Posts – Page 35 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Tennessee DOT Helps Turn Old Tires into Walking Trail

An eyesore of thousands of dumped tires were recently recycled into material for a hard-surface walking and biking trail at the Tennessee state park in Memphis they once littered, thanks in part to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

[Above photo by the Tennessee DOT]

The Tennessee DOT and Tennessee State Parks recently opened the 2.5-mile-long walking and biking trail at T.O. Fuller State Park in Memphis. Billed as one of the longest rubber-bearing trails in the country, the new trail is primarily composed of 24,000 recycled tires.

Tennessee DOT issued a $200,000 litter grant to support the trail project, which shredded those 24,000 abandoned tires into quarter-inch pieces of crumb rubber. A federal recreational trails program provided another $280,000, with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation or TDEC providing an additional $250,000 grant.

“Litter and illegal dumping are costly and damaging to Tennessee,” explained Joseph Galbato, III, who until recently served as Tennessee DOT’s interim commissioner, in a statement.

[In May, Governor Bill Lee (R) appointed Deputy Governor Butch Eley to serve as the agency’s commissioner in addition to Eley’s current duties.]

“We are thankful for collaborative partnerships like the ‘Tires to Trails’ project which not only addresses the litter problem but turns it into a meaningful and positive long-lasting resource for the community,” Galbato added.

*Michael McClanahan, an outreach specialist with Tennessee DOT, getting his hands dirty to help pull tires out of the park*.

The crumb rubber from the old tires – mixed with a rock aggregate and a polyurethane binder – does not include the metal from those tires, noted Brent Miller, manager of Patriot Tire Recycling in Bristol, TN.

Typically, recycled tires are shredded and used as fuel stock for power plants and paper mills, or made into doormats, he explained.

“This was the first time we’ve done a trail,” said Miller, whose company handles about a million tires a year.

Recycled tires can live a useful second life in some transportation applications. The crumb rubber creates a flexible roadway that resists cracking, requires less maintenance, and is easier on the feet of walkers and joggers, said Alle Crampton, environmental scientist, and manager of the Tire Environmental Act Program for the state.

The walkways also are porous, virtually reducing the stormwater runoff problems associated with concrete and asphalt. The water can soak through the trail and reach the root systems of trees, making it less likely that the root systems will expand and crack the walkway, Crampton said.

More than 400 volunteers collected the passenger, commercial truck, and heavy equipment tires from the park, with many of the volunteers coming from Tennessee DOT, TDEC, the City of Memphis, Shelby County, and Memphis City Beautiful.

T.O. Fuller State Park was the first state park open for African Americans east of the Mississippi River. Originally built in 1938, the state later renamed the park in honor of Dr. Thomas O. Fuller, a prominent African-American educator, pastor, politician, civic leader, and author.

Sweet Success: NCDOT Crews Help Rescue Honey Bees

Routine highway maintenance conducted by a North Carolina Department of Transportation work crew turned into one “honey” of a rescue mission in early June.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

NCDOT Division 9 maintenance crews were working on storm drain repairs and cutting down dead trees along U.S. 52 and discovered something unusual: Two honey-making beehive colonies nestled within one of the dead trees.

An online search for honeybee resources led the crew to “Miss Humble B’s Hive,” a local organization affiliated with the Forsyth County Beekeepers Association.

The group came to the highway work site and collected one live queen, some honeycomb, and most of the hive – relocating the bees to a small wooden hive in their own backyard. The bees rescued from the badly damaged hive at the U.S. 52 site will remain in the wooden hive until the queen starts laying eggs and the colony has enough bees to protect a larger hive, NCDOT said

While honeybees are not listed as an endangered species, their numbers along with several other species of bees have been on the decline over the past few decades – largely attributed to climate change, harmful chemical use, and habitat loss, among other factors. The loss of these important pollinators could have a significant impact on fruit and vegetable crops and wildflowers, noted Tiffany Williams-Brooks, who owns Miss Humble B’s Hive with her husband, Derek.

