editor – Page 66 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Iowa DOT Studies Erosion, Sediment Control Techniques

To determine the effectiveness of its erosion- and sediment-control techniques, the Iowa Department of Transportation recently teamed up with Iowa State University over two construction seasons to establish which ones worked the best and which ones needed improvement.

[Photo courtesy of Iowa Department of Transportation.]

According to an Iowa DOT blog post, Melissa Serio with the agency’s construction and materials group teamed up with Mike Perez, an Iowa State researcher, to examine alternative erosion and sediment control techniques and adaptations used successfully by other transportation agencies to see how well the Iowa DOT’s standard practices.

Some of Iowa DOT’s frequently used erosion and sediment control techniques include: fabric silt fences to slow water flow and collect sediment; porous mesh tubes (called wattles) filled with straw or other material to control storm water flow; sediment basins or small retention ponds to hold water until solid materials can settle; and rock check dams.

“While we were convinced these elements help control erosion and sediment, it wasn’t clear whether these were the most effective or whether there were other approaches that could be undertaken to achieve better or less expensive results,” Serio explained. “It was important to understand the feasibility of possible changes to practice and identify the right improvements that could be put in place at the right price.”

While some of Iowa’s existing techniques already performed well, several potential improvements became apparent over the course of the two-year study. For example, simple adjustments to silt fences included reducing the space between posts, adding wire support to the fence’s fabric backing, and cutting a notch, or weir, at the top of the fence so that overtopping of water could be directed to the most desired location.

The Iowa DOT detailed that and other improvements in its final report and technology transfer summary.

Even as the research pointed to potential new best practices, the Iowa DOT said this study “also challenged our expectations.” For example, sediment basins appeared not to be as effective a sediment control measure as had been previously thought. In fact, some data collected suggested that water leaving the basins might have more sediment than it had when entering.

“Further research in a controlled environment will provide more insight, but these initial findings are extremely valuable as we seek to maximize the effectiveness of our erosion and sediment control measures,” the agency noted. “We plan to include the most effective and cost-efficient erosion and sediment control treatments identified in this research project as part of standard road plans in the near future – mostly likely beginning the spring of 2021,” the Iowa DOT said.

Universities Join Forces to Test Resiliency of Bridge Design

In a study published in the Journal of Structural Engineering, Texas A&M University and the University of Colorado-Boulder researchers have conducted a comprehensive damage and repair assessment of a still-to-be-implemented bridge design using a panel of experts from academia and industry. The researchers said the expert feedback method offers a “unique and robust” technique for evaluating the feasibility of bridge designs that are still at an early research and development phase.

[Photo courtesy of Texas A&M University.]

“Bridges, particularly those in high-seismic regions, are vulnerable to damage and will need repairs at some point,” explained Dr. Petros Sideris, assistant professor in Texas A&M’s Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in a blog post.

“Now the question is what kind of repairs should be used for different types and levels of damage, what will be the cost of these repairs and how long will the repairs take — these are all unknowns for new bridge designs,” he added. “We have answered these questions for a novel bridge design using an approach that is seldomly used in structural engineering.”

Most bridges are monolithic systems made of concrete poured over forms that give the bridges their shape: a design strong enough to support their own weight and other loads, such as vehicle traffic. However, Sideris said if there is an unexpected occurrence of seismic activity, such structures could crack and remedying that damage would be exorbitantly expensive.

To overcome such shortcomings, Sideris and his team – with funding from the National Science Foundation – developed a new design called a hybrid sliding-rocking bridge. Instead of a monolithic design, these “sliding rocking” bridges are made of columns containing limb-inspired joints and segments. Hence, in the event of an earthquake, the joints allow some of the energy from the ground motion to diffuse while the segments move slightly, sliding over one another rather than bending or cracking.

Yet despite potential benefits of this design, no data existed about how it would behave in real-world situations. That is where the new testing procedure developed by Texas A&M and the University of Colorado-Boulder comes into play.

“To find the correct repair strategy, we need to know what the damages look like,” Sideris said. “Our bridge design is relatively new and so there is little scientific literature that we could refer to. And so, we took an unconventional approach to fill our gap in knowledge by recruiting a panel of experts in bridge damage and repair.”

Sideris, Dr. Abbie Liel at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and their respective research teams recruited a panel of eight experts from industry and academia to determine the damage states in experimentally tested hybrid sliding-rocking segment designed columns. Based on their evaluations of the observed damage, the panel provided repair strategies and estimated costs for repair.

