all the other different modes. We want to make sure anytime we’re doing a street design that it enables cars, bicycles, pedestrians, businesses and any other mode to coexist in a positive way.” Buttigieg also emphasized that the United States has “historic opportunity here, on both sides of the aisle and with the public, for transportation investment – whether we are talking about trains, planes, and automobiles or next-generation transportation.”

Oregon DOT Begins Work on Bridge Resiliency Project

The Oregon Department of Transportation contractor has officially started work on a series of “bridge bundles” associated with the Southern Oregon Seismic Resiliency project.

[Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation.]

That three-year-long, $45 million project – funded by the 2017 Keep Oregon Moving legislative package – seeks to rebuild or reinforce 17 bridges and seven slopes that could be affected by the Cascadia Subduction Earthquake Zone.

The agency noted in a statement that the first “bridge bundle” being addressed within this project is an effort to strengthen Interstate 5 Exit 80 bridges near Glendale. Other bridges in this first $12.7 million “bundle” include the I-5 Exit 58 north Grants Pass interchange bridges and the nearby I-5 Hillcrest Road Bridge near milepost 57.5.

In a November 2020 blog post, the Oregon DOT noted that experts say there is a one-in-three chance a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake could occur within the next 50 years. The concern is that a major earthquake would isolate much of that region due to bridge damage or outright destruction, with landslides triggered by an earthquake blocking key roadways.

Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation

Thus the idea behind the Southern Oregon Seismic Resiliency project is to “armor” key southern Oregon bridges and hillside slopes before a big earthquake strikes.

“The idea is to prepare now so the area can get back on its feet as quickly as possible, to get the region reconnected to the outside world,” explained Chris Hunter, Oregon DOT’s project manager. “How can we act strategically now to improve key bridges and known problem slopes to keep critical, life-saving goods flowing into and out of the region?“

He said Oregon DOT crews have prioritized or evaluated the most vulnerable bridges and slopes to keep the Rogue Valley connected along the I-5 corridor to Eugene and the Willamette Valley, as well as from the Rogue Valley east to the U.S. 97 corridor over Oregon 140. The plan is to quickly clear some kind of roadway connection – in the days and weeks after a subduction zone quake – even if it is a single lane or two. By keeping that connection, critical supplies can get into and out of the area, Hunter noted.

Environmental News Highlights – January 20, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

Energy & Sustainability: What to Expect from the 117th Congress and the Biden Administration – National Law Review

Pendulum swings in Clean Water Act regulation – Capital Press

How the Supreme Court could upend Biden’s green agenda – E&E news

NTSB Issues 14 Safety Recommendations Following Investigation of Natural Gas Explosion – NTSB (Press release)

COVID-19

Public Transit and Shared Mobility COVID-19 Recovery: Policy Recommendations and Research Needs – UC Berkeley

NEPA

Virginia groups sue U.S. Forest Service over new environmental review standards – Virginia Mercury

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

U.S. Chamber urges infrastructure modernization plan to ensure nation’s long-term economic growth – Logistics Management

Will Utah become ‘epicenter’ of research to electrify transportation? – Deseret News

AIR QUALITY

TTI Researchers Develop Curriculum for Transportation Emissions and Health – Texas A&M University

Electrifying Freight: Pathways to Accelerating the Transition – Electric Coalition (link to PDF)

Polis gives update on state’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap – KUSA-TV

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Environmental Justice Report Highlights EPA Progress – Riverbank News

How can we implement education for climate action and climate justice? – Brookings Institution (Blog)

NATURAL RESOURCES

BNSF Plan Aims To Reduce Train-Related Grizzly Bear Deaths – Montana Public Radio

Pittsburgh Water And Sewer Authority Pleads Guilty To Violating Clean Water Act – KDKA-TV

More Blackouts Loom With Fire Threat Returning to California – Bloomberg Green

CULTURAL RESOURCES

10,000-year-old jewelry among artifacts found while clearing land for I-540 project – WTVD-TV

A Green Transformation for the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Avenue’ – CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Pedestrian traffic deaths in Colorado are up 89% since 2009, AAA analysis shows – Denver Post

Richmond’s bike share expansion braked for pandemic but rolling again – Richmond BizSense

