The White House Council on Environmental Quality or CEQ recently finalized reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA that implement permitting efficiencies laid out in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, including setting clear deadlines for agencies to complete environmental reviews, requiring a lead agency and setting specific expectations for lead and cooperating agencies, and creating a unified and coordinated federal review process.

[Above photo by the White House]

The CEQ said the rule provides agencies with other new and faster tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental reviews. For example, it creates new ways for federal agencies to establish categorical exclusions – the fastest form of environmental review.

The agency noted the new NEPA reforms will apply to projects beginning environmental reviews on or after July 1 this year, but will not disrupt ongoing environmental review processes.

The new NEPA reforms are intended to help accelerate reviews for projects that agencies can evaluate on a broad, programmatic scale, or that incorporate measures to mitigate adverse effects – helping the transportation industry and other sectors speed up environmental reviews and providing more certainty when they are designing projects.

Finally, the CEQ says the new rule promotes early public engagement in environmental review processes to help reduce conflict, accelerate project reviews, improve project design and outcomes, and increase legal durability, noted Brenda Mallory, CEQ’s chair, in a statement – helping accelerate permitting for everything from wildfire management and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to high-speed internet and semiconductor manufacturing.

“These reforms will deliver smarter decisions, quicker permitting, and projects that are built better and faster,” she noted. “As we accelerate our clean energy future, we are also protecting communities from pollution and environmental harms that can result from poor planning and decision making while making sure we build projects in the right places.”

The CEQ said it conducted a “robust review” of more than 148,000 public comments on the proposed rule, of which approximately 920 were unique comments.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials provided detailed feedback on CEQ’s then-proposed NEPA revisions in September 2023, noting in its comment letter that it “shares CEQ’s goals” of providing for efficient and effective environmental reviews, ensuring full and fair public involvement, providing regulatory certainty, promoting better decision-making grounded in science, and protecting the environment.

Key comments from AASHTO included that there should be no “one-size-fits-all” way to comply with NEPA. “Each transportation project is unique,” the group pointed out in its letter. “Flexibility [is needed] to tailor the NEPA process based on a particular project’s circumstances [so] agencies should be able to meet NEPA’s requirements in a way that minimizes the financial and administrative burdens, informs public decisions, protects the environment, and avoids unintended consequences such as public or agency uncertainty and increased litigation risk.”

AASHTO also said CEQ’s NEPA regulations should provide clear direction to agencies, project sponsors and applicants, and the public. “To improve agency and public understanding of the regulatory framework, CEQ should be clear about which aspects of the regulations are statutorily required,” the group emphasized.

“AASHTO is concerned that CEQ’s proposed regulations introduce new undefined terms and create new vague requirements, which will lead to delays in project delivery and increase litigation risk for projects,” the group said. “For example, in various areas throughout the regulations, CEQ proposes to replace the term ‘significant’ with the ambiguous and undefined terms ‘important’ or ‘substantial.’”

Active Mobility Key Part of Utah DOT Construction Plan

The Utah Department of Transportation unveiled its 2024 construction plan, which encompasses 209 projects with a total value of $2.74 billion. Many of those projects include critical active transportation components, the agency said.

[Above photo by Utah DOT]

Lisa Wilson, Utah DOT deputy director of engineering and operations, noted in a statement that planned improvements incorporated within the agency’s 2024 construction plan range from repaving rural highways, building freeway-style interchanges, replacing aging bridges, improving pedestrian access, and building new trails.

“These projects are part of our commitment to helping people get where they want, in the way they want, safely and efficiently,” Wilson said. “This includes building new projects to help meet growth demands, maintaining our aging roads and bridges, and building out our transportation network to accommodate drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.”

Just some of the major projects Utah DOT plans to start work on this year that incorporate active transportation elements include:

The Mountain View Corridor: This $466 million project will connect the Mountain View Corridor from Porter Rockwell Blvd with 2100 North in Lehi, providing another much-needed transportation option for northwest Utah County and southwest Salt Lake County drivers. It will be the first section of Mountain View Corridor constructed as a freeway with no stoplights. Additional work includes upgrading the intersection at 2100 North to an interchange, updating wildlife fencing, and creating a multi-use trail. The Mountain View Corridor will eventually be a 35-mile freeway from I-80 in Salt Lake County to SR-73 in Utah County. Construction is expected to last through early 2026.
5600 South: This $361 million project incorporates building a new I-15 interchange at 5600 South in Roy that will make it easier to get to and from Hill Air Force Base. The project is also widening 5600 South from three to five lanes from I-15 to 3500 West. Utah DOT will also add new sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, and a new trail system for pedestrians and bicyclists as well. These improvements will help area residents get around more easily, whether they are walking, biking or driving. Construction started in 2023 and is expected to continue through 2026.
I-15 Shepard Lane interchange: This $147.5 million project will build a new interchange on I-15 at Shepard Lane in Farmington to reduce congestion and improve safety in this area. Not only will it cross over Union Pacific Railroad and Utah Transit Authority tracks to create another connection to local roads, this project will also improve pedestrian and bike connectivity along Park Lane, along with improvements to ramps associated with I-15, US-89, and Legacy Parkway (SR-67). Construction is expected to wrap up in 2026.

Other state departments of transportation have also formally launched their 2024 construction efforts.

The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to invest $2.8 billion into 950 road and bridge improvement projects across the state during its 2024 construction season – with 39 of them classified as “major projects” with a value above $10 million.

Environmental News Highlights – May 8, 2024

FEDERAL ACTION

AASHTO President Craig Thompson: ‘Togetherness’ Key to Success -AASHTO Journal

FHWA Issues $148M in Grants to Reduce Port Air Pollution -AASHTO Journal

USDOT Seeks AI Solutions For Transit Infrastructure -Nextgov/FCW

Hearing: A Review of Fleet Electrification Efforts -House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure

Biden administration details how producers of sustainable aviation fuel will get tax credits –AP

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

MoDOT ending Adopt-A-Highway program, citing costs, safety concerns -Spectrum News

MoDOT leader calls for changes from trash haulers after seeing debris spill onto highways -KMBC-TV

Navajo government asks Biden to stop uranium transport across the Navajo Nation –Fronteras

Groundbreaking on Electric Charge Highway -WLFI-TV (link to video)

AIR QUALITY

Colorado governor, Democrats reach long-term air quality and transit deal with oil and gas industry, environmentalists -Colorado Sun

Port of Oakland opens world’s 1st commercial, zero emission truck stop -KTVU-TV (video)

The 15 cities in the US with the worst air quality, ranked -Business Insider

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/EQUITY

In New Orleans’ bike culture, Black cyclists find ‘therapy,’ community –NOLA

NATURAL RESOURCES

Florida asks feds to let more than 1,000 permits slide after judge rules process illegal -News-Press

Preparation And Communication Are Critical Ahead Of Violent Weather -Commercial Carrier Journal

As the climate changes, cities scramble to find trees that will survive –Grist

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Graffiti-battling drones take flight in WSDOT highway cleanup program -KOMO-TV

World Cup, Olympics, Climate Change Drive California Infrastructure Efforts -ENR California

San Clemente Surfers Fight $100 Million Railroad Renovation Project –Surfer

USDOT’s Build American Bureau approves first TOD TIFIA loan for Mt. Vernon Library Commons Project -Mass Transit

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Michigan DOT Podcast Touches on Benefits of Trails -AASHTO Journal

Washington bike safety program goes statewide -Seattle Times

E-bikes are a ‘game changer’ for bike shares -Route Fifty

Historic Cedar Hill Bridge reopens for pedestrians -Tri-City Record

Pedestrian, Cyclist Trail To Connect Chickamauga And The National Military Park in Tennessee -The Pulse

Almost a decade in the making, new bicycle hub aims to close Utah transportation gaps –KSL.com

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Practices for Statewide and MPO Coordination – NCHRP

On-Demand Aviation Services for Mobility, Logistics, Emergency Response, and Humanitarian Use Cases -ACRP (event summary)

The Future of Ferry Electrification in Rural Areas -TRB (webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Transportation; Request for Information –USDOT (Notice)

National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations Revisions Phase 2 -Council on Environmental Quality (Final rule)

Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings -Federal Energy Management Program, DOE (Final rule)

Coordination of Federal Authorizations for Electric Transmission Facilities -Grid Deployment Office, DOE (Final rule)

Proposals by Non-Federal Interests for Inclusion in the Annual Report to Congress on Future Water Resources Development -U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Notice)

Water Quality Standards Regulatory Revisions To Protect Tribal Reserved Rights -EPA (Final rule)

Great Redwood Trail Agency – Adverse Abandonment – Mendocino Railway in Mendocino County, Cal. -Surface Transportation Board (Notice of application)

FHWA Issues $148M to Reduce Port Air Pollution

The Federal Highway Administration recently issued $148 million in grants to 16 port projects in 11 states and Puerto Rico via the first round of a new $400 million program aimed at improving air quality and reducing pollution in port communities.