“When we look at the honeybee population, it is definitely on a decline,” she said in a statement. “When it comes to the number of hives beekeepers have nationally, the number has declined by at least 50 percent over the last several years.”

In terms of the rescued hives, Williams-Brooks said she could not find new broods and eggs. “We found open queen cells where new queens had emerged at some point,” she explained. “There were a lot of bees flying around, but they may not have belonged to that hive. We are in a nectar dearth, [or] scarcity of nectar, so often we will see bees coming in to take honey from other hives.”

Still, NCDOT Transportation Supervisor Kenny Butler – who, along with colleagues Greg Dellacona and Danielle Herrin, located Miss Humble B’s Hive to rescue the bees found along U.S. 52 – considers this bee relocation a success. “It was simply the right thing to do,” he emphasized. “We’re proud of the work our people do and are appreciative of the effort they take to just do the right thing.”

State departments of transportation across the country are engaged in a variety of efforts to preserve pollinator habitats, both for insects and specific plants.

For example, in October 2021, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts or GACD began installing 15 pollinator habitat sites in designated locations as part of a joint effort to educate state residents about the important role “pollinators” such as bees, butterflies, and other insects play in Georgia’s agricultural sector.

“This partnership provides Georgia DOT with the unique opportunity to create a safe and beautiful place for families and travelers to get up close and personal with the wildflowers and grasses [to] learn about how they impact the world around us,” explained Felicity Davis, a landscape architect manager with the Georgia DOT, in a statement.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation participated in a similar endeavor with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) and Tennessee Department of Agriculture as those three agencies formed a partnership in 2019 to support 64 acres of “pollinator meadows” at eight state parks.

Each blooming meadow contains a mix of nectar-bearing plants and milkweed, which sustain pollinators such as bees, moths, butterflies, birds, and small mammals such as bats. Those meadows also assist with TDEC’s Honey Project, which allows the public to purchase honey harvested annually within state parks across Tennessee.

The Tennessee DOT also recently launched a series of animated videos about pollination and pollinator species featuring the narrator “Polli the Tennessee Bee” to educate children about the process of pollination, its importance, and the pollinator species native to Tennessee.

It’s all part of “re-envisioning” the role state DOTs can play in turning roadway rights-of-way into protective habitats, Matthew Quirey – a landscape design and research fellow with The Ray, which is a public-private venture devoted to roadway technology testing along Interstate 85 in West Georgia

In a July 2021 episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Quirey explained how state DOTs can view such roadside “landscapes” are “habitat assets” instead of maintenance burdens.

“In general, we are thinking more about how right-of-ways are being redesigned to bring habitats back together – to serve not just as transportation corridors but ecosystem corridors as well,” he explained. That includes how right-of-ways can serve as habitats for pollinators, and contribute to better stormwater management in order to lessen pollution risks for nearby streams and rivers – incorporating sustainability and resiliency factors within more “environmentally sensitive” planning and design processes, Quirey said.

Environmental News Highlights – June 22, 2022

NYSDOT Begins ‘Engagement’ for Transformative Expressway Project

The New York State Department of Transportation recently launched the formal public “engagement” process for the “transformative” Kensington Expressway project in Buffalo.

[Above photo by the New York Governor’s Office]

Constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, the Kensington Expressway replaced what had been a tree-lined boulevard – the Humboldt Parkway, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted – with a below-grade highway that severed the connection between the surrounding neighborhoods. The original boulevard connected Humboldt Park (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Park) with Delaware Park.

NYSDOT noted that its $32.8 billion five-year capital plan adopted as part of the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget includes up to $1 billion for reconnecting the east-west neighborhoods across the depressed section of the Kensington Expressway corridor.

That funding also aims to help re-establish the green space originally provided by Humboldt Parkway without compromising the long-term capacity of the important regional transportation link provided by the expressway, which carries 80,000 vehicles per day.

The agency said the engagement process for this project – which involves a series of public meetings – provides community members with an opportunity to learn about the various options considered for the project and to provide NYSDOT with feedback.

