State DOTs Discuss Road Resilience Plans in Coastal States
In May, representatives from New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine Departments of Transportation presented their states’ current resilience planning and design practices at the Northeastern State Transportation Officials (NASTO) 2026 Emergency Management Peer Exchange in New Haven, CT.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
The session focused on current infrastructure “future proofing” initiatives along the U.S. east coast. Speakers at that session were Raquel Ocasio, transportation supervising planner from the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Office of Sustainability and Resiliency; Tobey Reynolds, director of project development from New Hampshire Department of Transportation; and Eric Ham, senior environmental manager from the Maine Department of Transportation.
[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials hosted a knowledge session on future proofing at its 2026 Spring Meeting in Savannah, GA, featuring speakers from state departments of transportation in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama.]
“The Connecticut DOT has adopted AASHTO’s and the Federal Highway Administration’s definition [of resilient transportation],” explained Ocasio, “which is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond, and recover rapidly from disruptions.”
Ocasio explained that several resilience initiatives across Connecticut, including Conneticut DOT’s Culvert Program Pilot Study, aim to prioritize key infrastructure across the state that
require improvements with fast, robust resolutions. Ocasio mentioned that the first phase of that Culvert Program Pilot Study should be completed in the next few months.
In New Hampshire, Reynolds said that many state and local agencies are looking at how to improve resilience alongside coastal roadways. He said New Hampshire DOT’s new Coastal Hydraulic and Hydrodynamic Supplement, which is nearly complete, provides guidance on resilience projects across the state. Reynolds also noted that the supplement is a continuation of research from New Hampshire’s Coastal Flood Risk Summary and the state’s Resilience Improvement Plan.
“It takes the science of [the Coastal Flood Risk Summary], and it gives guidance on how the DOT is going to apply that science to their projects,” he explained.
Reynolds also emphasized that the supplement was designed to apply to all New Hampshire government projects, at both the state and local levels.
“What we were finding was, we would do bridge projects or culvert projects along the coast and, depending on who was designing them, we would have different opinions to what sea level rise would be,” he said. “This document is going to help us apply that data consistently across projects.”
Maine DOT’s Ham also highlighted his state’s work in regulating coastal road erosion, including a recent project along North Deer Isle Road, which connects island communities like Stonington to the mainland, that consistently faces causeway overtopping.
Ham explained that, across Maine, many agencies are exploring nature-based infrastructure solutions that are less invasive, yet durable. In coastal areas, the issue of resilient, non-invasive, and affordable infrastructure becomes even more challenging.
“You can’t just build vertical walls everywhere and not touch anything,” Ham noted. “In these high-energy coastal environments, [the issue is] how you stabilize the roads and keep them resilient.”
NMDOT Hails First ‘Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors’
The New Mexico Department of Transportation recently celebrated the first graduates of its “Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors” program – an initiative designed to empower high school students from across New Mexico to lead local beautification efforts.
[Above photo by NMDOT]
The 2025–2026 cohort of the “Young Ambassadors” program, part of NMDOT’s “Que Linda” program and the governor’s youth-focused #KeepLitterOut campaign, is made up of 14 high school juniors and seniors from across the state, each committed to organizing beautification projects and long-term capstone initiatives addressing litter and graffiti prevention in their communities.
“New Mexico’s students are proving that leadership has no age limit. Our inaugural Land of Enchantment Young Ambassadors cohort has taken meaningful action to improve their communities while inspiring others to do the same,” said Governor Lujan Grisham (D) in a statement.
“Their efforts are truly impressive, helping build a culture of stewardship and civic pride that will benefit our state for generations to come. I look forward to watching this program, and our students, continue to grow and empower young leaders across our state,” she added.
Collectively, NMDOT said the 2025-2026 cohort of Young Ambassadors hosted 17 cleanup events and engaged with 338 volunteers, resulting in the collection of 15,240 pounds or 7.62 tons of trash across New Mexico. Beyond cleanup efforts, cohort members also amplified the message through two letters published in newspapers across the state, urging New Mexicans to join litter prevention and cleanup efforts.
Since launching in October 2024, the statewide “Breaking Bad Habits” and the youth-focused #KeepLitterOut campaigns have resulted in the collection of more than 5,473 tons of trash from across New Mexico through coordinated cleanup efforts and community partnerships. Organizers hope the program will continue to inspire students throughout the state to join this civic engagement effort, as well as participate in community beautification, sustainability, and other environmental leadership initiatives.
