Michigan DOT Conducting Pedestrian Bridge Survey
The Michigan Department of Transportation wants the public to weigh in on which state-owned pedestrian bridges in the metropolitan Detroit area should be prioritized for rehabilitation, reconstruction, or consolidation.
[Above photo by the Michigan DOT]
The agency noted that most pedestrian bridges in and around Detroit were built in the 1950s and 1960s, in the glory days of the American auto industry and Motown. Now those bridges are near the end of their useful lives, and some of them already have been closed.
Michigan DOT noted it doesn’t have enough money to repair or replace all the bridges. As the closures and the costs to repair or rebuild those bridges piled up, the department decided to take a strategic approach by launching a Pedestrian Bridge Study.
An agency team is compiling technical bridge data and active transportation traffic counts to determine the condition and utilization of each bridge. Meanwhile, the department is soliciting public input to give planners a full picture of which bridges are the most important, noted James VanSteel, Metro Region transportation planner for Michigan DOT.
The focus of the study are 77 state-owned bridges in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties – including 55 structures within the city limits of Detroit. Of those 77 bridges, 21 are rated in “good” condition; 42 are “fair,” nine are “poor,” and five were closed because they failed inspection or had damage from truck strikes.
“Residents who use these bridges have made their importance to local communities clear and have voiced support for more transparency into MDOT’s plans for maintaining safe pedestrian and bike access,” VanSteel said. However, the agency “does not have dedicated funding available to address all the needs for these legacy pedestrian structures,” he added.
Those needs include reconstruction to bring the bridges up to Federal Highway Administration and American with Disabilities Act standards.
The department has held six open houses in the three counties to present the public with information about the bridges and to listen to residents’ comments. Michigan DOT wants residents to take a survey to share which bridges they use, how often they use them, and if they use the bridges to get to work, school, places of worship, healthcare facilities, or for recreation and exercise.
Michigan DOT has also created an advisory committee from communities that have at least one bridge in the study, and the department is meeting with people from local and county governments, businesses, advocacy groups, and schools. The agency wants to gather local input so it can “better understand the unique context and community priorities in particular locations,” VanSteel said.
The department will combine all the input with technical data, traffic counts, and analysis to create a “strategic investment plan,” VanSteel noted. “The information we gather will help the department make the best use of its limited funds to identify priority investments, explore opportunities for consolidation, and work proactively with communities to maintain connectivity,” he said.
The survey ends October 31. Michigan DOT expects to complete the study by summer 2026, when the team will make recommendations to the agency and offer “informational resources for the public to better understand the condition, usage, and local priorities for each bridge,” VanSteel explained.
While the study is limited to the Detroit area, VanSteel said it exemplifies how “Michigan DOT and its local partners understand that pedestrian bridges are key links in the connectivity of regional active transportation networks.”
Hawaii DOT Installing Traffic Noise Detection Cameras
The Hawaii Department of Transportation recently launched a noise detection pilot program that will install noise detection cameras on several key roadways across the island of Oahu.
[Above photo by Hawaii DOT]
The first of those cameras are being placed on the H-3 Freeway at the Halekou Interchange – where it joins with the Kamehameha Highway – along with a camera on Ala Moana Boulevard near Kalia Road. Eight more locations in the top 10 will be installed by January 2026, the agency said.
Hawaii DOT noted in a statement that the purpose of this noise detection pilot program is to gather data on the types and levels of noise generated by vehicles on Oahu roads and stressed that no tickets will be issued.
[Editor’s note: In 2024, a two-part series on “The Stream by AASHTO” podcast illustrated how state departments of transportation across the U.S. are working to minimize the impact of roadway noise in their respective regions.]
The agency noted that it selected the locations for noise camera installation based on complaints recorded by the Honolulu Police Department or HPD. An additional 12 roadway locations have been identified for potential data gathering pending engineering assessment. A map with additional details on the sites is available at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/noise-detection-cameras/.
Once the sites begin gathering data, Hawaii DOT said it will prepare monthly reports on the number of events detected exceeding 90 decibels at the roadway locations involved in this pilot program, as well as the type of vehicle noise observed (e.g., engine, muffler, etc.). Those reports will be used to help with future legislation on vehicle noise and HPD enforcement.
Environmental News Highlights – September 17, 2025
Florida DOT Capping Off Seawall Construction Project
The Florida Department of Transportation is wrapping up a $117 million secant seawall project to protect parts of the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway, a major coastal road, from future hurricane damage.
[Above photo by Florida DOT]
The highway, also known as State Road A1A, runs for 339 miles along much of Florida’s Atlantic coast. The project consists of two seawalls in Volusia and Flagler counties, areas where the highway was heavily damaged during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.