[Above photo by Maryland Ports Administration]

The FHWA said its new Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities grant program – created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – provides funding for port electrification and efficiency improvements as part of a broader effort to reduce pollution from idling commercial trucks at port facilities.

“The projects funded under this program will improve the quality of life for workers and families impacted by pollution from idling trucks while building a clean-energy economy that combats climate change and makes our communities more resilient,” noted Shailen Bhatt, FHWA administrator, in a statement. “[This funding] will make a real difference for people who live and work near ports.”

[Editor’s note: In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made $3 billion in grants available through its new Clean Ports Program – established by the Inflation Reduction Act enacted in July 2022 – to help fund the acquisition of zero-emission equipment, build infrastructure, and improve air quality at U.S. ports.]

The agency noted that specific truck emission reductions planned for implementation with this funding include replacing diesel-powered trucks serving ports with zero or low emissions electric or alternative fuel-powered trucks; constructing electric vehicle charging infrastructure; employing port roadway access improvements; and studying technology enhancements to reduce truck emissions.

Two projects overseen by state departments of transportation received grants during this round of FHWA port facilities funding. They are:

The Hawaii Department of Transportation will receive $5.2 million to modernize port gates and automate improvements at the Sand Island Terminal in Honolulu Harbor. The improvements seek to reduce truck processing times, queueing delays, cut port-related emissions from idling trucks, and make port operations more efficient.
The Maryland Port Administration – a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation – will receive $642,000 to replace one diesel-powered street sweeper with one zero-emission unit to be used at the Port of Baltimore for moving cars and light trucks. Funding also will be used to research and develop the adoption of electric Power Take Off (ePTO) devices on trucks that average two hours of engine idling per trip while loading or unloading. Wider adoption of ePTOs could significantly reduce truck idling and emissions at ports, the agency noted in its grant request.

Meanwhile, as part of a broader information gathering effort regarding U.S. ports, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration – known as MARAD – and the American Association of Port Authorities are currently conducting a survey of port authorities and marine terminal operators across the country that aims to identify the nation’s port cargo handling needs over the next five to 10 years.

Led by AAPA through a cooperative agreement with MARAD, the “Building American Production Capacity for Electric Port Equipment and Other Port Infrastructure Items” information collection effort is scheduled to be completed this spring – with a final report issued in summer of 2024.

Michigan DOT Podcast Talks Benefits of Trails

The latest “Talking Michigan Transportation” podcast – produced by the Michigan Department of Transportation – interviewed Julie Clark, chief executive officer for the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation or TART Trails advocacy group to discuss how trail networks can enhance quality of life for residents while also providing an economic boost.

[Above image via Michigan DOT]
The economic value of trail networks comes from the key role they play in outdoor recreation, Clark said. For example, in 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released statistics estimating that outdoor recreation accounted for $862 billion in economic output or consumer spending), 1.9 percent or $454 billion of gross domestic product, and supported 4.5 million jobs.

In Michigan, outdoor recreation in 2021 contributed $10.8 billion to the state economy, according to that agency’s numbers, as well as support for 109,000 jobs and $5 billion in wages.

“Our vision is ‘every house a trailhead,’ meaning we want people to be able to leave their home and access a trail,” Clark noted. “Getting out on the trails doesn’t mean there’s a trail up to your door, but the facilities – whether you’re rural or in a town – should be nearby and you should feel very comfortable and safe using them. That is where we come in, working with [local] road commissions and state DOTs.”

She also emphasized that trails help increase property values and help reinvigorate neighborhoods –key economic development benefits for communities.

“They also provide, as COVID [the COVID-19 pandemic] pointed out, some really important opportunities for physical and mental health, and that I think has become so important to folks all around our region and, I think, around the state,” Clark noted.

To listen to the entire podcast, click here.

There has been an ongoing push over the last several years to increase trail networks across the country.

For example, in January 2023, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy or RTC recently launched a national effort aimed at creating a “new community” where public leaders, advocates, and transportation professionals can come together to advance the development of trails and other active-transportation networks across the country.

