Posts – Page 45 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Grants Issued to Replace Aging Diesel Transit Buses in Ohio

The Ohio Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant or DERG program recently awarded six grants totaling more than $9 million for replacing 25 aging diesel transit buses with cleaner diesel or alternative fuel technology. The Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency jointly administer the state’s DERG program.

[Above photo by the Ohio DOT]

In a statement, the Ohio EPA estimated that those new buses should cut emissions by more than six tons of air pollutants annually; an air quality benefit that should continue to accrue each year the new buses remain in service.

Projects receiving funding include:

Central Ohio Transit Authority, which received $1.96 million to cover 80 percent of the cost to replace four 2009 diesel-powered buses with four new units powered by compressed natural gas or CNG.
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, which received $1.97 million for 61 percent of the cost to replace six 2005-2006 diesel powered buses with six new CNG-powered buses.
Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, which received $1.2 million for 80 percent of the cost to replace three 2010 diesel-powered transit buses with three new diesel-powered buses.
METRO Regional Transit Authority, which received $855,000 for 80 percent of the cost to replace two 2010 diesel-powered buses with two new CNG-powered buses.
Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority, which received $1.1 million for 70 percent of the cost to replace three 2003-2005 buses with three new CNG-powered buses.
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, which received $2 million for 80 percent of the cost to replace seven 2010-2016 diesel-powered buses with six new CNG-powered buses and one hydrogen fuel cell-powered bus.

Funding for those DERG grants comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program. The Ohio DOT noted that the next DERG application deadline occurs in the fall of 2022.

AASHTO Issues Revised Pedestrian Facilities Guide

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently released the second edition of the Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities.

This new and completely revised edition – which supersedes the guide’s first edition, published in 2004 – provides guidance on the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities along streets and highways.

The new guide focuses on identifying effective measures for accommodating pedestrians on public rights-of-way as well as appropriate methods for accommodating pedestrians, which vary among roadway and facility types.

The primary audiences for this guide include planners, roadway designers, and transportation engineers – whether at the state or local level – the majority of whom make decisions on a daily basis that affect pedestrians. This guide also recognizes the impact of land-use planning and site design on pedestrian mobility.

The new guide is available to purchase in hardcopy, as a PDF Download (either single-user, five-user, or ten-user), or in a set that includes both the hardcopy and single-user PDF Download at a discounted rate. For more information on the new pedestrian guide, visit the online AASHTO Store and search by the Item Code GPF-2 or go directly to new publication by clicking here.

State DOTs Issue Grants to Support Active Transportation Projects

The Georgia Department of Transportation and North Carolina Department of Transportation recently issued millions in grants to support a variety of alternative transportation projects across their respective states.

[Above photo by the Georgia DOT]

In partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, the Georgia DOT awarded nine Transportation Alternatives Program or TAP grants totaling over $4.5 million to support the development and/or improvement of multi-use trails, sidewalks, bicycle, pedestrian, and streetscapes in nine counties statewide.

Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said TAP grants provide an opportunity for local governments to pursue “non-traditional” transportation related activities, with those awards comprised of 80 percent federal funds with a 20 percent local match.

“One of our most important initiatives is ensuring the safety of the public and these projects, while not traditional road improvement projects, certainly lend themselves to enhancing the safety of the pedestrians of Georgia,” he noted in a statement.

Meanwhile, NCDOT said in a statement that it is providing grants to 13 municipalities statewide with bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts.

The NCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant program, now in its 19th year, helps North Carolina communities develop a comprehensive strategy for expanding bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and improving the safety of our transportation network for all users.

Jointly sponsored by the agency’s Integrated Mobility Division and Transportation Planning Division, that program has to date issued more than $7.5 million to support for 244 plans in 238 municipalities and 6 counties.

Environmental News Highlights, Dec. 21, 2021

Environmental News Highlights – December 15, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO Re:source Podcast Examines the IIJA – AASHTO Journal

WH has new slogan on infrastructure, but message the same – AP

FACT SHEET: President Biden Signs Executive Order Catalyzing America’s Clean Energy Economy Through Federal Sustainability – White House (Media release)

MARAD Announces $12.6 Million in Grants for America’s Marine Highways – MARAD (Media release)

FACT SHEET: The Biden-⁠Harris Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan – The White House (Media release)

COVID-19

US Supreme Court dismisses challenge to air travel mask mandate – Jurist

Near pre-pandemic travel volumes expected to continue through December holidays – TSA (Media release)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

A Conversation With Connecticut DOT Commissioner Joe Guilietti – Taking Transportation blog

Oklahoma secretary of transportation tempers expectations for funding boost from bipartisan infrastructure deal – KWGS Radio

