Spring 2005, Volume 11, No. 1
Register Now for ICOET 2005!
 Registration
is now open for the 2005 International Conference on Ecology and
Transportation, scheduled August 29 – September 2 at the Hilton
Mission Bay Resort in San Diego , CA . Early bird registrations
include a $30 discount through August 12th.
ICOET 2005 showcases quality research and best practices that
address wildlife, habitat, and ecosystem issues related to surface
transportation systems. This year more than 100 technical presentations
and poster displays will feature the work of 12 countries. A preliminary
agenda and online registration are now available on the conference
Web site: www.icoet.net.
An inter-agency event, the conference is designed to bring together
engineers and ecologists to discuss the safety, economic, and best-science
factors related to the mitigation of ecological concerns in transportation.
Agency sponsors include the Federal Highway Administration, U.S.
Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Washington State DOT, and Florida DOT.
Caltrans and the UC-Davis Road Ecology Center are serving as the
conference hosts. The 2005 theme is “On The Road To Stewardship.”
For more information, please contact Katie McDermott, CTE technology
transfer director, (919) 515-8034 or
kpm@ncsu.edu.
CTE Workshop Generates New Research on Sea Level Rise and Transportation
 On
March 7, CTE conducted the first in a series of workshops to examine
the implications of global climate change and possible sea level
rise on hydraulics and hydrology, and transportation infrastructure
design.
A total of 36 research scientists and government officials from
the United States convened in Washington , D.C. , at the National
Academy of Sciences to present current research related to transportation
and climate change, and to discuss future research needs.
The team will issue a summary of research problem statements,
each of which will be addressed by several expert team members through
a series of small grants. The results of the research will be presented
and discussed at a second workshop, planned for late 2005. The research
will offer guidance to transportation planners and engineers who
must make informed decisions about how to respond to the affects
of major storm events and a possible change in the rate of sea level
rise on transportation.
CTE is conducting this project in cooperation with the USDOT Center
for Global Climate Change, the Coastal Transportation Engineering
Research and Education Center ( University of South Alabama ), and
the Ports and Waterways Center, Texas Transportation Institute (
Texas A&M University ).
The results of the research will be featured at the Transportation
Research Board annual meeting, published in various professional
journals, and showcased on a CTE national satellite broadcast.
A list of the speakers and presentations featured at the March
7 workshop are provided on CTE’s Web site at: http://www.itre.ncsu.edu/CTE/TechTransfer/GCCworkshop.asp.
For more information, please contact Neil Koomen, CTE information
specialist, (919) 515- 8623 or nckoomen@ncsu.edu.
Spring Broadcasts Feature Planning, Streamlining, Conformity Topics
 This
spring CTE’s National Teleconference Series produced three
national satellite and Web broadcasts that explored current advances
in planning, environmental stewardship and streamlining, as well
as ways to meet new conformity requirements.
On March 3, Scenario Planning for Better Transportation Decision
Making explored a new framework for integrating transportation
plans with long-term community visions. Moderated by Sherry Ways
, a transportation planner for the Federal Highway Administration
headquarters office, the panel of SP experts and practitioners discussed
how land-based scenario planning might fit within the context of
the metropolitan and statewide transportation planning and decision-making
processes. The panel examined lessons learned from three initiatives
underway in California , Idaho , and Utah .
On May 12, an expert panel discussed Environmental Stewardship
and Streamlining: How Are We Doing? The program featured the
results of the first national survey, conducted by The Gallup Organization
for the Federal Highway Administration, to assess the performance
perceptions of transportation and resource agencies. Moderated by
Hal Kassoff, senior vice president and highway program manager for
Parsons Brinckerhoff, the inter-agency panel explored the efficacy
of using a survey instrument to capture baseline information on
current relationships between transportation and resource agencies,
and also considered how the survey results compare to individual
state experiences.
On May 18, Innovative Strategies for Meeting Conformity Requirements
presented an overview of the current regulations and guidance for
EPA’s new ozone and particulate matter standards, and showcased
innovative planning approaches and technology tools that are being
used to help meet conformity requirements. Sarah Siwek, president
of Sarah J. Siwek and Associated, moderated the expert panel, which
featured case studies from California , Texas , and North Carolina
.
