The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Committee on Transportation System Security is sponsoring a series of “virtual panel discussions” to help state department of transportation leaders stay up-to-date on the latest news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The panels will feature updates from the Federal Highway Administration, Transportation Security Administration, and Department of Homeland Security regarding the latest transportation implications of the COVID-19 outbreak. State DOT leaders will also get updates from other state and local transportation agencies from across the country, with an opportunity for open discussion.
The panels are also envisioned to serve as a “support group” for state DOTs facing COVID-19 emergency situations. But they are also forums for gathering and learning from the transportation impacts of the current pandemic and how they can be applied to future emergencies, including natural disasters such as hurricanes.
Another discussion thread will deal with how to improve multi-agency partnerships and emergency response efforts – especially in terms of building multi-agency ties before, and not during, emergency efforts. There will also be an emphasis on fine-tuning continuing of operations or COOP plans to help state DOTs maintain transportation systems during disease pandemics, as managing contagion outbreaks requires different protocols compared to COOP plans for wildfires, hurricanes, and the like.
The virtual panel series will be hosted weekly for the month of April. Additionally, a survey of state DOT needs or areas of interest regarding COVID-19 response and recovery will be launched at the April 8 session. Feedback collected will be used to inform subsequent sessions and additional technical assistance in response to the immediate and near-term response needs identified by state and local transportation agencies.
For registration details, please use the links below:
Wednesday, April 8, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern: click here.
Wednesday, April 15, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern: click here.
Wednesday, April 22, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern: click here.
As transportation-fueled greenhouse gas emission concerns rise across the country, wholesale deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) still faces roadblocks as advocates try to develop an expensive infrastructure to support EVs that most people won’t buy.
Only one-third of U.S. adults said they would buy or lease an all-electric car, with the majority citing the scarcity of public charging stations and the EV’s high purchase price, according to a report from Morning Consult. EV purchases are rising, but they comprise only 2 percent of all light-duty vehicles.
“The barriers to buying EVs and building out EV infrastructure are closely connected,” said Tim Sexton, assistant commissioner, and chief sustainability officer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Most EV owners charge at home or at work, which makes it “difficult for private charging companies to be profitable until the EV market share grows,” he added.
Photo courtesy Oregon DOT
According to the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), the country currently has nearly 25,000 public charging stations. DOE’s interactive map tool shows where the stations are, what kind of station (Level 1, Level 2, or DC Fast Charging) is at each location, and can plot an optimal EV route for nearby charging stations. The center also keeps track of how many charging stations are in each state.
However, consumer “range anxiety,” a lack of public awareness of EV purchasing and ownership benefits, plus a complex labyrinth of infrastructure financing have prompted some states to seek a regional approach to electrifying the highways.
To address those issues, three coalitions of states – one on each coast and one in the west – are developing model EV policies, creating consumer awareness campaigns, and building partnerships with businesses, utilities, local governments and public interest groups. It is slow going, but they are starting to show some results.
The Transportation and Climate Initiative is one coalition that includes transportation, environmental and energy officials from states in the Northeastern Association of State Transportation Officials, plus Virginia. One of the group’s goals is to enable drivers “to drive their plug-in cars and trucks from northern New England to D.C. and anywhere in between.” TCI aims to finalize a new multi-state memorandum of understanding in the coming months.
Washington, Oregon, and California are installing hundreds of new EV charging stations in part due to their membership in the West Coast Electric Highway initiative. Those three states are now home to more than 8,800 charging stations – more than a third of all such EV stations in the entire country.
Finally, there is the Regional Electric Vehicle or REV West coalition of eight states – Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming – which aims to enable anyone to “seamlessly drive an electric vehicle across the Signatory States’ major transportation corridors.”
Even small progress on building out an EV infrastructure will encourage people to switch to electric vehicles, Minnesota DOT’s Sexton said. “Public EV chargers are critical for long-distance travel, and it helps normalize EVs,” he explained. “The more chargers people see, the more ‘normal’ the idea of driving an EV becomes.”
Imagine a highway that
uses technology to track motor vehicles along an18-mile span ― that uses
existing vehicle infrastructure to transmit radio data, as well as rest areas
with testing zones and solar-powered charging stations.
Incorporating those
features and others are part of the approach of the Georgia Department of
Transportation long the said stretch of Interstate 85 via The Ray, which runs
along the Ray C. Anderson
Memorial Highway – so named for the late LaGrange, Georgia, native and
businessman who promoted sustainability as a key aspect of future
transportation projects.