Environmental News Highlights – July 8, 2026
SCDOT Pushes Forward with NEPA Assignment Effort
The South Carolina Department of Transportation recently took its first step in pursuit of National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA assignment duties, courtesy of the SCDOT Modernization Act passed by the state’s general assembly and signed by Governor Henry McMaster (R) – legislation that went into effect on July 1.
[Above photo by SCDOT]
SCDOT noted that federal law allows states to assume environmental review responsibilities from the Federal Highway Administration via NEPA assignment – and the SCDOT Modernization Act specifically gave the agency the authority to pursue NEPA assignment as a means to accelerate project delivery.
A letter sent to FHWA by Justin Powell, SCDOT secretary, began the process of certifying SCDOT to assume FHWA’s environmental review responsibilities – and the agency anticipates a 12-to-18-month process to complete NEPA assignment certification.
Once the process is complete, South Carolina will be among several other states participating in the NEPA assignment program, including Florida, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Ohio, Nebraska, Maine, and Alaska.
“The [South Carolina] general assembly’s leadership will pay dividends for years to come,” said Powell, who also serves as the treasurer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in a statement.
[Editor’s note: At its 2026 Washington Briefing in Washington, D.C., AASHTO hosted a knowledge session that examined how states are working to assume more NEPA responsibilities from the federal government.]
“The SCDOT Modernization Act positions South Carolina to take greater control of delivering critical infrastructure projects more efficiently, while also allowing South Carolinians to consider protecting what makes South Carolina so special and unique,” he added.
The agency also noted that it is requesting authority to assume FHWA’s responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Federal Endangered Species Act. By eliminating the need for FHWA approval at each step of project development, SCDOT said it will significantly reduce review times, reduce costs, and move projects from planning to construction faster. At the same time, decisions are still held to the same environmental standards and requirements, stressed Powell.
“When I’ve talked with my colleagues in other states, they have seen projects speed up by months and years because the state can control its destiny instead of waiting for somebody in Washington to make a decision,” he noted.
To maintain accountability and transparency, SCDOT said it will publish a comprehensive “NEPA Manual” within one year of joining the program and issue regular reports to the public showing the program’s effectiveness, time savings, and financial impacts.
Florida DOT Project Beefs Up Ped/Bike Protections for U.S. 41
The Florida Department of Transportation is investing $4.6 million in safety improvements for a southwest suburban highway corridor to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists who travel along or cross the busy roadway.
[Above photo by Florida DOT]
The project site along U.S. 41 in Bradenton – about 45 miles south of Tampa – is home to shopping centers, restaurants, gas stations, and retail shops. FDOT traffic data show the six-lane highway has an average daily traffic count of about 45,000 vehicles.
“As part of the Florida DOT Safety Office constant review, this corridor was identified due to the number of fatal and serious injury crashes,” noted Patricia Pichette, a communications specialist with the agency. “Specifically, this project is intended to address the bicycle and pedestrian crashes along the corridor.”
Florida DOT noted that two-thirds of the 34 fatal crashes in the area from 2018 through 2024 involved a pedestrian or cyclist.
To make active transportation safer along a key 1.27-mile section of U.S. 41, the agency is installing seven mid-block crosswalks with pedestrian hybrid beacons; vehicle detection systems; signage and pavement markings; raised medians; new curbs and gutters; new ramps; sidewalks; signalization; and improved lighting.
The high-visibility crosswalks will also have patterns that are visible to drivers and pedestrians from farther away compared to traditional crosswalks, the agency said – mid-block crosswalks that will be installed on the roadway below the pedestrian hybrid beacons.
The overhead beacons have two red lenses above a single yellow lens, Florida DOT noted, which remain dark until a pedestrian or bicyclist pushes the call button to activate the beacon. When activates, the beacon goes from yellow-to-red flashing and steady-light sequence that directs traffic to slow or stop.
Nearly 74 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersection locations, and vehicle speeds are often a major contributing factor, according to a Federal Highway Administration report on pedestrian hybrid beacons. The beacon is “an intermediate option between a flashing beacon and a full pedestrian signal because it assigns right of way and provides a positive stop control,” that FHWA report found.
