NYSDOT Presents GreenLites Awards For Environmental Excellence In Transportation Projects

ALBANY, NY (04/21/2011)(readMedia)-- In commemoration of Earth Day, New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald today presented awards for staff initiatives incorporating environmental sustainability into project design and operations efforts through the first-in-nation Green Leadership in Transportation and Environmental Sustainability (GreenLITES) program.

"We are in a new era for transportation, ensuring that our work protects the environment and supports economic development while providing for safe travel across New York State," Commissioner McDonald said. "Our GreenLITES program recognizes the work our employees do each day to reduce transportation's carbon footprint and preserve our natural surroundings."

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens, who supports the program said, "I believe that state agencies can lead by example in moving our state towards environmental sustainability and I applaud DOT for creating GreenLITES to encourage green design as a core principle of infrastructure planning and maintenance."

NYSDOT managers and staff received awards for 15 project designs or operational activities that fit the two most stringent GreenLITES criteria. Like the internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for buildings, GreenLITES utilizes a rating system to score NYSDOT transportation project designs and operations and to certify them in four increasingly rigorous tiers: "certified," "silver," "gold" and "evergreen," the highest rating. The more sustainable elements incorporated into a project or activity, the higher it scores.

NYSDOT's GreenLITES initiative was used initially as a tool for the assessment of environmental sustainability on individual capital projects. The program's potential to address transportation investments across a range of program areas soon became apparent and a more holistic approach to the "triple bottom line" of economy, society and environment was adopted.

GreenLITES now includes a growing collection of tools for the planning and assessment of projects, operational activities, maintenance programs and regional investments. It is implemented through a self-certification process overseen by an advisory committee. In addition, a quality review team provides assurance that "green" design elements are ultimately incorporated into completed projects.

NYSDOT has incorporated sustainable elements into its transportation project designs for years, but the GreenLITES certification program is intended to integrate sustainability more effectively into project designs by increasing awareness of them and expanding innovative design alternatives.

Designs are rated in categories covering site selection, water- and air-quality protection, the minimization of waste and innovation. Examples of design elements that scorers might rate highly include the selection of a project site that minimizes impacts to the environment and a project design that follows existing geographic contours. Other examples include designs that protect, enhance or restore fish and wildlife habitat, minimize storm water runoff, improve traffic flow, reduce energy and petroleum consumption, improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities and minimize noise and stray light.

NYSDOT maintenance operations staff incorporates GreenLITES environmental stewardship into all of their activities, which keep the highways and bridges functioning safely on a day-to-day basis. Maintenance requires implementing a comprehensive management system to plan, fund, track and rate their environmental activities and ensure that NYSDOT maintenance and operation projects are done in an environmentally responsible manner. Work affected includes everything from cleaning catch basins and reducing herbicide applications to rehabilitating rest areas, enhancing noise barriers with landscaping and promoting the use of alternative fuel vehicles.

"Evergreen" recognition has been awarded to the following:

· Design of the Route 30 reconstruction in the Town of Mayfield, Fulton County: This project will use stockpiled native streambed material at a new bridge over the Kennyetto Creek to recreate natural stream bottoms. Native seed mixes will be used for wetland areas, as well as native riparian plant cuttings for stream bank stabilization. Invasive wetland species, such as purple loosestrife, will be removed and disposed of during construction. Water quality and the nearby habitat will be positively impacted through the use of erosion control practices. A roundabout will be installed at Route 30's intersection with Route 29, which will reduce idling by vehicles at intersections and save on fossil fuel usage. The project will also improve access to the Fulton County Visitor Center, a multi-use recreation trail and a park-and-ride facility.

· Design of the Route 17 interchange at Exit 122 in the Town of Wallkill, Orange County: Extensive archeological data recovery resulted in the designation of the Wallkill Prehistoric Archeological District. The project will avoid and minimize the impact to sensitive environmental areas through the use of steepened slopes and retaining walls. A segment of the Phillipsburg Creek will be relocated utilizing salvaged stream bed cobbles and incorporating step pools to eliminate a five-foot drop at a culvert outlet to improve aquatic wildlife passage. More than a half-mile of new plantings will establish hedgerows to provide travel corridors for the endangered Indiana Bat, and seasonal limitations on tree clearing will be established to prevent harm to the bats. Landscaping will also enhance viewsheds and reduce perceived noise impacts.