The Ray – a high tech
arterial roadway that lies south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport –
begins at the Georgia/Alabama state line and ends in LaGrange at Exit 18. It’s
a “future-forward infrastructure” project made possible by what’s known as a P4
– a public-private-philanthropic partnership.
Allie Kelly
What the state “has done with its partners in the advanced technology sector is learn from an 18-mile living laboratory that’s completely open to the public,” said Allie Kelly, executive director of The Ray. “It’s not a test track at a university, but a real-world environment that’s used by the 11.5 million drivers.”
The idea behind The Ray noted Kelly, “is to make highway transportation safer. Russell [McMurry, Georgia DOT commissioner] and I always talk about roughly 38,000 Americans who die in traffic crashes every year. They’re why we’ve worked together on various innovations” to make highway travel safer.
One way to accomplish that
goal, she explained, is to make testing easily accessible. And free.
“In 2016, we installed a
drive-thru tire safety test station at Mile Marker 1 at a Federal Highway
Administration rest area along The Ray’s northbound lane,” Kelly pointed out, highlighting
the use of WheelRight technology at a tire safety station, which allows drivers
to cruise over testing equipment “at 10 miles per hour or less”
She added that the technology evaluates tire pressure, tire tread depth, temperature, weight in motion and looks for damage on your tire sidewalls before printing out a report, all in about 10 seconds. “And it works on every vehicle type – aside from motorcycles,” Kelly noted.
She also noted that the
Georgia DOT has built a dozen projects along The Ray since 2015, including the
aforementioned connected vehicle infrastructure for radio data, which Kelly called
“the biggest data pipeline the U.S. has ever seen, where we will have 105
million connected cars by 2022 sending out data packets at a rate of 10 times
per second.”
The roadway also features
a solar-powered electric vehicle charging station; a solar road called
Wattways; and a megawatt solar array at the Exit 14 Diamond interchange, 40
feet from the pavement.
Russell McMurray, Georgia DOT Commissioner
Georgia DOT’s McMurray
said such innovations are the result of “a case-by-case cost-sharing concept,
with The Ray as a frequent financial partner,” in addition to private industry
donating materials.
He said other states are
taking notice of Georgia’s approach.
“While Georgia is
definitely leading the way in innovative partnerships like Georgia DOT’s
partnership with The Ray, one example I can cite is the Massachusetts
Department of Transportation Solar Energy Program,” McMurry noted. “[It]
focuses on ground mount solar [photovoltaic] generation facilities within state
highway layouts throughout Massachusetts. The goal is to create energy savings
by procuring electricity at a favorable rate, generate revenue by using unused
state land and support the Commonwealth’s green and clean economy.”
There are various facets
to what is being accomplished via The Ray that include not only data collection
and energy creation, but environmental aspects, too – such as the evaluation of
different types of plants-pollinators and native species. For instance, the
solar farm covers a natural habitat with native grasses and flowers, among
others.
From environmental and
safety standpoints, “all of the shredded tires on an interstate from blowouts
and are very dangerous and they are often the byproduct of loss of life,” Kelly
said. “While this effort is about safety, we’re also wasting two billion
gallons of fuel every year because we can’t get our tire’s air pressure right.”
On that note, she added that “the big winners” traveling The Ray are fleets. “School buses, city transit buses and 18-wheelers coming out of ports can use every weigh station on I-85,” Kelly pointed out. “That’s how we correct those tire issues that are leading to tire failure, wasted, fuel, and dangerous crashes.”
While made with sadness
and frustration, Kelly emphasized there is hope in that observation, as well.
“The technology we need to
make improvements exists,” she stressed. “We just need to start using it.”
The idea of tackling
sustainability from a state department of transportation perspective can evoke
as many questions as ideas: what should be done, who should do it, and how can
anyone tell if it’s working?
In at least two states –
Arizona and Minnesota – state DOTs have addressed sustainability issues for a
few years now, but each is taking a different approach to how they’re
attempting to alter the impact of traditional transportation activities on the
environment.
Tim Sexton, Assistant Commissioner and Chief Sustainability Officer, MnDOT
“Climate change is happening in Minnesota, and we want to do our part,” explained Tim Sexton, assistant commissioner, and chief sustainability officer of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
A Minnesota state law – The Next
Generation Energy Act – put the onus on the Minnesota DOT to lead
the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote transit,
biking and walking.
