Greener & Cleaner

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TRANSPORTATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

Greener Cleaner


TRANSPORTATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

Greener & Cleaner

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Transportation and the natural environment have always been intertwined. The quality of life, level of personal freedom and choice, and economic growth and stability any nation offers its citizens are closely related to the scope, quality and efficiency of its transportation infrastructure network. And clean air, clean water and abundant natural habitat are obviously essential to human health and well-being. Of course, building the physical infrastructure that facilitates our personal mobility—access to jobs, shopping, recreation, worship, family and friends— and shipments of materials and finished goods, inherently involves disrupting the natural environment where it is sited. And the personal and business use our transportation infrastructure makes possible also usually involves the use of powered machines that impact our natural environment. These are truisms whether we are talking about streets, roads, highways, bridges, public transit systems, intercity and freight rail, airports, waterways or ports. The challenge is how can we minimize or mitigate these inherent environmental impacts … because not providing needed transportation infrastructure is simply not an option.

On the cover: Sedona, Arizona, Red Rock State Park: America’s highway network helped open access to national parks and scenic wonders.


THE SCOPE OF AMERICA’S TRANSPORTATION NETWORK In discussing the role of transportation and the environment, it is important to provide context about the scope and utilization of the nation’s infrastructure. In 2008, the transportation infrastructure was worth $2.97 trillion, or 32 percent of the value of all fixed assets in the United States. Approximately 92 percent of the infrastructure is owned by federal, state and local governments. The remainder is privately owned. This dynamic and intermodal network includes:

4,048,523 million center-line miles of public roadways and bridges, including 46,934 miles of Interstate highway

603,245 bridges

171,513 miles of track operated by freight railroads

More than 13,700 civil and joint-use airports

12,000 miles of inland and inter-coastal commercial waterways

8,093 miles of subway and urban rail commuter track

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Bridge Inventory; 2008 State Transportation Statistics & Highway Statistics

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AT THE NEXUS The men, women, companies, public agencies and educational and research institutions that comprise the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) play a special role in meeting this challenge, because we are at the nexus of transportation infrastructure and the natural environment. ARTBA members not only plan, design and build our integrated, multi-modal transportation network, they also manage the subsequent use, maintenance and repair of it. We provide mobility solutions for America. And we are proud to say that we do these activities in ways that either enhance our natural environment, water and air, or minimize and mitigate their impacts. GOOD NEWS STORY Today, transportation and the environment is a GOOD NEWS story. Because, contrary to what some would have you believe, on both sides of the environmental challenge—building and transportation infrastructure use— dramatic progress has been made over the past several decades. And more is on the way. When it comes to cleaner air and water for all Americans, the transportation sector has led the way—eclipsing contributions from the industrial sector. Thanks in large part to American ingenuity and innovations in transportation technology and motor fuels, America’s air and water today are infinitely cleaner than they were just 30 years ago. And this, despite a more than doubling of population and motor vehicle miles travelled, and continued economic growth.


PHOTO COURTESY OF PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

FALSE CHOICES Some people and groups with political and fundraising agendas, however, try to polarize the public and policy discussions on transportation and the environment. They present false choices, when there is no one “right” choice. They suggest that investing in new capacity for one type of infrastructure— highways and roads—is “bad” or “not environmentally sustainable” because they facilitate motor vehicle use, but investments in infrastructure that supports public transportation, walking and bicycling are “good,” and are the foundation of “sustainable development” and “livable” communities.

We must invest in significant new capacity for both highway and public transit systems— not one mode at the expense of the other.

Such rhetoric is not very productive and often misleading in terms of achievable modal shifts and resulting “benefits.”

If America is to meet its mobility and environmental challenges during this century, we must invest in significant new capacity for both highway and public transit systems—and not invest in one mode at the expense of the other. We must also continue to encourage and support the development and implementation of new technologies that result in ever cleaner and more efficient energy use in the transportation sector.