That roadway serves as “a critical transportation corridor for residents and businesses, as well as a hurricane evacuation route,” said Cindi Lane, Florida DOT regional public information director.
Each seawall is 1.3 miles long, with the northern seawall straddling the two counties and the other about six miles south in Volusia County. They were built by drilling alternating and overlapping holes of about 38 feet and 18 feet into the beach. Concrete was pumped into the holes, and the deeper piles were wrapped with fiberglass cages, resulting in a solid wall that is expected to last at least 50 years.
Crews capped the piles with concrete before trucking in more than 123,000 tons of sand to form sand dunes to cover the walls. Florida DOT is planting more than 142,000 native plants on the dunes to give them a natural look and to prevent beach erosion, Lane noted.
“From the road, you wouldn’t know there’s a seawall there because all you see is a sand dune,” she pointed out. Even if a storm wrecks the sand dunes, the underground seawall should protect the road.
“Florida DOT has committed to placing new sand to cover the wall as needed as part of its maintenance program,” Lane added. “This will help to ensure the wall performs as expected well into the future.”
The agency chose to utilize secant wall construction instead of sheet piling because secant piles can be driven deep into bedrock to provide more stability, she noted. That also allows for a smaller design footprint with the secant pile construction process also quieter as well.
The eastern side of this part of A1A has no development, giving it “absolutely gorgeous ocean views,” but the direct exposure to the Atlantic also leaves the highway “more vulnerable to erosion and damage by hurricanes and northeasters,” Lane said.
Florida DOT repaired damaged portions of A1A immediately after those 2022 hurricanes, but the department recognized it needed a proactive approach to make the highway more resilient, Lane said. The agency put together a “Resiliency Strike Team,” which included experts from Florida DOT, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Environmental Quality, and local government.
“The mission was to protect the road and protect the beach,” Lane noted.
After Hurricane Matthew in 2016 tore up A1A in northern Flagler County, Florida DOT built a seawall to protect the highway, and it seemed to be holding up well, she pointed out. The team explored several options and decided to pursue two projects – the seawalls in Volusia and Flagler counties, and a beach re-nourishment project on Flagler Beach.
The Corps of Engineers – with Florida DOT providing part of the local match money – headed up the beach re-nourishment project, which pumped sand from the ocean to the shore to widen the beach. Florida DOT then took the lead in the seawalls project.
The agency has finished building the walls and caps on both seawalls and is almost finished shaping the dunes and plantings.
One sea turtle nest in the construction zone has temporarily halted the dune shaping on the north seawall, Lane said.
During sea turtle nesting season, which runs from March through October, construction work can only begin each morning after an approved turtle nest inspector has surveyed the area to identify any nesting or hatching activity. If a nest is found, no work can occur within 10 feet.
Florida DOT added that the entire project is expected to be completed by early 2026.
Proactive Tree Work by Oregon DOT Limits Fire Damage
The Oregon Department of Transportation recently highlighted how its mitigation work ahead of wildfire season helped keep traffic moving and reduced impacts when the Aubrey Fire closed OR 58 near Oakridge in early August.
[Above photo by Oregon DOT]
That wildfire, which grew to 35 acres and prompted nearby evacuations, shut down a critical travel and freight corridor. Thanks to preparation and a quick response, Oregon DOT said in a statement that its crews reopened one lane of the highway in a single afternoon.
While the road’s one-day wildfire closure was disruptive, the situation could have been far worse. This spring, Oregon DOT’s Oakridge crews spent three to four weeks between mileposts 37 and 39 working with a contractor to remove and haul away trees that posed a hazard to the roadway. That work, combined with more than four years of hazard tree management in the same area, reduced forest fuels along the corridor. Because of those efforts, the Aubrey Fire burned less hot and spread more slowly than it could have otherwise, Oregon DOT said.
[Editor’s note: The video below, produced by Oregon DOT several years ago, outlines the hazardous tree removal process.]
The cleared corridor also made it safer and faster to reopen the highway. It provided essential space for firefighting equipment and reduced the number of trees that might have otherwise fallen across the roadway, Oregon DOT noted. Without this proactive work, the closure would have likely lasted much longer and the risks to both travelers and firefighters would have been higher, the agency explained.
This isn’t the first time preventative maintenance has proven its value, the agency said. Similar hazard tree removal on OR 126W helped limit damage from the January 2024 ice storm. That highway was closed for four days; without earlier tree work, it could have been closed for four weeks, Oregon DOT emphasized.
Some of this work has been supported through a federal “Good Neighbor Authority” grant that allows the agency to partner with the U.S. Forest Service on projects that support forest health and public safety. But even with grant funding, Oregon DOT’s own crews, equipment, and time are what make the work possible, the agency stressed.