TikTok Influencer and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Break Down Build Back Better Agenda – Teen Vogue

Alaska Governor, DOT Commissioner Announce AMHS Infrastructure Plan – Alaska Governor’s Office (Media release)

UNH Research Finds Future Snowmelt Could Have Costly Consequences on Infrastructure – University of New Hampshire (Media release)

AIR QUALITY

Union Pacific Railroad Works to Cut Its Carbon Emissions – AP

Whitmer Executive Directive: Electric Cars And Clean Energy Jobs – WBCK Radio

Skagway works to pioneer one of the first electric ferry programs in the country – KHNS Radio

Biden praises Kansas City’s free electric buses as the future of infrastructure – KCUR Radio

FAA research grants aim to tackle aviation’s massive deficit of greener fuel – CNBC

California truckers could soon have to worry about pollution tickets along with speeding tickets – KFSN-TV

Seattle, Tacoma Ports Plan to Phase Out Maritime Emissions – Maritime Logistics Professional

Oregon Joins Other Western States With Electric Truck Rules – Government Technology

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

The problem and potential of Oakland’s parks – Oaklandside

Better Ways for FTA to Measure Transit Equity – TransitCenter (Commentary)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Houston-based flood warning system to bring life-saving alerts to Southeast drivers during severe weather events – KBMT-TV

A northern extension of the Florida Turnpike is moving ahead, despite public opposition – WMFE Radio

Farmers Embrace State-Federal Partnerships to Protect Water Quality – American Farm Bureau Federation

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Expansion of U.S. Bicycle Route System Continues – AASHTO Journal

FDOT focuses on pedestrian safety – West Volusia Beacon

Northwest Arkansas receives 9 grants for trails, sidewalks – KFSM

More cities are embracing scooters, e-bikes. This urban planner sees growth in shared mobility. – Washington Post

IDOT meeting will study pedestrian, bicycle accommodations on Bob Michel Bridge – WEEK-TV

CTDOT Announces Launch Of Vision Zero Council Website For Traffic Safety Information And An Invitation For Public Engagement – Connecticut DOT (Media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Resource Guide for Improving Diversity and Inclusion Programs for the Public Transportation Industry – TRB

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Revised Definition of ‘‘Waters of the United States’’ – Corps of Engineers and EPA (Proposed rule)

Notice of Availability of a Final General Conformity Determination for the California High-Speed Rail System, Burbank to Los Angeles Section – FRA (Notice)

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program – FRA (Notice)

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee Notice of Public Meetings National Park Service (Notice)

Request for Nominations for the National Park System Advisory Board – National Park Service (Notice)

Public Hearing for RFS Annual Rules – EPA (Notice)

AASHTO Comments on Proposed Migratory Bird Permit Rule

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is “generally supportive” of a rule proposed in October by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop a national migratory bird “incidental take mechanism” that also provides “flexibility” to state departments of transportation as construction seasons and bird breeding seasons vary across the country.

[Above photo of migratory swans by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]

The proposed rule regards the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which protects migratory bird species between the United States and Canada. That law makes it unlawful without a waiver from the USFWS to “pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, or sell” nearly 1,100 species of birds listed with the statute and does not discriminate between live or dead birds. It also grants full protection to any bird parts including feathers, eggs, and nests.

AASHTO stressed in a December 3 letter to the USFWS in a letter that it is desirable “to have a mechanism that allows state DOTs to propose bird management timeframes and best management practices” to limit migratory bird take.

AASHTO added that state DOTs do not support a general conservation fee as part of the transportation permitting process when migratory birds are involved. However, the organization noted that an “in-lieu fee approach” for individual transportation projects with unavoidable impacts could make sense depending on the details.

Utility Coalition Seeks to Build National EV Charging Network

The newly formed National Electric Highway Coalition – consisting of 51 investor-owned electric companies, an electric cooperative, and the Tennessee Valley Authority – seeks to build a national network of electric vehicle or EV fast-charging ports to allow the public to drive EVs with confidence along major U.S. travel corridors by the end of 2023.

[Above photo by USDOT]

That coalition, led by the Edison Electric Institute, estimates that the country will need more than 100,000 EV fast-charging ports to support some 22 million EVs expected to operate on U.S. roads in 2030. EEI added that its member companies have invested more than $3 billion in EV charging infrastructure projects and related customer programs to date.

“By merging and expanding the existing efforts underway to build fast-charging infrastructure along major travel corridors, we are building a foundational EV charging network that will help to encourage more customers to purchase an electric vehicle,” explained Tom Kuhn, EEI’s president, in a statement. “With the formation of the National Electric Highway Coalition, we are committed to investing in and providing the charging infrastructure necessary to facilitate electric vehicle growth and to helping alleviate any remaining customer range anxiety.”

