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Archive for the ‘Policy’ Category

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Clean Water, Strong Communities

Friday, April 25th, 2014
Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

GREEN FOR ALL
This white paper focuses on one of the most promising strategies water utilities can use to develop broad public support: Embracing triple-bottom-line outcomes that deliver community benefits like jobs, business opportunities, green space, safer and more beautiful streets, and other local amenities. Selected policies and programs designed to catalyze community and economic development allow water utilities to show the public that they provide efficient and environmentally beneficial infrastructure that fosters local economic and social improvements.

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Posted in Drinking Water, Environment, Equity, Green, Infra Views, Policy, Public Opinion, Sustainability, Wastewater, Water Treatment

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As the Highway Trust Fund Runs Low on Cash, States Come to the Rescue with Creative Funding Initiatives

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

Innovation Newsbriefs
Vol. 25, No. 5
With federal transportation spending outpacing tax receipts by some $1.25 billion/month, the cash balance of the Federal Highway Trust is drawing perilously close to the point where the U.S Department of Transportation will be obliged to institute cash management strategies—such as reimbursing states weekly rather than on a daily basis— to keep the Trust Fund account solvent. Based on current spending and revenue trends, this point —a cash balance of $4 billion—may be reached as early as late July according to some estimates.

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Posted in Bipartisan, Global, Guest Post, Highway, Innovation Newsbriefs, Policy, Roads, The Infra Blog

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CityWalk: Mandatory Protected Sidewalks in Washington, DC

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

Heather Deutsch of the District Department of Transportation explains how D.C.’s pedestrian friendly sidewalk laws create walkable spaces within the city. City Walk is a unique series that reveals the way walking is transforming cities across America, and in the process, re-connecting us to our bodies, our civic values and public space.
As the show explores the walkability of these communities, viewers will learn about American history by exploring culturally rich neighborhoods, stunning architecture, monuments and beautiful parks that have helped define the character of each city.

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Posted in Equity, Infra Views, Local, Policy, Show Us Your Infra, Urban Planning

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TOD Standard

Monday, April 7th, 2014
Transi-Oriented Development

INSTITUTE FOR TRANSPORTATION & DEVELOPMENT POLICY
The TOD Standard, built on the rich experience of many organizations around the world including our own, addresses development that maximizes the benefits of public transit while firmly placing the emphasis back on the users — people. We call this form of design “transit-oriented development” (TOD), and it marks a key difference from transit-adjacent development, which is simply development located next to transit corridors and stations.

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Posted in Equity, Global, Infra Views, Policy, Public Transportation, Transit

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Transportation Futures: Policy Scenarios for Reducing Greenhouse Gases

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014
Table 1. Fuel Economy and GHG Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks

MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE
The goal of this study was to examine various policy options that can achieve large-scale reductions by 2040, based on the current time frame of Annual Energy Outlook forecasts. Existing regulations on light-duty vehicle fuel economy and carbon emissions are leading to rapid decreases in emissions. New heavy-duty fuel economy standards will also soon take effect. These are supplemented by the renewable fuel standard. But these efforts are unlikely to be sufficient to meet what will be challenging reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the next 30 years. This study examined the degree to which three key travel-demand policies—road pricing, directing new population growth to more compact areas, and increasing the level of transit service—could contribute to reductions within this time frame.

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Posted in Carbon Tax, Clean Air, Climate Change, Environment, Green, Infra Views, Policy, Pollution, Sustainability

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Value-Added Tolling: A Better Deal for America’s Highway Users

Friday, March 28th, 2014

REASON FOUNDATION
Toll roads in America date back to colonial times. Entrepreneurs in the late 1700s and early 1800s requested and received charters from state governments, enabling them to raise money from investors to improve dirt tracks between towns into regularly maintained roads—in exchange for charging users a toll. Transportation historians have estimated that between 2,500 and 3,200 toll companies built and operated such roads in the 19th century, encompassing between 30,000 and 52,000 miles at various times. The first wave of toll roads occurred in the northeastern states in the late 1700s and early 1800s. And the same pattern was repeated in the western states, especially California, after the Civil War, as those states were settled.

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Posted in Bridges, Funding, Highway, Infra Views, Policy, Roads

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Atlanta, GA: Innovation Report

Friday, March 21st, 2014
Atlanta Streetcar

CITY OF ATLANTA INNOVATION DELIVERY TEAM
All across our city, we are making remarkable progress to ensure that Atlanta continues to be the capital of the Southeast. From forging public-private partnerships and developing initiatives that support our youth, to launching the world’s first 311 system on the cloud, the work we are doing in Atlanta is not only moving our city forward, but is setting a standard for cities nationwide.
-Mayor Kasim Reed

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Posted in Aviation, Biking, Environment, Green, Infra Views, Local, Policy, Public Parks & Recreation, Solid Waste, Sustainability, Urban Planning

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This Infra Week

Friday, March 14th, 2014
matrix detail 559

INFRA STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
Which Bike Lane Separator is Right For You?
Car Culture Reigns On
New Light-Rail Strategy Unveiled
And More…

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Posted in Accountability, Biking, Bridges, Highway, Infra Week, Policy, Public Opinion, Public Transportation, Rail, Roads, The Infra Blog, Transit

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Pedestrian Roadway Crossing Behavior

Friday, March 14th, 2014
Human Factors Assessment of Pedestrian Roadway Crossing Behavior

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Pedestrian–vehicle crashes are both common and deadly. In 2010, 13 percent of all fatal crashes involved pedestrians. Of these, 68.1 percent occurred outside intersections. As a result of thelarge proportion of pedestrian fatalities that occur at non-intersection locations, it is important toinvestigate the causal factors of these collisions. Despite the large proportion of crashes, little research has investigated the reasons pedestrians cross roadways at unmarked locations.

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Posted in Infra Views, National, Policy, Roads, Urban Planning

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Hardhats for Highways: Tell Congress How Many Jobs Are At Risk

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Hardhats for Highways is organizing a call to action for construction workers across the nation.

Starting April 1, 2014, contractors, construction business owners, labor leaders and everyone else representing constituents in the highway industry are asked to visit their Congressional delegations to deliver a hardhat. Every hat will be affixed with a sticker detailing the number of jobs at risk in each firm. If the deluge of hardhats piling up in offices throughout the nation don’t get Congress’ attention, the numbers certainly will.

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Posted in Employment, Funding, Highway, Jobs, National, Policy, The Infra Blog

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