The discussions originating from these broadcasts remain ongoing
through CTE’s Web-based “After The Program” discussion
forum. All are invited to participate. In addition, the program
archives can be viewed or a DVD copy or written transcript ordered
through CTE’s Web site at: http://cte.ncsu.edu.
For more information, contact Katie McDermott, CTE technology transfer
director, (919) 515-8034 or kpm@ncsu.edu.
FHWA Domestic Wetlands Scan Update
 CTE
is under contract with the Federal Highway Administration to coordinate
the logistics for the 2005 Domestic Scan Tour on Successful Wetland
Mitigation Programs. In addition to facilitating the tour, CTE will
document the results and draft the final report for publication
by FHWA.
To date five site visits have been conducted in Texas , North
Carolina , Alabama , Nebraska , and Ohio . Three remaining site
visits will be conducted in June in Pennsylvania , Kentucky , and
Minnesota .
The purpose of the scan is to identify successful approaches for
the establishment and long-term management of wetland banking programs
since banking was identified as a preferred mitigation approach
in the Transportation Equity Act of the 21 st Century (TEA-21) legislation.
The scan team includes representatives from FHWA, EPA, FWS, and
Corps of Engineers. In addition to identifying successful practices,
the team is also interested in receiving suggestions and comments
from the eight states with regard to formulating future guidance
and rulemaking for wetland banking.
For more information, please contact Katie McDermott, CTE technology
transfer director, (919) 515-8034 or kpm@ncsu.edu.
CTE's Townsend Named 2005 Vice President of Women's Transportation
Seminar (WTS)
 Teresa
Townsend, a research associate for the Center for Transportation
and the Environment, was recently elected to serve as vice president
for the Women’s Transportation Seminar North Carolina Chapter.
Townsend will serve a two-year term as vice president. She previously
served as co-chair of fundraising, as well as website and newsletter
chair positions.
The Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), www.wtsnational.org,
is a national organization dedicated to the professional advancement
of women in transportation. Boasting more than 3,400 members - both
men and women - WTS is unique in that its members - and its leadership
- represent every facet, every discipline in the transportation
field. WTS serves North Carolina locally by providing networking,
professional development opportunities, mentoring, scholarships,
seminars and leadership training.
Townsend has over 10 years of experience in the social, environmental
and transportation planning fields. At the Center for Transportation
and the Environment, she is currently involved in the development
and delivery of a national Community Impact Assessment Course and
assists in the facilitation of a Context Sensitive Solutions course
taught to NCDOT employees. She has strong interest in the research
of socio-cultural effects, environmental screening, environmental
streamlining and sustainability in transportation and land use planning.
For more information, contact Teresa Townsend, CTE research associate,
(919) 515-9351 or tltownse@ncsu.edu.
CTE's Lane Nominated for University Excellence Award
 CTE
senior research associate Leigh Lane was nominated
for the 2005 University Award for Excellence in Research and Graduate
Studies at North Carolina State University .
Lane is the developer and lead instructor for the Context Sensitive
Solutions (CSS) and Community Impact Assessment (CIA) training courses
currently in progress for the North Carolina Department of Transportation
and Federal Highway Administration, respectively.
Lane’s research interests include comprehensive approaches
to the implementation of CSS in transportation planning, design,
construction and maintenance, as well as strategies for measuring
the socioeconomic factors of transportation programs and projects.
Lane is being recognized by the university not only for her outstanding
contributions to transportation research and education, but also
to her civic achievements, most notably as chair of the executive
committee of the Women’s Center of Wake County, Inc. The Women’s
Center has spent more than 20 years addressing the growing issue
of homelessness for women with children and single women.
For more information, contact Leigh Lane , CTE senior research
associate, (919) 515-8041 or lblane@ncsu.edu.
CTE Sponsors Wildlife Crossing Field Course
 CTE
served as a co-sponsor of the Rockies Wildlife Crossing Field Course
conducted April 11-13, 2005, in Payson, Arizona.
