Colorado DOT Wraps Revitalizing Main Street Project

The Colorado Department of Transportation recently completed a Revitalizing Main Streets or RMS grant project in partnership with the City of Leadville and the Leadville Main Street Program or LMSP that transformed a “parklet” into a safe, secure and accessible amenity for all residents and visitors

[Above photo by the Colorado DOT]

The agency’s RMS program funds infrastructure improvements for towns and cities across Colorado aimed at making walking and biking easier, encouraging economic development, supporting community access to public streets and multimodal transportation, and bringing innovative uses of public spaces for people to life.

Those RMS funds are used for infrastructure improvement projects that meet the aim of the program and “shovel ready,” therefore can be completed within a 12-month period from grant contract execution, if approved. To date, Colorado DOT said the RMS program has issued 191 grants.

This new parklet facility Colorado DOT helped the City of Leadville will serve as an “anchor feature” for the community; a facility that includes a handwashing station, pet area, bench, picnic table and bike racks. This parklet is adjacent to the Leadville Lake County Visitor’s Center with adequate bike and vehicle parking to serve residents and visitors.

Through this grant, the LMSP worked in partnership with 10 vital partners and agencies and a group of local volunteers to create a community-driven project; one that included a local artist to integrate the historically bright, colorful look, and feel of the City of Leadville into this new amenity.

“With the approach of working collaboratively with partners, stakeholders and community members, this parklet was able to come to life. This safe space will strengthen the connection of people to Leadville’s main street and other central economic hubs,” said Shoshana Lew, Colorado DOT’s executive director, in a statement.

Environmental News Highlights – September 13, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

Eno Center for Transportation Urges USDOT to Begin National VMT Fee Pilot -Transport Topics

EPA delays new air quality standards for ozone pollution until after 2024 election -The Guardian



EPA agrees to protect waterways from harmful ship discharges -Courthouse News Service

Reps. Carey, Blumenauer seek guidance on historic preservation easements -Financial Regulation News



Midwest grain harvests loom. Will a low Mississippi River stall farmers’ deliveries again? -USA Today



Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants –NOAA

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Caltrans Funding Sustainable Transportation Projects -AASHTO Journal

Ohio governor announces $100 million to help eliminate dangerous railroad crossings -Plain Dealer

Geology faculty to partner with Kansas Department of Transportation -Kansas State Collegian

New York City’s Battle Against Congestion Begins at the Curb –CityLab

Southern California counties could power 270,000 homes by installing solar panels along highways: report -The Hill

ASU Research Team Partners with EPA to Study Electrified Transit Emissions -State Press

Street layout and available destinations influences urban walking behavior -Medical Xpress

 

AIR QUALITY

State Climate Commission helps lead the way on clean transportation choices for Hawaiʻi –Maui Now

‘How’s the air?’ Using AI to track coal train dust -Route Fifty

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

More small airports are being cut off from the air travel network. This is why -NPR’s Morning Edition

Residents of historic Baltimore neighborhoods call for equity in transportation planning and a moratorium on bike lanes -Afro News

Taking the highway to right wrongs of the past in urban areas -The Center for Public Integrity

How 2 big US transit agencies approach equity -Smart Cities Dive

 

NATURAL RESOURCES

Can We Make Highways, Roadways Less Lethal For Wildlife? –CityLab

U.S. EPA launches massive effort to clear hazardous materials from wildfire-impacted properties -KITV-TV

CULTURAL RESOURCES

MoDOT demolishes historic I-70 Rocheport Bridge over the Missouri River –KMBC-TV

New bullet trains misfire on old U.S. railroad tracks -E&E Climate News

A debate over historic preservation – and what deserves to be saved –Fronteras

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Using Bus Rapid Transit to Maximize Miami Mobility – Engineering News-Record

Electrifying Transit: Best practices and innovative technology for bus electrification success -Mass Transit (webinar)



Rubberized sidewalks popping up in Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood -WDAF-TV

E-bikes now allowed on 850 miles of East Bay park trails -The Oaklandside

Portland, Oregon cyclists demand change as traffic deaths rise to 46 -KGW-TV

Beverly Hills closes gaps in bicycle infrastructure -Beverly Press

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Highway and Street Design Vehicles: An Update –NCHRP

Impacts of COVID-19 on Airport Work Models and Strategies –ACRP

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Official Trail Markers for El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail, and the Old Spanish National Historic Trail -National Park Service (Notice of designation)

National Priorities List -EPA (Final rule)

National Advisory Council; Meeting -FEMA (Notice of open Federal advisory committee meeting)

Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Distribution Pipelines and Other Pipeline Safety Initiatives -Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notice of proposed rulemaking)



Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Action for the Development of an Updated Facility for the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin -U.S. Geological Survey (Notice)

Michigan DOT Grants Help Improve Transit Access

The Michigan Department of Transportation is making it easier for Michigan residents to catch a ride on a bus, rideshare, bicycle, or scooter through its Michigan Mobility Wallet Challenge, a pilot grant program to open up transit options to everyone.