The input from those sessions and other upcoming public involvement opportunities will help inform the decision-making process for the project, especially in terms of its environmental review.

“The Kensington Expressway project represents a historic opportunity to reshape Buffalo and reconnect communities that were severely impacted by the highway’s construction more than a half-century ago,” noted Governor Kathy Hochul (D) in a statement.

“My administration is committed to delivering on bold infrastructure projects that will help right the wrongs of the past through transportation networks designed to bring communities together, and routes that are friendlier for pedestrians and bikers,” she said. “It’s critical that the community has a voice in how this project proceeds and these scoping sessions will help us inform members of the public about all the options being considered and allow us to listen to their feedback.”

NYSDOT noted that it would consider the comments received at these public “scoping” sessions and respond to them in its Project Scoping Report due later this summer.

Also, the agency plans to launch a new website on the Kensington Expressway Project on June 29, providing another forum for the public to learn about the project.

NYSDOT said it is currently assessing opportunities to create new open public spaces, enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety, and address noise and air pollution, while also assessing enhancements to the local roadways to facilitate safe vehicle operations within reconnected neighborhoods.

Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Wyoming Issue Drafts of EV Charging Plans

The Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation recently released drafts of their electric vehicle or EV charging network development plans – networks funded by federal money through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program established by in February.

[Above photo by the Wyoming DOT]

The Mississippi DOT said that to receive its allocation of NEVI funds, the agency must submit an EV infrastructure deployment plan by August 1 to the Federal Highway Administration. That plan must include detail on EV charging infrastructure deployment, existing and future conditions, and public engagement, the Mississippi noted in a statement.

The agency is currently accepting comments on its plan through July 15.

Meanwhile, PennDOT launched a survey for the public to share feedback on the goals, infrastructure-prioritization, and program-administration components of the draft of its EV recharging plan. Comments on its plan are due by June 30.

“[WE are] committed to making future-focused investments in Pennsylvania to update our highway network to accommodate more electric vehicles and hybrids,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian in a statement. “We have received public and stakeholder feedback throughout this process, which is vital to understanding wants and needs as this transformational technology takes hold.”

PennDOT expects to receive and distribute $171.5 million in funds for its EV charging infrastructure over the next five years through the NEVI formula program.

Finally, the Wyoming DOT issued a draft of its EV infrastructure plan that is open for comments through July 27.

The agency said it expects to receive an almost $24 million allocation from the NEVI formula program over the next five years to establish an EV charging network along its federally-designated alternative fuel corridors: Interstate 80, Interstate 25, and Interstate 90.

Once the FHWA certifies the EV infrastructure build-out along the interstates, Wyoming DOT can spend any remaining NEVI funding in areas outside of those specific interstate corridors. However, the agency stressed that roads or bridges are not eligible for NEVI funds and that no state funding will go towards installing, operating, or maintaining EV chargers deployed using NEVI funds.

Wyoming DOT Director Luke Reiner is seeking an exemption to the initial federal requirements to place EV charging stations every 50 miles and a maximum of one mile from an exit – an exemption due to the predominance of rural routes across Wyoming, projected limited initial EV adoption rates, and the overall system’s economic viability.

“We think this is a common-sense approach to bringing this infrastructure to Wyoming,” he noted in a statement. “We want any traveler, local or tourist, to be able to drive in our great state without worrying about whether the infrastructure is in place to support the type of vehicle they choose to drive.”

Additionally, Wyoming seeks to use NEVI funding to facilitate travel to popular tourist destinations. Tourism is the state’s second-largest industry, and major tourism destinations like Yellowstone National Park are off-corridor.

