Five States Help Expand U.S. Bicycle Route System

Three new U.S. Bicycle Routes in Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Delaware, along with the realignment and extension of additional routes through Indiana and Michigan, have added more than 650 miles to the U.S. Bicycle Route or USBR system.

[Above photo by the Minnesota DOT]

The new routes in Oklahoma and Delaware are the first U.S. Bicycle Routes in those states, while the new route in Minnesota is its fourth. USBR 66 in Oklahoma boasts the most rideable miles of Historic Route 66, the “Mother Road.” At the same time, USBR 20 in Minnesota offers miles of off-road riding and several of the state’s 10,000 lakes, and USBR 201 through Delaware takes in historic sites and Delaware River views.

Michigan and Indiana realigned and extended existing routes based on feedback from bicyclists and local communities and due to the completion of infrastructure improvements and other projects.

“It’s been 96 years since the iconic Route 66 opened to motor vehicle traffic in the U.S.,” said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in a statement.

“Now, cyclists can follow the historic route for more than 400 miles through Oklahoma using the newly designated USBR 66,” he added. “This latest round of U.S. Bicycle Route System designations exemplifies AASHTO’s steadfast commitment to creating active transportation facilities in rural and urban America.”

“We’re excited to coordinate this project to build a better future for bicycle travel across the United States,” said Jennifer O’Dell, executive director of the Adventure Cycling Association. “The latest designations are powerful momentum in this long-term effort.”

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. It will eventually encompass 50,000 miles of routes and open new opportunities for cross-country travel, regional touring, and commuting by bike.

State departments of transportation develop U.S. Bicycle Routes, which AASHTO then officially designates. With the latest designations and realignments noted above, the USBR system now boasts 18,534 miles of routes in 33 states and Washington, D.C. At least 38 states are currently developing additional U.S. bicycle routes, AASHTO noted.

The nonprofit Adventure Cycling Association helps coordinates national development of the USBR system, offering technical assistance, volunteer coordination, and outreach to help states achieve official designation of routes.

In February 2021, AASHTO and Adventure Cycling signed a memorandum of understanding or MOU to formalize their 16-year partnership, which seeks to create a national bike route network that “mirrors that of the national interstate system.”

TxDOT Taps Joe Jonas for Anti-Littering Effort

The Texas Department of Transportation has recruited popular singer, songwriter, and actor Joe Jonas to star in a series of Public Service Announcements as part of the agency’s “Don’t Mess with Texas” anti-littering campaign.

[Above photo by TxDOT]

The agency said the “show-stopping” performer – a former Westlake, Texas, resident – takes an “over-the-top” approach in the PSAs to remind folks to keep Texas roadways free of litter.

The “Don’t Mess with Texas” litter prevention program – originally started back in 1986 – includes a grassroots partnership with “Keep Texas Beautiful, annual “Trash-Off” community outreach events, and the Adopt-a-Highway volunteer program.

In June, Joe Jonas – the second of three Jonas brothers – began appearing in television and radio PSAs running on both broadcast networks and digital platforms statewide. The aim of the campaign seeks to encourage Texans – young and old – to dispose of litter properly, in a trashcan, all the time.

“Joe understands the pride that we have in our state and in keeping it clean for everyone to enjoy its beauty, now and in the future,” explained Becky Ozuna, coordinator for the “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign, in a statement.

“We are thrilled to have Joe join us in bringing attention to our litter-free message through his comedic talent and timing,” she said.

Joe Jonas is the latest in a line of Texas celebrities who have lent their support to the campaign, including country-western musicians George Strait and Willie Nelson, plus actors Eva Longoria and Matthew McConaughey.

State departments of transportation across the country are involved in a variety of anti-littering efforts.

In May, Governor Tom Wolf (D) presented a group of employees from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection with Governor’s Awards for Excellence in recognition of their efforts to develop the first-ever Pennsylvania Litter Action Plan, unveiled in December 2021.

In March, the Tennessee Department of Transportation teamed up with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful and other partners to establish a network of 17 “Seabin” automated litter and debris removal devices across the Tennessee River watershed.

