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FHWA Transportation and Climate Change Newsletter March-April 2011

April 19, 2011 at 7:20 pm

Prepared by the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty

Federal Highway Administration

Recent Events and Reports

FHWA Publishes Transportation Planning for Sustainability Guidebook. Individual states and metropolitan areas have begun to develop policies, programs, and methodologies for improving transportation system sustainability. This FHWA sponsored guidebook examines how sustainability considerations could be better incorporated into transportation planning through case studies identified from a review of sustainability planning practices at state DOTs and from a literature review of US and international practices. HTML version or PDF version (18Mb)

EIA Releases Annual Report on US GHG Emissions. The U.S Energy Information publication, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the U.S., reports a 5.8 percent decline in U.S. GHG emissions between 2008 and 2009, the largest yearly decline since the report was first published 18 years ago. Transportation sector CO2 emissions declined for the second year in a row.

Texas A&M Report Examines Integration of Climate Change Adaptation into Transportation Planning. Transportation Planning, Policy and Climate Change: Making the Long-Term Connection reviews research on adapting transportation to climate change, and it discusses Houston-Galveston, Texas as a case study example of trying to incorporate climate change adaptation into transportation planning and decision making. The document is the final report of a research project by TTI’s University Transportation Center for Mobility, funded by a grant from USDOT.

Pew Climate Center Releases Pair of White Papers in Anticipation of Transportation Legislation. As the title suggests, Primer on Federal Surface Transportation Authorization and the Highway Trust Fundgives an overview of federal surface transportation funding. In Saving Oil and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through U.S. Federal Transportation Policy the authors propose GHG reduction and fuel saving strategies that could be incorporated into new legislation. They highlight implementation options and strategies for overcoming obstacles to inclusion in legislation. The authors also discuss fuel saving and GHG reduction strategies that could be undertaken or expanded under current law. The documents were jointly written by Cindy Burbank of PB and Nick Nigro of the Pew Center.

UK Engineering Academy Reports on Climate Change Adaptation for Infrastructure. Infrastructure, Engineering and Climate Change Adaptation – Ensuring Services in an Uncertain Future, published by the Royal Academy of Engineering, examines vulnerabilities of four infrastructure sectors (including transportation) to the effects of climate change in the U.K. and the modifications that would be needed to increase resilience. It includes an examination of vulnerabilities that arise as a result of interdependencies between different sectors and have the potential to cause cascading failures (for instance, a power failure shutting down rail transport). The study also considers the impact on infrastructure of climate change mitigation efforts and climate induced changes in behavior and demographics.

Transportation Research Record Focuses on Energy and Climate Change. TRB’s TRR Journal number 2191 includes 22 papers on transportation energy and climate change issues. All articles are downloadable for free on TRB’s website.

State and Local News

MTC Releases Vision Scenario Integrating Regional Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Investments to Achieve GHG Reduction Goals. Plan Bay Area – Initial Vision Scenario, was prepared in response to California S.B. 375, which requires regional transportation plans to include a Sustainable Communities Strategy that integrates land use and transportation planning with the goal of reducing GHG emissions. The Initial Vision Scenario identifies a land use development pattern to meet those targets. Using this as a starting point, over the next two years regional agencies will engage local agencies and the public to help identify and assess several detailed Sustainable Communities Strategy scenarios that demonstrate ways that land-use strategies, transportation investments, pricing and other strategies could achieve adopted goals and targets. The scenarios will also address how the Bay Area’s land use plans can assist adaptation to climate change. The final Sustainable Communities Strategy will be incorporated into the area’s 2013 Regional Transportation Plan.

Maryland Releases Phase II of State Adaptation Plan.

Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change Phase II: Building societal, economic, and ecological resilience, includes sector-based adaptation strategies to reduce impacts of climate change. A chapter on population growth and infrastructure identifies potential impacts to the State’s transportation system and identifies strategies for resilience (such as leading by example in development decisions in climate sensitive areas, and strengthening building and infrastructure design standards). It also includes strategies to institutionalize consideration of climate change (such as integrating climate vulnerability data into spatial planning frameworks), and it identifies tools, research and education needed to better inform decisions.

