ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of August 1, 2022
Nora's Note
Small Business. Big Voice. Last month, thousands of fellow 10,000 Small Businesses alumni gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 10,000 Small Businesses Summit. In addition to inspiration from speakers including Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett, attendees heard from the CEOs of Banza, Rebecca Minkoff, Goop, Drybar and GoDaddy, among others. Despite 78% of small businesses calling the economy worse than it was three months ago, 65% remain optimistic, and importantly for election watchers, 89% of us would support policymakers who take actions like reauthorizing the Small Business Administration to help address unstable inflation and workforce shortages. With a second consecutive quarter of negative GDP growth, resilient leadership across government is critical to supporting small business, which employs 58.9 million people—48% of all workers in the United States.
Transportation
FTA issues NOFO for rail station accessibility program. On the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) 32nd anniversary, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $343 million through the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). The program will provide funds to make legacy railway stations (those built before 1990) ADA compliant. New York City currently has one-third of America’s non-ADA-accessible stations, leading the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to recently announce its plan to make 95 percent of NYC’s railway stations accessible by 2055. Learn more about how ASAP will improve railway accessibility. (Source: Mass Transit)
Transport Topics: FMCSA Accepting Carrier Applications for Apprenticeship Driver Pilot
Axios: One barrier to electric cars: Slow fleet turnover
Clean Technica: The Average U.S. Household Spent Nearly $10,000 On Transportation In 2020
North Jersey: As fiscal cliff looms, NJ Transit forges ahead with ambitious spending plans
Planetizen: The State of America’s Free Transit Programs
Smart Cities Dive: Pop-up bike lanes assessed with high-tech and low-tech strategies in New Jersey
Washington Post: Airlines tried shifting blame, but they’re the biggest cause of delays
WSHU: Connecticut enacts new climate law aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation
Energy/Environment
In Maine, heat pumps are proving themselves, even against extreme cold. New research shows that even in weather as cold as -21°F, heat pumps can be effective, affordable and comfortable. Heat pumps have become a staple of Maine’s effort to become carbon neutral by 2045, and the state is currently on schedule to meet its goal of installing 100,000 heat pumps by 2025. Read more to learn the lessons other states can learn about implementing heat pumps from Maine. (Source: Energy News Network)
Reuters: U.S. triples reforestation spending for wildfire devastation
Electrek: Biden to expand offshore wind power in the Gulf of Mexico
CBS News: NYC heat wave: Utility companies working to keep up with demand and keep grid online
AP News: Senators want more monitoring of mercury in environment
The Hill: Exposure to ‘forever chemicals’ costs Americans billions: study
Alaska Public Media: Alaska is experiencing wildfires like it’s never seen before
Grist: Extreme rainfall will be worse and more frequent than we thought, according to new studies
Greenwire: Unexploded bomb discovery flags growing challenge for offshore wind
Economic Development
Yellowstone is this town’s golden ticket. Climate change risks that. Outdoor recreation is a major industry in Montana, adding $2.2 billion to the state’s economy in 2020. After June's heavy flooding in Yellowstone National Park, visits to the park dropped by 20% compared to last year—impacting small businesses in towns like Gardner, MT, that rely on tourist traffic during the summer. As climate change makes extreme weather and natural disasters more common, the events this summer raise concerns for future economic challenges for towns known for their outdoor destinations. Read more to learn how Gardner’s small businesses are navigating the aftermath of this summer's extreme weather. (Source: Washington Post)
Canary Media: EV battery plants in US anticipate boost from $2.5B federal loan
Bloomberg: Behind a Billion-Dollar Bid to Save Lower Manhattan
Marketplace: Senate to vote on bill to expand U.S. semiconductor production
Cities Today: Atlas maps how cities around the world are using AI
Route Fifty: The Three Cs of Effective Public Engagement
Pew Stateline: Cyber Insurance Price Hike Hits Local Governments Hard
AmNY: ‘NYCBenefits’ program aims to connect eligible New Yorkers to billions in federal assistance
World Economic Forum: How biodiversity loss could cause bankruptcy in some countries
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