Posts – Page 13 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Inaugural 2023 Reconnecting Communities Summit

ReConnect Rondo, a local grassroots organization in St. Paul, MN, hosted the first “Reconnecting Communities Summit” on October 11-14, as part of a broader national effort to open a dialogue between transportation officials and community organizations seeking to leverage grants awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods” pilot program.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

The AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence – operated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration – was thrilled to work with Reconnect Rondo and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) to sponsor the summit.

ReConnect Rondo is an organization with a mission to revitalize the Rondo community with a land bridge that reconnects the historic Rondo neighborhood that was divided by the construction of Interstate 94 during the post-World War II highway building boom.

ReConnect Rondo, COMTO, and the Center for Environmental Excellence hope to use the momentum of the summit as a springboard to the development of a “community of practice” for both recipients of the $185 million in grants issued via the first round of USDOT’s “Reconnecting” program as well as other organizations seeking future grant opportunities through it.

The summit featured a plenary session that included speeches from ReConnect Rondo Board Chair Marvin Roger Anderson, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-4), and COMTO Minnesota Chapter President Tekia Jefferson. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter III also spoke at the meeting. The event’s diverse array of presentations and forums, along with question and answer panels, put a spotlight on equity in transportation and the importance of robust community engagement and outreach.

Concluding the summit were words from Keynote speaker Liz Ogbu, architect and author of numerous works tackling the challenges of cultural leadership and community building, as well as an address from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

In addition to helping sponsor the summit, the Center for Environmental Excellence is featuring interviews with summit participants on its Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP podcast as part of its four-part series on transportation equity.

Wyoming DOT Completes Dry Piney Wildlife Crossing

The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently completed a long-awaited project aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions along the Green River in western Wyoming.

[Above image by Wyoming DOT]

The agency released a video detailing how wildlife crossings built as part of its $15.1 million Dry Piney project will help reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

The Dry Piney project – a joint effort between the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming DOT – includes nine underpasses and 16.7 miles of eight foot-high fencing on both sides of Highway 189 in the western part of the state to protect big game animals, primarily mule deer.

Construction of wildlife crossing infrastructure is getting a national boost via a new pilot project launched by the U.S. Department of Transportation in April; an effort funded by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA.

That pilot program – dubbed the “Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program” and managed by the Federal Highway Administration – will make grant funding available to states and communities to construct wildlife crossings over or below busy roads, add warning signs for drivers, acquire mapping and tracking tools, and more.

FHWA is making a total of $350 million available over five years, including more than $111 million in grants through its first round of funding in 2023. The agency also noted that roughly 200 people are killed – and many more are injured – annually in the United States in more than one million collisions involving wildlife and vehicles.

A recent blog post by the Pew Trusts highlights how the growing success of wildlife crossings – bridges, underpasses, and culverts designed to help animals avoid vehicle traffic – across the U.S. is drawing a surge of interest from policymakers seeking to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and protect animals.

Meanwhile, state departments of transportation have already been working on a variety of wildlife-vehicle collision prevention initiatives over the last several years.

For example, to date, Colorado DOT said it has built more than 60 wildlife mitigation structures crossing above or under highways throughout the state. Additionally, it has installed 400 miles of high big game fencing along state and U.S. highways or next to the interstates.

In August 2022, the agency completed a wildlife overpass and underpass on U.S. Highway 160 in the southwestern part of the state; a stretch of road where more than 60 percent of all crashes are due to wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Concurrently, a research document released in July 2022 by an international pool funded study led by the Nevada Department of Transportation provides an “authoritative review” of the most effective measures to reduce animal-vehicle collisions, improve motorist safety, and build safer wildlife crossings.

Environmental News Highlights – November 8, 2023

Iowa DOT Rest Area also a Native American Museum

One of the newest “next generation” highway rest areas built and maintained by the Iowa Department of Transportation also doubles as a museum of Native American culture.

[Above photo by the Iowa DOT]

In a blog post, the agency said each of its “next generation” rest areas features a specific “theme” to help travelers learn more about what makes Iowa unique.

Traveling northbound on Interstate 29 in western Iowa, the agency’s newest rest area is nestled near the Loess Hills just west of Glenwood and highlights the history of the Native American tribes of that area and how they are connected to what archaeologists call the “Central Plains Tradition.”

In 1968, archeologists spent about four years uncovering 19 earth lodge homes in advance of the construction of U.S. 34. Those archaeologists also discovered that about 300 of these structures once dotted the landscape near modern-day Glenwood.

“What we did at the rest area was use the information from those excavations to tell the history of the area,” noted Brennan Dolan, cultural resource project manager for Iowa DOT’s District 2.

