Take Home Message

1. Transitioning to SustainabilitySmooth & Safe: Balancing the green, black, and whiteApril 26, 2011Boise, Idaho

2. Take Home Message • Broad Target is Sustainability • Lower life cycle costs • Benefits span generations • Transitional initiatives address PROCESS • Infrastructure supports values (focus on service/use, not condition of facility) • Information must be useful & relevant • Streamline • Collaborate and Coordinate

3. The Format • Transitioning to Sustainability examples • Livability and Sustainable Communities • Eco-logical (i.e., Green and Gray Infrastructure) • Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap • Visioning • Rating criteria and performance measures from values • Collaboration and communication • Conclusion

4. Transitional Initiatives • Livability Sustainability • walkable communities transit oriented development • Complete Streets Green Highways • Green Streets Eco-logical • Smart growth healthy neighborhoods • Context Sensitive Design/Solutions wildlife permeability • Multi-Asset Management life cycle management

5. Institutional Issues • Transportation Planning Factors • (A) support the economic vitality of the metropolitan area • (B) increase the safety for motorized and nonmotorized users • (C) increase the security for motorized and nonmotorized users • (D) increase the accessibility and mobility of people and for freight • (E) protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and State and local planned growth and economic development patterns • (F) enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes, for people and freight; • (G) promote efficient system management and operation • (H) emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.

6. What’s in it for Other Stakeholders? • What are the Benefits of Transitioning to Sustainability? • Return on Investment for Taxpayers! • Intergenerational Stewardship! • New urbanism & active living! • Rural Community Enhancement! • Economic Competitiveness! • Working Landscapes! • Functional Ecosystems! • What do you value? • What are your quality of life indicators?

7. Livability Livability is … “investing in a way that recognizes the unique character of each community.” U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood

8. Transitioning to SustainabilityLivability • The Livability principles enhance quality of life • It is good business for infrastructure agencies because putting the principles into practice: • reduces life cycle costs and increase efficiencies in service delivery; • accelerates project delivery; • improves management of demand forecast uncertainties; and, • makes the infrastructure more resilient to bad surprises like natural disasters and climate change.

9. Transitioning to SustainabilityLivability – Six Principles

10. Transitioning to SustainabilityLivability • Every transportation project is an opportunity to improve the quality of life in a community. • AASHTO

11. Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities The three goals are: Goal 1: Support the Rural Landscape • Create an economic climate that enhances the viability of working lands and conserves natural lands. Goal 2: Help Existing Places Thrive • Take care of assets and investments such as downtowns, Main Streets, existing infrastructure, and places that the community values. Goal 3: Create Great New Places • Build vibrant, enduring neighborhoods and communities that people, especially young people, don’t want to leave.

12. Multi-agency and multi-level implementation • http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/ • ecological/eco_index.asp Transitioning to SustainabilityEco-Logical

13. Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap • Vision to Action • Ecological, cultural, and aesthetic properties of the natural and cultural resources that sustain and enrich human life • Social resources can include urban and community impacts; life, health, and safety factors; displacement; long-term productivity; and energy requirements and energy conservation

14. Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap neighborhood/community cohesion bass fishing in reservoir weather walkable streets example using bass fishin’ as a community value

15. Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gapbass fishin’ example • Fundamental Objective: Angler satisfaction • Means Objectives: Tournament Anglers • max # creelable fish • Recreational Anglers • max large fish • All anglers • consistent opportunities

16. Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gapbass fishin’ example fundamental objectives may not be quantifiable how do we achieve? bass angler satisfaction recreational anglers tournament anglers what are we trying to accomplish? means objectives are tractable consistency maximize # creel-able maximize # large

17. Angler satisfaction Creelable fish density Large fish density Population stability Growth rate Fry carrying capacity Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap management objectives performance measures Trophic state of nursery area Angling mortality Initial adult density Hatch success Natural mortality Critical Uncertainty ∆ nutrient loading Limiting Factor (stressor with most influence)

19. Project for Public Spaces Community Cohesionmodel Conflict & Community Disruptions Mobility & Access Natural Setting/Barriers Perceived Safety Aesthetics/Unique Visual Environment Levels of & Satisfaction with Public Services Diversity & Stability of Economic Conditions Land Use & Planning Capacity Demographic Mix

20. Great Streets Pedestrian rating criteria

21. Transitioning to SustainabilityThe Collaborative Enterprise Team Building Communicate: • Organizational Cultures • How will results be used by decision maker? • Interpersonal Communication • How will diverse knowledge and perspective add value?

22. Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap • National Environmental Policy Act • “Considering Cumulative Effects” Table 1-2 • “Each affected resource, ecosystem, and human community must be analyzed in terms of its capacity to accommodate additional effects, based on its own time and space parameters” (item #8)

23. National Environmental Policy Act Community values and infrastructure • Useful and Relevant Information • Characterize … [eachresource attributein terms of its’] response to change and capacity to withstand stresses; and, • Characterize the stresses affecting … [the resource attributein] relation to … thresholds.

24. Lifeline Infrastructure • Transportation • Water Supply • Wastewater • Electric Power • Telecommunications

25. Multiple Jurisdictions • Create performance-based collaboration mechanisms; • Align comprehensive plan local towards desired outcomes; • Work effectively together at the regional level; • One-Stop Shopping; • Develop and implement new standards and design guidelines.

26. Transitioning to SustainabilityConclusion • Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap • Characterizing community values as goals, desired future conditions, and performance measures/rating criteria; • Communicating the desired future in a “one-stop shopping” regulatory framework; • Coordinating lifeline infrastructure per relevant comprehensive plan; and • Ongoing evaluations and reviews.

27. Transitioning to Sustainability:Project Development ConferenceIdaho Transportation DepartmentApril 26, 2011Boise, IdahoKevin Moody, Ecologist Thanks!