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Sustainable Transportation: State of the Practice Review
- A New ITE Informational Report -
Dan Hardy, P.E., PTP
Renaissance Planning Group
The report authors
• Key participants:
– Project Manager - Bethany Schilleman, P.Eng. (now Judd)
– Jim Gough, P.Eng. - STF Chair
…assisted by many others
• The Informational Report is now available through the ITE website www.ite.org
Presentation topics
• Scope of the Informational Report
• Overview of the survey findings
• Measuring progress towards greater sustainability
• Examples of sustainable transportation
• Next steps
• Topics for open discussion
What does it all mean?
What is sustainable development?
5
Source: Brundtland Commission, 1987
Sustainable development: Development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What is sustainable transportation?
6 Source: Centre for Sustainable Transport, 2005, widely cited
A sustainable transportation system is one that: Allows the basic access needs of
individuals and societies to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and with equity within and between generations.
Is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode, and supports a vibrant economy.
Graphics source: New York State DOT
Limits emissions and waste within the planet’s ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise.
What is sustainable transportation?
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The transportation decision-makers of the future should adopt the triple bottom line as a yardstick to evaluate the sustainability of surface transportation system policies and performance in order to ensure that transportation strategies and investments will result in Robust economic growth; Better-than-before health of the
environment; and Improved quality of life for all citizens.
Source: Invest in Our Future, A New vision for the 21st Century, AASHTO, 2007
Graphics source: New York State DOT
What is sustainable transportation?
8
Source: http://www.ite.org/aboutite/policies.pdf
Graphics source: New York State DOT
Why sustainable access and mobility?
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Economy
Ecology
Equity
Why sustainable access and mobility?
10
Source: Global Footprint Network, 2010. National Footprint Accounts, 2010 Edition. Available online at http://www.footprintnetwork.org.
Economy
Ecology
Equity
Why sustainable access and mobility?
11
Source: Brookings Institution, 2010
Economy
Ecology
Equity
Project Scope
• Phase 1: literature review, including 2010 Public Agency Council survey
• Phase 2: development and administration of survey
• Phase 3: review of survey responses, and compilation of definitions, measurement systems, projects and programs + follow-up to survey responses
• Phase 4: preparation of the IR
Key survey results • 487 responses
• Respondents from a broad spectrum of agencies, a wide range of sizes of municipalities and the private sector
• 30% have a definition for sustainable transportation
• 30% use defined performance measures
• 2/3 have funding or staffing for sustainability programs
• 1/2 have incorporated sustainability into their planning /design / management / operations functions
Key survey results (continued)
• Approximately 100 examples of “good practices” cited
• Information needs cited (in decreasing order of priority):
– Metrics
– Recommendations for best practices
– Examples of current practice
– Guidelines / standards
– Definition
– Monitoring plans
– Certification programs
Top-down or bottom-up?
15
Top-down Bottom-up
Envision broad new community goals
Orient measures already in use
Outcome-based Output-based
Areawide Project/plan-specific
Seek universal appeal Tailored to sponsoring agency objectives
Calculating the triple-bottom line
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The Genuine Progress Indicator – from Green City Blue Lake
initiative greater Cleveland, Ohio
Source: Green City Blue Lake, http://www.gcbl.org/state-sustainability-2009/genuine-progress-indicator-northeast-ohio
Calculating the triple-bottom line
17 Source: Green City Blue Lake, http://www.gcbl.org/state-sustainability-2009/genuine-progress-indicator-northeast-ohio
The Genuine Progress Indicator facilitates monitoring outcome trends over time.
Top-down sustainability approaches
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The European Union’s SUMMA project.
SUMMA Sustainable Mobility Indicators Source: European Commission, 2005
Top-down sustainability approaches
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The Transportation Research Board’s Sustainable Transportation Indicators subcommittee has considered a set of indicators that reflect data availability and reliability
Source: TRB Sustainable Transport Indicators Subcommittee, 2010
Bottom-up sustainability approaches
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ISI ENVISION
ISI Envision Version 2:
Bottom-up sustainability approaches
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FHWA INVEST 1.0 Compendium
FHWA INVEST
Bottom-up sustainability approaches
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GreenRoads
Consider causation complexities
Reduced VMT helps the environment.
Does it help the economy?
Data source: Federal Highway Administration, Traffic Volume Trends, July 2012
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Federal Guidance - Processes
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Federal Guidance – Life Cycle
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Additional Resources
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Common US evaluation systems
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Common US evaluation systems
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Sustainability and life-cycle
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International Context
European Union - SUNRA
Ireland - NRA Sustainability Evaluation System
Netherlands - BREEAM Infrastructure
United Kingdom - CEEQUAL
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• Calgary: Triple bottom line framework • Canberra, AU: Sustainable transport plan • Fort Collins, CO: Multimodal level of service • San Francisco: Transit first policy • Seattle: Way to Go Seattle • Franklin, TN: Dept. of Planning and Sustainability • Montgomery County, MD: Sustainability working
group
Examples of good practice: policy
• FHWA: Guidance on State DOT practices
• EPA: Trip generation tool for mixed use developments
• CAPCOA: Quantifying GHG Mitigation Measures report
• Portland, OR: Scenario planning
• Santa Monica: General plan
• York, ON: Sustainability progress report
Examples of good practice: planning
• Charlotte, NC: Urban street design guidelines
• Lansing, MI: Michigan Avenue bioretention
• Chicago: Green alleys and sustainable streets
• Greenroads silver rank projects in the Pacific Northwest
Examples of good practice: design and construction
• Los Angeles: LED conversion project
• San Jose: Smart dimmable LED streetlights
• Vancouver, BC: Bicycling initiatives
• Dubuque, Iowa: Smarter travel study
• Houston: TranStar
• Seattle and Washington DOT: EV ready community
• Austin: Energy – Plug-in partners program
Examples of good practice: management and operations
Next steps
• Develop a database of “good practice” examples
• Host as a living database on ITE Community
• We need: – Volunteers
– Examples of good practice
Issues for discussion
• Standardized definitions
• Appropriate indicators
• Addressing barriers to sustainability
• Better planning processes
• Identifying best practices (as opposed to current practices)
Sustainable Transportation: State of the Practice Review
- A New ITE Informational Report -
Dan Hardy, P.E., PTP
Renaissance Planning Group