Today we will wrap up our series on transportation by having a discussion with Tammy Nicholson, Director of the Modal Transportation Bureau for the Iowa Department of Transportation.
As stated in an article published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), written by Leila Mead on May 24, 2021 titled The Road to Sustainable Transport, “Transport is at the center of many economic and social development challenges, accounting for about 64% of global oil consumption, 27% of all energy use, and 23% of the world’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Rethinking and revamping transit in the post-COVID era by implementing structural changes would go a long way toward reinforcing some of the positive impacts on emission levels and air quality created by efforts to curb the pandemic.”
The questions remains, how do we maintain our existing infrastructure for various modes of transportation while planning and designing for a much different, more sustainable, and more resilient future? Tune in to this week’s discussion and hear Tammy’s insights from the Department of Transportation perspective.
Key Takeaways from our discussion:
- Iowa DOT has a new Modal Transportation Bureau that oversees aviation, public transportation and rail
- The Sustainability Working Group and Resiliency Working Group have been newly formed to address our ability to bounce back after disruptions in our transportation system due to floods, extreme weather events and major crashes, as well as to plan long term for more sustainable modes of transportation
- The triple bottom line is used in planning at the DOT
- Environmental stewardship and impacts
- Fiscal stewardship and impacts
- Social Stewardship and impacts
- Figuring out what changes can be made toward more sustainable transportation is a big task and best done in stages
- Our existing rail system is mostly privately owned so when working on passenger trail routes, it requires cooperation with businesses who run freight and Amtrak as well as other connecting states – it takes time, effort and funding
- Growth in electric vehicles and automated vehicles are being included in future planning at DOT
- Consideration of more energy efficient modes of transport are always being looked at whether it is new rail lines or electric busses
- Roadside management has been planting native species and living snow fences along roadways for years now
- Our transportation system is very complex but the DOT is always looking for new solutions to incorporate sustainability and resiliency
“A developed country isn’t a place where
The poor have cars.
It’s where the rich use
Public transportation.”
~ Gustavo Petro
“What Paris has done right
Is to make it awful to get around by car and
Awfully easy to get around by
Public transportation or by bike.”
~ Serge Schmemann
Thank you for listening to today’s discussion. Let’s continue the conversation and learn from each other.