Maryland DOT Supporting ‘Five Million Tree’ Effort

The Maryland Department of Transportation is “branching out” in its commitment to support the state’s goal of planting five million trees over the next eight years with initiatives that should add thousands of new trees annually statewide via plantings, grants for community-based efforts and programs that encourage support for the Maryland Forest Service.

[Above photo by the Maryland DOT]

The Maryland DOT is one of several state agencies involved in the “Growing 5 Million Trees in Maryland” program; a plan designed to help the state meet its goal to plant and maintain five million native trees in Maryland by the end of calendar year 2031.

The initiative, led by a commission chaired by the Maryland Department of the Environment, stems from the Tree Solutions Now Act, passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021.

“We’re working every day to mitigate and reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation – now and for the future,” Maryland DOT Secretary Paul Wiedefeld recently explained in a statement.

“As we strive to create and maintain a transportation network that’s cleaner and more efficient, our partnerships with other agencies and stakeholders in the ‘5 Million Trees’ initiative will make a generational impact on those goals,” he added.

Maryland DOT noted it routinely plants trees as part of highway, bridge, transit and other projects, but since those plantings largely mitigate the impact of those projects, they don’t count toward the “5 Million Trees” initiative.

However, led by its Office of Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation, the Maryland DOT pointed out that it does conduct other tree planting programs, including:

  • The Urban Tree Grant Program: A Maryland DOT partnership with the Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, this program awards grants of up to $5,000 for tree plantings and more than $5,000 for pocket forest projects. The grants can be used by nonprofits, schools, local business associations, youth and civic groups and others, and can help areas affected by environmental justice issues or heat island effect – such as urban areas with little tree canopy.
  • The Tree Planting Donation: Operated by the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles, a division of the Maryland DOT, this initiative allows state residents to make a voluntary donation of $1, or more, when registering or renewing a vehicle registration, to the Maryland Forest Service to plant trees.
  • The Urban Forestry Partnership: Overseen by the Maryland Port Administration, another Maryland DOT division this partnership works with communities to restore tree canopy on streets and parks in Baltimore City. Between 2018 and 2020, the Partnership planted 1,500 trees in neighborhoods across Baltimore.​ 

In April, the Maryland Department of the Environment launched an online “tracking tool” and hub site for tree plantings and planting initiatives across Maryland. From community-based projects to agency efforts, the tool will track the trees and the progress toward the “5 Million Trees” goal.

The hub site also provides a resource library that includes tree planting tips and guides, a map of statewide tree planting assistance and rebate programs, and volunteer and training opportunities to get more people involved in tree plantings across Maryland.

Environmental News Highlights – July 5, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT Issues More Than $2.2B in RAISE Grants -AASHTO Journal



USDOT Offering Over $5B in Multimodal Project Grants -AASHTO Journal



PHMSA Proposes HazMat Rail Shipment Reporting Rule -AASHTO Journal
FTA Announces Nearly $1.7 Billion to Help Put Better, Cleaner Buses on the Roads in Communities Across the Country -FTA (media release)

 

COVID-19

When COVID rules kept humans home, wildlife roamed more freely, international study shows –CBC

 

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Re:source Podcast: Hawaii Paving Industry Talks Plastic Roads -AASHTO Journal



NYC Is Cleared for First-in-US Congestion Tolls as Soon as April –Bloomberg



Indianapolis Int’l Pioneers Use of Carbon Capture for Runway Project -Airport Improvement



These States Are Doing the Most to Electrify Transportation –Governing



AIR QUALITY

The Hazy Days of Summer -The New Yorker

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

EPA closes civil rights investigation into Louisiana pollution -Washington Post



NATURAL RESOURCES

Biden administration provides greater flexibility to protect endangered species -The Hill



Legislature overrides veto of bill cutting wetland regulation -Coastalreview.org



Researchers demo geotargeted wildfire alerts sent to vehicles -Route Fifty

 

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Miami Air International Plans A Pan Am Museum In Its 1920s Hangar -Simply Flying