Environmental News Highlights – June 15, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

House Overwhelmingly Passes Its Version Of WRDA – Waterways Journal

COVID-19

Pre-travel testing requirement lifted: What you need to know about the new US travel policy – CNN

NEPA

Groups file new lawsuit to stop Idaho gold mine drilling – ABC News

Greens win NEPA court fight over Calif. offshore fracking – E&E News

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Virtual Public Meeting – Texas Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Plan – TxDOT (link to video)

Solar highway noise barriers to be deployed across North America – pv magazine

How Rotterdam’s Green Rooftops Fight Urban Heat – Planetizen

GSA Completes First Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Land Port of Entry Project – GSA (Media release)

AIR QUALITY

What are you breathing? Air quality checks are to be available on Google Maps in the US! – Business Today

The aviation industry can hit its emissions goals, but it needs new fuels – MIT Technology Review

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

How New Jersey’s environmental justice law is beginning to affect operators around the country – Waste Dive

Updated Lake Champlain cleanup plan focuses on climate change, environmental justice – VTDigger

A largely forgotten flood ignited the environmental justice movement – Washington Post

NATURAL RESOURCES

DeSantis vetoes Everglades bill that advocates said would harm water quality – Tampa Bay Times

State suspends permit applications for titanium mine near Okefenokee Swamp – The Current

Wildfires in US West Match Climate Projections ‘Eerily’ Well – Bloomberg

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Tennessee Unveils Trail Made Out of Tires – AP

Cleveland streets to include more multi-modal, environmentally-friendly designs under strengthened Complete and Green Streets policy – Cleveland.com

How this ‘little trail that could’ aims to change Salt Lake recreation, transit – KSL

What If Electric Bikes Were as Cheap as Conventional Bicycles? – CityLab

Construction of Shared-Use Path to Begin on Vanocker Canyon Road in Sturgis – South Dakota DOT (Media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Geotechnical Data Applications and Visualization for Transportation – TRB (Webinar)

Linking Land Use and Transportation through Research – TRB (Blog)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) and Miami Beach Channel, Miami, FL – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Safety Zones in Reentry Sites; Jacksonville, Daytona, Cape Canaveral, Tampa, and Tallahassee, Florida – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Removal of Stage II Gasoline Vapor Recovery Program Requirements and Revision of Stage I Gasoline Vapor Recovery Program Requirements – EPA (Final rule)

Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule – EPA (Proposed rule)

Air Plan Approval; Mississippi; Revision of Excess Emissions Provisions – EPA (Proposed rule)

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Gasoline Distribution Technology Review and Standards of Performance for Bulk Gasoline Terminals Review – EPA (Proposed rule)

California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards; Heavy- Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty and Maintenance Provisions; Request for Waiver of Preemption; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Public Comment – EPA (Notice of opportunity for public hearing and comment)

California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The ‘‘Omnibus’’ Low NOX Regulation; Request for Waivers of Preemption; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Public Comment – EPA (Notice of opportunity for public hearing and comment)

California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards; Advanced Clean Trucks; Zero Emission Airport Shuttle; Zero-Emission Power Train Certification; Request for Waiver of Preemption; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Public Comment – EPA (Notice of opportunity for public hearing and comment)

Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit – EPA (Notice of proposed consent
decree; request for public comment)

Development of Best Practices for Collection of Batteries To Be Recycled and Voluntary Battery Labeling Guidelines; Request for Information – EPA (RFI)

Recycling Education and Outreach; Grant Program and Model Recycling Program Toolkit; Request for Information – EPA (RFI)

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Program; Request for Information – EPA (RFI)

Assessing Fees for Excess and Unauthorized Grazing – Forest Service (Final rule)

Credit Assistance and Related Fees for Water Resources Infrastructure Projects – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Proposed rule)

Hazardous Materials: Frequently Asked Questions – Applicability of the Hazardous Materials Regulations; Extension of Comment Period and Notice of Public Informational Webinar – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplement to the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles Acquisitions Final Environmental Impact Statement – Postal Service (Notice)

Submission of Establishment of a New Parking Fee Area at Pearl Harbor National Memorial; Correction – National Park Service (Notice; correction)

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for US Wind’s Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Maryland – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice; request for comments)

FHWA Issues Proposed Rulemaking for Funding EV Infrastructure

The Federal Highway Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 9 to outline minimum standards and requirements for projects funded via the five-year $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program launched in February.

