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

Chapter: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Paths, Roads, and Rails to Better and More Sustainable Living

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Suggested Citation:"Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Paths, Roads, and Rails to Better and More Sustainable Living." 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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Suggested Citation:"Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Paths, Roads, and Rails to Better and More Sustainable Living." 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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TR N EW S 28 8 SE PT EM BE R– O CT O BE R 20 13 12 The author is a PhD can- didate in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Sustainability has become such a buzzword thatits root meaning often seems to have been lost.In its most basic sense, sustainability means being able to continue, either indefinitely or for a defined period. The sustainability of human civi- lization requires that all people achieve an acceptable quality of life, without degrading the natural envi- ronment (1, 2). The environment provides natural resources; without these, the economic and social resources that support quality of life could not exist. Economic resources include money and financial markets, as well as the physical assets that make up the built environment. Social resources include the intellect, skills, knowledge, work, culture, and inter- actions of human beings. The sustainable development process can be visu- alized as a bicycle ride.1 The riders represent human civilization, and their continued experience of the bicycle ride represents human quality of life. The journey is supported by the quality of the path, which represents the built and natural environment. The front wheel of the bicycle, which steers the ride, represents social processes. The back wheel, which powers the ride, represents economic processes. Like the two wheels of a bicycle, social and economic processes are linked inextricably, and defects in either can slow progress. Transportation’s Role As the adage maintains, “transportation is a derived good.” The primary purpose of transportation sys- tems is to expand the choices available to people, connecting them with goods, services, and opportu- nities that promote quality of life. Moreover, trans- portation is a sociotechnical system (3). Some human and social inputs into the transportation sys- tem include people’s attitudes, such as modal pref- erences; choices and behaviors, such as driving speed or helmet use; and the skills of system users and designers. Technical inputs include infrastructure, such as roads, rails, and signals; other mechanical components, such as vehicles; and software compo- nents, for operational management. Nevertheless, transportation also may create risks and barriers to quality of life. A transportation system may constrain or enhance people’s life choices, depending on the mix of modes, configurations, and land use. For example, life choices that affect quality of life include what to eat, how much to exercise, and whether or not to breathe clean air. According to the CDC Recommendations for Improving Health Through Transportation Policy, the choice of what to eat often depends on whether or not grocery stores are accessi- ble from a person’s regular travel modes and routes (4); the choice of how much to exercise may be enhanced by the availability of safe and pleasant walking and bicycling paths, or it can be limited by time spent in a car; and the choice of whether or not to breathe clean air may become irrelevant to someone who must walk along a busy roadway corridor at rush hour. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) publication, Livability 101: Six Principles of Livability, emphasizes the benefits of “more transportation choices,” “transit-oriented development,” and “safe and walkable neighborhoods” (5). Greater variety in mode choice accommodates the preferences and abil- ities of a greater number of people. At the same time, public transit options with connecting bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can allow more opportunity for physical activity, with motorized transportation— automobile and transit—providing time savings for long-distance travel. Paths, Roads, and Rails to Better and More Sustainable Living J A M I E M O N T A G U E F I S C H E R Environmental Sustainability in Transportation 1The bicycle analogy was developed in the author’s doctoral research and was previously unpublished. An effective transportation system offers a variety of travel options to commuters and travelers. P H O TO : N O R TH C A R O LIN A D O T

TR N EW S 288 SEPTEM BER–O CTO BER 2013 13 Promoting Quality of Life To promote quality of life effectively, transportation agencies need decision-support tools, performance metrics, and context-sensitive policies to inform investment decisions. Some agencies are making headway in these areas. For example, u Several state DOTs—among them California, Florida, Maryland, and Louisiana—report performance information related to multimodal accessibility (6): – Percent of total commute trips by each mode, including single- and high-occupancy ve- hicles and transit; – Monthly percentage changes in vehicle miles traveled and intercity rail boardings; – Percentage of roadways with sidewalks and percentage of sidewalks that meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and – Crash rates, serious injuries, and fatalities, separated by mode. u Some transportation agencies, including met- ropolitan planning organizations and state DOTs, are incorporating public health and safety concerns into their planning and performance management pro cesses: – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is addressing bicycle and pedestrian safety through a complete streets policy (7); – The San Diego Association of Governments has drafted a health and wellness policy framework that includes performance measures for safe and walkable streets, equity in mobility, and access to resources such as healthy foods, medical care, recreation, jobs, and schools (8); and – The Nashville Metropolitan Planning Orga- nization scores transportation projects with a points system based on outcomes in air quality and physical activity, among other health concerns (9). Continuing the Journey Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), the 2012 federal legislation authorizing transportation programs, mandates new perfor- mance reporting and management strategies from state DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations, and others that receive federal funds. MAP-21 also provides several grant programs supporting the new federal emphasis on livability.2 This and future fed- eral policies are intended to motivate state, regional, and local transportation agencies to develop their own metrics, policies, and tools to support decisions related to quality of life. As these processes gain momentum, they can help the transportation sys- tem evolve to enhance, preserve, and provide access systematically—and long into the future—to the social, economic, and environmental resources that support quality of life. Acknowledgment The information in this article was gathered through multiple research projects conducted by the Infra- structure Research Group3 at Georgia Institute of Technology. References 1. World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1987. 2. Chambers, N., C. Simmons, and M. Wackernagel. Sharing Nature’s Interest: Ecological Footprints as an Indicator for Sustainability. Earthscan Publications, London, 2000. 3. Fischer, J. M., and A. Amekudzi. Quality of Life, Sustain- able Civil Infrastructure, and Sustainable Development: Strategically Expanding Choice. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, Vol. 137, No. 1, 2011, pp. 29–38. 4. CDC Recommendations for Improving Health Through Trans- portation Policy. Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion, 2010. www.cdc.gov/transportation/docs/FINAL %20CDC%20Transportation%20Recommendations-4-28- 2010.pdf. 5. Livability 101: Six Principles of Livability. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013. www.dot.gov/livability/101. 6. DOT State Stats. Midwest Transportation Knowledge Net- work, 2012. http://stats.mtkn.org/. 7. Complete Streets Work Group. Final Report for the Secre- tary of the Department of Transportation and Development. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, 2010. www.dotd.la.gov/planning/highway_safety/docu ments/Complete%20Streets%20Final%20Report%2007- 29-2010.pdf. 8. Draft Health and Wellness Policy Framework and Potential Performance Measures for the Regional Comprehensive Plan Update. San Diego Association of Governments, 2010. www.sandag.org/uploads/projectid/projectid_381_ 14445.pdf. 9. Regional Transportation Plan: Transportation Policy for Health. Nashville Metropolitan Planning Organization, 2012. www.nashvillempo.org/regional_plan/health/. Departments of transportation in California and several other states report performance information such as the percentage of sidewalks that meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Infrastructure elements, such as a bicycle rack at a bus stop, can allow travelers to combine modes of travel in a single trip. 3www.irg.ce.gatech.edu.2www.dot.gov/livability/grants-programs. P H O TO : D A N B U R D EN, PB IC PH O TO : D A N B U R D EN , PB IC

Next: Environmental Sustainability in Transportation: Integrating Vegetation and Green Infrastructure into Sustainable Transportation Planning »
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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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