The Forgotten History Of Highway Photologs -MIT Technology Review



CB Radios Not Yet Obsolete; Veteran Truckers Say They’re Still Useful -Cowboy State Daily



Feds deny Knoxville’s $25 million grant request to build new pedestrian bridge across Tennessee River -WBIR-TV



New York Politicians Urge Governor To End Non-essential Helicopter Flights -Quiet Communities (blog)

 

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Connecticut offering vouchers for residents to buy e-bikes -New Haven Independent



Pedestrians occupying bike lanes on Oahu raising safety concerns -KHNL/KGMB-TV



NYC gets $25M for e-bike charging stations, seeking to prevent deadly battery fires –AP



Street lighting is crucial for cyclists and pedestrians -North Shore News



City holds ‘pop up’ event to get input on Pensacola’s Active Transportation Plan -WKRG-TV



FAA Still Silent on Dulles Airport Noise Concerns –LoudonNow
New U.S. Bicycle Route connects Hope and East Hope, Idaho -Bonner County Daily Bee

 

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: Fostering Sustainability through Freight-Efficient Land Uses –NCHRP



Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 13: Rocky Mountains –NCHRP



Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 14: Southeast –NCHRP



Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 15: Southern Plains –NCHRP



Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 16: Southwest –NCHRP



Risk Assessment Techniques for Transportation Asset Management –NCHRP



Advancing Health and Resilience in the Gulf of Mexico Region: Roadmap for Progress -National Academies

 

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on the Central Business District Tolling Program, New York, New York -FHWA (Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by FHWA and other Federal agencies)
Testing Provisions for Air Emission Sources; Correction -EPA (Final rule; correcting amendment)



Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair -Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notice of proposed rule)



Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Experimental Populations -Fish and Wildlife Service (Final rule)



Notice of Availability of Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Next Generation Delivery Vehicles Acquisitions -United States Postal Service (Notice)

 

States Add New Routes to U.S. Bicycle Route System

The Adventure Cycling Association recently announced major expansions to the U.S. Bicycle Route System or USBRS, including three completely new routes and a connection from Alaska to the lower 48 states.

[Above photo by AASHTO]

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a developing national network of officially designated, numbered, and signed routes that use existing roads, trails, and other facilities appropriate for bike travel, the association noted – eventually encompassing 50,000 miles of routes nationwide.

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.

“It’s exciting to see how the U.S. Bicycle Route System mirrors our European counterpart bicycle travel network, EuroVelo in a new way” by connecting to ferries, noted Jennifer O’Dell, executive director of Adventure Cycling, in a statement.

“By incorporating the Alaska Marine Highway System into the USBRS, cyclists’ horizons are widened beyond the Lower 48,” she added.

Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, noted that state departments of transportation play a significant role in the expansion of the USBRS by designating new routes twice every year.

“Those bike routes are critical to enhancing and expanding the active transportation opportunities within the nation’s multimodal mobility network,” he said. “State DOTs play a key role in helping foster more and safer bicycle travel options for all Americans and goes to the heart of AASHTO’s longstanding partnership with the Adventure Cycling Association.”

[Editor’s note: AASHTO and Adventure Cycling formalized their nearly two-decade partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding in February 2021.]

Digital maps for all designated U.S. Bicycle Routes are available to the public for free on the Adventure Cycling Association website.

With the new designation and realignments, the USBRS now boasts nearly 20,000 miles of routes in 34 states and Washington, D.C. At least 38 states are currently developing additional bike routes, Adventure Cycling noted.

Podcast: Hawaii Paving Industry Talks Plastic Roads

Two bonus episodes of the AASHTO re:source podcast follow up with different perspectives on the recent “plastic roads” project initiated by the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

[Above image by Hawaii DOT]

AASHTO re:source – which launched this podcast series in September 2020 – is a major technical service program of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It provides services and tools through three major programs: the Laboratory Assessment Program, the Proficiency Sample Program, and the AASHTO Accreditation Program.