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ON THE HIGHWAYS:

Driving Greener & Cleaner! THE GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESS STORY

Americans are breathing much cleaner air than we did 40 years ago. And the biggest reason for that is that innovations and new technologies in motor vehicles and the fuels that power them have made them infinitely more efficient and cleaner. Since the 1970s, emissions from motor vehicles considered harmful to human health and the environment have declined dramatically: Carbon dioxide emissions are down 38 percent1; Carbon monoxide emissions are down 62 percent; Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions, the precursors of ground level ozone, or smog, are down 73 and 41 percent, respectively; and Particulate matter emissions are down 50 percent.2 PERCENT CHANGE IN MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS, DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRAVEL 1970s - 2002 200%

167%

157%

150%

112%

-50%

-62%

CO2

CO

-41% -73%

PM10

VOC VMT

Drivers

Vehicles

-100%

73%

GDP Adjusted for Inflation

-50%

People Employed

50%

73% 41%

NOx

100%

Population

6

-38%


These reductions are even more extraordinary when considered in the context of what else was happening in America over the same 40 years:

The U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 167 percent; The number of U.S. drivers increased 73 percent; The number of vehicles on U.S. roads increased 112 percent; and The total miles driven by Americans each year increased 157 percent.3

Even better news is on the way as ever cleaner and more fuel efficient motor vehicles replace older ones in the nation’s fleet and as cleaner and alternate motor fuels continue to increase in market share. CO2 EMISSIONS REDUCTION & CLIMATE CHANGE Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were not considered a major environmental concern when the federal Clean Air Act was first approved in 1970 and subsequently revised in 1991. Fortunately, a benefit of developing and using more fuel efficient cars and trucks over the past 40 years has been a commensurate reduction in CO2 emissions Motor vehicle fuel from motor vehicles.

economy in the U.S. has

According to the U.S. improved 61% since Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), motor vehicle 1975. fuel economy in the U.S. has improved 61 percent since 1975. That year, the average personal vehicle only got 13.1 miles per gallon. By 2009, the average had risen to 21.1 miles per gallon.4 The average American car or light-duty truck (SUV, minivan, pickup) today generates 257 less grams of CO2 per mile, compared to those in 1975.5

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Despite the 38 percent reduction in motor vehicle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since the 1970’s, however, many today believe significant additional reductions are needed to prevent climate change and global warming. Since the combustion of fossil fuels inherently produces CO2—and today fossil fuels HISTORY OF TAILPIPE EMISSION STANDARDS - NOx (50K)

GRAMS PER MILE

5 4

98.6%

3.6 3.1

3 2

NOx emissions reduction

2 1

1

0.4

1971

1972

1977

1981

1994 (Tier 1)

0.2

0.05

1999 (NLEV)

2004 (Tier 2)

HISTORY OF TAILPIPE EMISSION STANDARDS - HC (50K)

GRAMS PER MILE

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11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

10.6

99.4%

4.1

HC emissions reduction

3 1.5

1967

1968

1972

1975

0.41

0.25

0.075

0.06

1980

1994 (Tier 1)

1999 (NLEV)

2004 (Tier 2)

Source: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, 2010


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are the predominate source of power not only for auto and trucks, but also for our mass transit and freight rail systems—the biggest key to reducing these emissions without unduly compromising mobility is achieving even greater fuel efficiency in our auto, truck, transit and freight rail fleets. The tighter fuel economy standards proposed in May 2009 by the Obama Administration will do just that. They are projected to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 900 million metric tons between 2012 and 2016 alone. 6 Other ways to reduce CO2 emissions from transportation include reducing traffic congestion through the addition of new capacity and operational improvements and transferring at least some of the fleet to non-carbon power sources such as natural gas and non-coal powered electricity. TRAFFIC BOTTLENECKS: A REMAINING BATTLEFRONT Obviously, the focus of research, development and investment in cleaner and more efficient motor vehicles and fuels has paid off handsomely from an environmental standpoint. However, we could be doing even better still if a concerted effort with commensurate resources were directed at alleviating traffic bottlenecks.


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While emissions at all speeds have been greatly reduced over the past three decades, vehicles in free-flowing traffic generally emit less pollutants than those stuck in “stop and go” conditions. Thus, reducing traffic congestion is essential to further curbing emissions. That means new capacity is needed— both road and transit—in addition to operational improvements that maintain or regulate traffic flow. Unfortunately, since 1980 we have only added three percent new capacity to our highway system.7 And with an ever-growing population and dynamic economy, the consequences have been both ecounfriendly and painful. We are wasting gallons The Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI) 2009 of motor fuel stuck in “Urban Mobility Report” traffic. That’s adding shows that since 1982 the average annual hours of unnecessary CO2 to the delay experienced by U.S. atmosphere. commuters has increased from 14 hours per year to 36 hours per year. TTI says, as a nation, we are also wasting an estimated 4.2 billion gallons of motor fuel. That’s adding unnecessary CO2 to the atmosphere. A 2004 Cambridge Systematics study, “Unclogging America’s Arteries, Effective Relief for Highways,” of the nation’s most severely congested highways highlighted the reality that to significantly cut emissions will require a reduction in vehicle time traveled, not vehicle miles traveled. The study concluded that modest improvements to traffic flow at 233 traffic bottlenecks across the nation would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 77 percent and conserve more than 40 billion gallons of fuel over a 20-year period.8