“Addressing issues such as grid resiliency, energy demands for charging, and equitable rollout of charging infrastructure will be an integral part of a successful future for EVs in America,” added John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

“The National Electric Highway Coalition will support the EV transition by facilitating electric power industry engagement in transportation electrification across the country,” he said. “Electric companies, which are regulated by state commissions, can help leverage all funding sources, help fill the infrastructure gaps, and help manage the deployment of these chargers with a long-term view.”

Several state departments of transportation are involved in similar EV recharging efforts.

For example, an initiative launched in September to develop the nation’s first electric vehicle or EV wireless charging infrastructure on a public road is gearing up in Michigan – and the Michigan Department of Transportation will play a critical role in this new project.

The Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification that plans to deploy an electrified roadway system that would allow electric-powered buses, shuttles, and personal vehicles to recharge their battery systems while driving – enabling EVs to operate continuously without stopping to recharge.

In February, the California Department of Transportation finished installing 22 new “fast-charging” stations for EVs at nine locations along the state’s highway network.

The agency said the 22 Level 3 DC fast chargers deployed as part of this $4.5 million project provide an approximate 80 percent charge in 30 minutes to EVs with fast-charging capability. The units also feature “universal connectors” so they can re-charge all EVs on the market, including Teslas, with an adapter. Charging is free with no time limit, Caltrans added.

Environmental News Highlights – December 8, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO Comments on CEQ’s Proposed NEPA Changes – AASHTO Journal

EPA Outlines $7.4B for Water Infrastructure Headed to States – AP

What’s Next for Biden’s Build Back Better Act? – Illuminem

Reconciliation bill: Transportation secretaries from rural states raise alarm over green energy provision – Fox Business

Federal Highway Administration Unveils Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act `One-Stop Shop’ Website, Publishing Request for Information – FHWA (Media Release)

COVID-19

New US travel rules: What you need to know about the changes prompted by Omicron – CNN

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Governors, State DOT CEOs Talk Infrastructure At Summit – AASHTO Journal

Illinois DOT Working to Develop Sustainable Pavements – AASHTO Journal

A changing climate is buckling concrete and flooding roads. States are moving slowly to guard the nation’s infrastructure. – Washington Post

AIR QUALITY

Port slowdowns worsen air pollution in neighboring communities – Marketplace

Could Roads Recharge Electric Cars? The Technology May Be Close. – New York Times

Port of LA seeks proposals for zero-emission truck project – Container Management

Why doesn’t Indiana have a car emissions inspection program? – Indy Star

Researchers eye alternative energy to power North Carolina state ferries – Coastal Review

Autonomous trucks can drastically cut emissions (Here’s how) – ZDNet

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

A Conversation with Louisiana DOTD Secretary and AASHTO President Dr. Shawn Wilson – AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast

Public Transit Pivots Toward Equity, Accessibility in 2021 – Government Technology

NATURAL RESOURCES

NCDOT is building highway bridges for wildlife as well as humans – News & Observer

Siesta Key residents hope mini reefs will help improve water quality, ecosystem in canals – WFLA

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Highway Historical Sign Repair And Replacement Underway In Idaho – Idaho Transportation Department

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Automating the War on Noise Pollution – CityLab

Golden Gate Bridge bicycling speed limit takes effect Jan. 1 – Marin Independent Journal

Bikes and pedestrians over cars envisioned for busy downtown Aspen corridor – Aspen Times

Cleveland Metroparks awarded $950,000 to advance transportation projects – Cleveland Jewish News

Signage Along Cleveland Bike Lanes Causing Frustrations For Cyclists, Confusion For Drivers – WJW-TV

Electric Bicycle Demo Program ‘EZBike Project’ Gets Underway In Santa Maria, California – Santa Barbara County Association of Governments

Why Are Cities Hostile to Strollers? – The New Republic

Abandoned rail line to be converted into 32-mile recreational trail through central Maine – Morning Sentinel

LA Paves the Way to Closing Gap in 14-Mile Bicycle Network From Santa Monica to Exposition Park – KNBC-TV

Bike infrastructure will help prevent crashes and fatalities, advocates and researchers say – Capital News Service

Why Communities Should Adopt Vision Zero to Curb Traffic Fatalities – Route Fifty (Commentary)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: The Mighty River – Inland Waterway Resilience Analysis – TRB

TRB Webinar: Examining Exclusions – What’s Missing in the Historic Review Process? – TRB

TRB’s Sustainability and Emerging Transportation Technology (SETT) Conference – TRB

Address Climate Change and Breathe Easier with Research on Transportation Emissions – TRB

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC): Notice of Meeting – EPA (Notice)

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

Air Plan Approval; FL, GA, NC, SC; Interstate Transport (Prongs 1 and 2) for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard – EPA (Final rule)

Broadband Infrastructure Deployment – FHWA (Final rule)

Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act Request for Information – FHWA (Notice)

National Forest System Land Management Planning; Correction – USDA (Technical correction)

Development of Guidance for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Deployment – FHWA (Notice)

Buy America Request for Information – USDOT and EPA (Notice)

PennDOT to Help Spearhead State’s First-Ever Litter Action Plan

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will play a key role in executing the state’s first-ever ‘Litter Action Plan’ unveiled by Governor Tom Wolf (D) on November 22.

