Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) > Technology Transfer

Transportation and Climate Change: Time to Think, Plan, Mitigate, and Adapt
Broadcast Date: 12/3/2008
Product Code: CTENBS-43
Description: As research on climate change progresses, there is growing realization that the transportation sector, a major contributor to climate change processes, must begin to respond to the anticipated impacts. Transportation agencies will play a major role in addressing climate change factors. At the same time, agencies face an uncertain regulatory environment and challenges to initiating technological or behavioral changes. This CTE teleconference will provide an overview of current practice and emerging issues for integrating climate change considerations into transportation planning at the state and regional levels. The panel will provide examples and insights into how agencies can approach mitigation of impacts, adaptation strategies, and policies and projects to address climate change through technological advances (e.g. alternative fuels) and changes to travel behavior. Issues related to the upcoming federal reauthorization of transportation funding and potential regulatory changes also will be discussed.
Topics: Climate Change Air Quality Planning/Land Use
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Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning Strategies: From SAFETEA-LU to Safe Routes to School. SAFETEA-LU Series: Part 2 of 4.
Broadcast Date: 5/4/2006
Product Code: CTENBS-39
Description:
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA- LU), passed by Congress in 2005, provides new provisions and expands previous legislation that support bicycle and pedestrian programming, planning and funding. The new provisions provide increased opportunities to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility, and create more complete transportation systems that foster healthier, more livable communities. Many creative approaches are underway across the nation, involving both transportation professionals and non-traditional partners such as health professionals, educators and advocates. The purpose of this live, three-hour broadcast was to highlight the key provisions and administrative efforts underway to implement the new law.
Topics: Bike/Pedestrian Policy
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Environmental Provisions of SAFETEA-LU. SAFETEA-LU Series: Part 1 of 4.
Broadcast Date: 11/17/2005
Product Code: CTENBS-38
Description: The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) includes provisions to enhance transportation and environmental decision making, environmental stewardship, and the efficiency of the environmental review process. States across the country will have an opportunity to advance innovations in transportation delivery and leverage federal funding to achieve a variety of community goals. The purpose of this live, three-hour broadcast is to review the key provisions and the administrative efforts underway to implement the new law. FHWA headquarters personnel and a panel of stakeholders from transportation and resource agencies, and the consulting and research communities, will discuss opportunities for input into rulemaking and guidance, as well as further training and outreach events. This program will include an interactive question and answer session at the end of each hour to explore proactive efforts to implement the provisions and to help States and communities achieve their transportation and environmental goals. For more information on SAFETEA-LU, including full text of the legislation, summary information, fact sheets, and funding tables, please visit the FHWA Web site.
Topics: Policy Environmental Management Systems
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Technologies to Improve the Consideration of Environmental Concerns in Transportation Decisions: Results of NCHRP 25-22(2)
Broadcast Date: 9/29/2005
Product Code: CTENBS-37
Description: NCHRP 25-22(2) showcases innovative applications currently in use by state DOTs and other public agencies that improve the continuous visibility of environmental factors in transportation decisions. The applications selected for this study represent all phases of the project life cycle, including planning, project development, environmental analysis, construction, and maintenance. This teleconference will explore the drivers behind agency decisions to implement these applications, opportunities for and barriers to implementation, major cost considerations, and the lessons that can aid other agencies interested in adopting similar applications. The objective is to link transportation agencies across the country to discover, share, and evaluate new, better ways to manage environmental processes within their respective organizations. For more information on the NCHRP 25-22 project, including the timetable for completion of the Phase 2 project, please visit the Transportation Research Board Web site.
Topics: Technology Tools Environmental Management Systems
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Innovative Strategies for Meeting Conformity Requirements
Broadcast Date: 5/18/2005
Product Code: CTENBS-36
Description: The Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency are interested in furthering the national dialogue on how states are responding proactively to EPA's new ozone and particulate matter standards as well as to their consideration of the current guidance for meeting conformity requirements. Several states are already promoting planning and technology innovations that hold promise for nationwide implementation. The purpose of this three-hour live broadcast is to review the new regulations, conformity requirements, and federal guidance and to explore case studies in California, Texas, and North Carolina that feature new approaches for helping to meet conformity requirements.
Topics: Air Quality
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Environmental Stewardship and Streamlining: How Are We Doing? Results of the First National Survey
Broadcast Date: 5/12/2005
Product Code: CTENBS-35
Description: The Federal Highway Administration recently published the results of the first national survey to evaluate performance in environmental stewardship and streamlining. Conducted by The Gallup Organization, the survey, which included focus group research and a regional pilot test, was designed to capture the views of managers and technical staff in both transportation and environmental resource agencies concerning their overall relationships. Technical staff in both types of agencies were also asked about their assessments of the performance of counterpart organizations on recently completed transportation projects. The purpose of this broadcast is to discuss the key survey results, to examine their relevance and potential application to the current experience of these agencies, and to explore the implications of such surveys in the future.