[Above photo by Michigan DOT]

The goal of the program is to make transit services more affordable and simpler for all citizens, including the disabled, poor, veterans and seniors. The idea of the “mobility wallet” is to create an app or smart card that can be used for multiple transit options in a community.

On a recent episode of its podcast series “Talking Michigan Transportation,” the Michigan DOT highlighted one of its non-profit grant recipients, Feonix–Mobility Rising.

Feonix developed a mobility wallet to allow veterans in the Detroit, Grand Rapids, Jackson, and surrounding areas greater access to transit services. The organization added that it plans to expand the program by January 2024 to include individuals and families experiencing poverty.

Feonix CEO Valerie Lefler explained how the company’s program works by using the example of a veteran who has cancer and no nearby family to drive him to his chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The veteran can use the mobility wallet to take the bus until he needs more assistance. The wallet then can be used for an Uber or taxi or an Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA-compliant paratransit vehicle.

Lefler cited a 2018 Veterans Administration study concerning the challenges veterans have in securing adequate transportation. One veteran in that study talked about why his war-induced post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD prevented him from taking a bus to his medical appointments because of the shaking and jostling.

“If we can spend $30 million to equip him with gear and ammunition and all the things that they need in warfare, why can we not give these men and women an Uber or a taxi or a service when they’re seeking treatment, trying to recover from those experiences?” Lefler said on the podcast.

Ecolane Inc., also received a grant to develop a multimodal mobile transit application and smart card that uses Zig, a sensory technology that allows users to pay without having the remove their smart phone or card from their wallet. The technology, demonstrated in this video, is fully compliant with the ADA. Ecolane’s app will be available for nine transit agencies in Michigan.

Michigan DOT Director Brad Wieferich said in a news release that the mobility wallet program demonstrates that “Michigan is on the forefront of innovations in developing new technologies for public transit users.”

Federal Funds Helps Wisconsin DOT Create Tribal Center

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation noted that federal funding is helping it create a Tribal Technical Assistance Program or TTAP Center for 65 tribal nations across 30 states.

[Above photo by Wisconsin DOT]

The Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory or TOPS Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently received a two-year $625,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Wisconsin DOT said it will work with the school to create a TTAP Center to support transportation investments on tribal lands and other tribal initiatives related to training, technical assistance and technology services.

Upon renewal by the FHWA, the TOPS Lab could receive $300,000 each year for three years to continue the work of the TTAP Center. Due to the large geographic service area, the TOPS Lab has partnered with Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University and New York State Local Technical Assistance Program Center housed at Cornell University.

“Wisconsin has the highest concentration of tribal communities in any state east of the Mississippi River,” noted Wisconsin DOT Secretary Craig Thompson in a statement.

“We are proud of our government-to-government relationships with the 11 federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin. This federal grant will help strengthen those partnerships and allow us to continue making strategic transportation investments on tribal lands,” he said.

“We’re excited to see how this federal funding can leverage Wisconsin as a leader to implement solutions to roadway safety on tribal lands not only in our state, but across 30 states,” Thompson added.

“This really underscores that we’re not just working within university or state boundaries but across the United States,” emphasized Andi Bill, manager of the TOPS Lab research program.

“We’re bringing high-quality research to the local level, and we’re very excited to work with our partners across the Tribal communities,” Bill said. “Wisconsin DOT has been an active leader in tribal coordination and we’re ready to add to some of the wonderful work that they’ve done.”