“There was some work done
here prior to 2014, but it was not coordinated between departments,” Sexton
said. And though the department lacked specific resources dedicated to the
effort, “we started a high-level strategic planning committee on
sustainability, and we saw it as an opportunity to be more strategic,” he
added.
The committee created an
initiative – called Pathways
to Decarbonizing Transportation – and began working with experts to
create sustainability models and held a series of meetings around Minnesota to
get public feedback. Out of that exercise, the Minnesota DOT developed
incentives of up to $250 in toll credits for new electric vehicle buyers and
planned a $2 million clean transportation funding pilot program.
The agency also created a Sustainable
Transportation Advisory Council; an 18-member group of executives
from the public, private, and non-profit sectors tasked with overseeing and
evaluating Minnesota’s sustainability efforts and making recommendations to the
Minnesota DOT.
While Minnesota focused on
the user-end of the sustainability spectrum – reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and promoting greener transportation modes being the main efforts – Arizona
directed its efforts into its core functions.
“There are a number of different approaches to sustainability,” said Steven Olmsted, Arizona DOT’s National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA assignment manager. “If you look at the material from AASHTO, it runs the gamut. We’re still adding a lot of new highways because of our growth so it made sense to look at sustainability from that point of view.”
The Arizona DOT began
partnering with construction groups and industry and “really tied the effort to
design engineering, construction and maintenance,” Olmsted said. “We’ve also
gotten into design guidance and scoping considerations.”
He noted that many
sustainability efforts can be justified from an economic standpoint, “but it
still remains that you must make a qualitative business case.
“At the end of the day, we
are not going to spend ten times the cost of a unit just to be sustainable,” Olmsted
explained. “We’ve tried to address the social pillar of what sustainability
means in a [state] DOT. At the same time, there really has to be a business
case.”
In a recent
report filed by the Arizona DOT on its sustainability efforts,
Olmsted and his staff noted that integrating such a program inside a state DOT
is “a particularly complex undertaking” and “a daunting effort.”
“It’s not for the faint of
heart; I guess I’m a glutton for punishment,” Olmsted noted. “But at some
point, one person or a group of persons has to decide, ‘What’s the lowest
hanging fruit where we can gain some traction?’ That’s how you get started.”
Minnesota DOT’s Sexton
agreed that “there’s a ton of opportunities for states to take advantage of
lowering emissions and saving money,” but he said the issue goes beyond dollars
and cents.
“We really view this as a crisis,” Sexton emphasized.
“This is a scientific issue and a moral or even an existential issue. We want
our kids to enjoy the wonderful things Minnesota has to offer. There’s a
culture in Minnesota that is committed to our environment. For us, it’s not a
political issue.”
The idea of tackling sustainability from a state department of transportation perspective can evoke as many questions as ideas; what should be done, who should do it, and how can anyone tell if it’s working?
DOTs in at least two states – Arizona and
Minnesota – have been addressing sustainability issues for a few years now, but
each is taking a different approach to altering traditional transportation
activities’ impact on the environment.
“Climate change is happening in Minnesota, and we
want to do our part,” explained Tim Sexton, assistant commissioner and chief
sustainability officer of the Minnesota DOT.
A Minnesota state law – The Next Generation
Energy Act – put the onus on the MnDOT to lead the state’s efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and promote transit, biking and walking. “There was
some work done here prior to 2014, but it was not coordinated between
departments,” Sexton said. Though the department lacked specific resources
dedicated to the effort, “we started a high-level strategic planning committee
on sustainability, and we saw it as an opportunity to be more strategic.”
The committee created an initiative called
Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation, began working with experts to create
sustainability models and held a series of meetings around Minnesota to get
public feedback. Out of that exercise, MnDOT developed incentives of up to $250
in toll credits for new EV buyers and planned a $2 million clean transportation
funding pilot program.
MnDOT also created a Sustainable Transportation
Advisory Council, an 18-member group of executives from the public, private and
non-profit sectors tasked with overseeing and evaluating Minnesota’s
sustainability efforts and making recommendations to MnDOT. Its first meeting
is scheduled for March 2020.
While
Minnesota focused on the user-end of the sustainability spectrum – reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and promoting greener transportation modes – Arizona
put its efforts into its core functions.
“There
are a number of different approaches to sustainability” said Steven Olmsted, Arizona DOT’s NEPA assignment manager.
“If you look at the material from AASHTO, it runs the gamut. We’re still adding
a lot of new highways because of our growth so it made sense to look at
sustainability from that point of view.”
ADOT
began partnering with construction groups and industry and “really tied the
effort to design engineering, construction and maintenance,” Olmsted said.
