Table of Contents
Events
8/9: MAP-21 Call with USDOT
9/19: NACTO Fall 2012 Board Call
10/24- 10/26: Designing Cities Conference
The City of Phoenix is interested in speaking to cities that have well-developed solutions for:
– Asset Management
– Integrated Management Systems, with linkages between various programs
Email Kevin Igo, IT Project Manager, City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department with your city’s solution.
NACTO News
Designing Cities: Leading the Way to World Class Streets
National transportation practices continue to prioritize unsustainable new highway projects over sustainable and multimodal transportation infrastructure in cities. To foster sustainable communities in the United States, NACTO has announced the Designing Cities: Leading the Way to World Class Streets Conference.
From October 24-26, 2012 in New York City, the conference will showcase what city transportation officials around the United States are doing to make their metropolitan areas sustainable, energy efficient and economically competitive. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will present a keynote address along with an exciting “Commissioners’ Panel” of transportation officials from America’s largest cities. The panel discussion will focus on the challenges cities face as they strive to become more sustainable while negotiating the political realities of our time. A short video presentation of the conference is available here. Further information and registration details are available at the Designing Cities Conference website.
Designing Cities conference is made possible through the continuous support of NACTO member cities and the generous support of New York University, the Surdna Foundation, Parsons Brinckerhoff, STV Group, HAKS, and Nelson/Nygaard. Conference sponsorship opportunities are still available to interested organizations. Email NACTO’s Executive Director Ron Thaniel for further information.
NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
NACTO has selected San Francisco-based Nelson/Nygaard to develop the Designing Cities Urban Street Design Guide. Joining Nelson/Nygaard on this project are Community Design + Architecture, BlinkTag and a panel of street design experts from around the country. Scheduled to be released in summer 2013, the Guide will be a blueprint for 21st century streets based on the principle that streets are spaces for people and commerce as well as arteries for transportation. The Guide will aid cities as they continue to make sustainable transportation investments. The U.S. Department of Transportation is a major funder of the Urban Street Design Guide.
Urban Bikeway Design Guide Module II
Building on the success of its 2011 Urban Bikeway Design Guide, NACTO will be releasing the second module of the Guide in September. The guidelines, which have set a new national standard for designing safe urban streets for cyclists, have been updated to include an additional chapter on “bicycle boulevards,” new dynamic graphics and renderings, and information on best practices for installation of green color in bikeways. Click here to join the NACTO Cities for Cycling mailing list and be among the first to be notified when the Guide is available. The Urban Street Design Guide Module II is made possible through the generous support of the Summit Foundation, SRAM Foundation and Bikes Belong.
“City-Focused” Technical Corrections in New Transporation Law (MAP-21) Required
NACTO President and New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and NACTO Treasurer and Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein are urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to include city-focused technical corrections to the new transportation law such as allowing cities to participate in the Projects of Regional and National Significance Program.
NACTO Bolsters Outreach and Communication
NACTO is pleased to announce that Debra Eder and Ann Tok have joined the association to significantly increase conference planning/outreach and communication. Outreach through the Designing Cities initiative and communications, both traditional media and social media, is key to NACTO’s engagement with federal, state, and city elected officials, engineers, planners and diverse community groups on how to design balanced, safe, and sustainable cities and metropolitan areas.
As Event Planner, Debra Eder brings over 15 years of experience managing major conferences. Debra will manage the development, marketing and on-site implementation of NACTO’s Designing Cities: Leading the Way to World Class Streets conference as well as related outreach. Prior to NACTO, Debra was Program Manager for Cornell University’s Global Forum on Sustainable Enterprise.
As Production Consultant for the NACTO BRIEF, Ann Tok brings extensive communications experience, both digital and traditional. She has managed communications through Facebook, Twitter as well as newsletters, website production and management. Ann comes to NACTO from the Municipal Association of Victoria, Australia.
Washington Update
Expansion of Infrastructure Finance Fund
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced on July 27 that up to $17 billion in loans are available for critical infrastructure projects across the country following the enactment of the surface transportation bill (MAP-21). Secretary LaHood encouraged states and cities across the country to submit letters of interest for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, which provides direct loans, loan guarantees and standby lines of credit to major infrastructure projects.
MAP-21 provided $1.7 billion in capital over two years through the TIFIA credit assistance program, up from $120 million in FY12. Each dollar of federal funds can provide approximately $10 in TIFIA credit assistance, meaning $17 billion in loans through TIFIA, which in turn can leverage $20-$30 billion in transportation infrastructure investment. Altogether, the expanded federal loan program could result in up to $50 billion in federal, state, local and private sector investment for critical transportation projects across the country.
A range of critical transportation projects are eligible for funding including highway, passenger rail projects, public transit, international bridges and tunnels. A copy of the notice of funding and letter of interest template are available at TIFIA’s website.
