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Richmond’s New Sustainable Design Standards Are Supported by Envision

2-December-2024

Richmond, Virginia provided an update on November 22 on the amazing work it is undertaking to meet climate and resilience objectives. The city’s new sustainable design standards, which reference the Envision Framework, were presented to community members and city employees in the City Council Chambers.

These standards are part of RVA Green 2050, led by the Office of Sustainability. Designed as an equity-centered, community based, integrated climate action and climate resilience plan, this initiative is formally called RVAgreen 2050: Climate Equity Action Plan 2030.

Richmond’s Mayor Levar M. Stoney was joined by Office of Sustainability Director Laura Thomas and other staff. ISI President & CEO Anthony Kane was also invited to share remarks!

The intent with the new sustainable design standards is for new development projects to “not only meet the functional requirements, and community needs but also align with the long-term vision for an equitable, sustainable, and vibrant Richmond.” To that end, Envision is identified as a key tool, particularly for horizontal projects where the framework “shall be applied… regardless of size, ensuring that sustainable practices are integrated throughout planning, design, construction, and operation” (4.2).

Learn more:

Sustainable Design Standards: https://www.rvagreen2050.com/sds
RVA Green Website: https://www.rvagreen2050.com/rvagreen-2050-plan
RVA Green 2050 plan: https://www.rva.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/FullDocumentRVAgreenClimateEquityActionPlan2030.pdf

2024 Conference Re-Cap: Key Takeaways

18-November-2024

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2024 ISI Annual Conference, “Realizing the Vision.” This year, the list of registrants, comprised of civil engineers, planners, designers, architects, constructors, owners, and academics reached 1,800 — a new record for us. A special thank-you to our esteemed presenters and moderators who provided such terrific sessions. And the conference need not fade into memory! You can still replay any session in the Zoom Events lobby, which will remain open until December 31st. The recordings will then be moved to the ISI website where they will be available in users’ accounts.  

The 2024 ISI Annual Conference was a huge success, providing actionable strategies and insights to our audience, and we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some key achievements. Here are six big takeaways. 

Envision users are part of a thriving community, one that matters more than ever. The annual conference gathers a diversity of civil infrastructure professionals. You might be part of a small team taking on (seemingly) daunting goals. Or you might be working to change the nature of your organization. Regardless of your specific roles in infrastructure development or your organization’s current level of Envision adoption, throughout our conference, you can see the broader impact that Envision users are achieving together. And that’s truly inspiring! What we do has always been critical and will continue to be even more so.

Envision can be applied to a wide range of project size and types. The broad range of case studies and lessons shared underscored the versatility of ISI’s Envision rating system. We were reminded that no matter the type of project — it might be a new highway, bridge or runway, an improved drinking water facility, a renewable source of energy, a revitalized park system, a climate-resilient shoreline — the Envision rating system can play a key role in delivering a higher-performing project that maximizes benefits for communities.  

Attendees connected to the conference in locations around the globe.

Envision is being applied by public agencies and by AEC firms large and small. Our event attracted 1,800 registrants working to plan, design, and build civil infrastructure projects — 600 more than last year. That’s 600 more professionals committed to delivering triple-bottom line benefits on infrastructure projects. These include social benefits such as achieving stronger and more equitable communities, environmental benefits such as protecting and enhancing the air we breathe and the water that sustains our planet, and economic benefits such as creating local jobs and ensuring ratepayers receive good value for their infrastructure investment.

The ENV SP credential is the credential of choice for sustainable infrastructure professionals. People from across North America and around the world tuned in for the opportunity to learn more about Envision and its implementation. Bonus: by attending, participants also fulfilled their Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential maintenance hours as the conference offered several elective course hours and two prescribed course hours (The “Project Showcase” and the session on “Building Together: Sustainability, Equity and Engagement”). The ENV SP credential is widely used and recognized by the civil infrastructure sector. Whether you’re with an organization with 4 ENV SPs — or 400 ENV SPs — know that you are making a difference for the future of civil infrastructure.