NYSDOT and NYSERDA Select 13 Projects to Promote Reductions in Transportation GHG Emissions. New York State DOT and the private New York State Energy Research and Development Authority joined to provide $1.5 million in funding to 13 organizations and municipalities to advance projects that could lead to GHG emissions reduction in the transportation sector. Projects involve traffic flow improvement/ITS, transportation demand management, electric vehicle fleets, efforts to reduce truck idling, and other efforts.

Announcements

FHWA Seeks Participants for GIS Applications in Climate Change Peer Exchange. This peer exchange is intended for practitioners seeking to share and learn about effective practices, methodologies, and lessons learned in applying GIS to support climate change analysis in transportation. Date and location of the peer exchange have not yet been determined. FHWA is currently seeking potential participants. Practitioners interested in participating in the peer exchange should contact Gina Filosa at 617-494-3452 or by e-mail at Gina.Filosa@dot.gov as soon as possible.

AASHTO Seeks Environmental Research Ideas. AASHTO is soliciting submissions to their Transportation and Environmental Research Ideas database. They will consider input received by April 22nd in their recommendations for research projects to be undertaken by the NCHRP. Last year, AASHTO used the TERI database to put forward eighteen research ideas for funding through NCHRP, including thirteen ideas for the quick turnaround, environmentally-focused NCHRP “25-25” program (research that can be completed in less than one year and under $100,000) and five ideas for funding as full-scale NCHRP projects, which typically range from $200,000 to $750,000 and take two to three years to complete. Four of the full-scale NCHRP projects and eight of the 25-25 studies were selected for funding. You can submit your research ideas directly though the TERI database. On the webpage you will find a template for submitting research ideas, please be sure to include a clear title, a detailed scope and information about the approximate timeframe and budget.

FHWA Webinar to Highlight Sustainable Pavements. On Earth Day, April 22, from 11:00-12:00 Eastern, FHWA is hosting a free webinar on in-place recycling of highway pavements, “Sustainable Environment – Putting EARTH DAY Into Practice on Our Nation’s Roads and Highways”. Registration is free and open to everyone.

FHWA Holding Series of Webinars on Congestion Pricing. The FHWA Offices of Operations and Innovative Program Delivery have launched a new webinar series, entitled “Overcoming the Challenges of Congestion Pricing.” These webinars are aimed at state and local agencies that are currently in the process of implementing or would like to implement congestion pricing; decision-makers/political leaders who want to better understand the benefits of congestion pricing; MPOs that may be interested in incorporating pricing into their planning activities; and others who just want to learn more about congestion pricing strategies. Congestion pricing strategies can often have a co-benefit of reducing GHG emissions. Registration is free and open to everyone who is interested.

Webinar Schedule – April 2011

April 14, 2011 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET – Congestion Pricing Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities
April 19, 2011 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET – Institutional Issues in Congestion Pricing

Webinar Schedule – May through December 2011 (dates are tentative and subject to change)

May 26 – Congestion Pricing Equity Impacts
June 23 – Technology to Enable and Complement Congestion Pricing
July 28 – Integrating Transit with Congestion Pricing and Increasing Congestion Pricing Acceptance
August 25 – Economics of Congestion Pricing and Impacts on Business
September 22 – Best Practices in Parking Pricing
October 27 – Dynamic Ridesharing and Congestion Pricing
November 17 – Pay-as-You-Drive Insurance
December 15 – Results of the Urban Partnership and Congestion Reduction Demonstration Programs.

Reminders

2011 Transportation Planning, Land Use, and Air Quality Conference, May 9-10. TRB is cosponsoring the 2011 Transportation Planning, Land Use, and Air Quality Conference on May 10-11, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas. The conference will explore the latest research on integrating transportation planning, land use decisions, and improving air quality. The spotlight theme for the conference will be Integrating Transportation, Land Use, and Air Quality to Meet Sustainability and Livability Objectives. For more information see: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/tpluaq/home.html

If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, or if someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like to receive it directly in the future, please send your suggestions or request to Becky Lupes at Rebecca.Lupes@dot.gov.