Environmental News Highlights – September 6, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

Biden admin limits water protections after Supreme Court ruling –Reuters

Growth in the Number of Vehicles in the U.S. Outpaced Growth in Population and Licensed Drivers from 1960 to 2021 -USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

How a South Carolina faith leader and a California congressman are fighting for environmental justice -The Hill (opinion)

How the Clean Air Act paves the road to expanding electric vehicle chargers -The Hill (opinion)

 

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Taking Sidewalks Seriously –Governing

Airport Infrastructure: Selected Airports’ Efforts to Enhance Electrical Resilience –GAO

New gates set to help traffic control on weekend nights in Downtown Albuquerque -KRQE-TV

Registration surcharge coming for owners of electric vehicles, hybrids in NH -WMUR-TV

The Kingdom of Golf Carts – CityLab

AIR QUALITY

Burning tires and bridges: US residents ‘shocked’ by firm’s bitcoin-mining plan -The Guardian



AI And Mobility Data May Improve Air Pollution Exposure Models -Penn State University

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

WisDOT wants public feedback to make state roads more accessible -WMTV-TV

California will invest $750M to add housing, clean transportation in ‘jobs-rich’ areas -KTLA-TV

PA governor expands Environmental Justice protections -The Bradford Era

Advancing Net-Zero Goals to Achieve Environmental Justice -Natural Resources & Environment

 

NATURAL RESOURCES

Bees and Butterflies in Roadside Habitats: Identifying Patterns, Protecting Monarchs, and Informing Management -Idaho Transportation Department (pdf)

 

Michigan’s innovative mobility solution for national parks -Rapid Growth

The USGS Invests $1.5M in Local Partnerships to Improve Urban Waterways –USGS (media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Funds for graffiti removal exhausted, Oregon DOT says -KPTV-TV

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Want Your Kid To Do Better In School? Bike Or Walk There –Fatherly

New bike trail in New Castle County, Delaware funded with federal infrastructure dollars –WHYY

Cohas Brook Trestle work complete, will open to pedestrians on Granite State Rail Trail later this year -WMUR-TV

Transit permits for Chicago seniors and people with disabilities drop sharply -Chicago Tribune

Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are an increasingly common pediatric public health problem -Surgery Open Science



MU researchers study barriers and facilitators to accessing health care in rural Missouri -University of Missouri

The making of the longest rail trail in New England: the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail -Burlington Free Press

Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia –AP

NJTPA Releases Active Transportation Plan -North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Integrating Freight Movement into Twenty-First-Century Communities’ Land Use, Design, and Transportation Systems –NCHRP

Can You See Me? Testing Pedestrian and Bicycle Conspicuity Assumptions -TRB (webinar)

Improving MPO and SHSO Coordination on Behavioral Traffic Safety: Guide and Toolkit -Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program

Embedding Equity in Project Delivery -USDOT Volpe Center (webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Hazardous Materials: Suspension of HMR Amendments Authorizing Transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas by Rail -Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Final rule)

Local Government Advisory Committee: Request for Nominations -EPA (Notice of request for Nominations)

U.S. Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee; Notice of Public Meeting -Maritime Administration (Notice)

 

Connecticut DOT Adopts ‘Complete Street’ Criteria

The Connecticut Department of Transportation recently implemented new “Complete Streets” design criteria that the agency plans to incorporate into all of its surface roadway projects going forward.

[Above image via the Connecticut DOT]

A “Complete Street” is a roadway planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of roadway users of all ages and abilities. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, and motorists; it includes children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

The agency said this new design criteria expands on its “Complete Street” policy, which ensures that every roadway project includes a focus on pedestrian and bicyclist facilities and public transportation operations to create stronger intermodal transportation networks and improve safety.

The Connecticut DOT’s new ‘Complete Streets’ design criteria focuses on three areas to improve safety and mobility for all roadway users:

  • Pedestrian facilities – includes sidewalks, shared use paths, or side paths on both sides of the roadway.
  • Bicycle facilities – includes paved outside shoulders, bike lanes, separated bike paths, or shared use paths on both sides of the roadway.
  • Transit provisions – includes crosswalks, shelters, benches, and other ways to make existing or proposed transit stops more accessible.

The agency added that if any of its transportation projects does not meet those three criteria, Connecticut DOT’s chief engineer is required to issue a formal design exemption.

“While this change may sound technical, it is a big deal for improving the safety of our transportation network,” noted Garrett Eucalitto, Connecticut DOT’s commissioner, in a statement. “We are doing everything we can to break down barriers to transportation and make Connecticut roadways more accessible for everyone.”