Our speakers and moderators delivered! Our presenters swung for the fences as they shared strategies to plan, design and build sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Their sessions were rich with insights on collaboration, resilience, nature-inspired solutions, cutting carbon, sustainability in construction, the cost of Envision, and moving to scale with Envision. Special thanks to our keynote speakers Ethan Kent of PlacemakingX and TJ Moon of Los Angeles County Public Works and to our guest moderators Prabh Banga (Aecon Group, Inc.), Stephanie Printz (HDR), and Bob Beinstein (AECOM).

We would also like to recognize the bright minds who presented their insights and experiences in the poster session presentations on November 6 and 7. We were inspired by these young students and professionals who will be writing sustainable infrastructure’s next chapter. They helped remind all of us that the right projects connect to communities and deliver gifts to the future.

Finally, advancing sustainable development has always been about collaboration. That collaboration happens every day, between the public agencies and their engineering consulting firm partners. But that collaboration is also demonstrated in the work of the many not-for-profit organizations, institutes and academic organizations who bring their knowledge and experience to the table. Their initiatives and the commitment to implementing them will continue to change our industry for the better.

Working together, these organizations are on the front lines in making infrastructure more sustainable, resilient, and equitable. We hope you will join us again for the 2025 ISI Annual Conference, and we invite you to attend our webinar series throughout the year. Thank you to all of our conference participants and supporters who continue to advance our important mission!

ISI Announces Partnership with Guatemala GBC

16-October-2024

ISI Announces Partnership with Guatemala GBC to Advance Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure through use of Envision

Washington, D.C. and Guatemala City – The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) is excited to announce a new partnership with Guatemala Green Building Council (GGBC) to bring the Envision framework and rating system to Guatemala. The goal of this collaboration is to encourage professionals working in Guatemala’s A/E/C industry to use Envision to plan, design, and deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects that support the long-term health and well-being of their communities.

In September, ISI and GGBC formally signed the partnership agreement during América Sostenible & Resiliente, a GGBC-hosted regional meeting to encourage conversations about advancing sustainable and resilient construction by the countries that make up the Americas Regional Network of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).

“We are excited to work with GGBC to expand growth of Envision in Latin America” says Anthony Kane, ISI President & CEO. “ISI’s partnership with GGBC strengthens our regional network and local impact, while supporting our mutual goal to increase the sustainability of infrastructure across the Americas.”

GGBC is a non-profit, member-based, and mission driven organization focused on improving the quality of life by leading the transformation of urban surroundings. A WorldGBC member, the organization seeks to transform the construction sector to use more environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically feasible practices to support the needs of future generations.

“The partnership between the Guatemala Green Building Council and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) marks a significant step toward advancing resilient and sustainable infrastructure in Guatemala,” affirmed Pamela Castellán, Chair of Americas Regional Network and Executive Director of GGBC. “By aligning local expertise with global standards, this collaboration will empower our communities to build with sustainability in mind, addressing critical environmental challenges while fostering economic growth and resilience.”

ISI was founded in 2010 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) to support the development of a sustainable infrastructure framework. In collaboration with the then Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, ISI integrated the best of industry experience with cutting-edge academic research to produce the Envision framework and rating system. Envision now serves as a benchmark guidance tool for infrastructure owners, engineers, designers, architects, planners, contractors, operators, and other stakeholders in the early planning and design stages of infrastructure development. To date, more than 9,000 individuals around the globe have earned the Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential, and more than 170 projects have been verified using the Envision rating system.

To learn more about GGBC, please visit https://www.guatemalagbc.org/.

To learn more about ISI, please visit https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/.

ISI Travels to China to Strengthen Envision Collaboration

18-September-2024

ISI staff visited China, the largest infrastructure market in the world, to explore opportunities to apply Envision to very large and consequential projects, including the development of entirely new cities.Read more

ISI Announces Partnership with Chile GBC

21-August-2024

ISI Announces Partnership with Chile GBC to Promote Sustainable Infrastructure through the use of Envision in Chile

Washington, D.C. and Santiago – The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Chile Green Building Council (Chile GBC) to bring the Envision framework and rating system to Chile. The goal of this collaboration is to encourage professionals working in Chile’s A/E/C industry to use Envision to plan, design, and deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects that support the long-term health and well-being of their communities.