[Above photo by the Arizona DOT]

That rulemaking seeks to support the build-out of a national EV charging network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, while also ensuring that the network is “user-friendly, reliable, and accessible to all Americans” yet also interoperable between different charging companies, with similar payment systems, pricing information, charging speeds, and more.

FHWA said its proposed rule would establish the groundwork for states to build federally funded charging station projects across a national EV charging network, an “important step” towards making electric vehicle charging accessible to all Americans. No matter what kind of EV a user drives, what state they charge in, or what charging company they plug into, the minimum standards will ensure a unified network of chargers with similar payment systems, pricing information, charging speeds, and more, the agency noted.

The proposed requirements will help states as they develop their EV deployment plans in concert with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, established along with the NEVI program by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021.

“To support the transition to electric vehicles, we must build a national charging network that makes finding a charge as easy as filling up at a gas station,” explained U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “These new ground rules will help create a network of EV chargers across the country that are convenient, affordable, reliable, and accessible for all Americans.”

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy – in coordination with USDOT through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation – unveiled the Electric Vehicle Working Group or EVWG to make recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and integration of electric vehicles into America’s transportation and energy systems.

This advisory group will consist of 25 representatives, federal government employees, and special government employees who will compile reports related to the adoption of EVs to help ensure the sustainable integration of electric vehicles into the electric grid, prepare the workforce for more electric vehicles, and maintain global competitiveness in electric transportation infrastructure and technology. The DOE expects to publish the member nomination process by next week.

Additionally, FHWA said its proposed rule would require consistency regarding the installation, operation, and maintenance of NEVI formula program projects to provide the traveling public with reliable expectations for their charging experience. The proposed rule would further specify the required minimum density of provided chargers, payment methods, and requirements for customer support services.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is already assisting in this build-out effort via a memorandum of understanding signed in February with the National Association of State Energy Officials, USDOT, and DOE to coordinate nationwide investment in EV charging station infrastructure.

AASHTO also helped establish a free repository of information in March on EVs available to state agencies. Called the “EV States Clearinghouse,” it contains a variety of documents such as sample requests for proposals or RFPs, sample contracts, EV infrastructure siting, and assessment tools, plus other resources.

“The focus on electric vehicle charging infrastructure across our national transportation network is a huge step to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and we applauded the administration’s focus on this issue,” explained Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director. “Many state departments of transportation have found success in their own EV charging infrastructure programs and know first-hand that collaboration between state energy offices and other agencies is instrumental to success.”

Several state DOTs recently achieved milestones in their efforts to establish more EV charging locations along highways in their respective regions. For example, the Oregon Department of Transportation recently celebrated the completion of Phase 1 EV charging upgrades to the West Coast Electric Highway. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Department of Transportation unveiled Level 3 “fast chargers” at the I-95 Southbound service plaza in Madison. Connecticut DOT added that more publicly available fast chargers should go online at service plazas in New Canaan, Greenwich, and Fairfield over the next several weeks.

Concurrently, the Arizona Department of Transportation is currently developing a statewide EV charging network plan it expects to submit to FHWA by August, with further plan refinements to follow.

Moreover, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development went a step further by hosting an outdoor EV exposition in April at its headquarters facility in Baton Rouge.

“Overall, we want to convert gas stations into fuel stations where a variety of fuel options, including electric charging, are available,” noted Dr. Shawn Wilson, Louisiana DOTD’s secretary and AASHTO’s 2021-2022 president, at the event. “In order to become a competitor in green energy, Louisiana must make changes, and this starts with our transportation industry.”

Wilson added that Louisiana DOTD plans to start developing the grant programs now through 2023, soliciting applications as well as monitoring and inspecting charging station installations while identifying and correcting weaknesses in the grant programs for use in future rounds of solicitations and awards.

Maryland Initiates Tier 2 NEPA Study for Bay Crossing Project

At a June 12 event, Governor Larry Hogan (R) said the Maryland Transportation Authority and the Federal Highway Administration are launching a $28 million Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act study for an additional Chesapeake Bay crossing option.

