ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of October 11, 2021
Nora's Note
No going back—what forward looks like in Public Engagement. There's been a fundamental shift propelled by the pandemic: work from home and shelter in place have turned audiences into information super consumers accustomed to instant response and full transparency. They spend up to 16 hours per day online, which gives everyone a ready megaphone in their laptop or mobile device. ASC Director of Digital Strategy Rachel Adler and I recently co-presented on how customer journey mapping commonly used in product marketing can transform one-way communication into a problem-solving collaboration with communities. To learn more about this shift and how it impacts public engagement, revisit this post from our 21 Trends for 2021 series.
Transportation
After biking boom, some cities beef up infrastructure. Amid the pandemic, bike ridership and sales have skyrocketed–contributing to the need for greater investment in protected bike lanes. Recently, New York City unveiled a protected bike lane along the Brooklyn Bridge, improving pedestrian safety on the once-overcrowded promenade space. Other cities, such as Chicago and Los Angeles, are also investing in bicycle and pedestrian safety upgrades and additional miles of bike lanes. Read on to learn more about how the Federal government is supporting active transportation methods.
Cities Today: Seattle offers credits for car-free trips amid bridge closure
NBC New York: Long Island School District, Bus Company Reach Agreement to Avoid Service Interruption
NY Times: Trams, Cable Cars, Electric Ferries: How Cities Are Rethinking Transit
Hartford Courant: New seat belt, pedestrian safety laws in effect in Connecticut
Route Fifty: A First Responder Dies Every Other Week on US Roadsides
Gothamist: MTA Says New Employees Hired On Or After November 14th Must Be Fully Vaccinated For COVID
Inside Hook: Public Transit is Going Green Around the Globe
Baltimore Fishbowl: There are racial disparities in access to public transit in Baltimore, Johns Hopkins study finds
Energy/Environment
A 13-inch tear in a pipe was likely the source of a California oil spill.
Last week, nearly 144,000 gallons of petroleum oil leaked into the Pacific Ocean due to a 13-inch split in a pipeline on California's coast. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to accelerate the State’s containment response to the spill, however the environmental impact of the accident is already felt, with many Californians reporting injured or dead birds and fish washing up on shorelines. Read on to learn more about how Federal and state authorities are responding to the spill.
CityLab: How the World’s First Chief Heat Officer Plans to Keep Miamians Cool
Environmental Leader: Wind, Solar Power Help Grow US Renewable Energy Use
Associated Press: Mayor signs Boston’s building emissions control measure
Energy Monitor: The fight to keep track of climate finance flows
Inside Climate News: World Meteorological Organization Sharpens Warnings About Both Too Much and Too Little Water
Axios: Nobel Prize in physics awarded for climate change research
PV Magazine: Can large-scale solar cool nearby areas?
Energywire: N.J. advances grid plan seen as national model for renewables
Economic Development
Transit Agencies Lease Real Estate to Generate Much-Needed Cash. As transit agencies grapple with ridership decreases during the pandemic, some have turned to leasing real estate for new revenues. Agencies in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Georgia are leasing land to developers, who are transforming the land near stations into commercial and residential plots. Leasing the land for transit-oriented development also helps municipalities meet economic development goals and places new construction around public transportation infrastructure. Read on for more details on how transit agencies are using new strategies to generate revenues.
NY Times: How an 11-Foot-Tall 3-D Printer Is Helping to Create a Community
MyCentralJersey.com: New Brunswick is getting a new mural thanks to a $25K grant
Mid-Hudson News: Ulster County awarded $1 million assist local small businesses
NBC New York: NYC Establishes Permanent Public Health Corps, Pandemic Response Institute
SI Live: Low-income first-time NYC homebuyers could receive up to $100K in financial assistance
NextCity: Baltimore Offers the Nation a Model for Diversifying Economic Opportunity
Forbes: New York's Largest Healthcare Provider Fires 1,400 Employees Who Refused To Get Vaccinated
Westfair Communications: New York state launches new programs to boost restaurants, feed those struggling with hunger
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