“We are excited to continue the growth of Envision in Latin America through this partnership with Chile GBC, the leading organization in Chile for sustainable development,” says Anthony Kane, ISI President & CEO. “Together ISI, Chile GBC, and our other partners in the region will work together to increase the sustainability of infrastructure across the Americas.”

Chile GBC is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 with the aim of accelerating the transformation of the built environment to be more sustainable. An established member and part of the board of the World Green Building Council, this organization works together with its members and strategic allies to promote technological innovation, capacity building, the generation of public policies, and the development and implementation of different certification systems in order to encourage the preservation and efficient use of resources and improve the quality of life, health, and well-being of people and their communities.

Chile GBC is a regional leader in the development and management of information facilitating platforms that seek to contribute to accelerating the implementation of sustainability solutions and foster market transformation. Additionally, they are an UNEP Global ABC member and are integrated into several working groups related to financing, advocacy and regulation, materials and carbon neutrality both in this organization and WorldGBC. Chile GBC is also a local and regional leader in training on various topics related to the circular economy; health and well-being; certifications for materials, buildings, infrastructure and cities, and strategies for carbon management, among other technical content.

“Emerging economies need to increase investment in the development of new infrastructure, which in a country like Chile that meets seven of the nine climate vulnerability criteria, needs to be sustainable, resilient and aligned with carbon commitments, while minimizing environmental impacts and generating greater benefits for communities,” remarked María Fernanda Aguirre, Executive Director of Chile GBC. “For several years, Chile has been highlighted in international rankings as the Latin American country that leads in terms of competitiveness in infrastructure, so the implementation and growth of Envision in Chile allows us to go one step further. This alliance will help us to increase the ambition of new public and private construction assets in terms of environmental and social sustainability, and promote better quality standards and practices of excellence in design, construction and management of the operation of projects of different scale and complexity.”

ISI was founded in 2010 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Public Works Association (APWA), and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) to support the development of a guide for sustainable infrastructure. In collaboration with the then Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, ISI integrated the best of industry experience with cutting-edge academic research to produce the Envision framework and rating system. Envision now serves as a benchmark guidance tool for infrastructure owners, engineers, designers, architects, planners, contractors, operators, and other stakeholders in the early planning and design stages of infrastructure development. To date, more than 9,000 individuals around the globe have earned the Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential, and more than 170 projects have been verified by the Envision framework.

Chile GBC and ISI will formalize this alliance during the “América Sostenible” ​​event that will take place from September 9 to 13 in Guatemala City. Likewise, the 2025 work agenda will be launched to strengthen the promotion of Envision in Chile during the annual assembly of members and allies on November 28.

To learn more about Chile GBC, please visit https://www.chilegbc.cl

To learn more about ISI, please visit https://sustainableinfrastructure.org

ISI holds second Zofnass Research Program Workshop in New York City

20-June-2024

Infrastructure professionals gained new insights into the use and implementation of Envision to develop more sustainable projects at ISI’s second Zofnass Research Program Workshop.Read more

City of Santa Monica Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project awarded Envision Platinum

9-May-2024

Santa Monica’ SWIP is an all-underground Advanced Water Treatment Facility and first-of-its-kind to purify wastewater and stormwater for water reuse.

Santa Monica, Calif. and Washington, D.C. — The City of Santa Monica Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP) has earned an Envision Platinum award for sustainability. Substantial accomplishments across multiple Envision credit areas, from leadership and community quality of life to resource allocation, climate resilience, and the natural world, combined to give this project the highest Envision award level, Platinum.

The City of Santa Monica SWIP reduces the city’s traditional reliance on costly imported freshwater resources from Northern California and the Colorado River by creating new, local water supplies. The project is an advanced treatment water recycling plant that treats the city’s municipal wastewater, stormwater (wet-weather), and urban runoff (dry-weather) with the new stormwater harvesting tank. Otherwise, the stormwater is discharged into Santa Monica Bay. Once treated, the advanced treated water is conveyed through the existing distribution system and reused for landscape irrigation. The new system also allows for excess produced water to be recharged into the groundwater supplies and extracted later for reuse as a local and sustainable drinking water supply.

Quotes

Selim Eren, PE, Principal Civil Engineer, said: “Santa Monica has introduced a world-class, first-of-its-kind water reuse project with SWIP. This Project exemplifies the City’s leadership and commitment to the protection of natural resources, climate resilency and innovation.”