New Sustainable Community Case Study Database
On July 27, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities launched the Sustainable Community Case Study database. This online resource provides access to research and reports on communities that are working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies to invest in transportation, affordable housing and environmental protection.
MAP-21 Implementation Site
As the NACTO BRIEF heads to press, the U.S. Department of Transportation rolled out their MAP-21 Implementation site. On the site, you can view President Obama’s remarks at the bill signing, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s remarks on MAP-21 as well as implementation specific titles.
$787 million for Transit Infrastructure
On Jul 23, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $787 million in federal funding to modernize and replace aging transit facilities and vehicles to meet the growing demand from millions of commuters. An interactive map of this year’s projects, along with a searchable table is available here.
Map-21 Surface Transportation Bill Signed
On July 6, President Obama signed into law the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), a two-year surface transportation reauthorization. MAP-21 maintains current funding levels plus inflation for surface transportation programs through September 30, 2014 by providing nearly $80 billion for programs administered by the Federal Highway Administration and $21.3 billion for programs administrated by the Federal Transit Administration ($17.8 billion for transit formula grants and $3.8 billion for capital investment grants). It maintains the 80/20 split between highways and transit programs.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “This is a good, bipartisan bill that will create jobs, strengthen our transportation system and grow our economy.” NACTO noted that the law will provide desperately needed certainty and funding for construction and improvement of roads, bridges and transit projects in our nation’s cites. NACTO also recognized the advocacy of city transportation officials and mayors to ensure that 50% of funding for bike and pedestrian projects would go directly to cities.
MAP-21 extends current law (SAFETEA-LU) for the remainder of FY12, with provisions for FY13 and beyond taking effect on October 1, 2012. NACTO’s analysis of key urban transportation programs under MAP-21 and NACTO surface transportation investment priorities are now available.
Cities Continue to Win Under TIGER
On June 22, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that 47 transportation projects in 34 states and the District of Columbia will receive a total of almost $500 million from the popular Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2012 program. The grants will fund a range of transportation projects in cities including:
- Chicago – $20 million to improve the 95th Street Terminal as part of a larger overall improvement project. Illinois Department of Transportation also received $10.4 million to complete two projects in the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency program (CREATE)
- Detroit – $10 million to support the Link Detroit project, a series of multimodal infrastructure improvements that will generate opportunities for economic reinvestment and
cost-effective transit options by enhancing bike and pedestrian transportation options through access to transit
- Houston – $15 million to eliminate major gaps in Houston’s bike grid, providing direct bicycle and pedestrian transportation connections to local bus stops and rail stations
- New York City – $10 million to make key freight rail improvements at the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market located the Bronx
- Philadelphia – $12.8 million or the Wayne Junction Power Substation which serves a critical role in the region’s commuter network, powering much of Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority’s (SEPTA) transit systems
- San Francisco – $10 million to allow the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and San Francisco to fill critical gaps in transportation infrastructure of a major brownfields redevelopment site that will be a modal of liveability with lightrail stops, commuter line, housing and biotech facilities
- Seattle – $14 million to continue the six-lane cross section of the Mercer Corridor East project which will enhance safety by eliminating five extra turns in current westbound traffic and reduce conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists
- Washington, DC – $10 million to complete four missing miles of bicycle and pedestrian on the Kenilworth Gardens Trail, connecting hundreds of miles of existing trail networks in Maryland and DC.
Americans Want High Speed Rail
A recent survey of 1,007 randomly selected phone numbers by the American Public Transportation Association revealed a majority of people surveyed would be willing to choose high-speed intercity rail over air or car travel if it was available. The majority of respondents, 62% indicated they would be “likely” or “very likely” to ride high-speed trains, versus just 38% who were “not very likely” or “not at all likely” to use fast intercity rail.
City Corner
Atlanta
Proposed Transporation Referendum Projects
Funding for local and regional transportation projects across Atlanta will be decided through the Regional Transportation Referendum on July 31, 2012. As proposed, more than $7.2 billion will be invested over 10 years across the 10-county Atlanta metropolitan region. The funding will be split into two with $6.1 billion (85% of the total) allocated to regional projects selected by the Regional Transportation Roundtable in October 2011 and 15% directly to counties and cities. The City of Atlanta is expected to receive more than $9 million every year for 10 years, approximately $94 million in total, dedicated to local projects.
Baltimore
Infrastructure Project Wins Award
The Downtown Infrastructure Improvements Project by the Baltimore City Department of Transportation has been recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers as the ‘Outstanding Small Project of the Year’. The project consisted of roadway improvements in the downtown business district to prepare for Baltimore’s inaugural Grand Prix. Over nine months, the project also completed necessary public utility repairs reducing ongoing roadway maintenance costs.