“It’s less about the artifacts that were uncovered, and more about the context they provide and the dynamic stories they tell about the people who lived here,” he added. “I think it’s really cool that 50 years after these excavations, we finally get to tell this story of this human experience through transportation and contemporary art.”

Inside and outside of the rest area, interpretive plaques, statues, and murals commissioned by four Native American artists describe the history of the Native American tribes that resided in the area.

Iowa DOT added that this rest area – like all of its “next generation” models – is as “functional as it is beautiful,” offering free Wi-Fi and an observatory balcony at the rear of the building to give you a glimpse at the Loess Hills.

Archeological teams working for state departments of transportation across the country uncover and preserve a wide range of important historical finds.

In October 2022, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet helped establish a new website highlighting more than 100 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites across the state’s 64 counties.

In August 2022, archaeologists from the Maryland Department of Transportation helped excavate two small Colonial-era cabins near the historic Elkridge Furnace in Howard County, MD, located on land originally purchased for a highway project.

In January 2022, the Colorado Department of Transportation debuted a documentary called “Durango 550 – Path of the Ancestral Puebloans” to show how the agency worked with archaeologists and regional Native American tribes to document, study, and ultimately share the discoveries unearthed near Durango in southwest Colorado.

And in July 2023, the Washington Department of Transportation illustrated in a blog post the important connections between the sciences of archeology and transportation infrastructure construction.

NCDOT Supports Launch of Multimodal Charging Hub

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is helping support the launch of the state’s first electric aircraft charging hub in early 2024 at Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford; a hub designed to be “multimodal” so it can charge not only electric aircraft but electric cars and trucks as well.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company, will install the two multimodal charging stations to serve electric aircraft and ground electric vehicles. The site will include a Level-3 fast-charge Charge Cube, which will charge electric aircraft in under an hour, and an accompanying Charge Center where aircraft crew can rest.

Those new chargers in North Carolina will be part of a growing national network of charging stations BETA is building to enable electric flight. The company has also developed electric aircraft capable of moving passengers and cargo more efficiently and with fewer environmental impacts.

The groundbreaking event featured one of those aircraft, BETA’s ALIA conventional takeoff and landing electric aircraft. The plane originated at BETA’s headquarters in Burlington, VT, and stopped in North Carolina during its 1,500-mile flight down the East Coast – an aeronautical tour coordinated by the U.S. Air Force’s research arm, known as AFWERX.

NCDOT noted in a statement that the Raleigh Executive Jetport site will also include a Level 2 car charger, which will be installed in the airport’s parking lot. The project required a significant expansion of the airport’s apron, where the charging stations will be located. The NCDOT funded the expansion of the apron, which was recently completed and is now ready for additional construction.

The agency noted that electrification is a key component of the state’s “Advance Mobility NC” strategic plan, which leverages NCDOT’s work to create a multimodal transportation system that improves the mobility of people and freight.

Environmental News Highlights – November 1, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO Backs Preserving State/Local Authority on AVs -AASHTO Journal

Big federal dollars for small state projects aim to get more cars off the roads -Missouri Independent

Legacy programs stymie Biden’s efforts to boost equity in infrastructure spending -Route Fifty

Q&A with Susan Handy, Director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation at UC Davis –Sactown

Readout of the Environmental Permitting Technology and Data Summit -White House (media release)

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Progress Update –Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (media release)

COVID-19

The work commute changed after the pandemic, new data shows -State Smart Transportation Initiative

NEPA

Unlocking New Mexico’s energy potential: The imperative of NEPA reform -Las Cruces Sun News (opinion)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Rubber hits the road at tire recycling event -Jefferson City News Tribune

Geothermal technology is now being used at Louisville Airport -WLKY-TV

How to Prevent Forest Fires by Building Cities With More Wood –Bloomberg

White House opens $45 billion in federal funds to developers to covert offices to homes -Dow Jones

AIR QUALITY

EPA to Increase Air Monitoring at Marine Ports -National Law Review (contributed content)

California meets its target for zero-emissions truck sales two years ahead of schedule -California Air Resources Board (media release)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Nevada shows commitment to getting desert wildlife across the road safely -Las Vegas Sun

How New York City Turned the World’s Biggest Garbage Dump Into a Park –Bloomberg

Humans mimicking beavers to combat wildfires and restore wetlands -Wildfire Today

Idaho Adopt-A-Highway Removes 3 Million Pounds Of Litter, Saves $25 Million In Labor -Idaho Transportation Department (media release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

How Transportation Improves Quality of Life -Talking Michigan Transportation (podcast)

Delmont, PA council approves transportation plan aimed at improving pedestrian, bike infrastructure -Murrysville Star

