ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of January 18, 2021
Nora's Note
Let’s do this. In the years ahead, we’ll trade where-we-were stories commemorating the insurgent attack, the pandemic, the inauguration. But the past couple days at ASC, we’ve shared smaller tales, posting pics to our Slack channel of MLK Day street clean ups, care packages for kids and WFH projects. My favorite from the “where were you on the 2021 Day of Service” team share is a pair of infant caps, knitted by ASC staffer Lieve Falck-Pedersen from her work-from-home perch, an unceremonious kick-off of her project to help new moms keep their little ones warm this winter. I keep returning to the photo of those two little hats and wonder if the heads they warm will one day change the world.
Transportation
Technology to Make Signalized Intersections Safer for Pedestrians with Disabilities. Pedestrians with disabilities face a unique set of challenges, some of which are being addressed by innovations in transportation technology. PedPal, a mobile app funded through Federal Highway Administration’s Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI), enables smartphones to communicate with signalized intersections and alter crossing durations, allowing pedestrians with disabilities to cross safely and without waiting through several traffic cycles. Read on to see exactly how PedPal works and what’s next for this inclusive new technology.
Astoria Post: More Than 50 Citi Bike Stations Will Be Installed in Astoria in the Coming Weeks
TechCrunch: Startups look beyond lidar for autonomous vehicle perception
Government Technology: Could a Supercomputer Help Fix L.A.’s Traffic Problems?
The Verge: Uber is bringing its EV and public transit features to more cities
Green Car Reports: Emergency responders need more training on EV fires, NTSB warns
BBC: Why some bike shares work and others don't
Intelligent Transport: Creating a cashless and accessible fare system in Dayton, Ohio
Transportation Today: Federal Transit Administration funds to aid New Jersey bridge project
Energy/Environment
Renewable Energy Projects Announced at State of the State Address. Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out the key pieces of New York’s 2021 energy and environmental plan in last week’s State of the State. The construction of large-scale energy projects is a top priority toward reaching the State’s ambitious 70 percent renewable energy electricity generation goal by 2030. Expanded transmission capacity will be critical in meeting environmental goals by connecting renewable energy from generation sites to where it is most needed in the grid. Governor Cuomo also called for increased manufacturing of green technology and equipment in New York, as well as expanded green energy workforce training programs. Read on to learn about other environmental initiatives highlighted in last week’s address.
Next City: Fishing Communities Are “Part of the Solution” to Water Pollution Worldwide
WNPR: Connecticut Plan Lays Out Options For Reaching Zero-Carbon Power By 2040
Scientific American: Rising Costs of U.S. Flood Damage Linked to Climate Change
The Guardian: More than 50 countries commit to protection of 30% of Earth's land and oceans
Inside Climate News: Many Overheated Forests May Soon Release More Carbon Than They Absorb
Fast Company: Seven ways the circular economy will grow in 2021
Greentech Media: Almost All New US Power Plants Built in 2021 Will Be Carbon-Free
Energy News Network: How good timing and partnerships propelled a suburban D.C. county to its clean power goal
Economic Development
New York Gets Offshore Wind Training Institute. As Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York work to make the State a national offshore wind leader, the need to train a new workforce has risen. To support this growth, SUNY and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority have launched the Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI) to train 2,500 workers. By investing $20 million in the new training institute, which is administered by Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University, the initiative will help create a skilled workforce that is primed to support the Governor’s nation-leading goal of developing 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Read on to learn more about the OWTI’s first set of planned activities.
City Monitor: Inside Tulsa’s forward-thinking talent attraction game
Route Fifty: How Downtowns Can Rebound After the Pandemic
WIVB: BlueCross BlueShield of WNY distributes 10,000 PPE items to small businesses in Western New York
Business Insider: New York just became biggest city to recognize LGBT-owned businesses
NY Times: Unemployment Claims Rise Sharply, Showing New Economic Pain
Politico: U.S. Chamber calls for governments to fund rapid training programs
StateScoop: Bloomberg Philanthropies launches COVID-19 challenge
Hartford Courant: Gov. Ned Lamont will push for broadband expansion to boost education, economic development
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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