Boston
Bicycle Wayfinding Signs Installed
As part of the Boston Bike Program, the City of Boston has installed 90 Bicycle Wayfinding signs at busy intersections to point the way for cyclists to popular sites in Boston. The green and white signs, more compact than a typical street sign, are outfitted with a bicycle logo as well as the name of a popular Boston site and the distance to a popular Boston landmark. The tips of the signs are shaped as arrows to point cyclists in the proper direction. Some of the signs offer directional information to multiple destinations. All signs were fabricated in-house and installed by the Boston Transportation Department.
Chicago
Recycled Materials Used in Repaving Project
A repaving project by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has been honored with the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s ‘Environmental Leadership Award’. The pavement was made using recycled materials – rubber from 2,200 car tires, discarded roof shingles from 130 Houses and 24 truckloads of reclaimed asphalt pavement. Faced with a tight budget, a short construction timeline, and a crumbling roadway, CDOT worked with engineering and materials testing firm S.T.A.T.E. Testing to devise a stone-matrix asphalt (SMA) pavement mix that made use of recycled asphalt shingles, reclaimed asphalt pavement, and ground tire rubber. SMA pavements are built to hold up to heavy traffic, but including this level and combination of recycled materials in an SMA was an innovative idea that created a stronger pavement at a lower cost. According to an analysis using the Project Emissions Estimator software developed at Michigan Technological University, the use of the recycled materials reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 24% for the project, compared to having used all-virgin materials. Most people aren’t aware that the roads they drive on are increasingly being made with resource-responsible materials.
Stop For Pedestrians Signs Installed
As part of an ongoing effort to increase pedestrian safety and reduce the number of crashes, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has begun installing signs at crosswalks to remind drivers of the state law that requires them to stop – not just yield – if pedestrians are within the crosswalk. The highly visible four-foot high signs use words and graphics that read “State Law: Stop for Pedestrians Within Crosswalk.”
Houston
Proposed Public Improvement Bond Package
On July 11, Houston City Council announced a proposed
$410 million public improvement bond package to fund the city’s public improvements over the next five years. The bond package will cover roof and foundation repairs at city-owned buildings to entirely new police and fire stations as well as improvements to parks, libraries, health, trash and recycling facilities. There is also $100 million included in city matching funds for the Bayou Greenways Project, a $200 million initiative to complete a 100-year-old vision of continuous public parks and trails alongside every major bayou segment in the City of Houston.
Los Angeles and San Francisco
High Speed Rail for California
On July 18, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the High Speed Rail Funding Bill, S.B. 1029 to fund the state’s high-speed intercity rail project. The line will eventually connect Sacramento and San Francisco to Los Angeles, with 24 stations along the way. Travelling at speeds up to 220 mph, the 880-mile journey will take 2 hours 40 minutes and boost vital rail and transit capacity as the State’s population grows by 20 million by 2050. NACTO member cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, together with San Jose and Fresno played a key role in pushing the bill through the state’s legislature.
Minneapolis
All In One – Urban Park, Transit Hub and Public Space
Groundbreaking ceremony for downtown Minneapolis’
The Interchange was held on July 9. The Interchange will include:
- An urban neighborhood plaza with areas available for neighborhood bars and eateries
- The Great Lawn which will host natural, recreational and entertainment spaces. In winter, steam from the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center will melt snow and ice from walkways, paths and stairs
- The Cascade which will include an amphitheatre and informal seating area.
It will also connect approximately 500 trains as well as over 1,900 bus trips and miles of bike and walking trails. The project is expected to be completed in Spring 2014.
New York City
Heads Up
New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan has launched a street safety ad campaign – Heads Up – to remind cyclists and pedestrians to obey the rules of the road in order to keep themselves and others safe. A series of ads with catchy phrases call on New Yorkers to Know the Code and Share the Road. They include messages such as:
- Watch for turning cars, That break up text can wait
- Cross at the intersection, You take enough risks with your fashion
- Always yield to pedestrians, Save the speed for spinning class
- Always ride with lights at night, It’s not easy getting noticed in this town
- Bikers obey red lights, Because it’s always better to arrive fashionably late
- Don’t ride against traffic, You get enough confrontation at the office.
New Neighborhood Slow Zones
New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan has announced an expansion of the City’s neighborhoodSlow Zones program to include 13 new areas. Speed limits in the Slow Zones will be reduced from 30 mph to 20 mph in residential neighborhoods. They are marked by a prominent blue gateway at all streets entering the area, signs noting the 20 mph speed limit, and speed bumps and the stenciling of “20 MPH” eight-foot-long letters on the street.