A February 2008 report from the Pew Research Center, “U.S. Population Projections: 2005–2050,” projects the U.S. population total will grow from today’s 303 million to 438 million by 2050. With modest economic growth, the American Trucking Associations’ forecast shows freight volumes will grow more than 26 percent in the next 10 years. Will we meet these environmental challenges by providing adequate infrastructure capacity?

DATA POINT Population growth and projected freight volume increases pose challenges to U.S. transportation infrastructure.

45% POPULATION INCREASE (2005-2050) 26% FREIGHT VOLUME INCREASE (2010-2020) Sources: Pew Research Center, American Trucking Associations

GREENER & CLEANER THROUGH MASS TRANSIT INVESTMENTS Many people assume that an environmentally appealing alternative to adding road capacity to meet future demand is to simply provide more transportation choices that get people out of their cars—rail mass transit, bike paths and sidewalks. Obviously, in a country as large as the United States, highway transport will always be the primary means for the movement of people and goods. The size and scope of the nation’s transportation network reflects this reality. Public transportation, however, does play a significant role in moving people, particularly in urban areas where there is population density at both ends of a rail line.

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And add transit rail capacity we have. The transportation design and construction industry, in partnership with public agencies, has put to work more than $100 billion since 1992 to expand urban rail transit in American cities.

In 2008, public transport accounted for 52.5 million passenger miles traveled – 1.6% of the nation’s total.

In 1992, according to the National Transit Database (NTD), public transport, which includes bus systems (53 percent of total), heavy (34 percent), commuter (4.5 percent) and light (4 percent) rail, paratransit (2 percent) and trolley buses (1 percent), handled 37.2 million passenger miles of travel—1.8 percent


of the nation’s total ground travel. In 2008, according to the NTD, that number jumped to 52.5 million passenger miles traveled—1.6 percent of the nation’s total.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FIGG ENGINEERING GROUP

Therein lies the problem with a “transit only” new capacity strategy. In 2008, Americans used their personal vehicles to travel 3.2 trillion miles. So even if we were able to double public transport use—to 100-plus million passenger miles handled, the modal shift and resulting impacts would be, relatively speaking, fairly minor. But there is no question that the public transportation infrastructure ARTBA members have designed, built and managed helps improve air quality. If all current public transportation riders were to use their personal vehicles instead of transit, they would generate 16.2 million metric tons of CO2 annually—almost 4 million metric tons more than the 12.3 million currently emitted by transit operations.9 Ultimately, as is the case with our roads and highways, additional capacity for transit systems and stations will become necessary to meet the challenges of a growing population and economy.

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GREENER & CLEANER AT WORK: BOSTON LOGAN AIRPORT

PAVINGTHE WAYTO CLEAN

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Repaving Boston Logan International Airport Runway 9-27 during the summer 2009 gave new meaning to a “clean landing.� The $12.5 million project spanned seven weekends between June and September. Crews placed about 50,000 tons of warm mix asphalt on the 7,000-foot-long, 150-footwide runway, which is one of six at the 12th busiest airport in the U.S. It was the first complete application of warm-mix asphalt on a U.S. runway and may signal greener skies ahead for U.S. airports. Warm mix is the general term used to describe technology that allows crews to mix and place asphalt at lower temperatures. The results are energy savings, emissions reductions and the use of recycled materials in the mix. Because warm-mix asphalt is laid at lower operating temperatures, the work environment is better for the crews installing the new pavement. And the warm-mix used at Logan International Airport required 20 percent less energy to fabricate, produced 4,000 fewer tons of carbon-dioxide emissions, used 400,000 fewer gallons of diesel fuel and garnered an energy savings of 53 billion BTUs, compared to using the traditional mix.


