State Road Departments Driving Green Policy Changes

November 21, 2012November 21, 2012 1614 Views Academy of Architecture Conference, Academy of Architecture for Justice, Connecticut Department of Corrections, Eastern U.S., McGraw Hill Construction

WASHINGTON — The American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials’ Center for Environmental Excellence recently released a report on how green practices have worked their way into the industry. The report, “Leaner and Greener: Sustainability at Work in Transportation,” was created through a partnership with the Federal Highways Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.

The report cites the case of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) shift to bridge replacement designs with lessened environmental impacts. The change in strategies has led to many benefits, environmental and economic. The time to replace a bridge has shrunken by as many as four years. Project costs have also plummeted, dropping by 25 percent.

“These low-impact replacement designs enable us to make the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars while improving safety and promoting economic growth with minimal impact to the surrounding environment,” explained NCDOT Secretary Gene Conti in a statement.

Changes to the Kansas Department of Transportation’s roadside mowing practices have also led to cost savings. The department manages roadside vegetation to maintain a safe level of visibility for drivers. The road department met with the Audubon Society of Kansas and other groups in 2008 to change its policy for mowing to decrease the use of pesticides and fuel spent on mowing equipment. The alterations in policy, intended to promote re-growth of the state’s natural prairie habitat adjacent to state highways, have led to $1.5 million per year in savings.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) changed its snow and ice removal practices, reducing its usage of salt and the amount of time maintenance vehicles spend on the roads. Salt is used in cold weather areas to accelerate the process of melting ice off of roadways. Training was moved to a virtual system, saving fuel and putting better prepared operators on the road. The department also strategically arranged native plants in the off-season to provide natural formations that stop snow from blowing or drifting into streets, easing snow removal later in the year.

“We’re committed to using innovative practices like living snow fences which are made of grasses, shrubs, and trees to control blowing and drifting snow,” explained MnDOT Acting Commissioner Bernie Arseneau in a statement.

These tactics have allowed the department to reduce salt use, which creates a healthier situation for the same native plants MnDOT is using to reduce the amount of snow blown into the roadway. Estimates show the department saved $2.2 million in costs related to salting roads.

The New York Department of Transportation started its GreenLITES program in 2008. The department ranks all of its project designs in terms of sustainability, using a scale modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.

A PDF of the full report can be downloaded at www.aash.to/LAG-1