Topics: Project Delivery/Streamlining
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Scenario Planning for Better Transportation Decision Making
Broadcast Date: 3/3/2005
Product Code: CTENBS-34
Description: Scenario planning (SP) provides a framework for evaluating and testing future alternatives related to the various forces that impact communities. The Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies are actively promoting its use by state agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments to enhance the transportation decision-making process involving environmental- and growth-related concerns. This live, two-hour national broadcast will feature scenario planning leaders and practitioners who will discuss how land-based scenario planning might fit within the context of the metropolitan and statewide transportation planning and decision-making processes. The panel will examine lessons learned from three initiatives underway in California, Idaho, and Utah. In addition, the panel will discuss the range of available software tools and technical assistance, as well as future research needs.
Topics: Planning/Land Use
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Transportation and Public Health: The State of the Science
Broadcast Date: 12/16/2004
Product Code: CTENBS-33
Description: Public health concerns related to transportation reflect a broad range of issues, including pedestrian and motorist safety, hazardous materials remediation, and human health and physical fitness. While the body of scientific knowledge about the relationship between transportation and public health is growing, there is still much to learn regarding the criteria that determine when a transportation factor graduates from an “association” to a “causation” of health effects, as well as to what extent human behavior influences transportation choices affecting health and physical fitness (and vice versa). More dialogue is needed to help decision makers identify the best available science to inform current policy decisions and best management practices. This broadcast will feature representatives from federal and state transportation agencies as well as researchers from universities and the Centers for Disease Control to discuss the current state of the science and future research needs with regard to transportation and public health issues.
Topics: Public Health Community Impacts
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Context Sensitive Solutions: A Better Way
Broadcast Date: 10/27/2004
Product Code: CTENBS-32
Description: Context sensitive solutions (CSS) has been considered traditionally as a concept that promotes flexibility in highway and bridge design; however, transportation agencies are now proactively using CSS principles as an important decision-making framework at all levels of transportation: from planning and programming, to project development, to construction, operations and maintenance. The three pillars of transportation-oriented CSS support the development of collaborative solutions that (1) meet the transportation need, (2) serve as an asset to the community, and (3) protect and preserve the integrity of the natural and human environment. An important emphasis area is defining "quality of life," which is critical to understanding context. The purpose of this broadcast was to examine how CSS is currently enhancing transportation decision making at all functional levels. The program addressed the institutional factors within transportation agencies that can help or hinder the application of CSS principles and presented case studies of state DOT efforts, including the U.S. Route 50 national demonstration project in Virginia.
Topics: Project Delivery/Streamlining Context Sensitive Solutions Distance Learning
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Lessons Learned in Assessing Indirect and Cumulative Impacts of Transportation Projects
Broadcast Date: 8/26/2004
Product Code: CTENBS-31
Description: Indirect and cumulative impact assessments are considered among the most complex, if not perplexing, decision-making processes related to surface transportation development. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires agencies to conduct assessments of all reasonably forseeable direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of projects that use federal funding. However, finding a common definition of "reasonable assessment" among the core agencies remains a signficant challenge. In the last decade, the experiences of transportation agencies and stakeholders have generated valuable lessons learned, particularly in the scoping phase of the assessment process. This broadcast explored some of the most useful strategies employed to date for conducting indirect and cumulative assessments that lead to better NEPA decisions. The broadcast featured case studies from the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Project, Maryland's I-270/US-15 Multimodal Corridor Study, and North Carolina's Monroe Bypass Project.
Topics: Planning/Land Use Project Delivery/Streamlining
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Environmental Information Management and Decision Support System for Transportation: The Results of NCHRP 25-23
Broadcast Date: 6/24/2004
Product Code: CTENBS-30
Description: Environmental decisions regarding transportation planning, project development, construction, operations, and maintenance are among the most difficult facing transportation decision makers. To help facilitate efficient and cost-effective decision making, National Cooperative Highway Research Project 25-23 has supported the development of a guidebook (Phase 1, NCHRP Report 481) that helps transportation agencies incrementally develop and tailor to their organization a system for managing transportation and environmental information, and for providing decision support at all levels of transportation decision making. The Phase 1 guidebook is now complete, and Phase 2 of the project, the development of software for implementing the EIM/DSS approach, will be launched in summer 2004. This broadcast examined the relationship between traditional environmental management systems and the EIM/DSS approach as outlined in Phase 1 of NCHRP 25-23, explored related case studies at Washington State DOT and PennDOT, and introduced the goals and objectives of NCHRP 25-23 (Phase 2), which involves the testing of the new software at select state transportation agencies.