Nearly 300 miles were just added to the U.S. Bicycle Route System – Time Out

City of Oklahoma City installs 50 new bike racks, 5 repair stations – KOKH-TV

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

COVID-19 Addendum to Critical Issues in Transportation – TRB

Measuring and Managing Freight System Resilience Workshop – early bird registration deadline February 8, 2021 – TRB

Lead Emissions from Small Aircraft Can Be Reduced, Benefiting Public Health – TRB

RFP: Alternative Methods to Manage Tree Growth Near Airports – TRB (ACRP)

Propose New Topics for the 2022 NCHRP Synthesis Program: Submissions due February 17 – TRB (NCHRP)

RFP: Design Guide and Standards for Infrastructure Resilience – TRB (NCHRP)

Propose New Topics for the 2021 TCRP Synthesis Program: Submissions due March 19 – TRB (TCRP)

Cities, Transit Agencies, and Shared Mobility Providers Should Collaborate to Fully Realize Transportation Potential Across Metropolitan Areas – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The Importance of Highways to U.S. Agriculture – USDA

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Hazardous Materials: Editorial Corrections and Clarifications – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Correction)

Pipeline Safety: Frequently Asked Questions on the Gas Transmission Rule – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notification and request for comments)

Notice of Availability of the Records of Decision for a Highway Right-of-Way, Amended Habitat Conservation Plan and Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit for the Mojave Desert Tortoise, and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments, Washington County, UT – Bureau of Land Management (Notice of availability)

Notice of Availability of the Las Vegas Metroplex Project Written Re- Evaluation/Record of Decision for Changes to the Final Environmental Assessment Designs – FAA (Notice of availability of the Written Re-evaluation/Record of Decision)

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; Motor Vehicles – National Park Service (Final rule)

Gulf Islands National Seashore; Personal Watercraft – National Park Service (Proposed rule)

Pollutant-Specific Significant Contribution Finding for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units, and Process for Determining Significance of Other New Source Performance Standards Source Categories – EPA (Final rule)

Inland Waterways Users Board Meeting Notice – Corps of Engineers (Notice of open Federal advisory committee virtual meeting)

Notice of Matching Fund Opportunity for Hydrographic Surveys and Request for Partnership Proposals – NOAA (Announcement of matching fund pilot program opportunity, request for proposals, and request for interest by February 26, 2021)

Oregon DOT: More Landslides May Occur due to Wildfires

The Oregon Department of Transportation noted in a recent blog post that landslides could increase in 2021 due to topographical damage caused by a series of devastating wildfires in 2020.

[Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation.]

In order to track how landslide activity is influenced by wildfires, earthquakes, and climate change, the agency is in the midst of several projects that record and analyze landslide activity via ground- and aerial drone-based sensors.

[The video below, captured by an Oregon DOT drone, illustrates the type of transportation system damage that can be caused by landslides.]

To that end, Curran Mohney – senior engineering geologist with the Oregon DOT’s statewide project delivery group – is involved in an effort to monitor landslides affecting the state’s coastal highways. That project – in year four of its seven-year life – is being conducted in collaboration with students and professors from Portland State and Oregon State universities.

“Primarily what I want to know is how much time we have left for our highways in certain areas,” Mohney explained. “What’s the life span of our highways on the coast and in our stressed areas? How fast are landslides accelerating, especially with climate change drivers? How long until we lose that battle?”

He added that this project is “increasing knowledge” that will benefit the state in many ways – especially in terms of protecting its surface transportation network.

[The video below highlights the equipment and techniques deployed by the Oregon DOT and its contractors to repair roads damaged by landslides.]

For example, Mohney said every landslide has elements that indicate its approximate age: its shape and radiocarbon dating of buried animal bones and plant matter. Depending on what the research team discovers from that material helps determine whether a landslide occurred because of seismic events or just from heavy rains.

“Learning about the age and the causes of slides can help us make better decisions about our seismic lifelines or things we need to do to adapt to climate change impacts,” Mohney said.

“It’s telling us things about how and why landslides happen in certain places,” he added. “Just imagining what our issues are going to be with climate change and Cascadia [the Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake] – it seems insurmountable. So if we can figure out anything about where, why, how, then we can be prepared. Maybe we can go out ahead of time and make smart decisions.”

WSDOT Seeks Feedback on Future Active Transportation Plans

The Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback the draft of the new State Active Transportation Plan through February 15 – a new plan that reflects the fact that more people than ever are walking and bicycling statewide, according to the agency’s multimodal transportation dashboard.

[Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation.]

The plan also focuses on the need for greater safety for pedestrians and bicyclists as a preliminary assessment of crash statistics found that 2020 fatal crashes involving such “vulnerable road users appear” to be occurring at higher rates than the averages for 2010 through 2019.

[Bicycling in particular is becoming a more frequently used transportation mode, WSDOT noted in a video.]

Environmental News Highlights – January 13, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT Sec. Elaine Chao Resigns over Capitol Hill Riot – AASHTO Journal

How will Pete Buttigieg sell Congress on infrastructure? – E&E News

How Merrick Garland could figure into Biden’s climate plans as attorney general – Grist

Congress authorizes water infrastructure projects – Agrinews

COVID-19

Breaking Down State DOT COVID-19 Relief Funding – AASHTO Journal

New York car ownership jumps nearly 40% as pandemic creates mass transit worries – CNET

Transit agencies join forces to promote mask usage – Mass Transit

Requiem for the Super Commuter – CityLab

NEPA

AASHTO Comments on NEPA Revisions, Highway Design Standards – AASHTO Journal

Federal pilot to allow some projects to avoid NEPA – Progressive Railroading

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Rail shippers give policy wish list for 2021 – FreightWaves

Sustainability director retires as two major projects near completion – Park Record

Slow Streets Disrupted City Planning. What Comes Next? – CityLab

The South’s communication infrastructure can’t withstand climate change – Southerly

National Security Implications of Deferred Maintenance in Infrastructure – Lawfare

Multibillion-Dollar Transportation Program Will Create America’s Most Connected Urban Center In National Landing – National Landing Business Improvement District (Press release)

AIR QUALITY

Can a future ban on gas-powered cars work? An economist explains – The Conversation

EPA decision on National Ambient Air Quality Standards praised by business group – Pennsylvania Business Report

Modern Mobility: Regional Bodies Can Have a Big Impact – ARLnow (Opinion)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Maine Board Adds New Environmental Justice Standard – AP

From the Left: M-CORES options for new highways threaten another environmental debacle – Daily Commercial (Opinion)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Why the American West is fighting for water protections – Vox

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Four finalists in running to claim and reuse historic Minnesota bridge – Minnesota Public Radio

MTA Metro-North Railroad Announces Opening of Major Segment of Empire State Trail in Putnam and Dutchess Counties – Putnam County, NY (Press release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

ODOT Strategic Action Plan promises ‘ambitious transformation’ – BikePortland

Old railroad corridors near Chicago transformed into all-weather trails for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing – Chicago Tribune

Effort underway to make bike, pedestrian wayfinding easier across the valley – Daily Sentinel

Here’s Why You Can’t Judge Honolulu’s Bike-Share Program On Public Costs Alone – Honolulu Civil Beat

Colorado initiative to fund Safer Main Streets projects – Transportation Today

Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of 750-Mile Empire State Trail – New York State (Press release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Environmental Topics at the Virtual TRB Annual Meeting – AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast

TRB Webinar: Driving Toward the Truth – Dispelling the Myths About Cannabis Products – TRB

TRB Webinar: A Two-Way Ticket – Collaborative Planning Among Airports and Public Agencies – TRB

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Research Topics for Upcoming Small Business Innovation Research Program Solicitation – USDOT (Press release)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Revisions to Civil Penalty Amounts – Office of the Secretary, FAA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FRA, Maritime Administration, NHTSA, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (Final rule)

Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Regulatory Reform – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Final rule; withdrawal of enforcement discretion)

Guidance on the Preparation of Clean Air Act Section 179B Demonstrations for Nonattainment Areas Affected by International Transport of Emissions – EPA (Notice of availability)

Official Release of the MOVES3 Motor Vehicle Emissions Model for SIPs and Transportation Conformity – EPA (Notice of availability)

Strengthening Transparency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulatory Actions and Influential Scientific Information – EPA (Final rule)

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA); Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC); Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) – FEMA (30-Day notice and request for comments)

Real-Time Storm Force Prediction Model for Coastal Bridges

Dr. Teng Wu, Mr. Shaopeng Li, and Dr. Kallol Sett from the Institute of Bridge Engineering at University at Buffalo recently unveiled a new model to improve extreme damage “risk evaluation” for coastal bridges due to hurricane wave force and storm surge.

