editor – Page 69 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Minnesota DOT Releases Fourth Annual Sustainability Report

The Minnesota Department of Transportation recently released its fourth annual Sustainability Report; a 26-page document based on 2019 data that tracks the agency’s progress towards achieving a number of sustainability and climate goals.

[Above photo courtesy of MnDOT.]

Some of the sustainability achievements cited by the agency include: Reducing energy consumption per square foot by 17 percent between 2008 and 2019; issuing a request for proposal for community solar garden subscriptions that will save the Minnesota DOT more than $1.5 million and account for almost 25 percent of total agency electricity use; increasing the number of electric vehicles within the agency’s fleet from four to 29; exceeding the department’s goal in the 2018-2019 winter season for reducing salt usage.

*Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher.*
*Photo courtesy of MnDOT.*

[Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the Minnesota DOT commissioner and chair of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Committee on the Environment and Sustainability, recently explained Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP podcast that Minnesota looks for the “triple bottom line” when evaluating sustainability: how sustainability efforts affect the health of people, how it impacts the environment, and how it impacts the economy.]

However, the Minnesota DOT also noted a few setbacks in its report as well. Carbon pollution from transportation, for example, continued to increase between 2018 and 2019 – an uptick attributed to low gas prices, increased freight traffic, people driving more miles, and more purchases of low-fuel efficiency pick-up trucks and sport utility vehicles. In addition, the agency reported higher fuel consumption by agency fleet vehicles in 2019, mostly by its snowplow trucks due to its winter operations needs

“Transportation is the primary source of carbon pollution in Minnesota and the U.S. and MnDOT is committed to address climate impacts and to work with communities throughout the state to develop a sustainable transportation system of the future,” emphasized Tim Sexton, the agency’s assistant commissioner and chief sustainability director, in a statement. The agency added that impacts to the state’s transportation system and its response to recent events in 2020 – including the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest related to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis – may be addressed in future iterations of its sustainability report.

AASHTO Active Transportation Council Holding Free Webinar

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Council on Active Transportation will host a free 90-minute long virtual peer exchange spotlighting state department of transportation efforts to support bicycling and pedestrian mobility needs.

[Above photo courtesy of Caltrans.]

To be held August 12 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm EDT, the webinar’s state DOT speakers present for 12 to 15 minutes on a range of active transportation topics – including speed management, decision-making collaboration, decision-making, data collection, and safety – then participate in a question and answer session with attendees.

To register for this free webinar, click here.

Toks Omishakin – executive director of the California Department of Transportation and chair of AASHTO’s Council on Active Transportation – will provide opening remarks for this webinar. His agency recently adopted an updated bicycle and pedestrian action plan that aims to reduce dependence on driving, promote safety, and reconnect communities that have been divided by freeways and high-speed roads. Caltrans said it developed that updated action plan in consultation with the California Walk/Bike Technical Advisory Committee with the goal of increasing bicycling, walking and transit trips.

Vermont Seeking Applications for Bicycle/Pedestrian Infrastructure Projects

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) recently issued a grant solicitation for new infrastructure projects to improve statewide access and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The agency noted that in 2019, it awarded a total of $3.6 million for construction and planning projects throughout Vermont via its Bicycle and Pedestrian grant program.

“These projects make it possible for more people to walk and bike safely in Vermont communities,” noted Joe Flynn, Vermont’s transportation secretary, in a statement.

“Municipalities across Vermont understand that providing good facilities for walking and bicycling are key factors for livability that can stimulate economic development in our downtowns and improve public health,” he said. “In light of the current pandemic, providing safe ways for Vermonters to walk and bike is especially important. Supporting our downtowns is critical in helping jumpstart our economy.”

Flynn added that the goals for this VTrans grant program are to improve transportation options for commuters, visitors to the state, and recreational use. The agency also noted that Vermont ranks fourth in the nation for the percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work and fourth in per capita spending on bicycle/pedestrian projects, according to the 2018 benchmarking report on bicycling and walking in the United States issued by the League of American Bicyclists.

Environmental News Highlights – July 22, 2020

A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals

Trump Administration Formally Overhauls NEPA Rule

The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality formally implemented a final rule on July 15 aimed at updating and modernizing National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA regulations.

[President Trump, above left, watches Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry speaking at the NEPA overhaul announcement in Atlanta on July 15. Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.]

“The final rule will make the NEPA process more efficient and effective, ensure consideration of environmental impacts of major projects and activities, and result in more timely decisions that support the development of modern, resilient infrastructure,” explained Mary Neumayr, the CEQ’s chairman, in a statement.

Signed into law in 1970, the CEQ noted that NEPA rules require federal agencies to assess the potential environmental impacts of proposed major federal actions and that the NEPA process can apply to a variety of activities, including transportation infrastructure projects such as the construction of roads, bridges, highways, public transit, and airports.

