Infra Views

Can We Achieve 100 Million Plug-In Cars by 2030?

Friday, September 9th, 2016
Figure ES-1: Achieving 30 million PEV sales in 2030

This paper explores recent trends in the market penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in selected countries around the world, and the implications of this for a potential transition to a fairly dominant PEV market presence within the next 15 years.

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NYC: L Train Closure and Mitigation

Thursday, September 8th, 2016
NYC

The L has become synonymous with the Brooklyn brand; ridership at Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue station has increased more than thirty percent since 2010. The L train’s surrounding Brooklyn communities will absorb the economic impact of this tunnel closure: jobs, commutes dining and nightlife will be affected.

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Improving Pathways to Transit for Persons with Disabilities

Tuesday, September 6th, 2016
Figure 2. Sidewalk Zone Designations

Persons with disabilities can achieve greater freedom when they have full access to a variety of transit modes. Expanded access allows mobility and independence in their daily lives. But this can only be achieved when the pathways to transit – the infrastructure and conditions in the built environment – allow full access to transit stops, stations, and vehicles. Since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, many transit agencies and governmental jurisdictions have made significant progress in this area.

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Commuter Flows: Employment and Residence Patterns in Greater Boston

Monday, September 5th, 2016
MAP 1: WHERE DO BOSTON RESIDENTS WORK? (BY CENSUS TRACT)

Cities and towns are not closed economic systems, and commuting patterns reflect interactions within the regional economy. Workers who reside in one town may work in a neighboring town. Jobs in a given town may be filled by a combination of resident workers and commuters. This report examines residential and employment patterns in the greater Boston area and the resulting commuter flows.

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Livability Near High-Traffic Streets

Friday, September 2nd, 2016
Measuring traffic

Shortly after the advent of cars, a conflict arose between moving traffic and residential livability. The typical response was to push traffic off residential streets and onto nearby major roads. This line of thinking evolved into a more hierarchical approach to street network design and what are known as arterial roads designed to carry the vast majority of vehicle traffic.

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2016 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard

Wednesday, August 31st, 2016
2016 Energy Efficiency Scorecard - International Rankings

The third edition of ACEEE’s International Energy Efficiency Scorecard examines the efficiency policies and performance of 23 of the world’s top energy-consuming countries. Together these countries represent 75% of all the energy consumed on the planet and over 80% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013. We evaluated and scored each country’s efficiency policies and how efficiently its buildings, industry, and transportation sectors use energy.

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The Greatest Energy Story You Haven’t Heard: How Investing in Energy Efficiency Changed the US Power Sector and Gave Us a Tool to Tackle Climate Change

Friday, August 26th, 2016
Figure 1: US Energy Use

An invisible resource is working quietly behind the scenes to provide American families and businesses with the power necessary to live and work. This resource lowers harmful pollution, creates US jobs, reduces energy burdens for those most in need, and strengthens community resilience. It also improves the bottom line for business, returns at least double its investment, and saves American households, on average, $840 dollars a year. Energy efficiency has become the nation’s third-largest electricity resource. With increased support it could become the largest—and one of the world’s core strategies to tackle climate change.

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Disparities in Park Quality and Pedestrian Streetscape Environments

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016
Disparities in Park Quality, Disparities in Pedestrian Streetscapes

Low‐income and minority populations suffer disproportionately high rates of chronic disease. Accordingly, national and international authorities have made the elimination of health disparities a priority. Many factors can contribute to health disparities, including disparities in the quality of neighborhood environments. For example, having a neighborhood park and pedestrian‐friendly streets may impact opportunities to engage in physical activity – a behavior that can reduce risk of chronic disease.

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Colorado’s Transit, Biking & Walking Needs Over The Next 25 Years

Monday, August 22nd, 2016
Colorado Investment

Transit, walking and biking are critical components of a 21st century transportation system in Colorado but have been underfunded for decades. Without significant investments in transit, biking and pedestrian services and infrastructure, Colorado will not be able to meet the demands and challenges of our shifting demographics and growing population, and will miss out on the many benefits transit, walking and biking provide.

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Emerging Issues: Integrating Solar Energy

Friday, August 19th, 2016
Figure ES-1. Marginal and average PV LCOE (based on SunShot goals) due to curtailment under increasing penetration of PV in California with low and enhanced grid flexibility

Achieving the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative cost targets could greatly accelerate deployment of grid-integrated solar technologies. Global experience with increasing amounts of wind and solar on power systems has shown that variable generation resources can be integrated into the grid at penetrations well beyond current capacity. However, the prospect of dramatically increased photovoltaic (PV) deployment requires detailed examination to ensure that high-penetration solar technologies will provide their intended benefits, including reducing fossil fuel use and reducing the conventional capacity needed for reliable service.

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