There is a relatively new infrastructure sustainability rating tool that has been released by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) called Envision. The rating system was released in January, 2012 and started accepting ISI certification applications in September, 2012. Unlike most rating systems that are specific to buildings and transportation systems, the Envision Sustainability Rating Program has been developed to integrate sustainability into all types of infrastructure projects such as airports, pipelines, drainage projects, land developments, mining operations, etc. (except buildings). The Envision Rating Program has a unique rating system that is a holistic-systems-based approach that rates and scores projects in terms of “levels of achievement” toward obtaining resource enhancement and restoration (highest levels), as oppose to the simplistic yes/no rating system checklist used by other sustainability rating systems. Read More

On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law P.L. 112-141, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Funding surface transportation programs at over $105 billion for fiscal years (FY) 2013 and 2014, MAP-21 is the first long-term highway authorization enacted since 2005.  Read More