Summary of the 2011 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Waste Management & Resource Efficiency Committee Workshop; “Sustainability & Liability in Transportation”

The Sustainability & Liability in Transportation Workshop was held in Portland, Oregon (hosted by the Oregon Department of Transportation) from July 25-27, 2011. There were a total of 37 presentations given by national and international transportation professionals during the first two days of the workshop. The third day involved a boat tour of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. The workshop was well attended by representatives from state departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and transportation consulting firms. Read More

This month’s blog in the area of environmental-transportation sustainability is more technical in nature, as it relates to calculating a carbon footprint for the operation and maintenance of rest areas.  Rest areas are often overlooked by DOTs as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. DOTs need to be more aware and proactive in evaluating and implementing cost effective sustainable operations of rest areas to protect the environment and to anticipate upcoming federal and state greenhouse gas/climate regulations. The following discusses a carbon calculation methodology that can be used for rest areas:  Read More

Rest areas have been elimination targets by State Department of Transportations (DOTs) over the past few years due to high maintenance and operation costs in a time of limited financial state resources. Rest areas are important to the safety of the traveling public and the interstate trucking industry. Many DOT rest areas are old and have unsustainable designs and operating procedures that are costly, promote the generation of greenhouse gases, and provide a poor public perception to the visiting public. Read More