Part one and part two of this special “plastic road” podcast series covered Hawaii DOT’s effort to test the incorporation of recycled plastics into its road paving processes. Now the two follow-up bonus episodes provide exterior perspectives on the agency’s project.

The first bonus episode talks with Jon Young, executive director of the Hawaii Asphalt Paving Industry, about how the paving contractors and contractors his organization represent desire to be part of such projects at the front end so they can help develop “good plans” in order deliver good outcomes from such research. The second bonus episode will follow in the next few weeks.

“Such projects have to make sense economically [and] definitely must make the world better,” Young explained on the AASHTO re:source podcast. “We’re just trying to help them implement [this project] it smoothly as possible and we think it is great the [Hawaii] DOT is so innovative.”

To listen to more of this podcast episode, click here.

Environmental News Highlights – June 28, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

U.S. Logistics Networks Seek to Boost Resilience -AASHTO Journal

Major U.S. cities leading in transit electrification -Mass Transit

EPA Finalizes New Renewable Fuel Standards to Strengthen U.S. Energy Security, Support U.S. Rural Economy, and Expand Production of Low-Carbon Fuels -EPA (media release)

Federal agencies must do more on sustainability -Federal News Network (commentary)

NEPA

Get to Know NEPA and Get Federal Infrastructure Projects Moving -National League of Cities

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Cost of EV Charging Stations Comes Up in Delaware DOT Budget Talks -Town Square Live

Environmental groups in New York push to save offshore wind plan -Spectrum News 1

Buying renewable energy doesn’t mean what you think -Washington Post

Iowa DOT Wins 2022 Perpetual Pavement Award -Iowa DOT (media release)

New book on parking is just the ticket -NJ.com (opinion)

AIR QUALITY

Utah kicks off 2023 ‘Clear the Air’ Challenge -Utah News Connection



How cities can better confront climate change -WBUR Radio

What is ground-level ozone? The latest air quality warning, explained -Minnesota Reformer

NATURAL RESOURCES

AASHTO Re:source Podcast: Soil Sampling Insights -AASHTO Journal

TxDOT Rail Inspectors Battle Heat and Rattlesnakes -AASHTO Journal

Invasive species treatment at Iowa Great Lakes was a success -Iowa Capital Dispatch

How oysters are helping protect Apalachicola’s vulnerable shoreline –International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructures

Kansas City riverfront cleanup is now in the hands, uh, mouths of these new workers -Kansas City Star

CTDOT Celebrates National Pollinator Week -Connecticut DOT (media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

INDOT Drones Help Prepare Grist Mill for Renovation -AASHTO Journal

The I-95 Live Cam In Philadelphia Is The Sleeper Hit Of The Season -Philadelphia Inquirer

Under a Denver Highway, Artists Find Space for the Surreal –CityLab

Taylor Swift is an unlikely public transit icon –CNN

Rick Steves Talks Walkable Cities -Public Square

NY Governor Announces Opening of High Line-Moynihan Connector on Manhattan’s West Side -NY State Governor’s Office (media release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

LA considers car-free streets and pedestrian “superblocks” through Park Block Pilot -KNBC-TV

Student aims to help make pedestrians and cyclists safer -Furman University

Pedestrian fatalities mark grim milestone, safety group projects in new report -Detroit Free Press

Connecticut offering vouchers for residents to buy e-bikes -New Haven Independent

Pedestrians occupying bike lanes on Oahu raising safety concerns -KHNL/KGMB-TV

Nearly One Hundred Miles of New Greenway Trails Opened for Public Use Across New York since 2021 -New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

To Mark National Pollinator Week, National Academies Offer Sustainable Solutions to Restore and Protect Critical Species -National Academies

Strategies to Address Homelessness at Airports –ACRP

DOE Announces Over $17 Million for University-Led Projects Supporting Decarbonization and Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions -DOE (media release)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Exemption From Operating Authority Regulations for Providers of Recreational Activities -Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Notice of proposed rulemaking)



Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern New Mexico -DOE (Notice of open meeting)



Inland Waterways Users Board Meeting Notice -Army Corps of Engineers (Notice)

Request for Project Proposals Pursuant to Section 165 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, Pilot Program for Continuing Authority Projects in Small or Disadvantaged Communities -Army Corps of Engineers (Notice)

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision of Regulations for Interagency Cooperation -Fish and Wildlife Service & NOAA (Proposed rule; request for comment)

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines and New Source Performance Standards: Internal Combustion Engines; Electronic Reporting –EPA (Proposed rule)

 

Colorado DOT Preps for Greener Aircraft to Fill the Skies

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics wants to get its 76 public use airports ready for alternatively powered aircraft and the fuels they use.

[Above photo by the Colorado DOT]

The agency is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory or NREL to study which alternative fuel aircraft could use its airports and what changes would have to be made to accommodate the planes and their fuels. The Colorado Aeronautical Board is putting up $400,000 to support the NREL study, which will take about 18 months to complete.

Preparing the airports for alternative fuel aircraft “will make air transportation in Colorado more efficient, more equitable and accessible, with reduced environmental impacts,” Colorado Aeronautics Division Director David Ulane said in a statement.

U.S. air travel contributes about 2.7 percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s 2021 Aviation Climate Action Plan, which seeks to put the industry on a path toward net-zero emissions by 2050.

A recent report from global consultant McKinsey estimates that aircraft using hydrogen or electric power could comprise up to 38 percent of the global aircraft fleet by 2050. The report says airports will have to make significant financial and land investments to meet the fuel generation and storage demands of alternative fueled aircraft.

A major international airport such as Denver International Airport, which is one of the busiest in the world, could expect to invest about $3.9 billion in infrastructure to shift toward alternative propulsion by 2050, the report concluded.

Assessing those infrastructure needs is one of the goals of the Colorado study. Other objectives include:

  • Identifying new alternatively powered aircraft that could utilize Colorado’s airports.
  • Identifying at which airports battery-electric general aviation aircraft could be deployed.
  • Identifying government policy and regulatory considerations, financial impacts, and potential incentives to encourage and support new aviation technology.
  • Exploring opportunities to make travel faster and more efficient while broadening access to air travel and reducing environmental impacts.

“Colorado’s Division of Aeronautics is undertaking a first-of-its-kind statewide evaluation of next-generation aircraft, aviation fuels, and implications on necessary infrastructure,” NREL Strategic Partnerships Manager Brett Oakleaf added. “This leadership is critical for preparing and de-risking the aviation transition for Colorado and its airports.”

State departments of transportation play a critical role in the aviation sector, especially when it comes to airport infrastructure needs.

For example, several state DOT studies – including ones from Iowa, Illinois, Georgia, Wyoming, and Alaska – show that airports function as significant “economic engines” as well as key mobility hubs for many states.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials also recently published a new report analyzing the impact of general aviation on state and local economies across the country.

That report – officially entitled “The Impact of General Aviation on State and Local Economies: State Reports 2023” – is a joint effort between AASHTO, the Alliance for Aviation Across America, and the National Association of State Aviation Officials.

AASHTO said this report is envisioned as a communication resource to help illustrate the important role general aviation serves in state and local communities, as well as within the nation’s economy.

Video: Oregon DOT Tips for Culturally Modified Trees

A recent video produced by the Oregon Department of Transportation provides insights into the importance of “culturally modified trees” or CMTs and how states need to treat them, especially during post-wildfire recovery efforts.

[Above photo by the Oregon DOT]

For example, in September 2020, devastating wildfires burned nearly one million acres of forest across Oregon. During the removal of hazardous trees and debris following the fire, archeologists and tribal monitors recorded many archeological sites, including CMTs.

Several CMTs could not be avoided during tree removal so, as part of the mitigation effort for having to remove those CMTs, Oregon DOT created a training video with the assistance of Oregon tribes as well as other federal and state agencies.