[Editor’s note: In March 2022, the Federal Highway Administration sent a report to Congress detailing the agency’s commitment to “advance widespread implementation” of the “Complete Streets design model” to help improve safety and accessibility for all users. That report – entitled “Moving to a Complete Streets Design Model: A Report to Congress on Opportunities and Challenges” – identifies what FHWA calls “five overarching opportunity areas” that will guide the agency as it moves ahead with efforts to increase “Complete Streets.”]

“Utilizing ‘Complete Streets’ design criteria is just one of the many ways we’re working to make Connecticut safer for all roadway users,” noted Scott Hill, the agency’s chief engineer and bureau chief of engineering and construction.

“This change will solidify and ensure that pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist safety is incorporated into the billions of dollars’ worth of projects we have planned in our capital program,” he added.

Several state departments of transportation have implemented similar “Complete Street” initiatives over the last several years.

In February 2021, the South Carolina Department of Transportation adopted what it called a “wide-ranging” Complete Streets policy for the state-owned highway system.

That policy requires the South Carolina DOT to work with the state’s regional transportation planning partners and regional transit providers to identify and include walking, bicycling, and transit needs as part of their regional visioning plans.

The California Department of Transportation unveiled a similar “complete streets” policy for all new transportation projects it funds or oversees in December 2021 in order to provide “safe and accessible options” for people walking, biking and taking transit.

Meanwhile, in October 2022, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet issued a new version of its “Complete Streets” roads and highways manual; a revision that represents the first update in more than 20 years to Kentucky’s pedestrian and bicycle travel policy.

Additionally, in January, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed a legislative package allowing the New York State Department of Transportation to provide more fiscal support for municipal ‘Complete Streets’ projects. Under the new legislation, the state’s contribution to the non-federally funded portion of complete street projects will increase to 87.5 percent, which will help municipalities to implement these street designs.

MBTA Develops, Adopts Comprehensive Vision Statement

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority recently issued a comprehensive “vision statement” outlining the agency’s values, goals, and metrics that will help it improve safety, service, equity, sustainability, and culture.

[Above photo by MBTA]

The MBTA – a division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation – said it developed this “vision statement” via detailed collaboration with staff and stakeholders.

“Thanks to input from MBTA employees and our valued partners within transportation advocacy organizations, we have new strategic goals which underscore our commitment to improving the MBTA to make it safer, more reliable, resilient, and equitable,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca in a statement.

“We intend to bring a new level of transparency, public engagement, and capital investment to the MBTA, and we will succeed with workforce investments, collaboration, and decisions that prioritize safety,” she added.

[Editor’s note: Fiandaca plans to step down as MassDOT secretary and CEO in September. Monica Tibbits-Nutt, the agency’s undersecretary, will take over as acting transportation secretary.]

The main goals MBTA has incorporated within its vision statement are:

  • Empower and support staff to develop a culture which prioritizes and promotes safety.
  • Modernize assets to improve connectivity while ensuring MBTA property is maintained in a state of good repair.
  • Ensure transparent decision making so the experiences and perspectives of MBTA staff and riders are accounted for.
  • Retain, attract, and invest in a diverse and qualified workforce that represents MBTA ridership.
  • Support regional vitality by providing riders with dependable, frequent, and accessible service.
  • Increase environmental sustainability and resilience within the state’s transit systems.
  • Increase the percentage of transit trips in the region by attracting new riders and retaining existing riders via a dependable, frequent, and accessible service.
  • Communicate openly about costs and revenues needed to support current services and for future expansion.

“We are committed to providing a safe, reliable, and accessible transportation system for Massachusetts,” said MBTA General Manager Phil Eng.

“We are listening to the feedback of our riders and stakeholders, and we are using that feedback to shape our vision and our roadmap. It is only with them that we can make this mission a reality,” he pointed out. “We know we sometimes face challenges, but we are confident that we can overcome them. We are committed to making the MBTA a public transportation system that everyone can rely on.”

Eng noted that MBTA plans to finalize metrics for tracking progress towards those goals in the coming months.

“We believe these goals will help keep us focused,” noted Lynsey Heffernan, MBTA’s assistant general manager for policy and transit planning. “We’re serving vibrant and diverse communities with rich history and culture who deserve to be able to rely on us for public transit services. The more in tune we are with our collective vision, the more likely we will be able to deliver on that vision.”

