Volpe Center Highlights - May 1997
Human and Natural Environment
Focus |
Safety |
Mobility |
Human and Natural Environment |
Economic Growth and Trade |
National Security |
Published and Presented
Protect and enhance communities and the natural environment affected by transportation.
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Multi-Agency Meeting on Climate Change Initiative
In April, the Center Director facilitated a meeting between the departments of Transportation, Energy, and State; the Environmental Protection Agency; and the Secretariat for the U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation (U.S.IJI). FHWA, FTA, and FAA staff also participated in the meeting. The initiative was established as part of the President's Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), and aims to reduce the cost of mitigating climate change through projects funded and implemented on a bilateral or multilateral basis. For example, the Federation International de L'Automobile (FIA) is initiating a forestry project in Mexico that will sequester carbon at a cost of about $10 per ton (approximately equivalent to $0.03/gallon of gasoline). The reductions will be used to offset the emissions of FIA-sponsored races, such as the Grand Prix. The purposes of the meeting were to increase DOT understanding of the status of international negotiations regarding climate change and U.S.IJI activities, and to increase the level of DOT involvement in this interagency initiative. It was agreed by participants that the activity is well-matched to the sustainable transportation partnership initiative proposed in the forthcoming National Science and Technology Council's National Transportation Science and Technology Strategy, which the Volpe Center also supports.
Report Released on Specialized Transit Services (FTA)
To support last Summer's Paralympics in Atlanta, GA, a specialized transit service was planned and deployed to service the travel needs of athletes and their families using a combination of low-floor buses and lift-equipped buses. The Paralympics, a world event for athletes with disabilities, followed the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. At the request of FTA, Messrs. David Spiller and Lawrence Labell, of the Service Assessment Division, have completed and distributed a final report entitled "Operational Assessment of Paralympics Transit System: Low-Floor Buses, Lift-Equipped Buses, and Signage." In addition to a field investigation of bus operations and on-board and wayside signage, recommendations were made to improve both planning and transport operations for future special events that involve large-scale ridership of persons with disabilities, particularly mobility impairments. The report has been forwarded to the officials and staff planning the Paralympics in the year 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
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