That video – one of several produced by Oregon DOT in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Historical Research Associates, Inc., and consulting firm WSP USA – reinforces the importance of culturally-significant archeological sites and how transportation agencies and others should treat them.

Environmental News Highlights – June 20, 2023

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT To Help Rural, Tribal Communities Access Funding Opportunities -Daily Yonder

Amtrak Releases Annual Sustainability Report -Amtrak

COVID-19

The New War on Bad Air -New York Times

NEPA

Supreme Court water ruling could transform NEPA, ESA -E&E News

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Wisconsin GOP lawmakers vote to boost road funding, increase electric vehicle fee -Wisconsin Public Radio

Exploring the 15-Minute City Concept and Its Potential for Communities of All Sizes -National League of Cities

University Of Iowa Researching Use Of Automated Vehicles On Rural Roads -WOI-TV

Arlington, Va., transit station will support zero emissions bus fleet -Building Design and Construction

AIR QUALITY

Q&A: Benefits of switching to zero-emission vehicles, ways to achieve health equity -Healio

EPA, green groups settle lawsuit over gas power plant smog limits -Reuters

35 vintage photos reveal what Los Angeles looked like before the US regulated pollution -Business Insider India

Why the EPA’s new carbon emissions rules will win in court -The Hill (opinion)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

White House launches new environmental justice scorecard -U.S. Green Building Council

Federal Energy Regulators Must Prioritize Environmental Justice in Confronting the Climate Crisis -U.S. News and World Report (commentary)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Oregon law protects state’s wetlands over Supreme Court ruling -Oregon Public Broadcasting

Michigan law shields wetlands from Supreme Court decision impacts -MLive.com

Mixed feelings in Ohio about recent ruling on Clean Water Act -Radio

Pilot program in Raleigh area relies on volunteers to collect wetlands data -Coastal Review

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Maine DOT Worker Writes About Roundabouts In New Children’s Book -WCSH-TV

Can historic preservation and green initiatives ever play nice? -Boston.com

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Bike Buses: A Global Trend in Active School Transportation -Momentum

Too much noise can hurt your health and shorten your lifespan. Here’s how to know if you’re at risk, and tips for protecting yourself -Fortune

Getting to zero traffic fatalities will take more than infrastructure funds, experts say -Smart Cities Dive

How Do Airports Address Noise Management? -Simple Flying

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Airport Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic -ACRP

Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 9: Mid-Atlantic -NCHRP

Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 10: Midwest -NCHRP

Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 11: Northeast -NCHRP

Pollinator Habitat Conservation Along Roadways, Volume 12: Northern Plains -NCHRP

TRB Webinar: Community-Based and Equitable Transportation Response in Disaster -TRB

Homelessness and Climate Change: A Roundup of Resources for Communities Before, During, and After Disasters -U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; … -EPA (Proposed rule; extension of comment period)

Draft National Strategy To Prevent Plastic Pollution: Extension of Comment Period -EPA (Notice of availability; extension of comment period)

Notice of Public Meeting for the National Park System Advisory Board -National Park Service (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Notice To Solicit Comments and Hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Development of Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead -Bureau of Reclamation (Notice)

Forest Service Handbook 5509.11, Chapter 10 Title Claims and Encroachments –USDA (Notice of availability for public comment)

Rights-of-Way, Leasing, and Operations for Renewable Energy -Bureau of Land Management (Proposed rule)

Notice of Availability of the Proposed Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact Statement -Bureau of Land Management (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Conduct Restoration Planning for Discharge of Oil From the Amplify Energy Corp Pipeline P00547 Into the Pacific Ocean Near Huntington Beach, Orange County, California -NOAA (Notice)

Application for Recertification of Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council -Coast Guard (Notice of availability; request for comments)

Request for Applicants for Appointment to the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee -TSA (Committee management; request for applicants)

AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast: Ohio DOT’s Historic Bridge Plan

The newest episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast focuses on the historic bridge inventory, evaluation, and preservation plan put together by the Ohio Department of Transportation and how other state DOTs can implement similar efforts based on that plan.