[Above photo by the Maryland Governor’s Office]

“At my direction, we are immediately launching a critical Bay Crossing Tier 2 Study, which will not only study the new crossing but also look at solutions for the entire 22-mile corridor from the Severn River Bridge to the 50/301 split,” the governor said in a statement.

“This is the critical next step which is needed in order to move forward so we can make a new Chesapeake Bay crossing a reality in the years to come, and it is just one more way that together we are truly changing Maryland for the better,” he added.

He noted that, in April, FHWA approved a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Record of Decision for the proposed bridge, with the Tier 2 NEPA study poised to identify and evaluate a “no-build alternative” as well as various crossing alignments and types – such as a new bridge, a bridge/tunnel or replacement of existing spans.

The study would take about four to five years to complete. If it recommends a “build alignment” alternative, another Record of Decision for Tier 2 would be required before proceeding to final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction. Meanwhile, a “no-build” recommendation means taking no action of any kind.

The initial Tier 1 study evaluated a range of “modal and operational alternatives” or MOAs, including ferry service, rail, bus, and transportation system management/transportation demand management, and found they could not function as stand-alone options. Subsequently, the Tier 2 study will re-analyze the use of buses, ferries, and transportation system/demand management, especially in conjunction with other mobility alternatives.

Environmental News Highlights – June 8, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

State DOTs Working to Expand EV Charging Network – AASHTO Journal

Biden’s environmental justice office is open. Can it get the money it needs? – Politico

FAA acting administrator calls for collaboration to advance sustainable aviation fuel commercialization – CAPA

The Supreme Court Is Pursuing a Very Dangerous Strategy for the Environment – New York Times (Opinion)

COVID-19

Pandemic sparked ‘aggressive’ driving culture, FMCSA official says – Land Line

US airlines, travel industry push White House to end pre-travel testing – CNN

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Flood sensor project will offer city real-time data as storms intensify

Integrating Resilience into Infrastructure Decision-Making – AASHTO Journal

You Can Build It. But Will They Come? – Slate

Tesla and others lobby for federal funding of charging infrastructure for electric trucks – Electrek

New York Announces New Online Resource Center for State’s Continued Expansion of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure – New York Governor’s Office

AIR QUALITY

Manufacturers sue CARB over truck emissions rule lead time – FleetOwner

FAA indicates ban coming on leaded gas for small planes – Columbia Insight

EPA Releases Annual Air Report, Highlighting Trends through 2021 – EPA (Media release)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

COMTO, AASHTO and Transportation Equity with April Rai – AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast

Federal Environmental Justice Program Could Worsen Outcomes in Low-Income Neighborhoods – Planetizen

Shared Micromobility: The Future Of Equitable Transportation – CalBike (Commentary)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Bill to combat Alaska’s invasive species falls short in Legislature – Alaska Beacon

Rising water makes Lake Michigan wetlands vulnerable to invaders – Great Lakes Echo

Five years after massive manure spill, residents fighting for clean water – Wisconsin Examiner

CULTURAL RESOURCES

A New Elevated Park Offers a Blueprint to Cooling Cities – Surface

Lessons From the Golden Age of the Mall Walkers – CityLab

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Children who attend schools with more traffic noise show slower cognitive development – ScienceDaily

Guide To Lawrence Loop Aims To Help People With Mobility Limitations Navigate City’s Nature Trails – Lawrence Times

Scooter Partnerships Take Root as Micromobility Expands – Governing

Monroe County, New York to create active transportation plan – WHEC-TV

Green Bay looks to implement bike and pedestrian plan with help from ARPA funds – WLUK-TV

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Health in the Climate Emergency: A global perspective – The InterAcademy Partnership

Infrastructure Equity in Action – Regional Plan Association (Webinar and link to registration)

Electric Vehicle Outlook 2022 – BloombergNEF

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Great Outdoors Month – President of the United States (Proclamation)

Request for Information (RFI) Regarding Wildfire Crisis Implementation Plan – Forest Service (Request for information)

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on the Interstate 81 Viaduct Project, Onondaga County, New York – FHWA (Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by FHWA and other Federal agencies.)

Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; New York; Ozone and Particulate Matter Controls Strategies – EPA (Final rule)

Determination To Defer Sanctions; California; San Diego County Air Pollution Control District – EPA (Interim final determination)

Air Plan Approval; California; San Diego County Air Pollution Control District – EPA (Proposed rule)

Air Plan Approval; North Dakota; Removal of Exemptions to Visible Air Emissions Restrictions – EPA (Proposed rule)

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Notification for a Virtual Public Meeting – EPA (Notification for a public meeting)

Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) and Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS) Meeting – EPA (Notification of public meeting)

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft General Conformity Determination for the Proposed Terminal Area Plan and Air Traffic Procedures at Chicago O’Hare International Airport – FAA (Notice)

Establishment of a New Parking Fee Area at Pearl Harbor National Memorial – National Park Service (Notice)

Call for Review Editor Nominations for the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) – NOAA (Request for public nominations)

Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notice; issuance of updated advisory bulletin)

National Towing Safety Advisory Committee; June 2022 Virtual Meeting – Coast Guard (Notice)

Pacific Wind Lease Sale 1 (PACW-1) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf in California – Proposed Sale Notice – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice; request for comments)

Minnesota DOT Tallies 2021 Litter Clean-Up Efforts

Thousands of Adopt-a-Highway volunteers picked up more than 29,500 bags of trash from highway ditches in 2021, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

[Above photo by the Minnesota DOT]

Across Minnesota, over 1,500 Adopt-a-Highway groups volunteered more than 70,000 hours collectively in 2021, with 830 roadway sections currently available for adoption statewide, the agency said.

“We can’t thank our Adopt-a-Highway volunteers enough for the service they provide our state and would love to have more groups on our team,” noted Ann McLellan, Minnesota DOT’s manager for its statewide “Adopt-a-Highway” efforts, in a statement. The Adopt-a-Highway program has been part of Minnesota DOT’s maintenance operations since 1990, she added.

Minnesota DOT provides safety training, trash bags, and safety vests for Adopt-a-Highway volunteers, with agency maintenance crews picking up the filled bags that volunteers leave along the side of the road.

“Volunteers not only help to keep Minnesota roadsides clean, but their work allows our crews to focus on other tasks that help keep highways safe,” McLellan said. “It is a win-win for all involved.”

State departments of transportation across the country have been ramping up litter removal efforts over the past year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced many to curtail or even suspend highway trash collection and removal efforts.

State DOTs are also deploying new equipment and policies to clean up highway litter.

For example, the Idaho Transportation Department deployed a new machine in March to pick up trash along Interstate 90 from Washington to Coeur d’Alene.

The new contraption requires two operators – one to drive the machine, which uses metal teeth to comb through the grass, and another to haul the trash away in a dump truck.

“To do [clear trash] one mile by hand takes five operators working together for eight hours,” explained Jerry Wilson, an operations engineer with the agency, in a statement. “With this machine, we can cut that down to two people working five hours and still cover the same distance.”

On the policy front, in April 2021, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development implemented a new policy for its field crews to pick up trash in the footprint where they work for the day. Called the ‘Take 10’ campaign, it commits agency work crews to take 10 minutes per day at their job sites to pick up highway litter.

“I try to never ask anyone to do anything that I’m not willing to do myself,” said Shawn Wilson, Ph. D., Louisiana DOTD’s secretary, in a statement at the time. Wilson – who also serves as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2021-2022 president – noted that his “long-term vision” is to get to a point where this policy is no longer necessary and that “we’re no longer spending millions to help correct a 100 percent preventable problem.”

Meanwhile, Governor Tom Wolf (D) recently presented a group of employees from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection with Governor’s Awards for Excellence in recognition of their efforts to develop the first-ever Pennsylvania Litter Action Plan, unveiled in December 2021.

Through coordination with over 100 stakeholders, the employees from both state agencies spearheaded the development of a plan with the goal to shift the focus of Pennsylvania’s response to litter from cleanup to prevention. The plan includes resources and suggestions for the General Assembly, state agencies, local governments, and the public.