“We’ve also gotten into design guidance and scoping considerations.”
Olmsted
said many sustainability efforts can be justified from an economic standpoint,
“but it still remains that you must make a qualitative business case.
“At
the end of the day, we are not going to spend ten times the cost of a unit just
to be sustainable,” he said “We’ve tried to address the social pillar of what
sustainability means in a DOT. At the same time, there really has to be a
business case.”
In a
recent report ADOT filed on its sustainability efforts, Olmsted and his staff noted
that integrating such a program inside a DOT is “a particularly complex
undertaking” and “a daunting effort.”
“It’s
not for the faint of heart; I guess I’m a glutton for punishment,” Olmsted
said. “But at some point, one person or a group of persons has to decide,
‘What’s the lowest hanging fruit where we can gain some traction?’ That’s how
you get started.”
Sexton with MnDOT agreed that “there’s a ton of
opportunities for states to take advantage of lowering emissions and saving
money,” but he said the issue goes beyond dollars and cents.
“We really view this as a crisis,” Sexton said. “This is a scientific
issue and a moral or even an existential issue. We want our kids to enjoy the
wonderful things Minnesota has to offer. There’s a culture in Minnesota that is
committed to our environment. For us, it’s not a political issue.”
The idea of tackling sustainability from a
state department of transportation perspective can evoke as many questions as
ideas; what should be done, who should do it, and how can anyone tell if it’s
working?
DOTs in at least two states – Arizona and Minnesota
– have been addressing sustainability issues for a few years now, but each is
taking a different approach to altering traditional transportation activities’
impact on the environment.
“Climate change is happening in Minnesota, and we want to do our part,” explained Tim Sexton, assistant commissioner, and chief sustainability officer of the Minnesota DOT.
A Minnesota state law – The Next Generation
Energy Act – put the onus on the MnDOT to lead the state’s efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and promote transit, biking and walking. “There was
some work done here prior to 2014, but it was not coordinated between
departments,” Sexton said. Though the department lacked specific resources
dedicated to the effort, “we started a high-level strategic planning committee
on sustainability, and we saw it as an opportunity to be more strategic.”
The committee created an initiative called
Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation, began working with experts to create
sustainability models and held a series of meetings around Minnesota to get
public feedback. Out of that exercise, MnDOT developed incentives of up to $250
in toll credits for new EV buyers and planned a $2 million clean transportation
funding pilot program.
MnDOT also created a Sustainable Transportation
Advisory Council, an 18-member group of executives from the public, private and
non-profit sectors tasked with overseeing and evaluating Minnesota’s
sustainability efforts and making recommendations to MnDOT. Its first meeting
is scheduled for March 2020.
While
Minnesota focused on the user-end of the sustainability spectrum – reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and promoting greener transportation modes – Arizona
put its efforts into its core functions.
“There are a number of different approaches to sustainability,” said Steven Olmsted, Arizona DOT’s NEPA assignment manager. “If you look at the material from AASHTO, it runs the gamut. We’re still adding a lot of new highways because of our growth so it made sense to look at sustainability from that point of view.”
ADOT began partnering with construction groups and industry and “really tied the effort to design engineering, construction, and maintenance,” Olmsted said. “We’ve also gotten into design guidance and scoping considerations.”
Olmsted said many sustainability efforts can be justified from an economic standpoint, “but it still remains that you must make a qualitative business case.
“At
the end of the day, we are not going to spend ten times the cost of a unit just
to be sustainable,” he said “We’ve tried to address the social pillar of what
sustainability means in a DOT. At the same time, there really has to be a
business case.”
In a
recent report ADOT filed on its sustainability efforts, Olmsted and his staff
noted that integrating such a program inside a DOT is “a particularly complex
undertaking” and “a daunting effort.”
“It’s
not for the faint of heart; I guess I’m a glutton for punishment,” Olmsted
said. “But at some point, one person or a group of persons has to decide,
‘What’s the lowest hanging fruit where we can gain some traction?’ That’s how
you get started.”
Sexton with MnDOT agreed that “there’s a ton of
opportunities for states to take advantage of lowering emissions and saving
money,” but he said the issue goes beyond dollars and cents.
“We really view this as a crisis,” Sexton said.
“This is a scientific issue and a moral or even an existential issue. We want
our kids to enjoy the wonderful things Minnesota has to offer. There’s a
culture in Minnesota that is committed to our environment. For us, it’s not a
political issue.”