Environmental News Highlights – August 30, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT Hosting Four-Part Pedestrian Webinar -AASHTO Journal

FHWA Issues $196M to Support Fish Passage Projects -AASHTO Journal

Half the nation’s wetlands just lost federal protection. Their fate is up to states. -The Oregon Capital Chronicle

Federal court pauses Uinta crude-by-rail line construction -Progressive Railroading

Biden’s infrastructure building boom is missing one thing: Workers -NBC News

 

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Using future, not just historical data projections could make state, local infrastructure designs more resilient -Route Fifty

The Importance of Hydrogen in a Sustainable Energy Economy -The Good Men Project

NYC Congestion Pricing Board Tackles Tough Job of Deciding Who’ll Be Exempt –CityLab

Delaware County, PA confronts climate crisis with its 1st-ever sustainability plan -WHYY Radio

Austin transit experts detail changes to come in land use, urban density -KXAN-TV

AIR QUALITY

Is nuclear energy the answer to a sustainable future? Experts are divided –CNBC

EPA Cracks Down on Companies for Selling Illegal Auto Parts that Avoid Pollution Controls –EPA (media release)

HDOT installing dust screens around Lāhainā Town -Hawai’i Department of Transportation (media release)

EPA Joins Minnesota Leaders to Highlight Climate Pollution Reduction Grants -EPA (media release)

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Colorado air regulators sued over environmental justice rules -Denver Post

Electric cars face ‘punitive’ fees, new restrictions in many states –Politico

 

University of Minnesota launches environmental justice center to help underserved communities -Sahan Journal

Indigenous Environmental and Climate Justice Series: Indigenous Climate Action -Urban Land Institute

Maximizing Equity in Managed Lane Planning -Minnesota Department of Transportation (blog)

Is Environmental Justice at a Crossroads? Three Issues to Watch in Fall 2023 -National Law Review

 

NATURAL RESOURCES

A need for green: Cities look to trees to improve health, climate justice -Route Fifty

Goats employed by Enbridge to help control invasive species –CKPGToday

CT, RI wind farm gets federal decision on environmental plan -CT Insider

US Army Corps of Engineers Conducts Vegetation Management to Protect Piping Plovers and Control Invasive Species -The 1014

CULTURAL RESOURCES

New Goals for Carbon Neutrality Inform Choice for Olympics Locations –PEW

Environmentalists say inland port site threatens Great Salt Lake -KSTU-TV

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

How Bad Has Ride-Hailing Been for Cities? –CityLab

Vermont Transportation Agency awards $4M in bike and pedestrian path grants -WCAX-TV


Why Can’t You Bike Over the Bay Bridge Into Downtown San Francisco? -The San Francisco Standard

Houston Metro working on solar-powered fans at bus stops, with plans to install 50 prototypes -Houston Chronicle

Cambridge, Massachusetts, legalizes sidewalk electric vehicle charging -WCVB-TV

Charlotte becoming friendlier to pedestrians –QnotesCarolinas

FDOT officials educate University of Florida students to set a different pace for pedestrian safety -WCJB-TV

New safety features at Harlingen bike trails -KVEO-TV

Denver’s top noise contributor is its airports, study finds -Axios Denver

Last Safe Streets Road Show of season welcomes Spanish-speaking Milwaukeeans -WTMJ-TV

KDOT to host Active Transportation Summit in McPherson Sept. 20 to 22 -Kansas DOT (media release)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Availability of Data on Allocations of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Allowances to Existing Electricity Generating Units -EPA (Notice of data availability)

Good Neighbor Environmental Board -EPA (Notice of meeting)

National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee; May 2023 Meetings -Coast Guard (Notice of availability of recommendations and request for comments)

Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model Years 2027-2032 and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans for Model Years 2030–2035; Correction -NHTSA (Notice of proposed rulemaking; Correction)

Public Hearing for Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model Years 2027–2032 and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans for Model Years 2030–2035 -NHTSA (Notice of public hearing)

Proposed National Guidance for Industry on Responding to Munitions and Explosives of Concern in U.S. Federal Waters -U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (Notice of availability; request for comments)

Consolidated Port Approaches Port Access Route Studies (CPAPARS) Final Notice -Coast Guard (Notification)

 

WSDOT Crews ‘Go Fishing’ in Stream Realignment

Construction crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation are often called upon to execute unusual tasks within their road building and maintenance activities – and that can include “going fishing” as part of stream realignment efforts.

[Above photo by WSDOT]

The agency noted in a recent blog post that a good portion of its transportation infrastructure work involves streams and wetlands, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where roads, streams, and wetlands often intersect.