Those Seabin devices work continuously to skim and collect marine debris from the surface of the water. Each receptacle can remove up to 3,000 pounds of marine debris annually, while also filtering out gasoline, oils, and “micro-plastics” from the water.

Environmental News Highlights – June 29, 2022

Tennessee DOT Helps Turn Old Tires into Walking Trail

An eyesore of thousands of dumped tires were recently recycled into material for a hard-surface walking and biking trail at the Tennessee state park in Memphis they once littered, thanks in part to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

[Above photo by the Tennessee DOT]

The Tennessee DOT and Tennessee State Parks recently opened the 2.5-mile-long walking and biking trail at T.O. Fuller State Park in Memphis. Billed as one of the longest rubber-bearing trails in the country, the new trail is primarily composed of 24,000 recycled tires.

Tennessee DOT issued a $200,000 litter grant to support the trail project, which shredded those 24,000 abandoned tires into quarter-inch pieces of crumb rubber. A federal recreational trails program provided another $280,000, with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation or TDEC providing an additional $250,000 grant.

“Litter and illegal dumping are costly and damaging to Tennessee,” explained Joseph Galbato, III, who until recently served as Tennessee DOT’s interim commissioner, in a statement.

[In May, Governor Bill Lee (R) appointed Deputy Governor Butch Eley to serve as the agency’s commissioner in addition to Eley’s current duties.]

“We are thankful for collaborative partnerships like the ‘Tires to Trails’ project which not only addresses the litter problem but turns it into a meaningful and positive long-lasting resource for the community,” Galbato added.

*Michael McClanahan, an outreach specialist with Tennessee DOT, getting his hands dirty to help pull tires out of the park*.

The crumb rubber from the old tires – mixed with a rock aggregate and a polyurethane binder – does not include the metal from those tires, noted Brent Miller, manager of Patriot Tire Recycling in Bristol, TN.

Typically, recycled tires are shredded and used as fuel stock for power plants and paper mills, or made into doormats, he explained.

“This was the first time we’ve done a trail,” said Miller, whose company handles about a million tires a year.

Recycled tires can live a useful second life in some transportation applications. The crumb rubber creates a flexible roadway that resists cracking, requires less maintenance, and is easier on the feet of walkers and joggers, said Alle Crampton, environmental scientist, and manager of the Tire Environmental Act Program for the state.

The walkways also are porous, virtually reducing the stormwater runoff problems associated with concrete and asphalt. The water can soak through the trail and reach the root systems of trees, making it less likely that the root systems will expand and crack the walkway, Crampton said.

More than 400 volunteers collected the passenger, commercial truck, and heavy equipment tires from the park, with many of the volunteers coming from Tennessee DOT, TDEC, the City of Memphis, Shelby County, and Memphis City Beautiful.

T.O. Fuller State Park was the first state park open for African Americans east of the Mississippi River. Originally built in 1938, the state later renamed the park in honor of Dr. Thomas O. Fuller, a prominent African-American educator, pastor, politician, civic leader, and author.

Sweet Success: NCDOT Crews Help Rescue Honey Bees

Routine highway maintenance conducted by a North Carolina Department of Transportation work crew turned into one “honey” of a rescue mission in early June.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

NCDOT Division 9 maintenance crews were working on storm drain repairs and cutting down dead trees along U.S. 52 and discovered something unusual: Two honey-making beehive colonies nestled within one of the dead trees.

An online search for honeybee resources led the crew to “Miss Humble B’s Hive,” a local organization affiliated with the Forsyth County Beekeepers Association.

The group came to the highway work site and collected one live queen, some honeycomb, and most of the hive – relocating the bees to a small wooden hive in their own backyard. The bees rescued from the badly damaged hive at the U.S. 52 site will remain in the wooden hive until the queen starts laying eggs and the colony has enough bees to protect a larger hive, NCDOT said

While honeybees are not listed as an endangered species, their numbers along with several other species of bees have been on the decline over the past few decades – largely attributed to climate change, harmful chemical use, and habitat loss, among other factors. The loss of these important pollinators could have a significant impact on fruit and vegetable crops and wildflowers, noted Tiffany Williams-Brooks, who owns Miss Humble B’s Hive with her husband, Derek.