Topics: Environmental Management Systems Project Delivery/Streamlining Planning/Land Use
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Safety Conscious Transportation Planning
Broadcast Date: 3/10/2004
Product Code: CTENBS-29
Description: State and local transportation departments and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are now required to consider safety as a key planning factor and performance measure in all transportation plans and programs. Transportation planners are encouraged to work collaboratively with safety planners and practitioners, engineers, data managers, and others through a comprehensive, multi-modal, systemwide, proactive approach called Safety Conscious Planning (SCP). SCP is designed to reduce, and ultimately prevent, the human, environmental, and economic consequences of surface-transportation-related crashes. This broadcast reviewed SCP goals and objectives, examined current case studies, and included an interactive question & answer session between the panel and national audience.
Topics: Planning/Land Use Public Health
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FHWA European Scan Tour on Wildlife Connectivity:Applications for U.S. Transportation Programs
Broadcast Date: 12/17/2003
Product Code: CTENBS-28
Description: This program featured a panel of engineers and natural resource experts who participated on the European scan tour conducted in October 2001, and who have since then played an integral role in helping to apply the most promising scan tour results in U.S. transportation programs. The program began with a brief overview of the scan tour objectives and available resource materials. The panel discussions focused on U.S. policy issues and project case studies that demonstrate the human safety as well as ecological aspects of implementing wildlife crossing structures along highways. The challenges and opportunities associated with achieving long-term conservation strategies for wildlife and critical habitats, regionally and statewide, were also examined with consideration give to fiscally viable approaches.
Topics: Wildlife/Terrestrial Ecosystems Threatened and Endangered Species Project Delivery/Streamlining
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Invasive Species in Transportation Rights of Way:"You Wouldn't Plant Kudzu, Would You?"
Broadcast Date: 10/15/2002
Product Code: CTENBS-27
Description: Vegetation managers are responsible for more than 12 million acres of land in transportation rights of way in the United States. In 1994 Executive Order 13112 required vegetation managers to ensure the prevention and control of "invasive species." Because highway corridors crisscross the nation, they are often blamed as pathways for the spread of invasive plant species, which are harmful to agriculture, human health, and/or the natural environment. A Cornell University study in 2001 estimated that the U.S. loses $23 billion annually due to invasive impacts. This broadcast provided an overview of the national problem presented by invasive plant species, reviewed FHWA's expectations for Federal-aid highways, examined current state and local solutions and best practices, and presented resources for more information.
Topics: Vegetation Management
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Integrating Right-of-Way and the Environment for Better Results
Broadcast Date: 10/16/2001
Product Code: CTENBS-26
Description: Right-of-way and environmental procedures can be perceived as causing delay in project development. Yet these disciplines serve critical functions necessary to the public interest. This videoconference is designed to broaden the understanding of executives, managers, and project managers regarding the right-of-way and environmental aspects of transportation programs and the opportunities for enhancing program performance. This session is designed for those who have found themselves asking, "Why isn't this project ready?" and "What can we do to improve the process so that work flows smoothly?" Participants will learn: (1) What is required: how right-of-way and environment interface with other project development activities, including planning and design; (2) What goes wrong: common pitfalls to avoid; and (3) how the project development process can be improved: tools to build flexibility and efficiency into the right-of-way and environmental functions.
Topics: Project Delivery/Streamlining
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Results of NCHRP Project 25-22: Technologies to Improve Consideration of Environmental Concerns in Transportation Decisions
Broadcast Date: 5/11/2001
Product Code: CTENBS-25
Description: Current and emerging technology advancements can improve transportation decision making, which must integrate environmental, engineering, social, and economic information. However, advanced tools typically have not been used to enhance the inclusion of environmental considerations in the planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance activities of state transportation agencies. These tools include multimedia communications, computer modeling, remote sensing, spatial information systems, and Internet applications. This program will present the results of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project #25-22 and showcase projects that have successfully used advanced technological tools to improve the integration of environmental considerations in transportation decisions. The panel will demonstrate technologies as well as discuss benefits and lessons learned.
Topics: Technology Tools GIS/GPS
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Community-Based Clean Air and Transportation Public Education Initiatives and Partnerships
Broadcast Date: 12/1/2000
Product Code: CTENBS-24
Description: State and local government entities have expressed to EPA that more emphasis is needed in making the public aware of the implications of transportation activities on air quality. Federal agencies recognize that a major way to support state and local governments' efforts to meet their congestion and air quality goals is to participate in public information programs. In response, EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) has sought to provide support to public information projects at the local level that can help meet local air quality/transportation needs. These partnerships are working at many levels and among many types of organizations, including state, local, regional, and other federal air, transportation, and public health agencies and community organizations. Many of these programs have been undertaken in close coordination with the DOT. This program focused on successful federally-supported public education programs that are improving air quality and reducing congestion. A panel including staff from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), along with implementers of successful community-based programs, shared case studies and advice.