For example, WSDOT pointed to the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County – located in an area where I-5 crosses over Hylebos Creek at the Fife curve, with tributaries and wetlands on either side of the freeway. As a result, WSDOT construction crews made changes so the freeway, creek, and wetlands can co-exist in harmony – work that included a wetland and stream restoration project, revitalizing almost 150 acres of land on either side of I-5 near the Fife curve.

[Editor’s note: The Federal Highway Administration recently issued $196 million to 59 tribal, state, and local governments to help fix or remove 169 culvert barriers to improve fish passage. The agency said outdated culverts and other related infrastructure can cause roads to flood and severely restrict or altogether block fish passage.]

As part of that restoration effort, in mid-July, WSDOT crews removed fish from Hylebos Creek so they could rebuild and realign a 2,200-foot section of the stream by mid-September. Crews carefully removed fish from the stream’s work zone and relocated them another area of the creek where they won’t be affected by construction work – a process technically known as “de-fishing,” the agency explained.

WSDOT noted its crews are only allowed to step foot or put equipment into a stream during a designated “fish window,” which is often mid-summer to early fall, depending on the stream, when the fewest number of fish are generally present.

The agency stressed that its crews are not “fishing” in the traditional sense when conducting such “de-fishing” operations. They set up and secure fine-meshed netting, dragging it in the water to encourage fish to naturally swim downstream away from the construction area – basically “shooing” them out of the area – as it is less stressful for the fish if they can swim away on their own. The crews will then secure another fine-meshed net in the stream to block off the area they just waded through so the fish do not return to the just-cleared area.

WSDOT noted that any fish stragglers trapped between the two secured nets are removed first by “seining passes” followed by “electro-fishing,” whereby a very small electrical charge in the water temporarily stuns the remaining fish so they can be gently scooped up in nets by trained fish handlers. WSDOT noted that crews keep moving downstream, repeating this entire process, until all the fish are caught and relocated safely from the construction area.

Kansas DOT Releases Updated 2023-2025 Bicycle Map

The Kansas Department of Transportation recently released its new 2023-2025 bicycle map, which incorporates more than simply listing bike-friendly pathways across the state.

[Above image by Kansas DOT]

“The revised map has new features such as a focus on rail-trails, Kansas Tourism resources, and information on the recently published Kansas Active Transportation Plan,” said Jenny Kramer, active transportation manager for the agency, in a statement.

“This map provides information for cyclists of all levels of experience as well as community advocates wanting to develop and improve trails and paths in their areas,” she added.

The Kansas DOT 2023-2025 map charts out daily traffic volumes, county roads, rest areas, bike shops, byways, state parks, and – of course – bicycle routes across Kansas.

The map also includes a revised Kansas Rail-Trails map and infographic; a section on trail-sharing etiquette; information on Kansas tourism cycling resources and the state’s Active Transportation Plan; U.S. Bicycle Routes 76 and 66 information; a table of state recreation areas and amenities; and a list of all applicable state bicycle laws.

State departments of transportation develop bicycle routes, which the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials then officially designates within the U.S. Bicycle Route System or USBRS.

In February 2021, AASHTO and Adventure Cycling signed a memorandum of understanding or MOU to formalize their now 17-year partnership to create a national 50,000-mile bicycle route network.

Twice each year, AASHTO’s U.S. Route Numbering Special Committee reviews and recommends to the AASHTO Board of Directors a number of revisions, additions, or deletions to the U.S. numbered routes and Interstate Highway System.

The special committee also reviews and recommends the approval of new and revised U.S. bicycle routes that are critical to the expansion of the USBRS.

In addition, AASHTO’s Committee on Planning works with Adventure Cycling to maintain and update the broader USBRS National Corridor Plan that identifies corridors for future bike routes – noting that the USBRS is a “cornerstone” of Adventure Cycling’s work as a national nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, empowering and connecting people to bicycle travel.

Meanwhile, in late June, Adventure Cycling announced major expansions to the USBRS, including three completely new routes and a connection from Alaska to the lower 48 states.

The three new routes are USBR 610 in Idaho, USBR 11 in Pennsylvania, and USBR 121 in Tennessee. In Minnesota, USBR 20 has been extended and USBR 45 and USBR 45A have been adjusted to incorporate new trails and improve safety.

Meanwhile, Alaska’s network now connects to Washington State via the Alaska Marine Highway System using ferries; the first time a ferry has been designated as part of a U.S. bicycle route.