Kristi Wamstad, ISI’s Verification Director, said: “ISI congratulates the City of Santa Monica for its commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability and water self-sufficiency. While developing a diverse, sustainable, and drought-resilient local water supply, the project makes a significant positive impact on quality of life through water quality improvements, greater community mobility and access, and improved public spaces.”

Background to the Project

Historically, to withstand periods of drought, it has been necessary for the City of Santa Monica to import much of its water from drought-stressed Northern California and the much-in-demand Colorado River. Amid growing statewide concerns over the long-term availability of water, the city has taken aggressive steps over the past decade, focusing both on water conservation and developing new, local water supplies. Conservation efforts have managed to significantly reduce overall water consumption, while the development of new water supplies for landscape irrigation and other uses—from waters previously considered waste—has reduced the city’s reliance on imported waters. In 2019, a key stormwater capture and reuse project known as the Santa Monica Clean Beaches Project, recognized with an Envision Gold award, helped move the city closer to those objectives.

The city’s SWIP project is focused specifically on advanced treating municipal wastewater as well as capturing stormwater, urban water runoff, and treating them up to drinking water standards. Its components include the development of new infrastructure to advance treat the city’s wastewater, an all-underground advanced water treatment facility (AWTF), a new stormwater harvesting tank, and upgrades to the existing treatment facility. This first-of-its-kind project contributes significantly toward self-sufficiency goals identified in the city’s Sustainable Water Master Plan, by producing up to 10% of the city’s water supply.

The project is proof of Santa Monica’s commitment to environmental innovation as the shortage of water resources challenges California and western US states sharing this precious resource. By capturing rainwater and urban runoff away from the Santa Monica Bay and treating it beyond drinking water standards, the project aims to improve water quality in Santa Monica Bay and protect the ocean.

The project aligns with the state’s Water Supply Strategy goals of increasing recycling wastewater and the state’s control measures governing municipal separate storm sewer systems and Enhanced Watershed Management Programs (EWMPs). Here are some of the key sustainability achievements:

Verified Sustainability Achievements

Preserving Water Resources: The city’s sustainability goal is to obtain 100% of its water locally, and the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP) plays a key role in reaching this objective. By capturing, recycling, treating, and beneficially reusing 1 million gallons per day of stormwater and municipal wastewater that would otherwise be wasted, the SWIP preserves 10% of the city’s water demand locally, creating a net positive impact on water quality and resources in the watershed. The SWIP is estimated to produce 14.6 trillion gallons of water over a 40-year span.

Management of Stormwater: One of the project’s purposes is stormwater management. Stormwater runoff from the site is captured, along with a significant portion of stormwater generated from the 88-acre upstream catchment basin. A 1.5-million-gallon stormwater harvesting tank is capable of capturing the 85th percentile, 24-hour storm event from the 88-acre watershed area. Once captured, the stormwater is mixed with wastewater, treated at the Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF), and distributed for beneficial reuse. 

Natural World: There will be significantly less pollution entering Santa Monica Bay, one of the city’s greatest natural assets and contributors to the city’s social and economic livelihoods. Supporting this outcome is a more modern treatment process. The project employs innovative technologies, including membrane bioreactors and advanced oxidation processes, that provide better water treatment and significantly reduce the amount of chemicals required. Through the diversion of untreated stormwater and treated wastewater from Santa Monica Bay, the SWIP has a net positive impact on ocean water quality.

Reduced Water-Supply Carbon Footprint: The advanced water treatment plant and all components of the SWIP Project operate solely on 100% renewable electricity annually, obtained through the city’s Direct Access agreement with the Clean Power Alliance. All power purchased under the city’s 100% renewable plan comes from 100% solar sources. This equates to 9,633 MWh (34,679,600 MJ) annually and 289,000 MWh of solar power purchased throughout the 30-year life of the project. The city’s commitment to renewable energy is expected to result in 100% renewable power for the entire city, inclusive of all residents and businesses within city limits, by 2025 (currently, 96% of all power in the city is renewable).