GREENER & CLEANER AT WORK: PORTLAND I-5 / I-205 INTERCHANGE

OREGON’S SOLAR HIGHWAY The U.S. has more than 8 million lane miles of right-of-way along the nation’s roads—and in Oregon alone there are nearly 19,000 such miles. Much of this space provides space that can be utilized for passive solar power generation. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has begun placing solar panels in these right-of-way to provide renewable electricity to light area roadways. Through a public-private partnership with Portland General Electric (PGE), ODOT has access to clean energy without paying additional power costs. ODOT’s first demonstration project placed 8,000 square feet of solar panels alongside the busy I-5 / I-205 interchange south of Portland. Since it began producing energy in December 2008, the 594 panels making up the “Solar Highway” have produced more than 141,000 kilowatt hours of renewable electricity. The Solar Highway is the nation’s first solar photovoltaic project sited in highway right-of-way, and is similar to projects in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The project was sparked by an ODOT employee who saw a television show on the panels’ use along European highways. A main benefit of using the public right-of-way for solar projects is that the land is often unused. The power transmission and distribution systems are often located next to highways, making interconnection very easy. Placing just one percent of Oregon’s right-of-way could provide all the kilowatt hours needed annually by the state’s transportation system.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, GARY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHER

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GREENER & CLEANER AT WORK: NY / NJ ACCESS TO REGION’S CORE PROJECT

BREAKING THROUGH THE TRANSIT BOTTLENECK

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The sole commuter transit tunnel linking New York and New Jersey relies on two 100-year-old tunnels beneath the Hudson River. About 170,000 passengers ride this commuter rail system each day, and after a century of use, it has reached capacity, forcing many passengers to use less efficient means to reach Manhattan. New York area contractors are undertaking an ambitious project for NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to double rail capacity between the two states by adding an additional tunnel and rail line under the Hudson River. The $8.7 billion project, known as Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) will eventually remove 22,000 cars, or 600,000 vehicular miles, from congested area roadway and prevent 66,000 tons of greenhouse gases from being released into the air each year. The new tunnel will make space for up to 48 trains per hour, compared to the current 23, moving more than 250,000 passengers to New York per day. The project will also add an expanded station under 34th Street, adjacent to Penn Station. The ARC team expects to remove 1.67 million cubic yards of rock and 322,000 cubic yards of soft soil and clay from the tunnel corridor. The 8.7 miles of tunnel boring will range in depth from 100 to 250 feet, depending on location. Hard rock excavated from the Palisades Tunnel in New Jersey and the Manhattan Tunnel in New York will be used to convert an existing contaminated brownfield area into a midday rail-storage facility, which will store extra trains during off-peak times. The railyard site will be filled with excavated materials, cleaned and rehabilitated. Clay soil removed from beneath the Hudson River will be used to seal a nearby landfill.


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GREENER & CLEANER AT WORK: MINNEAPOLIS I-35 BRIDGE

A MODEL FOR FUTURE BRIDGES

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The August 1, 2007, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minn., focused attention on the state of bridges across the country. Its reconstruction and reopening 413 days later gave builders and designers not only a showcase of rapid, high-technology at work, but also a new model for sustainable bridge construction. From tragedy came a triumph of technology, innovation and a showcase for new materials. The project involved the first high profile use of a new concrete with photo catalytic concrete that is efficient in removing atmospheric pollutants when sunlight hits the surface. Waste products from other industries including silica fume and fly ash were used in the new bridge structures resulting in increased corrosion resistance, and a durable concrete. The I-35W bridge replacement span also represents the positive “green footprint” of the transportation design & construction industry. Bridge piers were sited on the banks—not within— the Mississippi River to reduce impacts to water and wildlife. To prevent deck runoff from entering the river, a self-contained drainage system directs water through pipes hidden inside the box girders and routes it to nearby treatment facilities. The new bridge also houses the first installation of LED roadway lighting on an interstate bridge—lighting that delivers a 13 percent energy savings over traditional high-pressure sodium lamps.


GREENER & CLEANER AT WORK: MARYLAND INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR

A FIRST-ORDER PRIORITY Creews w bui uild ilding ing the th he Innte terc rcou ouunt o nty Connne n ct c orr (ICC CC) iin n sub ubur urba bbaan Wash Wa shhinngt gton o , D. D C. ar a en en’t ’t just uusst prot pr o ec ot ecti ting ti ngg the eenv nvir iron onnme m nt nt; t; th they eyy’rre impr im prov ovin ingg it it.. Whe henn it it’s ’s fifini niish hed e , t e 188-m th -miile mo mode deern higghw way a wiilll eaase ccon onngeesttio ion annd prov ion prov pr ovid i e a saafe id ferr, r, mo ore rrel elia el iaabl ble ro rout ute bbeetwee ut twee tw eenn th he I-27 II-27 270/ 70/ 0/II-37 I370 37 70 co corr rrid rr rid idor or in Mont Mo onttggo om meery Co ouunt n y wiith h tthe hee II-9 -9 -95/ 95/ 5 U. U S. S. 1 ccor orrri r do d r iinn Pri r ncce Ge Geor orge ge’s ge ’ss Cou ounntty, ount ty creat reeatin atin at ing a ssaafeerr,, mo orre reeliab liliable abble le ro ouuttee and nd reedu duci cing ng traffi ng raaffi fificc co cong ong nges esti es sti t on on. But th Bu thee ICC CC tra raver veers rses tthr hrouughh hr a di d veers rsee natu natu na ura ral eennvi ral viro viro r nmen nm men e t, prot pr otteeccte ted ed pa park rrkk lan and, d, cro d, owd wded wded ed uurb rbbann area ar reeaas an a d hi h st s or oric ic neeiigghhbo borhhoo oods dss. d Prot Pr o eeccti ot ting ngg aand nd eenh nhan anci cing ci ingg tha hat s nssit se itiv i e en iv envi viro ro onm nmen entt iss at the the th heearrt of tthhe pro ojeect. Aboutt $3 Abou $370 7 m 70 milillion—m mo orre th than ann 15 peerc rceennt nt o off the h pro roje oje ject ectt’ss est stim imat im mat ated ed d cost—w cost co stt— —w wilill go tow ward arrd en e vi viro ronm ro onm nmen e taal en innit i ia iati tive vess in incl c ud cl udin inng reest stor orin ng seeve ven milees of sstr mi trreeaam, am, m cre reat atin at in ng 522 acr c es of wetl we tlan annds ands d , bu buililildi ild diing 1,5500 liinnea ear ar feet feett fe off fifish sh pas sh assaages gees and and im an i pr prov ovin ing wa wate teer q al qu alit ityy fo for or fis fishh at 21 se sepa para pa r tee sit ites ess whililile wh le se sett ttin tt i g assid de mo more thhaan more an 7775 a re ac r s of new ew par arkk laand d.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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Using Innovation to Minimize the Impacts/Leave It Better 20

A PRIORITY… AND SHARED ETHIC

All transportation infrastructure projects—roads, bridges, heavy, commuter and light rail, airports, waterways and ports—inherently involve disruption of our natural environment. That is one of the trade-offs necessary to provide the mobility necessary to sustain a high quality of life and economic growth. But that does not mean that such projects can’t be done with high sensitivity to the environment. When it comes to the environment, transportation construction projects are highly regulated at the federal, state and local levels. Major projects do not move forward without extensive environmental reviews and a full evaluation of options. And, by law, these reviews are very transparent and provide ample opportunities for public review and comment. You can rest assured that real and potential environmental impacts of transportation construction projects are identified and rigorously addressed as a top priority. Beyond these regulations, however, today’s transportation designers and builders are as concerned—if not more so—than the general public about the footprint their work leaves behind. They take pride in context sensitive design and infrastructure aesthetics that blend with and enhance their natural surroundings. They understand their moral obligation and are guided by the environmental ethic: avoid… minimize… mitigate.


Road and rail transit projects are always designed to avoid impacts on sensitive environmental resources wherever possible. If those resources cannot be avoided altogether, major efforts are made to minimize the impacts. For impacts that simply are not avoidable, extensive mitigation efforts are undertaken. Today’s transportation improvement projects are “greener and cleaner” than ever before, marked by recycling of construction materials, preservation and creation of wetlands and woodlands, innovative solutions to minimize disruptions to wildlife, a respect for history and the ultimate creation of infrastructure that provides safer and cleaner mobility. CLEANER EQUIPMENT… CLEANER OPERATION The industry’s construction equipment is much more efficient and cleaner than that used to build transportation projects in previous generations. And more improvements are on the way. Construction contractors are also employing emission-smart practices like turning off heavy equipment rather than letting it idle, keeping their equipment maintained for maximum efficiency and lower emissions, using lower-emitting fuels (increasingly including biodiesel) and finding local sources for building materials to cut shipping-related emissions.