Multiple Bay Area Programs Aim to Expand Access to E-Bikes -Government Technology

How a century-old rail agreement slowed a Seattle bike lane project -Seattle Times

As e-bikes grow in popularity, so do calls for safety certification –Grist

Need to find a bike rack in Atlanta? There’s an app for that -WAGA-TV

Boulder installs protected bike lane infrastructure new to the US -City of Boulder (media release)

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Webinar: Accommodating Utilities in Highway and Freeway Right-of-Way -AASHTO and NCHRP

Webinar: Mitigating Air Pollution Exposures from Transportation –TRB

Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States –TRB

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Performance Functions –TCHRP

Is Federal Infrastructure Investment Advancing Equity Goals? -Urban Institute

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Transportation and Climate Division (TCD) Grant Program Reporting Templates: Supplemental Project Application Template and Project Reporting Templates for Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA), Clean School Bus (CSB), Clean Heavy Duty (CHD), and Clean Ports Grant Programs; EPA ICR No. 2793.01, OMB Control No. 2060–NEW -EPA (Notice)

Revising Scope of the Mining Sector of Projects That Are Eligible for Coverage Under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act -Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Extension of comment period)

Federal Management Regulation; Designation of Authority and Sustainable Siting –GSA

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Charter Renewal -FRA (Announcement)

Public Meeting of the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee -Geological Survey (Notice)

Emergency Management & Security Summit Set for November

Business integration firm Critical Ops will be hosting a Transportation Emergency Management and Security Summit & Exchange November 15-16 in Washington D.C. to share insights, best practices, and lessons learned in the field regarding how to improve the resiliency of mobility networks, covering everything from natural disasters to cyberattacks.

[Above image via TRB]

Critical Ops is hosting this summit on behalf of the Transportation Research Board’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) to provide a platform for thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to collectively shape the future of transportation security.

Chelsea Treboniak, president of Critical Ops, said in a statement that the event will feature a diverse array of presentations, roundtable discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to facilitate collaboration and foster an environment of knowledge-sharing.

“We are excited to host this summit & exchange,” Treboniak added. “In today’s rapidly changing world, it is essential that we come together to share our knowledge and experiences. This summit is a unique opportunity for transportation leaders to stay ahead of the curve and strengthen the resilience of our vital networks.”

More information about this summit is available by clicking here.

WSDOT Builds Sustainability into Multimodal Hub Project

In a recent blog post, the Washington State Department of Transportation detailed how it is building sustainability into the I-405/NE 85th St Interchange and Inline Bus Rapid Transit or BRT Station project – an infrastructure endeavor that marks the start of work on the Stride BRT public transit system on I-405.

[Above photo by WSDOT]

Constructed in concert with Sound Transit, the City of Kirkland, design-builder Graham Contracting Ltd., and many regional partners, this new “multimodal hub” includes wider sidewalks on Northeast 85th Street and improved BRT connectivity to the broader regional transit network.

At the same time, the project is building convenient direct access ramps to the I-405 express toll lane or ETL system to help streamline highway commuting for carpooler and ETL users.

Yet WSDOT stressed that the new NE 85th Street Interchange “multimodal hub” does not just make carpooling and using public transportation more convenient; it also incorporates several key environmental stewardship aspects as well:

Removing fish barriers: WSDOT plans to remove and correct a fish barrier as part of this project; helping sustain and grow salmon and steelhead fish populations while meeting tribal treaty obligations. Fixing fish barriers is essential for preserving ecological balance, sustaining local economies, respecting cultural traditions of local tribes, and creating jobs, while promoting the long-term health and resilience for the state, WSDOT said.
Replanting native, adaptive plants, and trees: While some tree removal is necessary during construction, WSDOT aims to minimize it as much of that as possible. Many trees removed from the project site will be “repurposed” for stream habitat restoration. Then, at the end of construction, WSDOT plans to replant more trees than were removed; focusing on native species to improve the environment and control non-native plants.

During a construction kick-off event for this multimodal hub, Penny Sweet – mayor of the City of Kirkland – noted that the neighborhood surrounding the project site should be able to “blossom” with opportunities for affordable housing and park amenities, as well as new commercial and retail services.

“Kirkland is all in on BRT and the amazing interchange that will make it all possible,” she said. “We will continue to be an ally and advocate in bringing this generational mobility infrastructure to life.”