Quality of Life Measures: The most direct impact on quality of life will come from locally recycled produced water and improved beach water quality. Wastewater previously not recycled now adds to the city’s water portfolio through reuse, and stormwater previously discharged into Santa Monica Bay contained high levels of coliform bacteria, which frequently prompted water quality warnings and beach closures. This situation was disadvantageous for the local quality of life and for tourism, which brings annually $700 million into the local economy. The ability to capture, treat, and beneficially reuse wastewater and stormwater with this project delivers a positive impact on bay water quality, beach closures, and the community’s water supply.

Stakeholder Engagement: The Santa Monica community, technical leaders, and local and state regulators were meaningfully engaged in and positively supported the project and process. Engagements with stakeholders highlighted, among other aspects, the importance of preserving or enhancing views and local character. In response, the project team employed strategies such as adopting existing city sustainability and water master plans and guidelines, locating much of the facility underground, and preserving and enhancing local landscapes, with a particular emphasis on large trees.

Mobility and Access: The Santa Monica Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project increases mobility and access in Santa Monica’s Civic Center and downtown by adding new sidewalks and bike lanes. An extension of Civic Center Drive to Main Street through this project also allows better vehicle access to the Civic Center and the Bay.

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Top: Stormwater Harvesting Tank at City of Santa Monica Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project. Above: Membrane Bio-Reactor. Below: Reverse Osmosis Treatment.

Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension is Awarded Envision Platinum

25-April-2024

Project expands light rail from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way

Seattle, Washington and Washington, D.C.  – The Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) project has earned an Envision Platinum Award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).  This recognition, the highest possible Envision award level, was received for the project’s achievements related to sustainable transportation, mobility and access, stakeholder engagement, infrastructure integration, and multiple other areas of sustainability. FWLE is only the seventh transit project in the U.S. to earn Envision Platinum.

The project extends light rail transit service 7.8 miles further south into King County and is part of a larger transit expansion in the Seattle metropolitan area, recognized as one of the most ambitious in the nation at present. FWLE demonstrated through its submission how the project responds to the specific needs of both host and adjacent communities to support sustainability, equity, and resilience.

Quotes

“This award is a testament to Sound Transit’s long and deep commitment to sustainability and to the high levels of collaboration achieved with our project partners during challenging times,” said Sound Transit Chief Executive Officer Goran Sparrman. “We are proud of this achievement and look forward to many more sustainability milestones as we build public transit that connects our region to the places we live and work.”

“As a global leader in infrastructure, Parsons is transforming the rail and transit sector by providing innovative, tailored solutions that modernize transportation systems and deliver long-lasting, sustainable benefits to our clients,” said Mark Fialkowski, president, Infrastructure North America for Parsons. “Our contribution to the Federal Way Extension project represents Parsons’ combined engineering expertise and enterprise-wide commitment to sustainability. We are honored to be part of the team that achieved this award by creating a lasting, valuable public asset for the region and community.”

“Kiewit is proud to be the design-build contractor for Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension, a project that showcases innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Strong partnerships, particularly with the community, are essential to our success,” said Kiewit Corporation Executive Vice President Doug Glaser.  “We would not be able to accomplish what we did without the remarkable people we had on the team, including the 400 local union tradespeople and the 200 subcontractors and suppliers who came together with our construction and engineering staff to achieve a common goal.” 

“We are honored to present the Envision Platinum award to the Federal Way Link Extension project, recognizing its outstanding commitment to sustainability, equity, and resilience,” said Kristi Wamstad, ISI’s Verification Director. “This achievement underscores the project team’s dedication to creating a transit system that prioritizes environmental stewardship and social equity while meeting the needs of the community.”

The project in brief

FWLE expands regional light rail south from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) to Des Moines, Kent and Federal Way in King County, Washington. The route follows Interstate Freeway 5, from Angle Lake Station in the city of SeaTac, terminating at a new station — Federal Way Downtown (FWDS). Studies along the project corridor established the need for reliable, efficient peak and off-peak transit service to connect with the region’s growth centers. The corridor also has a high concentration of transit-dependent populations who need efficient and reliable regional transit connectivity, which FWLE directly addresses.