Dubbed the TrailNation Collaborative, this new “community effort” seeks to fill what RTC describes as an “unmet need” for peer learning and collective action in order to leverage funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA to create a connected systems of trails, sidewalks, and protected bike lanes in every community in America.

State departments of transportation around the country are also spearheading their own trail expansion efforts.

For example, the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s Lamoille Valley Rail Trail project – the winner of the 2023 America’s Transportations Awards People’s Choice Award – is a 93-mile multi-modal recreational path in northern Vermont, connecting 18 town centers and linking to other trails in Vermont and Canada.

This project is open year-round for various activities, including walking, biking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing, preserving Vermont’s natural landscape.

In November 2023, the Texas Transportation Commission approved over $345 million for new sidewalks, bikeways, and other types of active transportation infrastructure projects statewide.

The funding will go towards 83 projects designed to improve bicycle and pedestrian access while providing safety enhancements and mobility options to schools, jobs, public transit systems, and local destinations, the commission said.

The Texas Department of Transportation noted that some the projects approved by the commission include sidewalks connecting to schools and transit options, shared-use paths benefiting both pedestrians and cyclists, new pedestrian bridges, and 15 planning studies.

In July 2022, a team of Utah State University researchers recently explored how to use the state’s network of historic canal trails as an active transportation solution. That study is poised to help the Utah Department of Transportation and community leaders make decisions about building canal paths and trails.

The Utah DOT funded the university’s research project – entitled “Active Transportation Facilities in Canal Corridors” – that the American Society of Civil Engineers subsequently published in June 2022.

Environmental News Highlights – May 1, 2024

FEDERAL ACTION

How Abrupt U-Turns Are Defining U.S. Environmental Regulations -New York Times

President Advances Plan to Make Freight Shipping Carbon-Free -Transport Topics

What’s New in the 11th Edition of the MUTCD with Kathy Falk, Vice President, Kimley-Horn -ITE Talks Transportation (podcast)

BTS Updates National Transportation Statistics -Bureau of Transportation Statistics (media release)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Omaha airport takes significant damage from EF-2 tornado -Fox Weather

Amtrak can take control of Washington Union Station, federal judge rules -WTTG-TV

How the Baltimore bridge collapse upended a D.C. coffee chain’s business -Washington Post

NJ Transit releases first sustainability plan -Mass Transit

Smart streetscape to pilot mobility program in Buffalo -Public Square

Administration’s Investing in America Agenda Supports Flood Reduction Infrastructure Project in Historic Savannah Community -FEMA (media release)

AIR QUALITY

Planning for climate change, Delaware State Senate passed new legislation -WRDE-TV

Vehicle platooning in TN designed to increase road safety, decrease pollution -WKRN-TV

Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum? -National Geographic

FAA Finalizes Rule to Reduce Carbon Particle Emissions from Aircraft Engines -FAA (media release)

FHWA Announces Nearly $150 Million in Grants to Help Reduce Truck Air Pollution Near America’s Ports -FHWA (media release)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE/EQUITY

Buttigieg and Black mayors preview transportation projects designed to heal historic inequities –CNN

MassDEP Investing in Air Quality Sensors in Environmental Justice Communities -iBerkshires.com

In a push for more housing density near transit lines, highway dollars have become a political football -Colorado Public Radio

CDTA to bring mobility hubs to Albany, Troy -WTEN-TV

Understanding Environmental Justice In Rural Communities -Forbes (opinion)

NATURAL RESOURCES

MnDOT seeks more volunteers to keep roads clean -KARE-TV

The Minnesota Mayor Making Space for Monarch Butterflies –CityLab

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Amtrak expansion grabs interest from tourism organizations in South Dakota -KSFY-TV

Can You Compost That? A Cheat Sheet on What Goes in the Bin -Bloomberg Green

Maryland DOT State Highway Administration Wins Preservation Award Railroad Report -Maryland Department of Planning (media release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Lessons on how (and how not) to build a bike-friendly city -Corporate Knights

Unsanctioned signs installed along San Francisco’s Wiggle bike route –SFGATE

Minnesota’s Metro Transit Steps Up Safety Efforts With Monitors Displaying Bus Behavior For All To See -Star Tribune

TRB RESOURCES/RESEARCH/ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Future of Ferry Electrification in Rural Areas -TRB (webinar)