Environmental News Highlights – October 25, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT Forms Climate and Transportation Research Group -AASHTO Journal

EPA takes step toward regulating lead in fuel for small planes -The Hill

States pitch mileage tax to bridge gap in federal highway funding -Route Fifty

Longer Commutes, Shorter Lives: The Costs of Not Investing in America -New York Times Magazine

I-95 is going to become an electric truck charging corridor –Electrek

NEPA

Wyoming officials slam proposed changes to NEPA -Sundance Times

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Trucking Stakeholders Tackle EV Challenges -Transport Topics

Current Climate: Federal Government Projects A Surge In Renewable Energy In The Coming Decade –Forbes

MTI report outlines economic and environmental benefits of high-speed rail in U.S. -Mass Transit

What are those glass balls in the road? INDOT experts shed light on reflective technology -WTHR-TV

Can California continue to fight the ocean? A new book argues for new approaches -Lookout Santa Cruz

Metrolink utilizes first-in-nation earthquake safety technology to conduct on-board drill for Great California ShakeOut -Metrolink (media release)

AIR QUALITY

Revealed: how a little-known pollution rule keeps the air dirty for millions of Americans -The Guardian

New California rules to reduce vessel emissions at ports get federal OK -Long Beach Post

California Trucking Association Sues to Block CARB Rule –Transport Topics

Airlines say they’ve found a route to climate-friendly flying –Vox

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/EQUITY

Making transportation more accessible around Lake Tahoe -Tahoe Daily Tribune

Reducing Negative Health Impacts from Transportation on Communities of Color -Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (media release)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Historic low water levels on Mississippi River stymie commercial barge traffic in Arkansas -Talk Business & Politics

EPA selects six communities to improve stormwater management and advance environmental justice -EPA Region 1 (media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Utah governor says future Olympics could bring transportation improvements, trains -KPCW Radio

New York Subway Stations, Through the Eyes of an Architect –CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Look at highway work zones from my perspective -PhillyVoice (contributed content

)

New Bicycle Path Improvements Change the Face of Downtown Santa Barbara -Santa Barbara Independent

Brownsville, Texas makes mobility plan public -Brownsville Herald

Houston Bike-Share Is Struggling. Public Transit Is Stepping In. –Governing

Greenacres ‘Dillman Trail’ providing safe alternative transportation for locals and students in Florida -WPBF-TV

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Clearing the Skies with Research on Electric Vehicles –TRB

TRB Webinar: Demonstrated Performance of Buried Bridges –TRB

Nighttime Visibility for Safety -FHWA Center of Accelerating Innovation

Series Finale: Commemorating the Second Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) -USDOT Volpe Center (link to webinar registration)

Co-Cities: Innovative Transitions toward Just and Self-Sustaining Communities -Carnegie Mellon University (webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public Meeting -Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (Notice)

Finding That Lead Emissions From Aircraft Engines That Operate on Leaded Fuel Cause or Contribute to Air Pollution That May Reasonably Be Anticipated To Endanger Public Health and Welfare -EPA (Final action)

Science Advisory Board Environmental Justice Science and Analysis Review Panel; Nominations Request -EPA (Notice)

California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Ocean- Going Vessels At-Berth; Notice of Decision -EPA (Notice of decision)

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council -Forest Service, Agriculture (Notice of meeting)

National Maritime Security Advisory Committee; December 2023 Virtual Meeting -U.S. Coast Guard (Notice of Federal advisory committee virtual meeting)

Cape Hatteras National Seashore; Bicycling -National Park Service (Proposed rule)

ETAP Podcast Discusses Active Transportation

The second episode of a four-part Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP podcast series focuses on the crucial connections required between planners, policymakers, and local communities in order to make active transportation systems more attractive and inclusive for all users. (To listen to the first episode, click here.)

[Above photo by AASHTO]

“Active transportation” encompasses “human-powered” mobility options, such as biking or walking, and is also viewed as a way to help bridge the first- and last-mile gap in public transit systems. Active transportation also offers public health benefits as well, as it engages users in physical activity.

This ETAP podcast episode sits down with Tamika Butler, principal of Tamika Butler Consulting, who describes how her firm strives to help build more equitable and inclusive active transportation systems for minority and low-income communities.

The podcast also visits with Joshua Phillips, communications and public relations coordinator for the Alabama Department of Transportation, about “City Walk Birmingham,” also known as “City Walk BHAM.”

The recent completion of Birmingham’s I-59/20 Central Business District (CBD) Interstate bridges brings about a renewed focus on the space underneath the bridges known as City Walk BHAM. The goal of the project is to provide a space to assist in reconnecting Birmingham and create a destination and common area open to all citizens.

Conceptual planning began on City Walk BHAM in 2014 as a way to create a “fresh and vibrant space” underneath the I-59/20 Central Business District Interstate bridges.

Phillips noted on the podcast that at every phase of the project, Alabama DOT worked to engage the public in the project so it could be better tailored to pedestrian needs; an effort that resulted in the creation of public park and recreation spaces within the project.

To listen to the full podcast, click here.