The agency said the reason for the NEPA overhaul – which has been in the works since 2018 – is that the average length of an environmental impact statement is more than 600 pages, with the average time required for federal agencies to complete NEPA reviews now four and a half years. The CEQ added that NEPA reviews for highway projects currently take more than seven years, and in some cases take a decade or more, to complete and are also the most litigated area of environmental law.

The agency added that the modernization of NEPA regulations also incorporate key elements of the Trump Administration’s One Federal Decision policy, which includes a two-year goal for completing environmental reviews.

President Trump himself highlighted the NEPA overhaul during a press event July 15 at the United Parcel Service Hapeville Airport Hub in Atlanta.

“For decades, the single biggest obstacle to building a modern transportation system has been the mountains and mountains of bureaucratic red tape in Washington, D.C.,” the president said in his remarks. “At the same time, we’ll maintain America’s gold standard environmental protections.”

“[This is] another environmental process improvement that will make life much easier for people like us at [state] departments of transportation across the nation,” noted Russell McMurry, commissioner of Georgia Department of Transportation, at the event.

The NEPA overhaul will also help “to deliver infrastructure projects like the I-75 commercial vehicle lanes, to move that freight out of Savannah to Atlanta and beyond, while providing a safe corridor for the many families that travel on I-75,” McMurry added.

Some Congressional leaders and environmental organizations, however, expressed concern over the long-term impact of the administration’s revision of NEPA regulations.

“The NEPA process is critical to accounting for the impacts of climate change when considering federally funded infrastructure projects,” noted Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in a statement. “Ignoring those impacts is a mistake that will result in limited taxpayer dollars being spent on projects that cannot withstand future storms and other impacts of climate change,” he added.

Caltrans Issues Final Two of 12 Climate Change Vulnerability Reports

The California Department of Transportation recently finalized and issued the last two of 12 district-based Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Reports; studies designed to create a “comprehensive database” to help Caltrans evaluate, mitigate, and adapt to the effects of extreme weather events on the state transportation system.

[Above photo courtesy of Caltrans.]

“The completed assessments cover all 58 counties in the state and give California a comprehensive evaluation of climate change effects on the State Highway system,” explained Toks Omishakin, director of Caltrans, in a statement. “We are now integrating the findings into our planning process to better protect California’s citizens, economy and transportation investments.”

The final two reports cover Caltrans coastal district 1 and coastal district 5 and examine the potential impact of rising average temperatures, higher sea levels, storm surge, and precipitation on California’s transportation system – climate change trends that the agency said, in turn, increase incidences of flooding, drought, wildfires, coastal erosion and mudslides.

Caltrans said that understanding the impact of climate change helps the agency assess physical climate risk to the transportation system and work towards adapting infrastructure to be more “resilient” to those impacts. For example, the agency’s 12 climate reports project that by the year 2085:

Sea levels will rise 5.5 feet along the California coast—affecting 130 miles of State Highway by accelerating soil erosion and cliff retreat.
Increased severity and frequency of wildfires could threaten more than 7,000 miles of state highway.
High temperatures on the central coast and in the northwest part of the state could rise by 6 to 12 degrees, increasing drought and wildfire potential.

Caltrans began publishing those climate change reports in December 2018 partly in response to Executive Order B-30-15 issued by outgoing Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. (D), which mandated the integration of climate change analysis into transportation investment decisions.

Environmental News Highlights – July 15, 2020

A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals

FEDERAL ACTION

Wicker, Bennet Introduce American Infrastructure Bonds Act – Y’all Politics

EPA wants to help cities keep their transit systems clean – WFED Radio’s Federal Drive

COVID-19

AASHTO Council Meeting Highlights COVID-19 Impact on Transportation – AASHTO Journal

Millions of Americans Have Moved Due to Coronavirus – CItyLab

Understanding Resilience: The Impact of COVID-19 – Lehigh University

Mayor Durkan Announces Six-Year Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposal to Aid in Equitable COVID-19 Recovery – Seattle DOT

‘Time Is Always Money’: Pandemic Lockdowns Hasten Infrastructure Work – New York Times

Bikeshare Ridership Down 44% During COVID-19 – USDOT, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (Press release)

MTA and Transit Innovation Partnership Launch COVID-19 Response Challenge to Strengthen Public Transit – Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Press release)

How Urban Transport is Changing in the Age of COVID-19 – Earth Institute/Columbia University

NEPA

Make America Build Again: Reform NEPA Now – Forbes (Commentary)

President Trump, Secretary Chao to announce major policy change in Atlanta – WAGA-TV

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

EPA battles Rover Pipeline in Ohio Supreme Court – Columbus Dispatch

Have a brilliant idea? Our research section wants to hear about it. – Iowa DOT

Meet Trevor Pawl, Michigan’s chief mobility officer – Talking Michigan Transportation (Podcast)