The researchers then used that information to fix the broken columns, retested the columns under the same initial damage-causing conditions and compared the repaired column’s behavior to that of the original column through computational investigations.

The panel found that columns built with their design sustained less damage overall compared to bridges built with conventional designs. In fact, the columns showed very little damage even when subject to motions reminiscent of a powerful once-in-a-few-thousand-years earthquake. Furthermore, the damage could be repaired relatively quickly with grout and carbon fibers, suggesting that no special strategy was required for restoration. “Fixing bridges is a slow process and costs a significant amount of money, which then indirectly affects the community,” explained Sideris. “Novel bridge designs that may have a bigger initial cost for construction can be more beneficial in the long run because they are sturdier. The money saved can then be used for helping the community rather than repairing infrastructure.”

ETAP Podcast: Georgia DOT’s Innovative PEL Study

In this episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Jannine Miller and Charles Robinson from the Georgia Department of Transportation discuss the agency’s I-85 Corridor Study and how the department is using a new tool as part of that work: Planning and Environmental Linkages or PELs.

Miller and Robinson explain that PELs represents a collaborative and integrated approach to transportation decision-making that considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in the transportation planning process, while using the information, analysis, and products developed during planning to inform the environmental review process required for transportation projects.

The benefits of PRLs, they emphasize, are improved relationships with stakeholders, improved project delivery timelines, and better transportation programs and projects. To listen to this ETAP Podcast, click here.

Environmental News Highlights – October 28, 2020

A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals

Video: WSDOT Makes Bridge Safer for Human Travelers & Fish Species

The Washington State Department of Transportation recently wrapped up a roughly $13 million fish barrier correction project – resulting in a new 440-foot bridge that spans Kilisut Harbor along State Route 116. The new bridge not only improves safety for human travelers but also is, in the words WSDOT Project Engineer Dan McKernan, a “huge win” for local salmon and other fish species in the area.

[Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation.]

“The work involved replacing two small culverts that were installed in the 1950s. The channel here now with the bridge was not here previously,” he said, adding that the new channel aids in the annual migration of salmon in the area.

This work is part of WSDOT’s Fish Barrier Removal Program, which identifies and removes barriers to fish caused by culverts under state highways. The agency noted in a statement that it worked with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition or NOSC to complete this specific bridge project while also continuing to work with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify locations where culvert replacement will increase fish habitat.

“The area between Indian and Marrowstone Islands was historically comprised of tidal channels and salt marsh,” NOSC noted in separate statement. “Tidal waters exchanged freely between Oak Bay and Kilisut Harbor, flushing cold water, moving sediment, and allowing juvenile salmon to migrate northward from Oak Bay into the shallow, productive waters of Kilisut Harbor. The installation of the causeway in between Kilisut Harbor and Oak Bay eased transportation between the Islands, but choked the flow of water and sediment, eventually creating an artificial beach berm, a filled channel, and increased water temperatures in Kilisut Harbor.”

The construction of the new bridge also resulted in the removal that land barrier, reconnecting the large numbers of Hood Canal and Puget Sound out-migrating juvenile salmon that converge at Oak Bay with immense foraging opportunities available within Kilisut Harbor while also restoring and enhance important staging and foraging habitat for multiple coastal dependent and migratory birds. “Clean, cold water is now flowing north into Kilisut Harbor/Scow Bay,” the organization noted. “This mixing on each tide cycle is expected to improve water quality in Kilisut Harbor over time.”

Video: How State DOTs Work to Ensure NEPA Compliance

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or NEPA for short established regulations and processes for project planning and implementation to ensure the consideration of environmental impact and sustainability from transportation projects. The term “NEPA assignment” refers to the transfer of the Federal Highway Administration’s role for NEPA environmental reviews to a state department of transportation.

In this video from the AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence, Kyle Schneweis – the outgoing executive director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation – explains how NEPA assignment’s work to streamline the environmental review process without sacrificing environmental protections; saving both time and taxpayer dollars.

Georgia DOT Launches New Anti-Litter Campaign

The Georgia Department of Transportation is launching a new anti-litter campaign – called “Keep It Clean Georgia” – focused on preventing and eliminating litter along 50,000 miles of interstates and state routes that crisscross Georgia.

[Photo courtesy of Georgia Department of Transportation.]