Topics: Air Quality Public Involvement Community Impacts
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Wildlife Ecology and Transportation
Broadcast Date: 11/15/2000
Product Code: CTENBS-23
Description: This program was a follow up to CTE's 1998 broadcast that examined the authorities in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century enabling the consideration and mitigation of the ecological impacts of surface transportation development. Landscape ecology, habitat fragmentation, and the Endangered Species Act were key topics of concern. On November 15 research and policy experts came together again to examine the recent advancements in mitigating the ecological impacts of highway systems and projects. Panel discussions focused on new research and policy initiatives emerging from within the United States and beyond its borders. Case studies illustrated how some agencies are working together to improve the way wildlife ecology issues are addressed in transportation system planning and project development.
Topics: Wildlife/Terrestrial Ecosystems Threatened and Endangered Species Project Delivery/Streamlining
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New Paradigms for Transportation and Environmental Management
Broadcast Date: 9/29/2000
Product Code: CTENBS-21
Description: As a result of the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal environmental laws enacted in the late 60s and 70s, environmental analysis functions staff were introduced into transportation agencies to obtain federal project approvals for capital projects. This marked the beginning of an evolution from a transportation mission which was remarkably distinct -- to build safe, efficient transportation facilities – to one which must now consider and manage the broadest context of effects transportation agencies have on the natural and human environment. Environmental performance of transportation agencies is no longer just measured by the number of NEPA documents and environmental permits approved but through all of its actions, from planning through operations and maintenance. During the last three decades, how have transportation professionals responded to this new challenge? How have the transportation mission, organizational structure and work tools evolved accordingly? How have transportation agencies demonstrated their environmental responsibility to the communities they serve? And what lies ahead for future professionals who must integrate surface transportation development with environmental excellence? These questions and others were explored by a panel of public and private sector professionals, who have experienced firsthand the struggles and triumphs of this dynamic and unprecedented journey. Case studies were featured that reflect the new environmental ethic growing within state and local transportation agencies. And panelists discussed with the audience how they are attempting to balance the public's two-fold demand for improved mobility and a clean environment.
Topics: Project Delivery/Streamlining Distance Learning
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Overview of the Proposed Rulemaking for Planning, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementation, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Broadcast Date: 6/15/2000
Product Code: CTENBS-20
Description: This program occurred during the public comment period following the release of the new proposed rulemaking for metropolitan and statewide planning, NEPA implementation, and ITS. Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration staff presented an overview of the proposed rules and changes to existing planning, NEPA, and ITS regulations. This teleconference was part of an extensive outreach process by FHWA and FTA to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the proposed rules, and to provide instructions for how to submit official comments to the docket.
Topics: Policy Planning/Land Use
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GIS & GPS for Environmental Data Collection and Analysis in Transportation
Broadcast Date: 3/16/1999
Product Code: CTENBS-15
Description: During the last decade, transportation agencies have integrated the benefits of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) technologies into their planning and project development. However, the use of these tools to address the environmental aspects of transportation is just beginning. The implications for enhanced environmental review, conservation, and mitigation are significant. And several state departments of transportation, in cooperation with others, are finding that collaboration is key to the successful application of these technologies toward their most challenging environmental concerns. This program showcased current case studies from state DOTs and others who are using GIS/GPS for improving environmental data collection and analysis in transportation. An outstanding panel discussed lessons learned and explored new opportunities for using GIS/GPS to resolve shared environmental concerns.
Topics: Technology Tools GIS/GPS Project Delivery/Streamlining
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Wildlife Ecology and Transportation
Broadcast Date: 11/17/1998
Product Code: CTENBS-14
Description: Along with unprecedented funding for transportation-related construction and planning, TEA-21 provides new authority to consider and mitigate ecological impacts in developing transportation infrastructure, including the ability to use federal transportation funds for participation in ecological and habitat inventories, ecosystem and habitat impact analysis, and development and implementation of wetland and habitat banks. State transportation departments need--and are finding--new approaches and techniques to mitigate the impacts of highways and other modes of transportation on ecosystems and wildlife. On November 17, 1998, a panel of experienced and knowledgeable biologists from various organizations discussed the authorities in TEA-21 for consideration of ecological issues, mitigation techniques, case studies of approaches to implementation of ecosystem planning, habitat management, and Endangered Species Act considerations in the planning and design of highway systems and projects. The program acquainted biologists and highway agency designers and planners with current approaches to ecological impact analysis and management.
Topics: Wildlife/Terrestrial Ecosystems Threatened and Endangered Species Project Delivery/Streamlining
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