Paving a stable pathway to future-proof transport systems – GreenBiz

It’s Time to Try Congestion Pricing in L.A. – CityLab (Opinion)

Stop Falling For The Congestion Con – Honolulu Civil Beat (Opinion)

Draft EIS unveiled for Port of Long Beach on-dock rail facility – Progressive Railroading

AIR QUALITY

SoCal Experienced Worst Air Quality In A Decade Over July 4th Weekend – CBSN Los Angeles

Carbon emissions in electricity fell in 2019, even as economy grew – Washington Examiner

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Meet the Nuns Who Created Their Own Climate Solutions Fund – Mother Jones

Roundtable: The Urgency of Delivering Environmental Justice – and Clean Energy – in New Jersey – NJ Spotlight

Why the Larger Climate Movement Is Finally Embracing the Fight Against Environmental Racism – Time

NATURAL RESOURCES

Noise is air pollution – The Daily Item (Opinion)

Feds scrap plans to reintroduce grizzlies to North Cascades – Associated Press

Handheld platform technology uses single sample to deliver fast, easy results on water quality – Northwestern University

What’s the water quality in Alaska harbors like without cruise ship traffic? State scientists will find out this summer. – KHNS

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Nashville’s Downtown Tests the City-Within-a-City Concept – CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Fort Worth Bike Share hacked, users’ credit card info and names possibly compromised – Star-Telegram

New initiative opens some low-speed state roadways to healthy uses – Washington State DOT (Press release)

Caltrans Adopts Action Plan to Increase Walking, Bicycling Statewide – Caltrans (Press release)

New York as a Biking City? It Could Happen. And It Should. – New York Times (Commentary)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

RFP: Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement at Five State Departments of Transportation: Implementation of the NCHRP Research Report 905 Toolkit – TRB (RFP announcement)

TRB Committee on Environmental Analysis and Ecology Virtual Seminar – TRB

Mobility on Demand (MOD) Sandbox Demonstration: Fair Value Commuting, Final Report – FTA

FHWA HEP research quarterly newsletter: Spring 2020 – FHWA

U.S. Department of Transportation Launches Summit on Pedestrian Safety – Virtual Series – FHWA

EDC News: Reduce Costs and Expedite Project Delivery with Project Bundling – FHWA

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Forest Service Handbook: Operation and Maintenance of Developed Recreation Sites – US Forest Service (Notice of availability for public comment)

Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Rule – EPA (Final rule)

State DOT Support for Pollinators Becoming Year-Round Effort

The key role birds, bees, and insects play in agricultural propagation is typically celebrated once a year during events such as Pollinator Week. But for many state departments of transportation, support for such “pollinators” is becoming a year-round endeavor.

Take Idaho, for one. Idaho has more than 11.8 million acres in agricultural production and many of the state’s leading crops rely on insect pollination. For that reason, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is actively engaged in supporting ants, butterflies, beetles, and other wildlife responsible for helping pollinate flowering plants.

For starters, the ITD follows the Idaho Pollinator Protection Plan – recently published by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture – and partners with both it and the Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife to put that plan into action.

One example of the ITD’s use of the plan’s guidelines can be found at the Interstate 84 Westbound Bliss Rest Area. A partnership between ITD, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Native Roots LLC resulted in the creation of a new “pollinator garden” located on the grounds of that rest area grounds.

Cathy Ford, ITD’s roadside vegetation coordinator and program manager, explained that native flowering plants – such as the cordroot beardtongue and the firecracker penstemon – were added to the garden along with native plants to fit the arid environment and provide pollinator habitat. “We hope to do another one on the eastbound side in the future,” she noted.

[Editor’s note: ITD is also a part of the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances or CCAA for the Monarch Butterfly – a national agreement established in April and supported by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials that encourages transportation and energy firms to voluntarily participate in Monarch Butterfly conservation.]

In addition to the Bliss Rest Area, ITD has several other ongoing projects to promote pollination wellness. ITD’s District 5 is working to install pollinator plantings around its office in Pocatello, which will include small-stature flowering shrubs and perennial flowers as well as some milkweed plants – the only food source for Monarch caterpillars – salvaged in April from a state irrigation ditch construction project. The focus at the District Office is to provide blooming plants from early spring through fall to best support pollinators, Ford noted.

Pollination “wellness” efforts also impact state DOT duties such as roadside and right-of-way moving practices. The Illinois Department of Transportation for one now uses “revised” mowing practices aimed at creating and maintaining habitat for pollinators, including the monarch butterfly. Last year, the Illinois DOT began following the Illinois Monarch Project Mowing Guidelines for Pollinators, establishing July 1 to August 15 as its “most extensive” roadside and highway right-of-way mowing period.