“When we look at the honeybee population, it is definitely on a decline,” she said in a statement. “When it comes to the number of hives beekeepers have nationally, the number has declined by at least 50 percent over the last several years.”

In terms of the rescued hives, Williams-Brooks said she could not find new broods and eggs. “We found open queen cells where new queens had emerged at some point,” she explained. “There were a lot of bees flying around, but they may not have belonged to that hive. We are in a nectar dearth, [or] scarcity of nectar, so often we will see bees coming in to take honey from other hives.”

Still, NCDOT Transportation Supervisor Kenny Butler – who, along with colleagues Greg Dellacona and Danielle Herrin, located Miss Humble B’s Hive to rescue the bees found along U.S. 52 – considers this bee relocation a success. “It was simply the right thing to do,” he emphasized. “We’re proud of the work our people do and are appreciative of the effort they take to just do the right thing.”

State departments of transportation across the country are engaged in a variety of efforts to preserve pollinator habitats, both for insects and specific plants.

For example, in October 2021, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts or GACD began installing 15 pollinator habitat sites in designated locations as part of a joint effort to educate state residents about the important role “pollinators” such as bees, butterflies, and other insects play in Georgia’s agricultural sector.

“This partnership provides Georgia DOT with the unique opportunity to create a safe and beautiful place for families and travelers to get up close and personal with the wildflowers and grasses [to] learn about how they impact the world around us,” explained Felicity Davis, a landscape architect manager with the Georgia DOT, in a statement.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation participated in a similar endeavor with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) and Tennessee Department of Agriculture as those three agencies formed a partnership in 2019 to support 64 acres of “pollinator meadows” at eight state parks.

Each blooming meadow contains a mix of nectar-bearing plants and milkweed, which sustain pollinators such as bees, moths, butterflies, birds, and small mammals such as bats. Those meadows also assist with TDEC’s Honey Project, which allows the public to purchase honey harvested annually within state parks across Tennessee.

The Tennessee DOT also recently launched a series of animated videos about pollination and pollinator species featuring the narrator “Polli the Tennessee Bee” to educate children about the process of pollination, its importance, and the pollinator species native to Tennessee.

It’s all part of “re-envisioning” the role state DOTs can play in turning roadway rights-of-way into protective habitats, Matthew Quirey – a landscape design and research fellow with The Ray, which is a public-private venture devoted to roadway technology testing along Interstate 85 in West Georgia

In a July 2021 episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Quirey explained how state DOTs can view such roadside “landscapes” are “habitat assets” instead of maintenance burdens.

“In general, we are thinking more about how right-of-ways are being redesigned to bring habitats back together – to serve not just as transportation corridors but ecosystem corridors as well,” he explained. That includes how right-of-ways can serve as habitats for pollinators, and contribute to better stormwater management in order to lessen pollution risks for nearby streams and rivers – incorporating sustainability and resiliency factors within more “environmentally sensitive” planning and design processes, Quirey said.

Environmental News Highlights – June 22, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

Montana officials ask Buttigieg for quick assistance – Missoula Current

Feds get new guidelines for e-bikes in national parks, forests – WyoFile

Axios Climate Truths: Climate hits home – Axios

FAA Proposes Requiring More Efficient Jets and Turboprops to Lower Climate Impacts – FAA (Media release)

USDA Announces Partnership with the Port of Houston and Expansion of Partnership with Northwest Seaport Alliance to Ease Port Congestion and Restore Disrupted Shipping Services to U.S. Grown Agricultural Commodities – USDA (Media release)

COVID-19

MTA stops collecting and publishing mask compliance stats in subways and buses – amNY

Cycling through the COVID-19 Pandemic to a More Sustainable Transport Future: Evidence from Case Studies of 14 Large Bicycle-Friendly Cities in Europe and North America – Sustainability

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Va. Infrastructure Project Deploys Multiple Sustainable Solutions – ENR Mid-Atlantic

County approves L.A. River Master Plan over 11th-hour objections from environmental groups – Los Angeles Times

MDOT seeks funding for Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure – SuperTalk Mississippi Media

Central Puget Sound Adopts Regional Transportation Plan with an Eye Toward 2030 – The Urbanist