The agency said it plans work with individuals, businesses, environmental organizations, and state agencies like the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation via this new campaign to emphasize the importance of litter prevention and highlight the role teamwork plays in maintaining Georgia’s natural beauty.

It’s also an effort aimed at saving money, as the agency said the average American produces five pounds of trash each day, which plays a part in the nearly $11.5 billion spent on litter clean-up in the United States each year.

“We are excited to support Georgia DOT’s efforts with the Keep It Clean Georgia campaign and encourage all Georgians to do their part to help the Peach State remain a place we are proud to call home,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R), in a statement.

“The Keep It Clean Georgia campaign is intended to motivate Georgians to think twice about throwing trash where it doesn’t belong and to take an active role in preserving Georgia’s beauty,” added Russell McMurry, Georgia DOT’s commissioner. “Whether your home is a wide-open countryside or in one of Georgia’s bustling city centers, litter is everyone’s problem and as a community we can work together to keep our beautiful state clean and litter-free.”

Other state departments of transportation are also ramping up their anti-litter activities:

The Virginia Department of Transportation recently launched Virginia is for Lovers, Not Litter in September – a public outreach campaign aimed at raising awareness about Virginia’s roadway litter problem. The agency said it spends nearly $3.5 million annually to remove litter from Virginia’s roadways, with more than half of that litter coming from motorists with another 25 percent from pedestrians.
The Alabama Department of Transportation initiated an anti-litter campaign entitled “Trash Costs Cash” in early August. That campaign uses television, radio stations, and social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube to highlight a major increase in litter fines and penalties authorized by the state legislature in 2019.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, and Keep Tennessee Beautiful recently joined forces to reduce personal protective equipment or PPE litter during the COVID-19 pandemic, while highlighting the proper ways to dispose of PPE and facemasks.
The California Department of Transportation and the California Highway Patrol resumed litter removal on state highways in mid-June; cleanup activity that has been limited since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AASHTO to Examine Election Impact on Transportation at Annual Meeting

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Annual Meeting – held via a virtual format November 9-13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – will focus on the potential ways the results of the 2020 national elections could affect the nation’s transportation policy agenda.

As part of AASHTO’s annual meeting, the organization’s Transportation Policy Forum will delve into the Congressional policy outlook for surface transportation funding reauthorization in 2021 and conduct two interactive polling exercises – the first on the pending COVID-19 relief package, including AASHTO’s $37 billion backstop request before Congress, and second on the development of the 2021 AASHTO legislative action agenda.

Several knowledge and spotlight sessions focused on a variety of transportation topics will take place over the course of AASHTO’s annual meeting.

For example, on Thursday, November 12, AECOM will host a resilient infrastructure knowledge session focused on how state DOTs can continue to maintain a connected transportation system in the face of hazards and threats such as hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, derechos, as well as cyber and other potential attacks.

Also on November 12, Bentley Systems will host a spotlight session on how safety culture is evolving with state departments of transportation at different levels, such as in communications with the public and legislators or other external partners; through the project development process; and by pilot projects to transform traffic safety culture among road users.

Registration for AASHTO’s virtual annual meeting is now open and can be accessed by clicking here.

Environmental News Highlights – October 21, 2020

A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals

FEDERAL ACTION

Rep. Rodney Davis Introduces Highway Funding Measure – Transport Topics

A Regulatory Rush by Federal Agencies to Secure Trump’s Legacy – New York Times

Administration wants to exclude ‘anarchist jurisdictions’ from coronavirus safety grant – Washington Post

COVID-19

FTA COVID-19 Recovery Listening Sessions – FTA

Gov. Baker says public transit safe to ride amid pandemic: ‘People have done a lot of work to make it safe.’ – Boston Globe

Fear of Crowds May End Up Haunting U.S. Transit Agencies – CityLab

Defense Department study finds low risk of coronavirus infection through air on a packed airline flight – The Washington Post

Metro-North Railroad tests new air filtration to combat coronavirus – Stamford Advocate

NEPA

Graves’ bill delivers solutions to rural communities and the environment – Livingston Parish News (Opinion)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Mayor Baraka Launches Planning Process For Newark’s Port-Industrial District – City of Newark (Press release)

New solar parking canopy at EVV complete, will produce half of terminal’s power – Courier & Press

Geolocation Data Could Help Planners Design Communities that Require Less Driving – Route Fifty

Port of San Francisco study warns of $30 billion damage from earthquake & sea level rise – American Journal of Transportation

