National Academies Press: OpenBook

TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation (2013)

Chapter: TR NEWS: NUMBER 288, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013

Page 1
Suggested Citation:"TR NEWS: NUMBER 288, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22466.
×
Page 1
Page 2
Suggested Citation:"TR NEWS: NUMBER 288, SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2013. TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22466.
×
Page 2

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

TR NEWS NUMBER 288 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2013 4 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN TRANSPORTATION 3 INTRODUCTION Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Improving the Quality of Life Robert M. O’Loughlin Transportation agencies have refined their organizational goals to foster sustainable strategies and approaches to problems from the perspective of the “triple bottom line”— environment, economy, and social equity. 4 Evaluating Sustainable Development: A Quality-of-Life Focus for Transportation Decision Making Adjo A. Amekudzi Effective data and analysis tools are important for a decision-making framework that has a quality-of-life focus; the author presents three model applications: the sustainability footprint, multiple-attribute decision making, and strengths–weaknesses–opportunities– threats analysis. 10 Online Tool Invests Highway Projects with Sustainability Benjamin Cotton 11 Fitting Livability into a Sustainability Framework: Making the Case Michael J. Savonis 12 Paths, Roads, and Rails to Better and More Sustainable Living Jamie Montague Fischer 14 Integrating Vegetation and Green Infrastructure into Sustainable Transportation Planning Richard Baldauf, Greg McPherson, Linda Wheaton, Max Zhang, Tom Cahill, Chad Bailey, Christina Hemphill Fuller, Earl Withycombe, and Kori Titus With increased urbanization worldwide, the number of people exposed to traffic emissions near high-volume roadways continues to increase. The authors present practical highlights from a workshop on roadside vegetation as a sustainable option for mitigating the health impacts of air quality near roads. 19 Impacts of Storm Water Pipe Lining on Water Quality: Virginia Research Leads to Improved Construction Specifications Bridget Donaldson and Ed Wallingford 21 Historic Preservation and Sustainability in Taneytown, Maryland Anne E. Bruder 22 Eco-Logical in Practice: Implementing an Ecosystem-Based Approach, Streamlining Environmental Processes for Transportation Projects Julianne Schwarzer and Haley Peckett The origins and evolution of the innovative Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects are traced, along with examples of early successes and current initiatives applying the collaborative framework for integrating plans across agency and political boundaries to streamline the transportation process and to improve environmental outcomes. 28 Creating a Multiagency Sustainability Framework for Colorado Agencies Jessica S. Myklebust 30 Recycling Materials and Techniques to Improve Sustainability: Delaware Department of Transportation’s Model Jim Pappas 32 Soundscapes: A Sustainability Approach to Transportation Noise Management Kenneth D. Polcak and Nicholas P. Miller To pursue desirable soundscapes as part of the transportation planning process, policy makers, engineers, and design professionals will need to understand subjective judgments about the sonic environment, the authors note. Soundscape considerations are likely to alter the analysis and design processes, particularly in relation to noise barriers, quieter pavement, and source reduction. 14 32 COVER: Parks and other natural settings grapple with transportation noise mitigation. Government agencies and state departments of transportation deploy sustainability initiatives suited to specific community and environmental needs. (Photo: Volpe Center)

TR NEWS features articles on innovative and timely research and development activities in all modes of trans portation. Brief news items of interest to the transportation community are also included, along with profiles of transportation profes - sionals, meeting an nouncements, summaries of new publications, and news of Trans portation Re search Board activities. TR News is produced by the Transportation Research Board Publications Office Javy Awan, Editor and Publications Director Lea Camarda, Associate Editor Jennifer J. Weeks, Photo Researcher Juanita Green, Production Manager Michelle Wandres, Graphic Designer TR News Editorial Board Frederick D. Hejl, Chairman Jerry A. DiMaggio Charles Fay Christine L. Gerencher Edward T. Harrigan Christopher J. Hedges Russell W. Houston Katherine Kortum Thomas R. Menzies, Jr. G.P. Jayaprakash, Research Pays Off Liaison Transportation Research Board Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Executive Director Russell W. Houston, Assistant Executive Director Mark R. Norman, Director, Technical Activities Stephen R. Godwin, Director, Studies and Special Programs Gary J. Walker, Director, Administration and Finance Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Ann M. Brach, Director, SHRP 2 TR News (ISSN 0738-6826) is issued bimonthly by the Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. Internet address: www.TRB.org. Editorial Correspondence: By mail to the Publications Office, Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, by telephone 202-334-2972, by fax 202-334-3495, or by e-mail jawan@nas.edu. Subscriptions: North America: 1 year $60; single issue $12. Overseas: 1 year $85; single issue $12 plus shipping. Inquiries or communications con- cerning new subscriptions, subscription problems, or single-copy sales should be addressed to the Business Office at the address below, or telephone 202-334-3216, fax 202-334-2519. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. Postmaster: Send changes of address to TR News, Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Wash ington, DC 20001. Notice: The opinions expressed in articles appearing in TR News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Transportation Research Board. The Trans por tation Research Board and TR News do not en dorse products or manufac- turers. Trade and manufacturers’ names appear in an article only because they are considered essential. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © 2013 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. For permissions, contact TRB. The impacts and implementation of products, tools, and research results and findings of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) are presented in the November–December issue of TR News. Articles spotlight each SHRP 2 focus area— renewal, capacity, reliability, and safety—from the perspectives of the research contrac- tors and the users of the research products, including instructive case studies. Also described are the systematic implementation vision and goals of the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as SHRP 2 innovations gain widespread adoption and upgrade the U.S. highway system, “saving lives, reducing con- gestion, and improving the quality of life.” 36 Judging Soundscapes Nicholas P. Miller 38 Noise and Natural Sounds in America’s National Parks Judith L. Rochat, Christopher D. Zevitas, and Amanda S. Rapoza 40 Quieter Pavements for Roads Paul Donavan 41 Effective Noise Barriers: Case Study from North Carolina Joe Rauseo 42 Sustainability in Airspace System Planning Katherine Harback and Anuja Mahashabde The authors explore ways to apply sustainability principles in assessing priorities and making investment decisions to improve the environmental performance yet balance the economic and social objectives of the national airspace system, amid evolving air transportation needs, revised air traffic growth forecasts, and tighter government budgets. 44 The Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance: Stakeholder Collaboration Yields Practical Resources Kristin Lemaster A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E : C O M I N G N E X T I S S U E 46 Research Pays Off Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement with Steel Slag Aggregate: Successful Use in Illinois Pavements Sheila A. Beshears and Erol Tutumluer 48 Profiles Professor, researcher, author, and interdisciplinary programs pioneer Richard de Neufville and roadway design engineer and research project manager Elizabeth Hilton 50 TRB Highlights Cooperative Research Programs News, 50 Second Strategic Highway Research Program News, 51 52 Bookshelf 56 Calendar Precast integral abutments produced for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), which piloted the SHRP 2 accelerated bridge construction (ABC) toolkit. VTrans faced many emergency bridge replacement projects after tropical storm Irene in August 2011; these abutments were for the agency’s first ABC project, Hancock Bridge on Route 125, constructed in May and June 2013. SPECIAL INSERT: Critical Issues in Transportation: 2013 appears between pages 28 and 29.

Next: INTRODUCTION: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Improving the Quality of Life »
TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation Get This Book
×
 TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

This issue of the TR News focuses on environmental sustainability in transportation and how it can help improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. Articles highlight practice-ready research and cover such topics as integrating vegetation and green infrastructure into sustainable transportation planning; implementing the Eco-Logical approach in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Washington, and Oregon; Virginia's improved construction specifications for stormwater pipe-lining materials; creating a multiagency sustainability framework in Colorado; effective noise barriers in North Carolina; Delaware's use of recycling materials and techniques; sustainability in airspace system planning; and more.

The September-October 2013 issue of TR News includes the following articles:

Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Improving the Quality of Life

Evaluating Sustainable Development: A Quality-of-Life Focus for Transportation Decision Making

Integrating Vegetation and Green Infrastructure into Sustainable Transportation Planning

Eco-Logical in Practice: Implementing an Ecosystem-Based Approach, Streamlining Environmental Processes for Transportation Projects

Soundscapes: A Sustainability Approach to Transportation Noise Management

Sustainability in Airspace System Planning

Research Pays Off: Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement with Steel Slag Aggregate: Successful Use in Illinois Pavements

The TR News is TRB's bimonthly magazine featuring timely articles on innovative and state-of-the-art research and practice in all modes of transportation. It also includes brief news items of interest to the transportation community, research pays off articles profiles of transportation professionals, workshop and conference announcements, new book notices, and news of TRB activities. Submissions of manuscripts for possible publication are accepted at any time.

Copies of the TR News may be purchased individually or ordered on an annual subscription basis.

READ FREE ONLINE

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!