UPS Test Electric Bicycles in Congested Cities – CBS News

Engineers explore innovative ways to improve resilience of coastal structures – University of Miami

Dams, a key part of state infrastructure, must be kept safe – Capitol Weekly (Opinion)

AIR QUALITY

To Get to Net Zero, This City Is Making a Map – CityLab

DC Region Will Now Consider Climate Impacts In Transportation Planning, Aiming To Cut Emissions In Half – DCist

How Washington State is leading the way for electric boats in the US – KING-TV

N.Y. measure seeks to combat traffic pollution near schools – Times Union

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

How Equity Can Help Integrate Transportation Systems – AASHTO Journal

How climate change and environmental justice are inextricably linked – Washington Post

NATURAL RESOURCES

Reducing Runoff to Save Farmers Money and Protect Water Quality – University of Maryland

Flooding Closes Yellowstone, in a Sign of Crises to Come – New York Times

What it really means for a wildfire to be ‘contained’ – Popular Science

Prairie songbirds are affected by unpredictable noise produced by oil drilling – The Conversation

Florida should let feds handle wetlands permitting – Herald-Tribune (Opinion)

Joe Jonas Lassos Litter As The New Face Of Don’t Mess With Texas^® – TxDOT (Media release)

CULTURAL RESOURCES

People mover, new bike paths and bus lanes: 2028 Olympics could fuel a transit boom in L.A. – Los Angeles Times

Coalition loops state panel into dispute over Laguna Beach preservation rules, downtown plan – Laguna Beach Independent

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Colorado DOT Adding Bicycle Law Signs on Highways – AASHTO Journal

Audi’s Connected Car Tech Aims to Save Cyclists – The Drive

Scooters Get a Second Chance – New York Times

Can’t get there from here: Florida’s Coast-to-Coast Trail is still missing a middle – City & State Florida

Boston transit agency to try urine sensors on elevators – AP

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building Socioeconomic Equity Through Transportation Research – TRB

Roadside Fire Risk and Prevention Strategies – TRB (Webinar)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Convening Workshop on Stakeholder Partnership – Sharing the Benefits and Opportunities for Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission – Department of Energy (Notice)

Michigan: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions – EPA (Final authorization)

Air Plan Approval; California; San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District; Open Burning – EPA (Final rule)

Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; North Carolina BART Rule Revisions – EPA (Final rule)

Revisions and Confidentiality Determinations for Data Elements Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule – EPA (Proposed rule)

Notice of Funding Availability for Credit Assistance Under SWIFIA Program – EPA (Notice of funding availability)

Notice of Funding Availability for Credit Assistance Under WIFIA Program – EPA (Notice of funding availability)

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Mitigation of Contaminated Transboundary Flows Project – EPA and US International Boundary and Water Commission (Notice of availability of draft programmatic environmental impact statement; notice of virtual public comment meetings; request for comments)

Membership in the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group – FAA (Solicitation of applications)

Maricopa Sun Solar Complex Habitat Conservation Plan, Kern County, California; Environmental Assessment – Fish and Wildlife Service (Notice of availability of documents; request for public comment)

Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program: Proposal To Find That Illinois Has Satisfied Conditions on Earlier Approval – NOAA/EPA(Notice of proposed finding; request for comments)

NYSDOT Begins ‘Engagement’ for Transformative Expressway Project

The New York State Department of Transportation recently launched the formal public “engagement” process for the “transformative” Kensington Expressway project in Buffalo.

[Above photo by the New York Governor’s Office]

Constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, the Kensington Expressway replaced what had been a tree-lined boulevard – the Humboldt Parkway, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted – with a below-grade highway that severed the connection between the surrounding neighborhoods. The original boulevard connected Humboldt Park (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Park) with Delaware Park.

NYSDOT noted that its $32.8 billion five-year capital plan adopted as part of the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget includes up to $1 billion for reconnecting the east-west neighborhoods across the depressed section of the Kensington Expressway corridor.

That funding also aims to help re-establish the green space originally provided by Humboldt Parkway without compromising the long-term capacity of the important regional transportation link provided by the expressway, which carries 80,000 vehicles per day.