[Above photo by the Ohio DOT]

The ETAP podcast – a technical service program for state departments of transportation provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – explores a wide array of environmental topics that affect transportation and infrastructure programs.

In this episode, Erica Schneider – assistant environmental administrator for Ohio DOT – and Tom Barrett, Ohio DOT’s historic bridge program manager and state byways coordinator, explain the importance of preserving, relocating, or restoring historic bridges as they attract tourists, create economic opportunities, and offer a way to strengthen a sense of community for towns and cities statewide.

[Editor’s note: For an example of how bridges and byways provide tourist opportunists and historic connections, check out the Ohio DOT video below.]

Ohio is home to more than 500 national registered-listed and historic bridges, constructed with a vast array of materials, including iron, steel, stone, concrete, and wood.

Recently, Ohio DOT completed a historic bridge inventory update for all 9,086 bridges built between 1961 and 197, with seven determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and one considered an early example of environmentally sensitive structural design.

To listen to this podcast, click here.

Kansas Issues Local Communities $11M in Cost Sharing Funds

Governor Laura Kelly (D) and Calvin Reed, acting secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation, recently announced more than $11 million will be awarded to 14 local transportation construction projects statewide through the agency’s “Cost Share Program” for spring 2023.

[Above photo by the Kansas DOT]

The Kansas DOT Cost Share Program – established in 2019 as part of the 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program or IKE – is designed to help rural and urban areas alike advance local transportation projects to improve safety, support job retention and growth, relieve congestion, and improve access and mobility.

To date, Kansas DOT said its Cost Share Program has resulted in the investment of more than $125 million in state funding in almost 150 projects statewide, with nearly an additional $100 million in matching local funds.

“With these projects, my administration is making investments that address short term challenges to bring long-term solutions to communities,” the governor noted in a statement. “The Cost Share program has been a success because of the partnerships we’ve built with local governments to make financial commitments alongside us.”

[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently hosted a knowledge session at its 2023 Spring Meeting in Seattle that delved into ways transportation agencies can get the most out of the discretionary grant programs funded by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021 – especially in terms of helping fund local infrastructure projects.]

Gov. Kelly unveiled this latest disbursement of Cost Share Program funds at a press event in the City of Gardner, which is getting state fiscal support for its South Center Trail. This particular round of Cost Share Program funding is supporting safer and improved access to schools, health care, recreational amenities, and housing.

“We rely on local leaders to bring us their best ideas for projects that, with a little help, can make a significant difference in a community,” noted Kansas DOT’s Reed. “Communities come to the table with a solid project plan, the support of local business and community members, and matching funds in place. State dollars help get the projects to the finish line.”

State departments of transportation across the country provide funding to local transportation projects via a variety of programs – many aimed at boosting active transportation opportunities.

For example, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, in partnership with the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization or SJTPO, recently awarded $5.2 million to six local infrastructure projects under the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside or “TA Set-Aside” program. 

“As part of our ‘Commitment to Communities,’ we work with the three metropolitan planning organizations to provide federal funding to counties and municipalities for local transportation projects that improve safety and strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of our transportation system,” noted New Jersey DOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “[Those] grants will fund projects to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in six South Jersey communities without having to impact local property taxes.”

Meanwhile, in April, the Illinois Department of Transportation recently awarded $127.9 million through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program or ITEP to support 72 local mobility projects statewide.

“The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program is … designed to support alternate modes of transportation, to preserve visual and cultural resources, and improve quality of life,” explained Governor Jay “J.B.” Pritzker (D).

Those 72 local mobility projects selected include biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation at the local level.

“The ITEP gives our local partners the resources they need to improve quality of life for their communities and strengthen the state’s overall transportation system,” added Illinois DOT Secretary Omer Osman. “We’re putting dollars to work in the communities that need them most, investing in infrastructure and increasing travel options to make Illinois a safer and more enjoyable place to work, build a business and raise a family.”