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Job Alert: Transportation Policy Analyst @ Reason Foundation

April 19, 2011 at 5:36 pm

Application Deadline: May 6, 2011

The Reason Foundation, a non-profit, public policy think tank based in Los Angeles, seeks a policy analyst in transportation. Qualified candidates should have a relevant degree, a solid understanding of free-market public policy and an aptitude for written communication.

Ideal candidates will be very familiar with Reason’s transportation policy work and be able to describe what they can contribute to the organization. Work location is negotiable and salary commensurate with experience. Applicants at all levels of experience are invited to apply.

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to Amy Pelletier atAmy.Pelletier@Reason.org. The cover letter should include an explanation of your interest in the Reason Foundation.

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Grinch Who Stole A Land Rover On Christmas Gets Nailed by Apple’s “Find My iPhone” Technology

December 27, 2010 at 12:16 pm

(Source: 9to5Mac via Gizmodo)

Image Courtesy: Gizmodo

Here comes a crazy holiday story from Texas, but this one has a good ending . Thanks to Apple’s “Find My iPhone” tracking technology, the crooks were nailed and the stolen (and badly damaged) vehicle was retrieved by the cops. Here is the story in the words of the victim who lost his Land Rover to the crooks on Christmas.

Pretty amazing Christmas Story! Early this morning my 2005 Land Rover was stolen from the Marriott in Wichita Falls TX. The local police put me on hold, transferred me around and did nothing. My iPhone was in the car in between the seats and turned on. I tracked it using MobileMe Find My Phone to HWY 287 on the way to Decatur. When they exited the highway and headed on a Farm road for Justin TX a few miles away, I contacted the Justin Police and with the help of a very savvy operator we pinpointed the car at a Sonic. While I was on the phone with her, she said the officer sees your car and is going to make the arrest. A few minutes later she frantically calls me to start tracking the car again. The officer had handcuffed the suspects, sat one down on the curb while putting the other in the back seat. When he got back, the guy had Houdini’d the cuffs from behind his back to the front, fought with the officer and jumped in my car, dragged him and ran over him. I followed the car on the iPhone and directed the Highway Patrol to where he was – high speed chase ending with him flipping the Land Rover several times. The policeman is going to be fine – he is at the hospital with multiple bruises etc. The screenshot is where the car thieves ran over the policeman and escaped. I am just so thankful the policeman was not seriously hurt – I could care less about the car or the crook.

Budget Crisis? Not in California – State buys its lawmakers Lexus Hybrid to drive around

December 3, 2010 at 7:25 pm

Hey, now I know why folks fight so hard to win their elections in California.

Amplify’d from news.yahoo.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California lawmakers enjoy a perk that seems like a luxurious amenity in a state that has been slashing billions of dollars from its budget: taxpayer-provided cars.

The state purchases cars for lawmakers to drive around their districts and the capital under a decades-old program, spending more than $5 million for the latest suite of vehicles that includes a $55,000 Cadillac sedan and a $52,000 Lexus hybrid.

Lawmakers are enjoying the benefit at a time when the state is in a financial mess and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called legislators into a special session next week to address a $6 billion deficit. Lawmakers already have cut programs such as adult dental care and health care programs for children from low-income families, and more cuts are likely on the way.

Taxpayers spent $3.5 million to buy the 99 vehicles lawmakers use when they visit their home districts.

The Assembly spent another $1.4 million to buy 49 Toyota Camry Hybrids for 51 lawmakers who live far from the state capital and use the vehicles when they are in Sacramento. The Senate spends an additional $81,000 a year to lease 25 vehicles for senators’ use in Sacramento.

Their rides range from a $9,900 2004 Toyota Prius to a $55,000 Cadillac STS. The state spent an average of $35,250 on all vehicles lawmakers use in their districts.

