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This Week's Items of Interest
December 15, 2015
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Planet - Climate Change - COP 21
California Was Basically Treated Like Its Own Country At The Big Climate Talks In Paris
(12.11.2015)
PARIS - At the Paris climate talks this week, California was the star on the world's green carpet, despite not actually having a seat at the negotiating table.
Seemingly at every turn there was a news story about California, or a crowd of people taking pictures of a California official, or Gov. Jerry Brown chillaxin' with someone important. California is not a country, of course, but for a little while there it kind of felt like one. In the amount of attention it received, the influence it seemed to have, and, yes, the level of celebrity it commanded, California soared above most of the actual countries at the global climate talks.
Read More
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Planet - Air Quality - Methane Pollution
Infrared Camera Reveals Huge, Wafting Cloud of Methane over California's Aliso Canyon
(
12.07.2015
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Methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is a serious problem for our climate and communities, but it's one most people aren't even aware of. That's because, while methane is a powerful pollutant, it is colorless, odorless and invisible to the naked eye.
But residents of Southern California's Porter Ranch neighborhood had their eyes opened wide to the methane problem when a natural gas storage well in nearby Aliso Canyon ruptured and created a massive leak right next to their homes - an incident detected by residents in October from the putrid smell of mercaptan, an additive utilities use to more easily detect natural gas leaks.
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People - Mode - Bike-Ped
Bike-Ped case studies from FHWA
(12.15.2015)
FHWA publishes,
Case Studies in Delivering Safe, Comfortable, and Connected Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks.
FHWA Division Offices gathered examples of bike-ped network improvement projects initiated by State DOTs, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), counties, cities, and other entities to get a better sense of what communities are achieving. Those 86 examples -21 regional, 6 statewide, and 59 local- were categorized into several key project types, including planning and prioritization, shared use paths, corridor improvements, bridges, on-road facilities, intersections, and crossing improvements.
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People - Mode Public and Private Mobility
TRB
Special Report 319: Examining the Rise of Technology-Enabled Transportation Services
(12.14.2015)
This report analyzes how innovative transportation services, including ridesharing, carsharing, bikesharing, and microtransit, are changing mobility for millions of travelers. Such services could reducecongestion and emissions from surface transportation if regulated wisely to encourage concurrent, rather than sequential, ride sharing. The committee's report offers guidance to state and local officials responsible for policy setting and regulation of for-hire transportation services in each of these areas.
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People - Mode - Smart Mobility
TRANSFORUM Magazine: News from Argonne's Transportation Program
(12.15.2015)
The stories highlighted in this issue of TRANSFORUM represent some of the ways Argonne works with the transportation industry to improve processes, create products and markets, and lead the way to cost-effective transportation solutions, which in turn lead to a healthier economic future. Features: Driving Toward a More Mobile Future, Calculating Consumption, Sensor Essentials, 4 Enhancing Urban Efficiency, Remaining Resilient.
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People - Traffic Safety
Traffic safety: Raising spending could save lives and money
(12.14.2015)
An estimated 1,320 motor vehicle-related deaths could be prevented each year - and 225,000 injuries avoided - if federal funding for state traffic safety programs was boosted by just 10 percent and spent where it's most needed, according to a study released Monday.
And while those lives saved and reduced numbers of injuries would cost just $56.9 million per year in extra spending, the economic benefits from the reduction in roadway carnage would equal $6.4 billion nationally, according to the analysis by Rand Health, a division of Rand Corp.
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Planet - Materials - Alternative Materials
Concrete is the world's most widely used construction material. As a result of the vast quantities produced each year, it also represents a significant worldwide environmental impact, accounting for 4.8 percent of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e). FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program Report, excerpt: "The California DOT (Caltrans) has used rapid-setting ACM binders since the 1990s to reduce road closure times for weekend replacement in highly trafficked roadways. The research team visited four sites in the San Gabriel Valley in the Los Angeles, CA, area."
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People - Quiz - Winter Driving Safety
How Much Do You Know About Winter Driving Safety?
(12.14.2015)
Some might think that the best thing about winter is snow. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, about 23 percent of weather-related vehicle crashes occur in adverse weather like rain, sleet or snow. Are you prepared to drive in the coming winter months? Test your winter safe driving skills with this quiz.
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Planet - Air Quality - Reducing C02 Emissions
In anticipation of the COP21, Yvan Fornes offers an overview of CO2 emissions per country. His target-setting tool lets you see how much each of us would have to reduce individual CO2 emissions to match the Global Goal for 2050..
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People - Transit - Smart App
Sacramento Regional Transit to Debut RideSacRT Mobile App
(12.14.2015)
The Sacramento Regional Transit system is announcing a new citywide mobile option for transit fare payments. RideSacRT, developed by mobile payment provider Passport, is launching in January, giving users the ability to plan, track, and pay for their RT trip from their smartphone.
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Previous Editions: Sustainability Items of Interest
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Follow Steven Cliff
Caltrans
Assistant Director of Sustainability
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Any reference, information, articles,or photos contained in this email to a specific product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Caltrans, State of California or its' employees.
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