The agency said the engagement process for this project – which involves a series of public meetings – provides community members with an opportunity to learn about the various options considered for the project and to provide NYSDOT with feedback.

The input from those sessions and other upcoming public involvement opportunities will help inform the decision-making process for the project, especially in terms of its environmental review.

“The Kensington Expressway project represents a historic opportunity to reshape Buffalo and reconnect communities that were severely impacted by the highway’s construction more than a half-century ago,” noted Governor Kathy Hochul (D) in a statement.

“My administration is committed to delivering on bold infrastructure projects that will help right the wrongs of the past through transportation networks designed to bring communities together, and routes that are friendlier for pedestrians and bikers,” she said. “It’s critical that the community has a voice in how this project proceeds and these scoping sessions will help us inform members of the public about all the options being considered and allow us to listen to their feedback.”

NYSDOT noted that it would consider the comments received at these public “scoping” sessions and respond to them in its Project Scoping Report due later this summer.

Also, the agency plans to launch a new website on the Kensington Expressway Project on June 29, providing another forum for the public to learn about the project.

NYSDOT said it is currently assessing opportunities to create new open public spaces, enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety, and address noise and air pollution, while also assessing enhancements to the local roadways to facilitate safe vehicle operations within reconnected neighborhoods.

Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Wyoming Issue Drafts of EV Charging Plans

The Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation recently released drafts of their electric vehicle or EV charging network development plans – networks funded by federal money through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program established by in February.

[Above photo by the Wyoming DOT]

The Mississippi DOT said that to receive its allocation of NEVI funds, the agency must submit an EV infrastructure deployment plan by August 1 to the Federal Highway Administration. That plan must include detail on EV charging infrastructure deployment, existing and future conditions, and public engagement, the Mississippi noted in a statement.

The agency is currently accepting comments on its plan through July 15.

Meanwhile, PennDOT launched a survey for the public to share feedback on the goals, infrastructure-prioritization, and program-administration components of the draft of its EV recharging plan. Comments on its plan are due by June 30.

“[WE are] committed to making future-focused investments in Pennsylvania to update our highway network to accommodate more electric vehicles and hybrids,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian in a statement. “We have received public and stakeholder feedback throughout this process, which is vital to understanding wants and needs as this transformational technology takes hold.”

PennDOT expects to receive and distribute $171.5 million in funds for its EV charging infrastructure over the next five years through the NEVI formula program.

Finally, the Wyoming DOT issued a draft of its EV infrastructure plan that is open for comments through July 27.

The agency said it expects to receive an almost $24 million allocation from the NEVI formula program over the next five years to establish an EV charging network along its federally-designated alternative fuel corridors: Interstate 80, Interstate 25, and Interstate 90.

Once the FHWA certifies the EV infrastructure build-out along the interstates, Wyoming DOT can spend any remaining NEVI funding in areas outside of those specific interstate corridors. However, the agency stressed that roads or bridges are not eligible for NEVI funds and that no state funding will go towards installing, operating, or maintaining EV chargers deployed using NEVI funds.

Wyoming DOT Director Luke Reiner is seeking an exemption to the initial federal requirements to place EV charging stations every 50 miles and a maximum of one mile from an exit – an exemption due to the predominance of rural routes across Wyoming, projected limited initial EV adoption rates, and the overall system’s economic viability.

“We think this is a common-sense approach to bringing this infrastructure to Wyoming,” he noted in a statement. “We want any traveler, local or tourist, to be able to drive in our great state without worrying about whether the infrastructure is in place to support the type of vehicle they choose to drive.”

Additionally, Wyoming seeks to use NEVI funding to facilitate travel to popular tourist destinations. Tourism is the state’s second-largest industry, and major tourism destinations like Yellowstone National Park are off-corridor.

