2013 Session: 274

• Developing a Comprehensive Sustainable Transportation Analysis Framework
  Abstract: As climate change has become understood and accepted by state, regional and local governments, there has been a growing impetus to set goals and targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels. Tools to prioritize and implement regional and local transportation sector emissions reduction policies have been unavailable to practitioners and policy makers. At the same time, the transportation industry is undergoing a paradigm shift from mobility to access, requiring new ways of defining and evaluating success. Furthermore, transportation agencies are under pressure to deliver projects in a safer, more equitable and cost effective manner. To fill this void, a grass roots group of transportation and sustainability professionals formed to develop a rating system and the planning tools needed to make measurable headway toward improving the performance of transportation in all these areas. Since 2009 the Sustainable Transportation Analysis and Rating System (STARS) has been under development and is being tested on both transportation projects and regional plans. This paper identifies characteristics of STARS that advance the state of the practice while highlighting challenges and gaps. STARS provides a suite of credits incorporating tools and guidance based upon triple bottom line principles. Backcasting is used to establish desired future outcomes, rather than the more traditional forecasting process. STARS uses performance measures to analyze all transport modes and strategies. A pilot project in Santa Cruz County, California is highlighted. Performance monitoring will determine whether the system changes practices and outcomes.
  Authors: Dondero, George A; Hurley, Peter
  Authors: Dondero, George A; Hurley, Peter
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-0348
• Approach for Integrating Sustainability into Roadway Project Development
  Abstract: Efforts to increase the sustainability of roadways continue to gain momentum. In recent years, numerous organizations and agencies have developed sustainability evaluation tools, including third-party rating systems, self-assessments, and checklists, with the goal of evaluating the sustainability characteristics and performance of roadway projects. While these sustainability tools are highly valuable and the result of much research and knowledge, there is little guidance on how to apply and leverage them to best integrate sustainability throughout project development. The focus of this paper, in addition to providing considerations for using sustainability evaluation tools and summarizing the available tools and, is to provide an approach for integrating sustainability into project development by leveraging sustainability evaluation tools.
  Authors: Reid, Lisa M; Davis, Anneke J; Bevan, Timothy
  Authors: Reid, Lisa M; Davis, Anneke J; Bevan, Timothy
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-1772
• Green Rating Integration Platform: Decision-Making Tool for Multimodal Facilities: Sustainable Water and Material Practices
  Abstract: To achieve sustainability goals and receive credit points for green certification, it is essential to understand the strategies to accomplish the sustainability objectives of a project. Sustainability rating systems come with project goals and strategies. However, among the multitude of sustainability rating systems and guidelines, it is difficult to decide which goals will earn more credit points and what methods need to be followed to achieve particular goals. In addition, multi-modal projects have different focal areas and associated rating systems related to each mode or other aspect of the project. Five green ratings systems representative of these aspects have been selected and analyzed through an analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Previous research resulted in synchronization of the rating system topical categories and synthesis of the credits. This work focused on the water and material aspects, and the associated detailed goals and green methodologies. Key intents from the project goals and key strategies from the methodologies were identified. The lists of key intents and key strategies across the rating systems were then harmonized using an AHP and further cross-coded in an open database with the credit subcategories and corresponding rating systems. The database can filter the credit subcategories across the rating system for a specific key intent or key strategy. The harmonized lists and database will facilitate decision makers and sustainability practitioners in evaluating intents and methodologies for a project across multiple rating systems and thus, aid in achieving the desired levels of sustainability for multi-modal facilities.
  Authors: Haselbach, Liv; Alam, Ashraful; DeRooy, Garrett; Poor, Cara; Wolcott, Michael P
  Authors: Haselbach, Liv; Alam, Ashraful; DeRooy, Garrett; Poor, Cara; Wolcott, Michael P
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-2175
• Sustainability Trends Measured by Greenroads Rating System
  Abstract: Greenroads, a sustainability rating system for roadway projects, is used to evaluate 105 roadway and bridge projects located in the United States for sustainable design and construction practices at various lifecycle stages. Forty projects are claimed to be “sustainable” and are compared to the remaining 65 “typical” projects, representing conventional practice. The objectives of the investigation are to demonstrate the potential impact that Greenroads might have on the U.S. transportation industry by applying it to a variety of actual roadway projects and to use this information to establish a reference point for future studies. The results identify trends in achievement for current practice, highlight areas for improving current practice, and also may be used to improve how the tool itself measures sustainability performance. The results also show that: 1) some credits and categories are easily achieved, whereas others are more challenging and offer opportunities for improved environmental performance, 2) typical roadway projects tend not to exceed environmental regulations and score lower than sustainable projects, 3) contractors and materials suppliers appear to have unrealized opportunities to contribute, and 4) an early emphasis on the environment during project development appears to differentiate between typical and sustainable projects and manifest as higher Greenroads scores.Greenroads is determined to be a reasonable measurement tool for sustainability in roadway design and construction projects because 1) it can help practitioners quantify and measure sustainability for a roadway project during project development, design and construction, and 2) it can differentiate between typical and sustainable projects.
  Authors: Anderson, Jeralee L.; Muench, Stephen T.
  Authors: Anderson, Jeralee L.; Muench, Stephen T.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-5328
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Approach for Integrating Sustainability into Roadway Project Development
  Authors: Davis, Anneke
  Authors: Davis, Anneke
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-1772
• Developing a Comprehensive Sustainable Transportation Analysis Framework
  Authors: Dondero, George
  Authors: Dondero, George
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-0348
• Developing a Comprehensive Sustainable Transportation Analysis Framework
  Authors: Hurley, Peter
  Authors: Hurley, Peter
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-0348
• Sustainability Trends Measured by Greenroads Rating System
  Authors: Anderson, Jeralee
  Authors: Anderson, Jeralee
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: 13-5328
• Presiding Officer
  Authors: Fordham, Damon
  Authors: Fordham, Damon
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Construction; Environment; Operations and Traffic Management
  Session: 274
  Paper Number: Z13-274