Environmental News Highlights – September 10, 2025
Podcast: Scenic America and Landscape Preservation
The latest episode of the “Stream by AASHTO” podcast features an interview with Tziporah Feldman, policy and research director for Scenic America; a national nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to preserving and enhancing the scenic character of America’s communities and countryside.
[Above image by AASHTO]
The “Stream by AASHTO” podcast series – part of the AASHTO Environmental Management technical service program operated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – explores a wide array of environmental topics that affect state departments of transportation and the infrastructure programs they oversee.
In this episode, Feldman discusses the specific policy issues Scenic America addresses, such as the impact of underground utility construction on parks and open spaces; billboards and sign control; and the intersection of community planning and scenic byways.
Scenic America has been an especially strong supporter of the National Scenic Byways Program, revived in 2019 by the Federal Highway Administration in part due to its advocacy and that of other groups. Since then, America’s Byways have received nearly $50 million in federal funding, helping support local economies through tourism and job creation while protecting the scenic beauty of the nation’s highways and roadsides.
Later in the podcast, Feldman detailed her educational and environmental experience. After receiving a biology degree from the University of Cincinnati – all while helping rehabilitate birds of prey and releasing them back into the wild – she went on to obtain a masters in ecology and evolutionary biology from Stony Brook University.
To listen to the full podcast, click here.
Maryland DOT Unveils Statewide Trail System Plan
The Maryland Department of Transportation recently issued a new Statewide Transportation Trails Strategic Plan that will help map out a “safe, accessible, and connected trail network” for communities across the state.
[Above photo by the Maryland DOT]
The agency said this strategic trail plan reflects on its “broader commitment” to safety, equity, and multimodal transportation in support of both its Complete Streets Policy and Serious About Safety initiative; all part of a larger effort to link people to jobs, schools, parks, transit, and each other while enhancing safety, sustainability, and quality of life.
Developed with public input and in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and other state and local agencies, the plan also builds upon the foundation of Maryland DOT’s 2009 Trails Plan and the 2050 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Key attributes of the new rail plan include empowering local communities to plan, fund, build, and maintain locally significant transportation trails in partnership with Maryland DOT; prioritizing safety-focused trail projects that reduce pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and injuries; developing trail connections that link residents and visitors to Maryland’s economic, recreational, and cultural opportunities; and coordination across state agencies to align resources and funding that strengthen community connectivity and improve quality of life for all state residents.
“Maryland has a strong and growing transportation trails system, and this plan provides a clear roadmap to deliver safer, more accessible and more equitable transportation options for all Marylanders,” said Samantha J. Biddle, Maryland DOT’s acting secretary, in a statement. “[We are] committed to develop integrated, multimodal connections that link pedestrians and bicyclists to destinations, reduce reliance on motor vehicles and support the state’s tourism economy.”
Additionally, as part of the plan’s development process, the agency conducted a statewide assessment of trail conditions and policies and created an interactive map of existing, planned, and proposed transportation trails.
Also, to support local implementation, the plan includes three practical toolkits on building project support, leveraging funding and trail operations and maintenance. It also recommends project selection criteria to help state and local partners align trail investments with Maryland’s safety and connectivity goals, the agency said.
Various state departments of transportation across the country are involved in bolstering trail networks with the regions they oversee.
For example, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently joined with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to launch the “MassTrails 10” campaign to showcase the recreational opportunities of trails, as well as how they connect to local transit services and other broader trail networks.
Out west, the Utah Department of Transportation has been engaged in a broad effort to develop the Utah Trail Network; a statewide system of paved trails that connects communities and gives people more choices for how they get around.
The latest project in that trail initiative is a paved multi-use trail from the town of Enoch to Cedar City in the northeastern part of the state. Previously, in May 2024, the Utah DOT issued nearly $95 million to support 19 trail projects – including the construction of new paved trails as well as funding for planning efforts to fill in existing trail gaps – as part of expanding the state trail network.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Transportation recently began work on the latest extension of the Route 66 Trail in McLean County. Made possible by a $3.2 million grant via the agency’s Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, the project will extend the trail 4.5 miles from McLean to Funks Grove – enhancing a popular travel and recreation option in central Illinois while drawing tourists, creating economic opportunity and improving connections for communities along the old Route 66.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is currently building the Gravelly-Thorne Connector; a 1.3-mile-long, 14-foot-wide path between Tillicum and Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest in Lakewood. That paved urban trail will run parallel to southbound I-5 and is expected to open in late fall 2026.
And in December 2024, the Hawaii Department of Transportation completed construction of the $15.7 million Leeward Bikeway – a dedicated bikeway within the former Oahu Railway & Land Company right-of-way between Philippine Sea Road in ‘Ewa and Waipahu Depot Street.