Environmental News Highlights – June 15, 2022

FEDERAL ACTION

House Overwhelmingly Passes Its Version Of WRDA – Waterways Journal

COVID-19

Pre-travel testing requirement lifted: What you need to know about the new US travel policy – CNN

NEPA

Groups file new lawsuit to stop Idaho gold mine drilling – ABC News

Greens win NEPA court fight over Calif. offshore fracking – E&E News

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Virtual Public Meeting – Texas Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Plan – TxDOT (link to video)

Solar highway noise barriers to be deployed across North America – pv magazine

How Rotterdam’s Green Rooftops Fight Urban Heat – Planetizen

GSA Completes First Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Land Port of Entry Project – GSA (Media release)

AIR QUALITY

What are you breathing? Air quality checks are to be available on Google Maps in the US! – Business Today

The aviation industry can hit its emissions goals, but it needs new fuels – MIT Technology Review

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

How New Jersey’s environmental justice law is beginning to affect operators around the country – Waste Dive

Updated Lake Champlain cleanup plan focuses on climate change, environmental justice – VTDigger

A largely forgotten flood ignited the environmental justice movement – Washington Post

NATURAL RESOURCES

DeSantis vetoes Everglades bill that advocates said would harm water quality – Tampa Bay Times

State suspends permit applications for titanium mine near Okefenokee Swamp – The Current

Wildfires in US West Match Climate Projections ‘Eerily’ Well – Bloomberg

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

Tennessee Unveils Trail Made Out of Tires – AP

Cleveland streets to include more multi-modal, environmentally-friendly designs under strengthened Complete and Green Streets policy – Cleveland.com

How this ‘little trail that could’ aims to change Salt Lake recreation, transit – KSL

What If Electric Bikes Were as Cheap as Conventional Bicycles? – CityLab

Construction of Shared-Use Path to Begin on Vanocker Canyon Road in Sturgis – South Dakota DOT (Media release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Geotechnical Data Applications and Visualization for Transportation – TRB (Webinar)

Linking Land Use and Transportation through Research – TRB (Blog)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) and Miami Beach Channel, Miami, FL – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Safety Zones in Reentry Sites; Jacksonville, Daytona, Cape Canaveral, Tampa, and Tallahassee, Florida – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; Removal of Stage II Gasoline Vapor Recovery Program Requirements and Revision of Stage I Gasoline Vapor Recovery Program Requirements – EPA (Final rule)

Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule – EPA (Proposed rule)

Air Plan Approval; Mississippi; Revision of Excess Emissions Provisions – EPA (Proposed rule)

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Gasoline Distribution Technology Review and Standards of Performance for Bulk Gasoline Terminals Review – EPA (Proposed rule)

California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards; Heavy- Duty Vehicle and Engine Emission Warranty and Maintenance Provisions; Request for Waiver of Preemption; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Public Comment – EPA (Notice of opportunity for public hearing and comment)

California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards and Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; The ‘‘Omnibus’’ Low NOX Regulation; Request for Waivers of Preemption; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Public Comment – EPA (Notice of opportunity for public hearing and comment)

California State Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Standards; Advanced Clean Trucks; Zero Emission Airport Shuttle; Zero-Emission Power Train Certification; Request for Waiver of Preemption; Opportunity for Public Hearing and Public Comment – EPA (Notice of opportunity for public hearing and comment)

Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit – EPA (Notice of proposed consent
decree; request for public comment)

Development of Best Practices for Collection of Batteries To Be Recycled and Voluntary Battery Labeling Guidelines; Request for Information – EPA (RFI)

Recycling Education and Outreach; Grant Program and Model Recycling Program Toolkit; Request for Information – EPA (RFI)

Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Program; Request for Information – EPA (RFI)

Assessing Fees for Excess and Unauthorized Grazing – Forest Service (Final rule)

Credit Assistance and Related Fees for Water Resources Infrastructure Projects – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Proposed rule)

Hazardous Materials: Frequently Asked Questions – Applicability of the Hazardous Materials Regulations; Extension of Comment Period and Notice of Public Informational Webinar – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notice)

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplement to the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles Acquisitions Final Environmental Impact Statement – Postal Service (Notice)

Submission of Establishment of a New Parking Fee Area at Pearl Harbor National Memorial; Correction – National Park Service (Notice; correction)

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for US Wind’s Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Maryland – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Notice; request for comments)

FHWA Issues Proposed Rulemaking for Funding EV Infrastructure

The Federal Highway Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 9 to outline minimum standards and requirements for projects funded via the five-year $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program launched in February.