The line will include at-grade, retained fill, retained cut, and elevated structure guideway types. Construction of interim stations will be necessary, for continuity of service, at Kent/Des Moines, just south of the existing Angle Lake Station, and at South 272nd Street located to the north of FWDS. In addition, a maintenance facility will be constructed adjacent to FWDS to be used for vehicle inspection and interior cleaning. Parking, bus stops, and bike lockers and racks will be provided at the stations and other locations, further contributing to the project’s role in expanding mobility and improving connections to the regional multimodal transportation system. FWLE is forecast to be completed in 2026 and to raise ridership to approximately 29,000 – 34,000 daily riders.

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RapidRide H Line Transit Project Achieves Envision Platinum

25-April-2024

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King County, Washington and Washington, D.C. — A bus rapid transit project in King County, Washington has achieved an Envision Platinum award. King County Metro upgraded existing bus Route 120 to deliver the RapidRide H Line, adding to Metro’s growing bus rapid transit service. Consolidated bus stops, designated bus lanes, and all-door boarding are improving the rider experience with faster, more frequent, and more reliable service. The bus station shelters are designed to increase rider safety and improve wayfinding, while also reducing operations and maintenance costs and impacts on the environment. For this multi-jurisdiction project, King County Metro partnered with the City of Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the City of Burien, and White Center (an unincorporated area of King County).

 The new RapidRide H Line addresses key public transit issues to support the development of a more mobile, equitable, and resilient community. The project transformed one of King County’s ten busiest routes, that had struggled with severe overcrowding during peak transit times, into one providing buses at least every 15 minutes all day, every day — and at least every 10 minutes during peak travel times. Newly designated business access and transit (BAT) lanes and queue jump signals for the buses throughout most of the route allow for faster travel times, while other roadway improvements — including new turn lanes, traffic signals, and pedestrian crosswalks with flashing beacons — are improving overall safety. Since this transit route passes through several economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, the upgraded service also better connects residents to community amenities and job opportunities.

King County’s Green Building and Sustainable Development Ordinance requires community projects to achieve high levels of environmental sustainability while also addressing equity and social justice issues. Given these key priorities, Metro chose to pursue Envision verification for this project because the comprehensive framework provided the best direction to inspire and achieve the breadth and depth of sustainability sought throughout all project phases — from planning to design through construction.

The new RapidRide H Line service began in March 2023.

 

Verified Sustainability Achievements

Demonstrating Community Leadership – Planning and design of the new RapidRide H Line involved thorough outreach and engagement with the community, which ultimately helped to inform routing, stop locations, station amenities, and safety and access improvements.  The project team first partnered with local organizations to identify community stakeholders, and then conducted several phases of multilingual public outreach — including surveys, interviews, polls, and more — to identify the most concerning issues along the H Line route. This stakeholder involvement significantly contributed to the project’s overall success. For example, station stops and shelters were revised to provide the most equitable access for vulnerable communities to economic opportunities, healthcare, and other community services.

Improving Community Mobility – This project serves to advance equity and social justice in King County by investing in faster, more frequent, and more reliable public transit service in an area representing Metro’s priority populations: communities of color and those with lower incomes, limited English proficiency, and high transit dependency. One of the main objectives of Metro’s bus rapid transit service, including the new RapidRide H line, is to increase transportation capacity so that a rider can arrive at a bus stop at any time and quickly get on a bus, eliminating the need to rely on or interpret a schedule. The RapidRide H Line creates new connections that expand King County’s public transit network, providing better access to the Burien Transit Center, other bus routes, and bicycle and multi-use trails. The project also reduces disparities with respect to sidewalk infrastructure and pedestrian safety along the project’s corridor.

Preserving Water Resources – King County Metro Maintenance and Facilities has an established program to minimize bus zone cleaning times while still providing adequate cleanliness for customers. Bus station shelters were therefore designed to minimize maintenance and water usage, while maintaining the desired function and aesthetics. By designing the bus shelters with smooth glass roofs, power washing efficacy was increased while water use for cleaning was decreased. The project team also aimed to reduce water irrigation needs by specifically choosing drought tolerant plants, so no permanent irrigation was installed. Finally, the overall reduction of impervious surface in the project area led to decreased stormwater runoff and lower impact on water quality.