The vehicle detection systems will include cameras and roadway-embedded loops to help with signals and traffic flow, Florida DOT’s Pichette said.
Though project construction is scheduled to wrap up at the end of the year, Florida DOT will “continue to seek funding to install other proven safety counter measures,” she stressed.
“Pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure matters to the Florida DOT because protecting people who walk and bike is essential to reducing serious injuries and deaths on Florida’s roads,” Pichette noted. “Florida DOT recognizes that these travelers are the most vulnerable users in the transportation system, so improving safety supports the state’s broader goals of building connected, healthy and accessible communities.”
Environmental News Highlights – June 24, 2026
Podcast: Advancing Accessibility in Transportation
The latest episode of the “Stream by AASHTO” podcast features an interview with Alan Hejl, founder and lead consultant of Spark Access; a company that helps people with disabilities gain more mobility options to help foster a greater sense of belonging and inclusion for them more broadly in society.
[Above graphic by AASHTO]
This podcast series is part of the AASHTO Environmental Management technical service program operated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It explores a wide array of environmental topics that affect state departments of transportation and the infrastructure programs they oversee.
In this podcast episode, Hejl explains that the mission of Spark Access is to foster more awareness, accessibility, and inclusion for the disabled community within the mobility industry. The firm’s advocacy efforts focus on helping people with both visible and hidden disabilities gain more transportation options to fit their travel needs.
Also on the podcast, Hejl talks about how his work at General Motors helped open his eyes to the wide range of mobility issues people with disabilities face – a passion that deepened and became more personal in light of the mobility struggles faced by his wheelchair-bound wife.
He discusses how different kinds of disabilities can impact transportation options; how transportation systems are often built with the needs of disabled travelers as an afterthought; and how autonomous vehicles can offer the disabled greater travel opportunities if they meet their accessibility needs.
To listen to the full podcast episode, click here.
Alaska DOT&PF Launches Statewide Trails Program
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities recently launched the Alaska Trails and Local Access System or ATLAS program; a new initiative that will unify the department’s efforts to improve trail access, connectivity, and outdoor recreation opportunities across Alaska.
[Above photo by the Alaska DOT&PF]
The agency said that, as part of the governor’s Administrative Order 361, responsibility for administering the federal Recreational Trails Program transferred from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to the Alaska DOT&PF in October 2025. Under the ATLAS initiative, that program will now be administered as the Multi-Use Trails Program.
Following that transition last year, the agency continued holding the ongoing “open funding application” cycle already underway and worked with the newly formed Alaska Recreational Trails Advisory Committee or ARTAC to evaluate project proposals from communities and organizations across the state.
Based on ARTAC’s recommendations, Alaska DOT&PF awarded more than $2.2 million in federal funding to 15 projects across Alaska, with 14 of those projects receiving full funding, and one project – the Petersville Trails and Rescue Center (Groundbreaking Phase III) – obtaining partial funding. Those projects include motorized, non-motorized, diversified, and safety, and education trail projects that will improve recreational access, enhance public safety, support local economies, and maintain critical trail infrastructure.
“ATLAS represents a new chapter in how Alaska supports trails, outdoor recreation, and community connectivity,” noted Ryan Anderson, Alaska DOT&PF’s commissioner, in a statement. “These investments will help improve and maintain trail systems across the state while creating opportunities for Alaskans and visitors to safely access and enjoy Alaska’s outdoors.”
Other state departments of transportation are engaged in similar trail-supportive efforts.
For example, in early May, the Utah Department of Transportation kicked off construction on the first project within the Utah Trail Network; a plan to build 2,600 miles of new paved trails and 500 miles of existing trails connecting communities statewide similar to how highways connect cities.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a celebration for the completion of a 0.9-mile extension of the Neponset River Greenway trail; part of a statewide effort to provide more access to “greenspace” to state residents.
And, also in May, the Virginia Department of Transportation released a revised Statewide Multiuse Trails Plan, providing a foundation for the development of a connected trail network for the Commonwealth.
That plan – a culmination of over two years of research – combined public engagement and technical analyses, including a data inventory of over 1,500 current and 2,900 planned miles of trails across Virginia, plus spatial analyses and practical insights for local jurisdictions.