ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of December 7, 2020
Nora's Note
How we’re doing equity. We’re always learning, and in this new virtual world of civic engagement, the story evolves almost daily. Case in point – this week’s virtual public meeting to support the Route 110 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Suffolk County. Taking a lesson from our own playbook, we looked to understand the community and the demographics, and sought to devise an approach that would welcome and engage both non-English speakers and those comfortable with English. The outcome? A unique co-presentation format in two languages concurrently and equally, along with participatory activities in both English and Spanish. Virtual outreach may well be the path that takes us beyond simple inclusion to equitable engagement that truly reflects the diversity of communities.
Transportation
In New York and London, bike-sharing rebounded to set new records. As public transportation ridership continues to remain below pre-pandemic levels, cities around the world are still seeing an increase in the use of bike-share programs. A recent analysis finds that New York and London’s bike share programs have both seen record-breaking numbers of bike-share trips in 2020. Compared to September 2019, New York’s Citi Bike program saw 43,000 additional trips taken in September 2020. Increased demand for socially distanced transportation modes and programs that offer free memberships to essential workers, like Citi Bike’s Critical Workforce Membership Program, are among the factors leading to higher ridership numbers in New York and London. Read on to learn more about how bike-share ridership has changed throughout the course of the pandemic.
FHWA Public Roads: Improving Safety for Travelers and Wildlife
Progressive Railroading: NJ Transit to test technology to combat coronavirus
CNN: Self-driving robotaxis are taking off in China
NY Times: Why the Pandemic Has Made Streets More Dangerous for Blind People
amNY: Panel urges MTA to adopt zero-emission plan to switch bus fleet to 100% electric
Transportation Today: New York State DOT announces completion of bridge rehabilitation project
The Trucker: USDOT prepares for swift transport of COVID-19 vaccine
Government Technology: Machine Learning Models Could Improve Transit in Chattanooga
Energy/Environment
Fourteen countries launch a new plan to achieve a ‘sustainable ocean economy.' To utilize the power of the world’s oceans without exhausting their resources, a group of coastal countries are taking the next step towards creating a more sustainable ocean economy. The leaders of countries including Norway, Japan, Canada, Ghana and Fiji have joined forces to create a “blue economy” by reducing ocean warming, marine pollution, overfishing and habitat loss. In a new report, the 14 countries pledged to sustainably manage 100 percent of the ocean areas under their jurisdiction by 2025. Some of the report’s goals include making seafood farming more sustainable and reducing pollution from ocean transport. Read on to see how this pledge ties into other international efforts to protect the world’s oceans.
Grist: Are tides and waves the missing piece of the green energy puzzle?
Bay Journal: DC spreads solar energy benefits through 'Solar for All'
Bloomberg CityLab: In Many Cities, Climate Change Will Flood Affordable Housing
Utility Dive: Four strategies to rapidly scale clean energy in the next decade
Next City: Should Housing Authorities Consider Switching to Electric Stoves?
PBS Newshour: From North to South Pole, climate scientists grapple with pandemic disruptions
Greentech Media: Cadenza Innovation Tests Its Fireproof Battery at NYPA Headquarters
Yale E360: Scientists Create Open Source Technology to Track Plastic Pollution
Economic Development
MWBE contracts total more than $3 billion in New York, a first. Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Fiscal Year 2019-2020 set records for minority and women-owned (MWBE) businesses in New York. The Fiscal Year 2019-2020 report shows New York’s MWBE utilization rate—the percentage of contracts awarded to those certified small business entities—as 29.5 percent of total agency spending. This utilization rate, which Governor Cuomo described as the highest utilization rate in the United States, is slightly above last year’s utilization rate but slightly below the State’s 30 percent goal. The report also shows that there are currently over 8,200 MWBE firms certified in the State. Read on to learn more about how the State’s MWBE utilization rate has grown substantially over the last decade.
Marketplace: Training women in construction — and the employers who hire them
Route Fifty: A City Looks to Incorporate More, and More Diverse, Input Into Its Budget Process
CNBC: 83% of small business owners support another round of stimulus relief from Washington, survey reveals
NPR: Job Growth Slows Sharply As Pandemic Takes Toll On Economy
Hartford Courant: West Hartford decides to hold off — for now — on more gas stations, car washes or similar businesses near CTfastrak stations
Gotham Gazette: Covid Shifts Discussion on 'Future of Open Space' in New York City
Energy News Network: A sustainable refocus helps a historic Chicago community rebuild
Smart Cities Dive: Shopping to shelter – Abandoned mall sites welcome senior housing
New at ASC
Our recent webinar “How to Maximize Your Virtual Engagement" with CEOs Nora Madonick (ASC) and Rebecca Karp (Karp Strategies) is now available on-demand.
Learn to use new technology to reach and engage audiences
Find out what works and what doesn’t
Take away guidance from real-world scenarios
The webinar showcased the teams' collaboration—Toolkit for Virtual Engagement—and you can download it today at ascRemote to build a strategy to meet your audiences where they are to advance the civic planning projects and initiatives that will speed recovery.
Get in touch to learn how our signature approach can work for you.
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