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HOW ARE WE DOING? The entire U.S. construction industry, which includes transportation construction, accounts for a mere 1.7% of the total greenhouse gas emissions and that will continue to fall as more fuel efficient equipment replaces older machines.10 Off-road particulate emissions have been reduced by 85 percent since 1996.11 Off-road nitrogen oxide emissions have fallen by 70 percent since 1996.12 THE #1 RECYCLER When judged by volume and weight, the U.S. transportation construction industry is the world’s largest recycler, saving taxpayers literally billions of dollars on publicly-funded road projects while simultaneously reducing demand for petroleum, landfills, quarries and gravel pits. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association, 100 million tons of asphalt used in roadways, runways and parking lots are reclaimed annually. Approximately 75 million tons are recycled and applied again as 100 million a hot-mix or warm-mix asphalt surface. The rest is used primarily in other highway and tons of pavement-related applications for things like asphalt used road base and shoulders. The nation’s concrete producers are also major consumers of industrial by-products that otherwise would end up in landfills. They annually utilize, for example, as a reinforcing and binding agent, 15 million tons of fly-ash, the fine particulate ash that results from the combustion of a solid fuel, like coal.

in roadways, runways and parking lots are reclaimed annually.


PHOTO COURTESY OF FIGG ENGINEERING GROUP

PRESERVING & EXPANDING THE NATION’S WETLANDS Thanks to federally-funded highway projects, the United States is actually expanding its inventory of wetlands wildlife sanctuaries. Wetlands acreage increased 170 percent between 1996 and 2008, creating nearly three acres of wetlands for every acre impacted.13 SCENIC BEAUTIFICATION, LANDSCAPING, WALKWAYS & BIKE The same people who design and build our nation’s roads and bridges also design and build the nation’s expanding inventory of pedestrian walkways and bike paths. And no public or private program provides more financial resources for environmental and community enhancement than the federal highway program. From 1992 to 2009, state and local governments steered $9.2 billion of their federal highway funding to transportation enhancement projects. More than half of that money, 56 percent, went to build bicycle and pedestrian facilities and fund bike/pedestrian safety programs. Almost 20 percent was directed to landscaping, planting of wild flowers and other scenic beautification. Just over $1 billion in federal highway funds were directed to archeological and historic preservation activities and the rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities like rail stations.14

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THE “FOOTPRINT” There is no question that America’s transportation network—particularly our road system— is extensive. We have a very large country and the network must serve an ever expanding population and economy. But the relative size of its environmental footprint usually surprises people when they hear it. Far from “paving over America,” after two centuries of road building, the Federal Highway Administration reports our public roads occupy less than one-half of one percent of the total U.S. land area! LEAVING A LEGACY When asked why they chose their profession, the men and women who work in the U.S. transportation design and construction industry often give similar answers. And they generally tend to revolve around three things. First, they enjoy solving and providing solutions to big problems. In that pursuit, they can be creative and innovative. Second, they fervently believe that the result of their work has great social utility. They know that the nation’s economy and the quality of life enjoyed by their family and fellow citizens are directly dependent on their work product.


We know and embrace the fact that we are on the front line of environmental stewardship. Lastly, because what they do is tangible. It has permanence. In other words, they are leaving a legacy behind for future generations to use, if not also enjoy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FIGG ENGINEERING GROUP

Not many people can say those things about their jobs and work product. It is this sense of legacy and personal accountability—more than anything— that drives the environmental ethic found today in the U.S. transportation design and construction industry. We know and embrace the fact that we are on the front line of environmental stewardship. And we are proud of the many contributions our industry and the transportation sector have made in improving our environment.

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ENDNOTES 1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2009,” November 2009 2) U.S. Federal Highway Administration, “Air Quality Selected Facts and Figures,” 2006 3) Ibid 4) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2009,” November 2009

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5) Ibid 6) Obama Administration “National Fuel Efficiency Policy: Good For Consumers, Good For The Economy And Good For The Country,” May 2009 7) U.S. Federal Highway Administration, “Air Quality Selected Facts and Figures,” 2006 8) Cambridge Systematics, Inc., “Unclogging America’s Arteries, Effective Relief for Highways,” February 2004 9) SAIC Energy Solution Operation, “Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction,” for the American Public Transportation Association, and the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit Cooperative Research Program, September 2007 10) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gases in the Construction Sector,” February 2009 11) Diesel Technology Forum, “Diesel Powered Machines and Equipment: Essential Uses, Economic Importance and Environmental Performance,” 2003 12) Ibid 13) White House Council on Environmental Quality, “Conserving America’s Wetlands 2008: Four Years of Partnering Resulted in Accomplishing the President’s Goal.” 14) National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse, A Project of the Federal Highway Administration and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, “Transportation Enhancements, Summary of Nationwide Spending as of FY 2009,” May 2010



AMERICAN ROAD & TRANSPORTATION BUILDERS ASSOCIATION 1219 28TH STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007


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