[Above photo by PennDOT]

“Pennsylvania is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. It’s a beautiful state with stunning landscapes and bountiful natural resources. But, we’ve got a litter problem,” said Gov. Wolf in a statement.

“Litter is bad for the environment and our communities, it’s a drain on taxpayer dollars,” he added. “I’m excited to unveil a solution that all 13 million Pennsylvanians can be a part of. It’s a blueprint for a cleaner commonwealth.”

Demonstrating the cost of litter to communities and the commonwealth, PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian noted that the agency’s annual $14 million cost to clean up litter makes litter prevention especially important.

“We recognize we need to change behavior, not just clean up the mess,” she said. “With this commonwealth Litter Action Plan, we’ve provided examples, resources, and calls to action so we can make some transformative change here in Pennsylvania.”

The plan outlines 16 recommendations for Pennsylvania, while also detailing efforts by several state agencies in supporting the “higher-level” recommendations in the plan. Those include:

PennDOT, the Department of Community and Economic Development, and Department of Environmental Protection collaboration on an anti-litter campaign anticipated for spring 2022.
PennDOT analysis of where and how to ensure it has the right litter-reducing tools in place in its public-facing facilities.
DEP’s work on a new rulemaking to provide convenient and affordable access to waste disposal and recycling services in rural areas of Pennsylvania where trash collection and recycling services are currently not economically feasible.
Updates to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources “Leave No Trace” program with working to update their concessionaire agreements to include language aimed at combatting litter, such as requiring food providers to minimize paper straw and disposable utensil use.
When onsite composting is available at a state park, concessionaires will be required to work with DCNR to convert as many of their food service products to compostable, paper-based forest product alternatives and then compost them with the food waste.
The Pennsylvania State Police “Operation Clean Sweep,” which launched this summer, reinforces a zero-tolerance mindset with litter enforcement. This complements their assistance with enforcing “Litter Enforcement Corridors” that state agencies and local governments can designate via a 2018 law to combat litter.

The plan’s workgroups included 17 participants from local governments and among the group’s recommendations for local governments is the suggestion to “get creative with public waste infrastructure maintenance.” It also recommends several proposals to the state’s General Assembly to change existing laws – as well as proposing three laws – to reduce littering.

Colorado DOT Helping Reduce Impact of Firefighting Foam

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics recently wrapped up a two-year effort to help certified commercial service airports statewide acquire equipment to minimize the environmental impact of aircraft firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.

[Above photo by the Colorado DOT]

The Colorado Aeronautical Board, which oversees the Colorado DOT’s Division of Aeronautics, approved $400,000 in state aviation funding to assist with this equipment swap effort – only the second such program in the nation – in collaboration with state airports and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

This effort comes amid an increasing environmental focus on PFAS chemicals, which pose challenges to drinking water reserves.

For example, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing in October to assess ongoing and proposed responses to the presence of PFAS chemicals in the environment, particularly in U.S. waters, by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Radhika Fox, the EPA’s assistant administrator for water, noted in her testimony at that hearing that a “growing body of scientific evidence” shows that exposure at certain levels to specific PFAS can adversely affect human and ecological health. Studies indicate that two common

PFAS – perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate – can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals also caused tumors in animal studies, she said. Fox added that the most consistent findings from human epidemiology studies are increased cholesterol levels among exposed populations as well as some cases where that chemical family affected birth weights, the immune system, caused cancers, and thyroid hormone disruption.

Currently, commercial service airports certified under Federal Aviation Administration regulations are required to use PFAS-based foam and to annually test and certify aircraft rescue firefighting equipment and the foam utilized.

Under the provisions of this new statewide aviation initiative, however, the Colorado Division of Aeronautics said in a statement that it provided 100 percent funding for the acquisition of specialized testing and containment equipment designed to allow FAA-compliant firefighting foam testing to take place without the need for regular foam discharges.

In total, 12 eligible airports participated in the division’s program, with the exception of Denver International Airport, as it already had the equipment, and Colorado Springs Airport, where the U.S. Air Force provides aircraft rescue and firefighting services.