ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of November 8, 2021
Nora's Note
It can be done. A win for the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will send funds to deteriorating roads, bridges, airports, passenger rail, climate resilience and high-speed internet initiatives. The Senate’s bipartisan
69 to 30 vote in the summer offered encouragement that, as Sen. Mitch McConnell said, we “can still come together around common-sense solutions.” Last week, the House made the commitment to both replace aging infrastructure and modernize projects to better navigate climate risk. Now, we must start the work of demanding a fair share in contracts for small and minority-owned businesses, high-quality jobs that create across-the-board equity and allocations that correct infrastructure deficiencies in low-income communities to make sure this bill paves the way to a win for all.
Transportation
Public transportation can save the world—if we let it. Research shows that using public transportation can lead to cleaner air, lower global temperatures and more accessible, lively cities. To capitalize on these benefits, Congress recently approved $70 billion in funding for transit systems, more than tripling Federal funding for public transit. This funding will help struggling transit systems increase their ridership while reducing the burden on U.S roads, which have seen a sharp rise in accidents during 2021. Read more to learn about how transit systems are adapting to pandemic-related changes.
Car Scoops: New York Raises Fine For Noisy Exhausts To $1,000, Highest In The Country
Greater Greater Washington: DDOT dashboard offers insight into traffic safety investigation process
Transport Topics: Estimated Roadway Fatalities Up 18.4% for First Half of 2021
Mass Transit: Metro-North station renewal project in White Plains, N.Y., completed
NY Times: Can Supersonic Air Travel Fly Again?
CBS New York: East Side Access One Step Closer For Long Islanders As MTA Unveils 350,000 Square-Foot Terminal At Grand Central
CNBC: In global supply chain with no quick fix, companies are paying to ship air
Yahoo Finance: It could take nearly a decade for public transit to return to pre-pandemic levels
Energy/Environment
Why water is the next net-zero environmental target. As global leaders come together at COP26 to discuss plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation is a major focus area. With the UN predicting a 40% shortfall in freshwater resources by 2030, both governments and private companies are enacting a new wave of water-related net-zero goals, including making water-intensive operations more efficient and restoring water in areas that are facing drought. Read more to learn what specific organizations are doing to curb water usage.
Environment + Energy Leader: Science Based Targets Initiative Launches the First Net-Zero Corporate Standard
Treehugger: Groundbreaking Study Highlights How Design and Development Decisions Affect Embodied Carbon
NY Times: Global Leaders Pledge to End Deforestation by 2030
Gothamist: This Brooklyn Chemical Spill Is Constantly Spewing Fumes. The EPA Wants It To Be A Superfund Site.
The City: Bill to Require All-Electric Buildings in New York State Gets a Jump-Start
AP News: Industry shows interest in NJ wind, solar energy projects
Utility Dive: Wave of investment just the beginning for EV battery recycling
Grist: The event that changed the environmental justice movement forever
Economic Development
Research shows COVID-19 did not stop clean energy jobs from rising. The global renewable energy sector created 500,000 renewable energy jobs in 2020, according to a recent report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)—highlighting the industry's resilience through the pandemic. Currently, China, the European Union, Brazil, India and the United States have the greatest number of clean energy jobs. However, countries in Southeast Asia and South America are quickly developing their renewable energy industries. Read more for projections on the renewable energy sector's job growth in 2030 and beyond.
CityLab: The Census Might Have Been the Only Normal Thing About 2020
Route Fifty: Thousands of City Workers Suspended Without Pay Over Vaccine Noncompliance
Smart Cities Dive: Are digital twins the future of urban planning?
Forbes: A Push To Fix Pay Equity Has Focused On The Median Pay Gap. A New Report Says Doing So Created An Unfair ‘Glass Floor.’
NY Times: Eric Adams Is Elected Mayor of New York City
CNN: Americans grow pessimistic on the economy as high inflation lingers
Bloomberg: How Hot Can U.S. Hiring Get?
Spectrum News: New York has received billions in COVID aid, but is it enough?
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