· Design of the Northern State Parkway interchange at Route 110 in Melville, Suffolk County: This project will strive to provide transportation options by providing non-automotive choices for local travel and improved connections to public transportation. The design includes a continuous sidewalk network, new pedestrian signals and crosswalks, a continuous shoulder lane available for bicyclists and bus turnouts for improved and efficient public transportation. The design calls for an increased number of trees and enriched architectural surfaces within the widened sidewalk corridor to reduce the scale of the road, provide shade for pedestrians and better define pedestrian spaces along the corridor. The historically and aesthetically rich architectural features of Long Island's parkway corridor will be recreated in the new bridge designed for this location, reusing granite from the original bridge, removing invasive plant species and replacing them with native vegetation.

· The Clinton County NYSDOT Residency based in Plattsburgh, responsible for upkeep and maintenance of 725 lane miles of state highway in the North Country. Their noteworthy efforts to protect the environment include incorporating recycling techniques in the residency's pavement program, exercising proactive measures in ditching and grading of embankments, using salt brine as a liquid anti-ice treatment, reducing the residency's mowing footprint and incorporating almost a mile of live and mechanical snow fencing to reduce the use of additional resources to clear snow drifts.

· The Franklin County NYSDOT Residency based in Malone, which is responsible for 566 lane miles. The residency provided training on energy conservation, salt usage and vehicle idling. With training and outreach programs such as Adopt-A-Highway and appearances at various schools, the residency encouraged sound environmental decisions by both the workers of the residency and Franklin County residents. The residency also installed mechanical snow fence in lowland open fields to minimize drifting snow and reused various materials, such as asphalt millings and stone, to lessen the need to mine additional materials.

· The Nassau County North NYSDOT Residency based in Syosset, which covers 636 lane miles. During the winter, the residency embarked on proactive treatments of the pavement with brine hours before the onset of a snow storm, instead of spreading salt during the storm and plowing it away. The residency also switched to using more environmentally friendly deicers. Instead of using harmful herbicides, the residency uses hand tractors to clear weeds to expose guide rails. The residency installed bike-friendly grates. And it reduced fuel usage by mowing only what was necessary along highways for sight distance and for vehicles to pull over safely in an emergency.

"Gold" recognition has been awarded to the following:

· Design of a project to construct a diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 590 and Winton Road in the Town of Brighton, Monroe County. The project will help traffic move more quickly and efficiently and reduce congestion in the morning and evening rush hours.

· Design of the replacement of two bridges carrying Route 201 over Vestal Road and Route 434 in Vestal, Broome County. The project will install multiple infiltration basins that can handle a larger-than-normal amount of storm water, providing environmental and cost-savings benefits.

· Design of the Staten Island Expressway Bus/HOV Lane Project. This project will extend bus lanes from Slosson Avenue to near Victory Boulevard in Staten Island. The project also will provide auxiliary lanes between Bradley Avenue and Clove Road to mitigate delays along this notoriously congested corridor.

· The Cattaraugus County NYSDOT Residency based in Salamanca, which covers 905 lane miles. The residency installed 2,800 feet of mechanical snow fencing. The residency also installed 12 bear signs in a collaborative effort with DEC.

· The Chautauqua County NYSDOT Residency based in Mayville, which covers 917 lane miles. The residency planted pine trees on Route 394 as a natural snow fence, composted deer carcasses, removed invasive plant species and recycled construction debris to stabilize a slope on Route 83.

· The Erie County North NYSDOT Residency based in Depew, responsible for 1,060 lane miles. The residency scored highly in cleaning its closed drainage systems, providing salt sensitivity awareness training and removing debris, as well as its alternative deicer usage.

· The Sullivan County NYSDOT Residency based in Monticello, which covers 500 lane miles. The residency installed three rock structures in two creeks as part of a pair of innovative draining projects to ease sediment deposition and flooding problems. The residency also installed several living snow fences along Route 17 to combat drifting snow on the highway.

· The Nassau County Central NYSDOT Residency based in Central Islip, responsible for 541 lane miles. The residency undertook a program to clean closed drainage systems and perform large culvert preventive maintenance to reduce sedimentation in local waters. The residency also repaired and replaced fences to keep animals off the highways.

· The Region 6 Bridge Maintenance Group based in Hornell, which is responsible for 538 bridges. The group ensured that bridges were cleaned of road salt and other deicing materials and debris to minimize impacts to streams and the surrounding environment. The group also removed failing lead paint coatings from bridges to prevent them from flaking off onto the ground or streams. The flakes were disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

For more information on the GreenLITES program, please visit https://www.nysdot.gov/programs/greenlites.