That research focuses first on using a synthetic 10,000-year hurricane record, together with a deep neural network-based framework to predict surge and wave forces on the bridges located in specific areas. It then taps into the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study or NACCS database – built to identify flood risk and mitigation strategies – which uses damage outcomes from 1,050 “synthetic hurricanes” to provide storm surge elevation and significant wave height predictions for pre-determined locations.

All of that information is then used to determine the probability of bridge failure dependent on how susceptible a bridge deck is to being lifted off its foundation structure, those researchers said; an event known as “bridge deck unseating” that is highlighted in the video below:

Dr. Wu — associate professor at the University of Buffalo’s department of civil, structural, and environmental engineering – said during a recent presentation that the reason a new coastal bridge failure model is needed centers on the rising number of Americans living in coastal regions and their corresponding exposure to severe weather.

According to a 22-page report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, almost 40 percent of the United States population – some 127 million people — now live in coastal areas that are increasingly vulnerable to severe hurricanes.

For example, Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall in New Jersey in 2012, caused $70 billion worth of damage to densely developed areas in New Jersey and New York – with the damage to roads and bridges representing a large portion of that monetary loss.

Dr. Wu noted that the training of deep neural network focuses on damage to bridges due to bridge deck unseating as that is the most common occurrence during hurricane storm surge.

Graphic image provided by the University of Buffalo

For example, during Hurricane Ike in 2008, some 53 bridges in the Houston/Galveston region suffered damage – and many of those damaged structures either were constructed of timber or were low-clearance water-crossing bridges. That’s why analyzing the type of bridge, bridge clearance, and the predicted storm surge and wave height for hurricane storm season in a particular coastal area can give valuable sustainability information and aid in risk planning and emergency response, Dr. Wu noted.

The University of Buffalo research included a case study on “simply supported” coastal bridges in New York State – a study that included a risk assessment for bridge deck unseating caused by storm surges and waves. Three different “clearances” of coastal bridges – which is the distance between the bottom of the bridge deck to the mean water level – were considered in that risk analysis, with the resulting case study looking at bridges in two different areas of the region: one close to the coastline and one in the Hudson River.

That case study found that the annual damage rate to bridges decreases as the clearance increases, and bridges at the coastline are more vulnerable to storm surges and waves due to the larger surge/wave level, as expected. What the risk analysis framework does, explained Dr. Wu, is pinpoint where risk reduction strategies will be most effective – highlight those coastal bridges with the highest risk of damage from storms, allowing for more targeted mitigation planning. Dr. Wu added that this research can also help in emergency management disaster response by highlighting the infrastructure most at risk for damage and allowing for more focused traffic management and operations planning.

New Renewable Energy Contracts in Effect at MBTA

Two 100 percent renewable energy contracts between the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and BP Energy Company and Direct Energy LLC recently went into effect – reducing the agency’s carbon footprint and saving it over $3 million per year.

[Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Governor’s Office.]

“These important investments in fully renewable energy, highlighted by the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits for the entirety of our electricity load, mean that the T has a dedicated commitment to electricity produced from renewable energy sources,” explained Steve Poftak, MBTA’s general manager, in a statement. “With the beginning of these new contracts, the T continues to expand its use of renewable energy in its portfolio, and furthers its commitment to supporting sustainable transit.”

MBTA – the public transit division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which provides subway, bus, commuter rail, ferry, and paratransit service to eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island – finalized those two contracts in October 2020.

Steve Poftak (r) with MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack. Photo by Joshua Qualls/Massachusetts Governor’s Office.

The total cost for those two contracts – which make the MBTA the largest transit agency in the United States to be 100 percent renewable – is approximately $12.13 million annually for a three-year term. The contracts include the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits or RECs for 100 percent of the MBTA’s electricity load as well as provisions for providing 70 percent of the electricity at a fixed price.

Purchasing RECs means the MBTA has bought electricity from a renewable power source with each certificate equivalent to the generation of one-megawatt hour or MWh of electricity, the agency said.

The MBTA added that it has a number of additional renewable energy projects completed and currently underway. One involves using two wind turbines in Kingston and Bridgewater help power MBTA facilities with electrical power; with the capability to sell unused power back to the electrical grid. Another involves small scale solar projects are complete at Orient Heights and Braintree Stations with solar canopy installation recently completed at three additional MBTA sites and more sites currently being explored.