The purpose of the three-day course was to provide examples of
regional connectivity analyses and to share the successes and challenges
of incorporating effective wildlife mitigation measures in transportation
planning and highway construction in an efficient and economic manner.
The course included field investigation of wildlife crossing structures
currently in place along US 260 in Payson, AZ. More than 150 engineers
and ecologists participated.
CTE documented the course results and is currently working in
cooperation with the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project and Yellowstone
to Yukon Conservation Initiative, the primary course sponsors, to
present the course summaries and resource materials on CTE’s
Web site.
Additional course sponsors included the Arizona Department of
Transportation, Arizona Game and Fish, Defenders of Wildlife, Carter-Burgess,
Western Transportation Institute, and the Arizona and Colorado chapters
of the American Council of Engineering Companies.
For more information, contact Neil Koomen, CTE information specialist,
(919) 515-8623 or nckoomen@ncsu.edu.
CTE/NCDOT Research-in-Progress Profile:
 Minimizing
Water-Quality Impacts of Road Construction Projects
Performing Organizations:
North Carolina State University
Project Period:
September 2005 – August 2005
Project Team:
Dr. Richard A. McLaughlin, rich_mclaughlin@ncsu.edu
NCSU Department of Soil Science
Dr. Gregory D. Jennings, greg_jennings@ncsu.edu
NCSU Department of Toxicology
Overview
A research team from North Carolina State University is evaluating
road construction methods that can reduce potential water-quality
problems.
The research study looks at problems with erosion, movement, sediment
and muddy water during the construction of Interstate 485, near
Charlotte. This research is especially important because the study
area includes Lake Wylie, which provides Charlotte’s water
supply.
In the study, Dr. Richard A. McLaughlin, an associate professor
in the Department of Soil Science, and Dr. Gregory D. Jennings,
a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering,
also investigate potential solutions.
The research goal is to build and examine “sediment basins
designed to get sediment before it gets into streams and lakes,”
says McLaughlin. “We’ve definitely determined ways to
get sediment basins to function better,” he adds.
In order to be cost efficient, highway construction often requires
large areas to be disturbed. However, this creates the potential
for accelerated erosion and impacts on local streams and lakes,
such as Lake Wylie. This is due to the sediment and turbidity in
water running off from the construction area into nearby watersheds.
McLaughlin and Jennings studied these problems at 10 basins along
roughly 15 miles of Interstate 485 within the Long Creek watershed,
using monitoring sites at the highway and in adjacent streams. The
potential solutions studied include combinations of sediment-control
systems to clean up runoff, such as mulches, skimmers, baffles and
polyacrylamide liquid, logs and powder to control turbidity.
As the water passed through these systems, water-quality improvements
were observed, sampled and studied. Stream health indices were also
established to determine long-term impacts of watershed development.
Using the sediment basins, water was cleared by as much 90 percent.
Knowledge gained from the NCSU study of new sediment control systems
has been shared in workshops, demonstrations, and training sessions,
such as the regional International Erosion Control Association and
the American Society of Agricultural Engineers meetings held at
the site in November 2004 and attended by more than 300 professionals.
Furthermore, the results of the study will help roadway builders
meet federal and state environmental regulations, which are becoming
stricter. The North Carolina Department of Transportation, which
sponsored the study, is using some of the tested sediment control
designs to provide additional protection at sensitive sites. For
example, these designs are being used near Interstate 40 and NC
42 in eastern Wake and western Johnson counties, close to endangered
mussel populations.
The study began in September 2002 and will continue until August
2005.
Mark Your Calendar
May 24-26, 2005
4th National Environmental Conflict Resolution Conference
(Tucson, AZ)
June 5-9, 2005
Regional Community Impact Assessment Workshop
(Scottsdale, AZ)
July 11-13, 2005
Symposium on Stormwater Management for Highways
(Florida)
July 30-August 4, 2005
Soil and Water Conversation Society Environmental Management Conference
(Rochester, NY)
August 29-September 2, 2005
International Conference on Ecology and Transportation
(San Diego, CA)
For more information, please visit CTE's Events
Calendar.
For more information about CTE News and
Notes, contact Katie McDermott,
Editor
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