Navigating public transport during a pandemic: Key lessons on travel behavior and social equity from two surveys in Tehran –ScienceDirect

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All -The President (Executive Order)

Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program -FHWA (Notice)

California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; In-Use Diesel-Fueled Transport Refrigeration Units (TRU) and TRU Generator Sets and In-Use Off-Road Diesel Fueled Fleets; Requests for Authorization; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Comment -EPA (Notice)

Notice of Availability of Programmatic Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Transit Projects -FTA (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the GreenThumb Gardens Water Supply Project, New York, NY for Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond Counties -Natural Resources Conservation Service (Notice)

Anchorage Regulations; Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors, California -Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Adoption of a Department of the Air Force Categorical Exclusion Under the National Environmental Policy Act -NASA (Notice)

Kootenai National Forest; Montana; Kootenai National Forest Over-Snow Motorized Use Travel Plan –Forest Service (Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement)

Notice of Determinations on the Demand Response and Electric Vehicle Standards -Tennessee Valley Authority (Notice of determinations on the PURPA Standards set forth in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021)

Groundbreaking for Nevada DOT-Led Brightline Rail Project

Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, headlined a recent groundbreaking event for the Brightline West High-Speed Rail Project; a 218-mile high-speed, all-electric, zero-emission rail line that will operate between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California.

[Above photo by USDOT]

The Nevada Department of Transportation received $3 billion in funding from the USDOT’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program in December 2023 to help build the Brightline West high speed rail line, which the company expects will open in 2028.

That $3 billion grant to Nevada DOT brings the total federal support for the Brightline West high-speed rail line up to $6.5 billion in grants and financing.

“I want to thank Governor [Joe] Lombardo for his leadership and support demonstrating in a project this complex that it has support across state lines, across jurisdictional lines, and across party lines; that is what it takes to get big things done,” USDOT’s Buttigieg noted in his remarks at the groundbreaking event.

“We’re going to be working closely with the Nevada DOT [and] Brightline West to meet their ambitious 2028 target,” he said. “This train will move people at 186 miles an hour between Southern California and Las Vegas in just over two hours – which is about half the time that it can sometimes take to drive on that road. There will be a million fewer cars stuck in traffic. So even if you don’t use it, you’ll be benefiting from the people who do.”

Buttigieg added that, because Interstate 15 such an important freight route, the expected reduction in traffic congestion due to the Brightline West high-speed rail line should have a “material benefit” to America’s supply chains – all while reducing carbon emissions from motor vehicles to the tune of 800 million fewer pounds annually.

Hawaii DOT Activates Autonomous Shuttle Pilot Program

The Hawaii Department of Transportation recently launched a new autonomous all-electric passenger shuttle pilot program that will augment the existing Wiki Wiki shuttle bus service at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

[Above photo by Hawaii DOT]

The 18-month pilot project will test out a new fleet of “Miki” autonomous shuttles – the Hawaiian word for “agile” – along with support services and software; all supplied by Beep, Inc.

Each Miki shuttle can hold 11 passengers, including the shuttle attendant, and can accommodate one wheelchair. The shuttles will operate at a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour.

While the Miki shuttles will be driven autonomously, Hawaii DOT said an attendant will be on board at all times to serve as ambassador for the new shuttle pilot project and to educate riders on how Miki operates and the service offered at the airport.

Shuttle attendants are trained on the autonomous shuttle’s safety features and can take over manually at any time by utilizing a controller on board, the agency noted.

Ed Sniffen, Hawaii DOT director, added in a statement that this project seeks to evaluate ways to increase overall efficiency of intra-airport transportation service, with two Miki autonomous buses operating on a “robust service schedule” along the same route as the Wiki Wiki buses between the C and G gates and Terminals 1 and 2.

“We are proud to launch the Miki shuttle service which will provide additional convenience for our airport users,” Sniffen noted. “The autonomous electric vehicles add to our ongoing progress to transition our vehicle fleet to electric vehicles and will help meet the state’s sustainability goals.”

This pilot project is made possible through the state’s infrastructure as a service contract with Sustainability Partners, which Hawaii DOT said enables it and other interested state and county agencies to procure electric vehicles and charging infrastructure on a per-mile cost basis.

This pilot program complements a similar effort Hawaii DOT spearheaded in June 2023 in collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Mānoa; the launch of the school’s first autonomous electric passenger shuttle as part of its Rainbow Shuttle service to transport students and staff around campus.