Read more at news.yahoo.com

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/emZ9AH

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Bucking the trend? Why Dutch women don’t work longer hours and still be happy:

November 18, 2010 at 2:18 pm

Maybe y’all American women want to consider moving to Netherlands? Great read

Amplify’d from www.economist.com

IN AMERICA, as pretty much everywhere in the world, the happy narrative of development and freedom has involved more women working in the cash economy, achieving financial independence and thus greater autonomy. It’s interesting when you find a country that seems to buck these sorts of universal narratives, and as Jessica Olien points out in Slate, the Netherlands bucks the women’s-development narrative in a pretty odd fashion: it has extremely high indicators for gender equality in every way (education, political participation, little violence against women, ultra-low rates of teen conception and abortion) except that women don’t work. Or not full-time, anyway, at anything like the rates at which women work in most OECD countries. Moreover, they don’t seem to want to. Nearly 60% of Dutch working women aged 25-54 worked part-time in 2001, compared to 15% in the United States, 25% in France and 35% in Germany; but where 25% of French women working part-time say they want to work full-time, just 4% of Dutch women do. The Dutch began identifying women’s failure to participate in the workforce more aggressively as a major social problem in the 1990s, which led to a tax reform intended to incentivise women out of the cosy “trap” of part-time work. Instead, most women used the better tax treatment as a way to work less. And Ms Olien, an American who’s spent a few months living in the Netherlands, wonders whether the Dutch haven’t got the smoother end of the stick:

Read more at www.economist.com

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/960A1a

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Bucking the trend? Why Dutch women don’t work longer hours and still be happy:

November 18, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Maybe y’all American women want to consider moving to Netherlands? Great read

Amplify’d from www.economist.com

IN AMERICA, as pretty much everywhere in the world, the happy narrative of development and freedom has involved more women working in the cash economy, achieving financial independence and thus greater autonomy. It’s interesting when you find a country that seems to buck these sorts of universal narratives, and as Jessica Olien points out in Slate, the Netherlands bucks the women’s-development narrative in a pretty odd fashion: it has extremely high indicators for gender equality in every way (education, political participation, little violence against women, ultra-low rates of teen conception and abortion) except that women don’t work. Or not full-time, anyway, at anything like the rates at which women work in most OECD countries. Moreover, they don’t seem to want to. Nearly 60% of Dutch working women aged 25-54 worked part-time in 2001, compared to 15% in the United States, 25% in France and 35% in Germany; but where 25% of French women working part-time say they want to work full-time, just 4% of Dutch women do. The Dutch began identifying women’s failure to participate in the workforce more aggressively as a major social problem in the 1990s, which led to a tax reform intended to incentivise women out of the cosy “trap” of part-time work. Instead, most women used the better tax treatment as a way to work less. And Ms Olien, an American who’s spent a few months living in the Netherlands, wonders whether the Dutch haven’t got the smoother end of the stick:

Read more at www.economist.com

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/960A1a

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Bucking the trend? Why Dutch women don’t work longer hours and still be happy:

November 18, 2010 at 1:46 pm

Maybe y’all American women want to consider moving to Netherlands? Great read

Amplify’d from www.economist.com

IN AMERICA, as pretty much everywhere in the world, the happy narrative of development and freedom has involved more women working in the cash economy, achieving financial independence and thus greater autonomy. It’s interesting when you find a country that seems to buck these sorts of universal narratives, and as Jessica Olien points out in Slate, the Netherlands bucks the women’s-development narrative in a pretty odd fashion: it has extremely high indicators for gender equality in every way (education, political participation, little violence against women, ultra-low rates of teen conception and abortion) except that women don’t work. Or not full-time, anyway, at anything like the rates at which women work in most OECD countries. Moreover, they don’t seem to want to. Nearly 60% of Dutch working women aged 25-54 worked part-time in 2001, compared to 15% in the United States, 25% in France and 35% in Germany; but where 25% of French women working part-time say they want to work full-time, just 4% of Dutch women do. The Dutch began identifying women’s failure to participate in the workforce more aggressively as a major social problem in the 1990s, which led to a tax reform intended to incentivise women out of the cosy “trap” of part-time work. Instead, most women used the better tax treatment as a way to work less. And Ms Olien, an American who’s spent a few months living in the Netherlands, wonders whether the Dutch haven’t got the smoother end of the stick:

Read more at www.economist.com

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/960A1a

Read more Comments Off

Bucking the trend? Why Dutch women don’t work longer hours and still be happy:

November 18, 2010 at 12:42 pm

Maybe y’all American women want to consider moving to Netherlands? Great read

Amplify’d from www.economist.com

IN AMERICA, as pretty much everywhere in the world, the happy narrative of development and freedom has involved more women working in the cash economy, achieving financial independence and thus greater autonomy. It’s interesting when you find a country that seems to buck these sorts of universal narratives, and as Jessica Olien points out in Slate, the Netherlands bucks the women’s-development narrative in a pretty odd fashion: it has extremely high indicators for gender equality in every way (education, political participation, little violence against women, ultra-low rates of teen conception and abortion) except that women don’t work. Or not full-time, anyway, at anything like the rates at which women work in most OECD countries. Moreover, they don’t seem to want to. Nearly 60% of Dutch working women aged 25-54 worked part-time in 2001, compared to 15% in the United States, 25% in France and 35% in Germany; but where 25% of French women working part-time say they want to work full-time, just 4% of Dutch women do. The Dutch began identifying women’s failure to participate in the workforce more aggressively as a major social problem in the 1990s, which led to a tax reform intended to incentivise women out of the cosy “trap” of part-time work. Instead, most women used the better tax treatment as a way to work less. And Ms Olien, an American who’s spent a few months living in the Netherlands, wonders whether the Dutch haven’t got the smoother end of the stick:

Read more at www.economist.com

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/960A1a

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BMW not only knows how to make cars but knows really well how to sell a car

November 15, 2010 at 2:09 pm

We all know the art of marketing/selling a product is as important as making a great product. Looks like BMW has achieved this on both fronts. I was stunned by the subtleness and awesome creativity behind this simple yet effective ad campaign by BMW. I’m sure you would agree with me as well. Register your comments below.

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/chZvaF

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Are we overreacting? Latest air cargo security scare poses threat to in-flight Wi-Fi

November 2, 2010 at 5:04 pm

Why am I thinking this is a classic example of overreacting, which has become the norm in our modern day culture of “keep them wrapped in a sense of paranoia and fear”. Let’s make it clear: If a bad guy wants to wreck your machine mid-flight, he will definitely find a way to do it and he is probably much more innovative than trying to use a cell phone and in-flight wi-fi to detonate the bomb in the belly of a plane. What if he uses a SatPhone to trigger the device? It may be a bit expensive to procure but it still does the job, right?

Aviation security experts at TSA or any such governmental agency should jump in early and clear the air before this poses a threat to the sprouting wi-fi tech in the planes. Unless it is a serious and credible threat, the airline industry should proceed with the deployment plans. Hope sanity prevails.

Amplify’d from www.newscientist.com

It was revealed on 29 October that parcels containing a powdered explosive packed in laser printer cartridges had travelled undetected on aircraft to the UK and to Dubai in the UAE. A cellphone connected to a detonation circuit could have allowed a terrorist to trigger an explosion by calling or texting the phone.

This comes as the aviation industry is gearing up to provide broadband in-flight entertainment systems that feature both cellphone and Wi-Fi connections for passengers. These systems would mean that passengers would no longer need to illicitly use their cellphones when they come into range of ground masts at low altitudes near airports – a potentially dangerous activity that could interfere with the aircraft’s avionics.

Last week’s discoveries cast doubt on the wisdom of in-flight communications, says Roland Alford, managing director of Alford Technologies, an explosives consultancy in Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK. He says he expects the technology to be scrutinised in the security reviews being undertaken by the UK government and US Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the discovery of the printer bombs.

In-flight Wi-Fi “gives a bomber lots of options for contacting a device on an aircraft”, Alford says. Even if ordinary cellphone connections are blocked, it would allow a voice-over-internet connection to reach a handset.

Read more at www.newscientist.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/eghy

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