Upcoming renewable energy projects to develop include the launch of a new solar power purchase agreement, the development of solar arrays at bus garages and train stations, along with further research into the potential for the MBTA to become an “anchor customer” for upcoming offshore wind projects.

Environmental News Highlights – January 6, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

Updated: State DOTs Net $10B in Aid from COVID-19 Relief Legislation – AASHTO Journal

The Biden Environment Team and a Government-Wide Approach to Sustainability – Earth Institute/Columbia University

The pendulum is the pits: Can the United States make enduring regulations? – Brookings Institution

AAPA: U.S. Ports fare well in Congressional Year-End Legislation – Dredging Today

COVID-19

How local waste and recycling leaders are grappling with coronavirus-driven budget pressures – Waste Dive

NEPA

Biden CEQ pick signals NEPA changes – E&E News

Transition Thoughts: The Presidential Transition, NEPA, and Project Review – National Law Review

Seven-year King of Prussia rail delay shows folly of modern environmental laws – Philadelphia Inquirer (Opinion)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Virginia DOT Launches Second Major Anti-Litter Initiative – AASHTO Journal

Extra scrutiny sought for warehouse at Grand Island Amazon site – Buffalo News

Lorain’s active transportation planning continues despite pandemic – Morning Journal (Ohio)

FLAP grant eyes infrastructure projects on Teton Pass – Jackson Hole News&Guide

AIR QUALITY

Regional GHG Reduction Consortium Takes Shape – AASHTO Journal

Colorado air quality regulators update plan to lower ozone levels and align with EPA standards – Colorado Sun

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Biden links climate change, jobs and environmental justice – Successful Farming

Landmark Climate Policy Faces Growing Claims of Environmental Racism – Pew

NATURAL RESOURCES

Charles River Tributary in Boston Gets D- for Water Quality in New Report Card – WBTS-TV

Thousands of bats live in this Sacramento freeway. How Caltrans is ‘evicting’ them – Sacramento Bee

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Looking back on Minnesota and Washington State DOTs’ inaugural artists-in-residence – Transportation for America

President-Elect Biden Expected To Act To Reverse President Trump’s Public Lands Impacts – National Parks Traveler

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

What Does Pete Buttigieg’s Nomination as Transportation Secretary Mean for Cyclists? – Bicycling

Opinions sought for state Active Transportation Plan – Hays Post

State active transportation plan is rolling: Washingtonians invited to comment by Feb. 15 – WSDOT (Press release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: People Movers and Shakers-Quality of Life in Airport Communities – TRB

2021 Conference on Sustainability and Emerging Transportation Technology – TRB

TRB Webinar: A Two-Way Ticket – Collaborative Planning Among Airports and Public Agencies – TRB

How We Move Matters: Exploring the Connections between New Transportation and Mobility Options and Environmental Health– Abstracts due April 15, 2021 – TRB (Call for Presentations)

Characteristics and Elements of Nonpunitive Employee Safety Reporting Systems for Public Transportation – TCRP

Introduction to Blockchain and Airport Operations in a COVID-19 Environment – ACRP

Oregon DOT Hiring an Environmental Project Manager – Oregon DOT

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Program for Eliminating Duplication of Environmental Review – FHWA/FRA/FTA (Final rule)

National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision – FHWA (Proposed rule; notice of proposed amendments; correction)

Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program; Arizona Department of Transportation Draft FHWA Audit Report – FHWA (Notice; Request for comment)

Hours of Service of Drivers: Association of American Railroads and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association; Application for Exemption – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Notice of final disposition; grant of exemption)

Hazardous Materials: Miscellaneous Amendments Pertaining to DOT- Specification Cylinders
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Final rule)

Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act; Correction – EPA (Final rule; correction)

Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment – EPA (Final rule)

Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Clean Air Act Rulemaking Process – EPA (Final rule)

Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Reconsideration of Beneficial Use Criteria and Piles; Notification of Data Availability – EPA (Proposed rule; notice of data availability; request for comment)

EPA’s Approval of Florida’s Clean Water Act Section 404 Assumption Request – EPA (Notice)

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Ice Roads and Ice Trails Construction and Maintenance Activities on Alaska’s North Slope – NOAA (Final rule; notification of issuance of Letters of Authorization)

Financial Support for Transmission and Distribution Lines To Pump Stations 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 in Connection With the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline – Rural Utilities Service (Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision)