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

Chapter: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Online Tool Invests Highway Projects with Sustainability

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Suggested Citation:"Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Online Tool Invests Highway Projects with Sustainability." 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.
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Environmental Sustainability in Transportation TR N EW S 28 8 SE PT EM BE R– O CT O BE R 20 13 10 In October 2012, the FederalHighway Administration(FHWA) launched a volun- tary online tool to help agencies identify opportunities for incor- porating sustainability into trans- portation projects and programs. INVEST 1.0 consists of a collec- tion of sustainability best prac- tices, called criteria, in three modules—system planning, project development, and opera- tions and maintenance—that address the full life cycle of a highway. With this web-based tool, an agency can evaluate each module independently and receive a score based on the points achieved for each criterion. Beyond the score, however, INVEST 1.0 meets an identified need for a collaborative virtual workspace that promotes communication and encourages participation by a range of sus- tainability-minded practitioners, including transportation planners, engineers, construction specialists, asset managers, ecologists, econ- omists, maintenance technicians, and executive leaders. Incorporating Feedback INVEST 1.0 underwent an extensive review process during devel- opment. When the beta version was released in 2010, FHWA sought feedback from all potential users and stakeholder organizations, including the American Association of State Highway and Trans- portation Officials, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Orga- nizations, federal partners—such as the Federal Transit Administra- tion and the Environmental Pro- tection Agency—and many state departments of transportation. A pilot test version was re- leased in 2011 and 2012, and 17 transportation agencies around the country tested the tool and pro- vided feedback to FHWA. The de- velopment team received more than 2,000 comments from the beta and pilot testing, addressed all, and incorporated many into IN- VEST 1.0. Flexibility and Functionality The pilot tests led to a significant change in the project develop- ment module of INVEST 1.0. Users suggested that the module, designed to evaluate specific highway projects, should be more flexible and customizable, so that all types of highway proj- ects could have the opportunity to score points. FHWA created multiple scorecards for the mod- ule, acknowledging differences in project setting and scope. The revision allows for an urban pave- ment rehabilitation project, for example, to have a unique set of criteria tailored to its sustainabil- ity needs, and a large, rural highway project to have its own set of criteria. The module offers an option to create a custom scorecard around certain base criteria. The pilot test also yielded valuable input for the tool’s function- ality. FHWA requested that each agency participating in the pilot test send its evaluation team to a scoring workshop covering each cri- terion and its scoring. A representative from FHWA attended the workshops to observe the process, answer questions, and record feedback. The workshops offered insights into the user-friendliness of INVEST and into ways for improving the online working envi- ronment. Version 1.0 incorporates several new features as a result. Every user now has access to a project work space, which can store mul- tiple project scorecards. In addi- tion, supporting documents can be uploaded into the system, along with notes that reflect the scoring rationales. To learn more about INVEST 1.0 or to try out the tool, visit www.sustainablehighways.org. Online Tool Invests Highway Projects with Sustainability B E N J A M I N C O T T O N Central Federal Lands Highway is using the online tool INVEST to evaluate the sustainability of transportation projects in the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in California. The Innerbelt 90 project in Cleveland, Ohio, received a gold score from the INVEST pilot. The bridge replacement project aimed for sustainability in several categories, such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, and project administration. P H O TO : JU STIN E B ELSO N/U .S. F ISH A N D W ILD LIFE S ER V IC E P H O TO : W A LSH/H N TB IN N ER B ELT B R ID G E T EA M The author is Community Planner, Transportation Systems Planning and Assessment, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation Get This Book
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 TR News September–October 2013: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation
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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.

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