Midtown in Motion Expansion
Following the success of the first phase of Midtown in Motion, a congestion management system, New York City’s Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan recently announced the expansion of this initiative to cover more than 270 square blocks in Midtown Manhattan. To be fully operational this September, the service will include an additional 110 microwave sensors, 24 traffic video cameras and 36 E-ZPass readers. Installed in July 2011, the first phase of the program has successfully reduced travel times by 10% and has been awarded the ‘Smart Solution Spotlight Award’ by the Intelligent Transporation Society of America for using innovative technology to reduce congestion and minimize pollution. The technology allows engineers in New York City Department of Transport’s Traffic Management Center to quickly identify congestion issues as they occur and use networked Advanced Solid State Traffic Controllers (ATSC) to remotely adjust Midtown traffic signal patterns, unplug bottlenecks and smooth the flow of traffic.
Philadelphia
Textizen – Community Feedback Tool
Philadelphia has launched the pilot of Textizen, a new civic engagement tool for gathering community feedback to shape Philadelphia2035, the City’s ongoing comprehensive plan. For four weeks over summer, residents and commuters in Center City and Lower Northeast can respond to questions on transportation, recreation and quality of life via text message to a phone number displayed on posters at public transit, transit shelters, recreation centers and other public places. Staff from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission will access the feedback through a web application to shape recommendations in the Philadelphia2035 District Plans.
Phoenix
Light Rail Extension
Phoenix has approved an acceleration plan for the leg of Metro light rail that would extend the northwestern end of the line and get it running seven years earlier than expected. The 3.2 miles of light rail along 19th Avenue between Montebello Avenue and Dunlap Road is expected to be operational by 2016.
First Bicycle Boulevard for City
The Phoenix Street Transportation Department is completing work on the Fillmore Street Bicycle Boulevard through downtown and east Phoenix, the first of its kind in the city and Maricopa County. Bicycle boulevards are specifically designated routes for bicycles on existing streets. The bicycle boulevard is designated with special roadway markings including shared use lane markings bike dots to guide bicyclists and wayfinding signs that indicate key distances to various destinations along the route.
San Francisco
First Bond Issue Closed
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) which oversees transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), has raised $63.8 million for transport infrastructure improvements, closing its first bond issue. Of this, $25.8 million will be invested in frontline Muni infrastructure and improving city-owned parking garages to enhance parking infrastructure and improve parking management. The remaining $38 million will be used to refinance existing debt. The first series of bonds will cover major improvements such as:
- Transit Signal Priority, Sunset Tunnel Rail Rehabilitation
- Muni Metro Turnback Rehabilitation
- Metro System Public Announcement and Public Display System Replacement
- Radio Replacement Project
- Muni Green Light Rail Facility Rehabilitation.
Repayment of the bonds has been fully covered within SFMTA’s budget and provides short-term funding to allow the Agency to meet critically needed infrastructure requirements.
Funds to Improve Muni
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency was awarded over $20 million in U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Livability and State of Good Repair grants for frontline Muni service enhancements and new, low-floor biodiesel-electric hybrid buses.
Seattle
Walk Bike Ride Challenge
To encourage residents to substitute at least two car trips a week with biking, walking or taking public transit, the Seattle Department of Transport (SDOT) introduced the Walk Bike Ride Challenge in 2010. This year, the challenge will run from July to August and encourages participants to sign-up, track their trips online and enter in a draw to win prizes including electric bikes, gift certificates and hotel stays. Last year, 1,886 people participated in the challenge and SDOT expects to increase the number of registrations this year.
Washington, DC
“Green” Alleys Completed
Washington, DC has completed the construction of its first three “green” alleys. These alleys were constructed by replacing gravel, impervious concrete or asphalt surfaces with permeable concrete. They were a part of the District’s Green Alley Project under the Mayor’s Sustainable DC initiative to make the District the nation’s greenest, healthiest, most livable city.
In Case You Missed It
NACTO Bike Share Workshop
NACTO, with the Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and American Public Transportation Association hosted the first national Bike Share workshop in the United States in March. City transportation officials from Phoenix to Baltimore to Miami attended the two-day workshop in Washington, DC to discuss the latest trends and topics in bike sharing. Presentations and resources from the workshop is available at NACTO’s Bike Share website. The workshop was sponsored by B-cycle, Alta Bicycle Share, PBSC, and the League of American Bicyclists.
Don’t miss NACTO’s Bike Share workshop at our Designing Cities Conference the October 24-26 in New York City.
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About NACTO
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) transportation policy and urban planning organization representing transportation departments from 15 of the largest cities in the United States. Created in 1996 by the New York City Department of Transportation, the organization is committed to put an end to unsustainable city and metropolitan area development influenced by more than 50 years of highway-focused federal transportation investment. NACTO members work together to redesign streets – which make up 80% of the public space – based on the principle that a sustainable city requires streets for people as well as arteries for traffic. All 15 cities are represented on its board of directors and engaged in the organization’s work. Learn more about NACTO at https://nacto.org/. The NACTO BRIEF is published quarterly.