Minnesota Senate passes $1.9 billion infrastructure bill loaded with local projects – Pioneer Press

AIR QUALITY

Vermont leadership releases bold proposal to reduce carbon emissions from the largest source: transportation – Mountain Times

Funds to aid Kentucky transportation initiatives – Transportation Today

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

EPA awards $200,000 grant to DHEC for environmental justice in North Charleston – WCIV -TV

The Equity Case For Caltrain’s Measure RR – San Jose Inside (Op-ed)

Why highways were designed to run through Black communities. SC faces historic dilemma again. – Post and Courier

The road to transportation equity – Roads and Bridges (Commentary)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Report: Animal-Vehicle Crashes Jump in North Carolina – AASHTO Journal

Pitkin County’s highway pot signs serve cleaner purpose; sponsorship helps one of Colorado’s dirtiest sections of road – Aspen Times

Refining Right-of-Way Management with IVM – North American Oil & Gas Pipelines

Swatting litterbugs: North Carolina lets people report trash tossers caught in the act – Citizen-Times

Mn/DOT abruptly pulls no-spray signs – Winona Post

Boston seeks partners for $500,000 ‘urban forest’ plan – Cities Today

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

IIHS Report Focuses on E-Scooter Safety Issues – AASHTO Journal

Washington law allows bikes to use stop signs as yield signs – Associated Press

Caltrans Highlights Efforts to Reduce Pedestrian Injury and Death – Caltrans (Press release)

UDOT touts biking and walking to improve family well-being, relieve traffic congestion – KSL-TV

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: Protection Detection – Making Roads Safe for Drivers and Wildlife – TRB

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Release of Waybill Data – Surface Transportation Board (Notice)

EPA Guidance; Administrative Procedures for Issuance and Public Petitions – EPA (Final rule)

Environmental Protection Agency Acquisition Regulation (EPAAR); Scientific Integrity – EPA (Final rule)

NYSDOT Helps Expand Artificial Reef off Long Island

The New York State Department of Transportation is helping expand a series of artificial reefs off the shores of Long Island as part of a three-year long multiagency effort. In September, the agency helped dump a retired tugboat, 16 rail cars, and a streel turbine on Hempstead Reef – the first of multiple “reef deployments” scheduled for 2020.

[Photo courtesy of New York State DOT.]

In his 2020 State of the State address, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) committed to doubling New York’s existing reef acreage by expanding seven of 12 existing sites and creating four new artificial reefs in Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean – an expansion expected to be complete by 2022.

“[We are] proud to work with our sister agencies on this important program, repurposing transportation materials to expand artificial reefs and support biodiversity, fishing, and tourism,” explained Marie Therese Dominguez, NYSDOT’s commissioner, in a statement.

“It is another example of how [our state] is taking bold steps to protect our ecosystems and foster sustainable economic growth that will benefit current and future generations of New Yorkers,” she said.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation or DEC manages the state’s 12 artificial reefs, which include two reefs in Long Island Sound, two in the Great South Bay, and eight in the Atlantic Ocean. The 413-acre Atlantic Beach Reef is located three nautical miles south of Atlantic Beach with a depth of 55 to 64 feet. One of the first reefs created in New York, this reef was previously comprised of two vessels, nine barges, surplus armored vehicles, 404 auto bodies, 10 Good Humor trucks, steel crane and boom, rock, concrete slabs, pipes, culvert, decking, and rubble.

Moving forward, recycled materials from NYSDOT, New York Power Authority/Canal Corporation, and the Thruway Authority – among other public and private partners – are being put to new use to develop New York’s artificial reef sites.

The types of materials deployed onto the reefs from the NYSDOT over the last year include old concrete highway barriers, steel girders with concrete tops from the Staten Island Expressway, and 15 steel pipes from the old Kosciuszko Bridge; replaced by a new structure that opened in 2019.

The DEC said those materials are then “strategically placed” to expand the reef, with the agency overseeing the cleaning of contaminants from recycled reef materials to mitigate potential impacts to sea life before being deployed to the reef sites. Once materials and vessels settle to the seafloor, larger fish – such as blackfish, black sea bass, cod, and summer flounder – move in to inhabit the new structures, and encrusting organisms such as barnacles, sponges, anemones, corals, and mussels cling to and cover the material. Over time, the recycled structures create a habitat mimicking that of a natural reef, DEC noted.