The agency said in a statement that by timing when mowing takes place and reducing the amount of land being mowed, the Illinois DOT is encouraging the growth of critical plant species, such as milkweed.

Back in Idaho, the ITD is also involved in the Operation Wildflower Program, where districts distribute native wildflowers to volunteer groups to seed in selected areas. Partnerships between ITD and Idaho Fish and Game led to the formation of “pollinator waystations,” created by seeding roadsides with native flowers and grasses. These efforts not only support more pollinators but also beautify Idaho’s roadways and reduce maintenance costs, Ford said.

“ITD uses a variety of native seed and pollinator plant species for re-vegetation activities on construction and maintenance projects around the state,” she added.

Photo credit: Idaho Transportation Department

Florida Taps VW Settlement Funds to Expand EV Infrastructure

Florida plans to invest $8.6 million to strengthen its electric vehicle or EV infrastructure – part of $166 million worth of funds coming to the state from the Volkswagen (VW) Mitigation Trust Fund established in 2017 established between VW and the U.S. government to resolve claims that the automaker violated the Clean Air Act by knowingly selling diesel-powered vehicles that did not meet Environmental Protection Agency mobile source emission standards.

“This long-term investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a win for our state on multiple levels,”noted Governor Ron DeSantis (R) in a statement. “Not only will these charging stations promote reduced emissions and better air quality, they will also improve mobility and safety for the ever-increasing number of Floridians that drive electric cars.”

“The addition of these electric vehicle charging stations will not only keep pace with the dramatic increase in the use of these vehicles, but also help to reduce emissions and improve mobility across Florida’s transportation system,” added Kevin Thibault, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation.

That $8.6 million will go towards installing 74 additional direct current or DC “fast chargers” statewide. Combined with the chargers Florida DOT is currently installing along the Florida Turnpike, a total of 104 DC fast chargers will be installed along over 1,200 miles of highway, covering the most traveled corridors in the state – an approximately 50 percent statewide increase in publicly available DC charging stations.

The governor’s office added that a total of $25 million from Florida’s VW settlement funds has been set aside specifically to install EV charging stations and that approximately $16.4 million dollar remains to install more charging stations throughout the state.

Photo credit: Florida Department of Management Services

Nevada DOT to Play Role in Clean Cars Nevada Initiative

Governor Steve Sisolak (D) announced a new initiative in mid-June that crafts new regulations to spur the broader adoption of more low- and zero-emission electric-powered passenger cars and trucks across Nevada beginning in 2024.

[Above photo courtesy of the Nevada DOT]

“Transportation is the number one source of greenhouse gases in Nevada, and therefore a top priority for addressing climate change statewide,” explained Bradley Crowell, director of the Nevada department of conservation and natural resources, in a statement.

“To move Nevada’s climate future forward, we must reduce pollution from the cars and trucks we drive as well as modernize our urban planning efforts through transit-oriented development and electrification of our transportation infrastructure,” he added. “Establishing Clean Car Standards will help address the harmful impacts of climate change stemming from vehicle tailpipe pollution, while simultaneously advancing a stronger, more resilient economy for Nevada.”

The Nevada Department of Transportation is already playing a role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the state and will help with public outreach efforts in regards to the new Clean Car effort, noted Meg Ragonese, the agency’s public information officer.

“The Nevada Department of Transportation is partnering with the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector,” she explained via email. “The Nevada DOT is also unveiling an internal working group to develop strategies and policies to reduce GHG emissions in our operations to meet state greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

The agency will also continue to develop further innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through its internal working group, Ragonese added.

The Nevada DOT is already working to promote cleaner transportation throughout the state through several other initiatives as well.

For example, in both Las Vegas and Reno, the agency and utility provider NV Energy hosted guest drives of various electric vehicle brands to provide state residents an opportunity to get behind the wheel to learn more about electric vehicle technology and how it could make their personal transportation more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Nevada is also a part of the U.S. Climate Alliance and is therefore accelerating policies to reduce carbon and promote clean energy, with reducing transportation-related GHGs within the state a top priority. Consequently, the Nevada DOT said it is working closely with local government partners such as Washoe County to become one of the leading states pursuing a statewide Clean Cities designation through the U.S. Department of Energy.

Concurrently, the agency is part of the Nevada Electric Highway effort that seeks to link the state with utility and private partners to expand Nevada’s electric vehicle infrastructure at strategic locations along state highways. The Nevada DOT noted it is working to reduce “range anxiety” among motorists by establishing more re-charging stations to ensure electric and hybrid vehicles have enough power to safely reach their destinations.

Ultimately, the Nevada DOT said those efforts are part of a statewide push to keep Nevada “at the forefront” of national policy development and coordination to ensure that all emerging transportation technologies, including reduction of GHGs via vehicles, can be integrated effectively and to the best advantage of the state.