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Transportation infrastructure investments have long-lasting implications not only on the transportation system but also on the larger environmental, economic, and social systems with which transportation interacts. As stated on th...
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Transportation infrastructure investments have long-lasting implications not only on the transportation system but also on the larger environmental, economic, and social systems with which transportation interacts. As stated on the sustainability webpage of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the sustainability of the transportation system is critical because the sector is responsible for 10 percent of the worlds gross domestic product, 22 percent of global energy consumption, 25 percent of fossil fuel burning, and 30 percent of global air pollution and greenhouse gases. Transportation agencies generally do not have processes and tools to gather and sort through information on such system interactions in order to make more effective investment decisions. Sustainable transportation is generally used to refer to transportation that contributes to the sustainable development of the community that owns and uses the system. A principal component of sustainable development, sustainable transportation tends to be defined in different ways by different agencies depending on specific priorities or constraints. However, it essentially includes effective and efficient system performance, with positive impacts on the social quality of life, economic competitiveness and the preservation of the natural environment. More recently, transportation agencies in the US have begun to develop processes and tools to gather and analyze information on system interactions in order to make more effective investment decisions. Other countries have conducted research on transportation and sustainability for several years and as a result, international experiences can provide several valuable lessons. Examples of international experiences that might be of interest include a wide range of planning and analysis tools, including Spatial Planning, Backcasting and Strategic Sustainability Analysis (SSA). Backcasting is an analytical tool that recasts the decision-making environment to better understand potential futures by deciding on the desired status of selected critical factors (e.g., related to livability, environment, and economy). Policies are then developed and implemented to promote technological innovation as well as the behaviors to achieve the desired future state. Spatial planning techniques consider spatial relationships within the context of a wide range of planning criteria, e.g. jobs/housing locations to promote economic development, environmental preservation and social quality of life. SSA, used by both Germany and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to assess transportation impacts, is a model-based methodology for analyzing complex transportation decisions with longterm time horizons; interlinked with environmental, economic, and social systems; and with a spatial scope above the project-level. These types of techniques when applied at broader geographic scales, e.g. regionally or mega-regionally, tend to have more potential to promote global and regional economic competitiveness and set a general context for activities at state, county, or city levels of decision making.
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In July 2004 approximately 70 people assembled in Baltimore, Maryland, to participate in the Conference on Integrating Sustainability into the Transportation Planning Process. The conference, organized and conducted by the Transpo...
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In July 2004 approximately 70 people assembled in Baltimore, Maryland, to participate in the Conference on Integrating Sustainability into the Transportation Planning Process. The conference, organized and conducted by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), brought together individuals from across the transportation, energy, environmental, land use, planning, and public policy communities at national, state, and local levels and from the public and the private sectors. The public sector was represented by officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as from state and regional organizations. Private- sector participants included members of academia, individuals from trade associations, automotive industry professionals, and consultants.
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This guidebook provides state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies with a practical and easy-to-use approach to identify and apply sustainabilityrelated performance measures, some number of which ...
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This guidebook provides state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies with a practical and easy-to-use approach to identify and apply sustainabilityrelated performance measures, some number of which may already be integrated into agency business practices, to produce a new lens through which decision makers can view their agencys performance. It describes the underlying principles of sustainability as it relates to transportation, possible goals that can be used to address those principles, and performance measures that can be used to address those goals. Aspects of sustainability-related performance measures, including data sources and examples of use, are discussed. A reference compendium of performance measures has also been provided. This guidebook should be of immediate use to those who have mastered the basics of performance measurement and who are familiar with their own agencies performance measurement program, but who are challenged with providing useful information to agency leadership on how effectively their organization is meeting or can meet sustainability goals. Examples from DOTs, private industry, and Europe illustrate how sustainability can be successfully added to an agencys extant performance measurement system.
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The broad mission of EPAs Pollution Prevention (P2) Program is to prevent pollution at the source, promote the use of greener substances, and conserve natural resources, which are critical steps towards achieving a sustainable soc...
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The broad mission of EPAs Pollution Prevention (P2) Program is to prevent pollution at the source, promote the use of greener substances, and conserve natural resources, which are critical steps towards achieving a sustainable society. P2 is a cornerstone of the sustainability movement, which strives to ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit a world that is as good as today, or preferably better. This Strategic Plan will guide the EPA P2 Program as it works to achieve its mission over the next five years and contribute to the development of a sustainable world. This Plan centers on the work and achievements of the Agencys P2 Program, which is comprised of the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) Pollution Prevention Division (PPD) and the P2 programs of the OPPT Economics, Exposure, and Technology Division (EETD) and the Regions. Per its statutory obligation, the P2 Program will also continue to promote complementary activities taking place across EPA that collectively constitute the Agencys overall P2 agenda.
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Understanding use relative to availability is necessary to manage wildlifeharvest sustainably. We used ecological zones (ecozones) as a framework for evaluating sustainable extraction and for making management decisions concerning...
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Understanding use relative to availability is necessary to manage wildlifeharvest sustainably. We used ecological zones (ecozones) as a framework for evaluating sustainable extraction and for making management decisions concerning 23 furbearing mammal species in Nex Mexico. We selected an ecological classification scheme, reviewed technical literature, mapped species distribution among ecozones, assessed harvest, estimated sustainable extraction thresholds (levels that trigger management review) where possible, and organized all information in a format with potential application to managing other wildlife. Technical literature review of 70 key words and species names identified 534 citations regarding furbearers in ecozones shared by New Mexico and adjacent states; 260 publications contained pertinent information. We used geographic information system (GIS) software to map estimated occupied habitat by ecozone. Species richness patterns indicated foci for future multiple-species research.
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The approach to sustainable transportation issues in the United States was examined in light of findings from a study of sustainable transportation planning in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland. In the European countr...
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The approach to sustainable transportation issues in the United States was examined in light of findings from a study of sustainable transportation planning in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland. In the European countries, reducing greenhouse gases has been the initial motivation for most sustainable transportation initiatives, but broader social, economic, and environmental concerns now figure into the idea of sustainability. In the United States, barriers to greenhouse gas reduction and planning for sustainability include uncertainty about the problem and the best ways to address it, uncertainties about public support, and the lack of a clear mandate for action. Nevertheless, efforts are under way locally in the United States to promote sustainable development, and transportation plays a central role in these plans. The European organizations visited are using many of the same strategies as are U.S. planners, but supporting their efforts are strong policy commitments, government incentives, and new planning processes emphasizing collaboration and performance measurement. Tracking the comparative success of these efforts would be an important next step.
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