[Above photo by the Arizona DOT]

That rulemaking seeks to support the build-out of a national EV charging network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, while also ensuring that the network is “user-friendly, reliable, and accessible to all Americans” yet also interoperable between different charging companies, with similar payment systems, pricing information, charging speeds, and more.

FHWA said its proposed rule would establish the groundwork for states to build federally funded charging station projects across a national EV charging network, an “important step” towards making electric vehicle charging accessible to all Americans. No matter what kind of EV a user drives, what state they charge in, or what charging company they plug into, the minimum standards will ensure a unified network of chargers with similar payment systems, pricing information, charging speeds, and more, the agency noted.

The proposed requirements will help states as they develop their EV deployment plans in concert with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, established along with the NEVI program by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021.

“To support the transition to electric vehicles, we must build a national charging network that makes finding a charge as easy as filling up at a gas station,” explained U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “These new ground rules will help create a network of EV chargers across the country that are convenient, affordable, reliable, and accessible for all Americans.”

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy – in coordination with USDOT through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation – unveiled the Electric Vehicle Working Group or EVWG to make recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and integration of electric vehicles into America’s transportation and energy systems.

This advisory group will consist of 25 representatives, federal government employees, and special government employees who will compile reports related to the adoption of EVs to help ensure the sustainable integration of electric vehicles into the electric grid, prepare the workforce for more electric vehicles, and maintain global competitiveness in electric transportation infrastructure and technology. The DOE expects to publish the member nomination process by next week.

Additionally, FHWA said its proposed rule would require consistency regarding the installation, operation, and maintenance of NEVI formula program projects to provide the traveling public with reliable expectations for their charging experience. The proposed rule would further specify the required minimum density of provided chargers, payment methods, and requirements for customer support services.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is already assisting in this build-out effort via a memorandum of understanding signed in February with the National Association of State Energy Officials, USDOT, and DOE to coordinate nationwide investment in EV charging station infrastructure.

AASHTO also helped establish a free repository of information in March on EVs available to state agencies. Called the “EV States Clearinghouse,” it contains a variety of documents such as sample requests for proposals or RFPs, sample contracts, EV infrastructure siting, and assessment tools, plus other resources.

“The focus on electric vehicle charging infrastructure across our national transportation network is a huge step to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and we applauded the administration’s focus on this issue,” explained Jim Tymon, AASHTO’s executive director. “Many state departments of transportation have found success in their own EV charging infrastructure programs and know first-hand that collaboration between state energy offices and other agencies is instrumental to success.”

Several state DOTs recently achieved milestones in their efforts to establish more EV charging locations along highways in their respective regions. For example, the Oregon Department of Transportation recently celebrated the completion of Phase 1 EV charging upgrades to the West Coast Electric Highway. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Department of Transportation unveiled Level 3 “fast chargers” at the I-95 Southbound service plaza in Madison. Connecticut DOT added that more publicly available fast chargers should go online at service plazas in New Canaan, Greenwich, and Fairfield over the next several weeks.

Concurrently, the Arizona Department of Transportation is currently developing a statewide EV charging network plan it expects to submit to FHWA by August, with further plan refinements to follow.

Moreover, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development went a step further by hosting an outdoor EV exposition in April at its headquarters facility in Baton Rouge.

“Overall, we want to convert gas stations into fuel stations where a variety of fuel options, including electric charging, are available,” noted Dr. Shawn Wilson, Louisiana DOTD’s secretary and AASHTO’s 2021-2022 president, at the event. “In order to become a competitor in green energy, Louisiana must make changes, and this starts with our transportation industry.”

Wilson added that Louisiana DOTD plans to start developing the grant programs now through 2023, soliciting applications as well as monitoring and inspecting charging station installations while identifying and correcting weaknesses in the grant programs for use in future rounds of solicitations and awards.

FEDERAL ACTION

COVID-19

NEPA

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

AIR QUALITY

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

NATURAL RESOURCES

CULTURAL RESOURCES

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

FEDERAL ACTION

COVID-19

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

AIR QUALITY

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

NATURAL RESOURCES

CULTURAL RESOURCES

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

FEDERAL ACTION

COVID-19

NEPA

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

AIR QUALITY

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