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FHWA Selects Green Infrastructure Research Projects (7-2016)
The FHWA announced the selection of five State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and a Federal Lands Management Agency to conduct pilot projects to analyze the potential for nature-based solutions to protect coastal roads from climate change impacts such as sea level rise and storm surge flooding. The diverse set of projects covers the Gulf, Atlantic, and West Coasts. The pilots form part of a larger FHWA Strategic Initiatives project to provide transportation professionals with guidance on designing and implementing nature-based solutions to climate change impacts as part of transportation project planning, design, construction, and maintenance. The project will produce an implementation guide and sponsor peer exchanges. |
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Making Highways Safe for Bees, Butterflies and other Pollinators (6-2016)
Pollinators are critical to food production around the world. FHWA has partnered with six states to strengthen the pollinator community along I-35 from Texas to Minnesota. The FAST Act commits U.S. DOT to encourage states to develop roadside habitat for pollinators, which act as way-stations for their annual migration. The FHWA partnerships support the goals of the Obama Administrations Pollinator Partnership Action Plan. |
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FHWA Rule Could Let DOTs Streamline More Projects With Limited Environmental Impact (6-2016)
A new FHWA rule going into effect June 30, 2016 enables state DOTs to negotiate more project maintenance or upgrade activities to count as potential “categorical exclusions” (CEs) from environmental review requirements. The FAST Act allows the FHWA to expand the number of CEs so that states could proceed with construction, maintenance, and infrastructure replacement projects in more areas without first going through detailed reviews, if that work would not have significant environmental impacts. |
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FHWA Releases NPRM to Propose National Performance Management Measure Regulations (5-2016)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NRPM) to propose national performance management measure regulations as required by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (“FAST Act”). The performance management measures will assess the performance of the National Highway System, Freight Movement on the Interstate System, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. |
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Memo on Improving Pollinator Habitat (3-2016)
On March 25, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator Gregory Nadeau released a memorandum providing updated information on improving pollinator habitat, as outlined in the recently enacted Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The memorandum is available on FHWA's dedicated website to ecosystem and vegetation management. |
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Federal Highway Administration Announces $60 Million in Grants for Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies (3-2016)
FHWA's new program, Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program (ATCMTD), provides $60 million in grants to fund cutting-edge transportation improvement technologies that will improve safety, efficiency, system performance, and infrastructure return on investment. The Notice of Funding Opportunity for the program was released March 22, 2016. |