Stimulating Economic Prosperity – The RapidRide H Line was a unique opportunity to directly benefit neighborhoods in its service area, as studies have shown a link between bus rapid transit projects and economic development in the communities they serve. It achieved this not only by providing faster, more reliable and connected public transit, but also through the generation of living wage jobs and the development of skills and capabilities throughout the construction and operation of the line­­. As an example, the project team (with support from King County Central Procurement and Contracting Staff) leveraged County apprenticeship and training programs, particularly for construction trade workers and disadvantaged communities, throughout the development of the project.

Designing Resilient Infrastructure – The project team hosted a workshop to assess vulnerability to climate change and explore strategies for resiliency. Climate risks identified included wildfire, heat waves, and wetter winters, but projected impacts to the RapidRide H Line are deemed minimal. However, since riders may be exposed to these conditions, the bus shelters were designed to provide greater protection from the sun and hazardous weather conditions, while the increased frequency of service reduces wait time, allowing riders to limit their exposure. The project also partnered with other transit agencies in the region to create trip planning tools that better integrate routes and empower communities along the RapidRide H Line by improving access to services and thereby increasing quality of life. The project will continue to monitor rider capacity, bus delays, and other metrics to further improve rider access, mobility, and wayfinding.

Quotes

“Metro worked closely with the community to design and build the RapidRide H Line,” said Michelle Allison, General Manager of King County Metro. “Together, we created the best way to travel between Burien, White Center, West Seattle and downtown Seattle. Transit has always been the greenest way to travel, but winning this award takes our shared sustainability commitment to a new, higher level. We’re grateful to all of the jurisdictions and partners who made this recognition possible.”

“Our community loves having the H Line right around the corner from the new food bank!” shared Carmen Smith, Executive Director of White Center Food Bank. “It makes it really easy for them to get to the food bank, as well as take their groceries home without having to walk too far or uphill to get to the bus. Volunteers have been able to utilize the H Line when their car hasn’t been super reliable or when they don’t want to worry about parking. We also have a staff person who lives right on the H Line, which makes it easy to commute to work and not have to always rely on a ride. It’s neat that we have so many different folks connected to the food bank using the H Line.”

“ISI is proud to announce the Envision Platinum Award for the new RapidRide H Line,” said Kristi Wamstad, Verification Director at ISI. “This project absolutely demonstrates how the Envision framework can be used to align multiple stakeholder priorities and ultimately strengthen economic, social, and environmental results.”

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Philadelphia International Airport’s Taxiway J Rehabilitation Project Earns Envision Verified Award

17-April-2024

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This award marks the first project in the state of Pennsylvania to achieve Envision verification for its sustainability efforts.

Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pa. — The City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation (DOA) has obtained an Envision Verified award for integrating principles of sustainability into the design and construction of its Taxiway J Rehabilitation project at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The DOA engaged RS&H, Inc. to design this key project that will transform airport operations by rehabilitating Taxiway J’s western stretch. Construction is currently underway and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2024.

PHL is the only major airport serving one of the nation’s top ten largest metropolitan areas, with over 300 daily departures to 120 destinations worldwide. It serves as a hub for 27 airlines, including all major domestic carriers, and accommodates more than 28 million passengers each year.

PHL consists of four runways with crossfield taxiways connecting the north and south sides of the airfield, as well as the Cargo City apron and deicing apron on the west side of the airfield. Quality maintenance is paramount for these airfield pavements to ensure continued operational safety and efficiency, and an evaluation revealed that Taxiway J was due for rehabilitation.

The DOA set out to have Taxiway J reconstructed from Taxiways Z to Y, adjacent to the west cargo apron, along with its connector Taxiways K7 and K8, and all associated safety areas. The project was also identified as an early opportunity to showcase PHL’s commitment to enhancing the sustainable performance of their airport by using Envision as a guiding framework. This is the first project to become Envision verified as a part of the DOA’s recent adoption of the Envision framework for airfield and landside projects, and it also marks the first Envision Award in the state of Pennsylvania.

Verified Sustainability Achievements

Safety and Security – The project team developed a comprehensive and proactive Construction Safety Phasing Plan that extends to the contractor, James J. Anderson Construction (JJA), and all subcontractors involved in the project. It identifies all construction activities that will occur as part of the project within the Air Operations Area and defines how each construction area will comply with FAA regulations and requirements on airfield safety. Methods for safety inspections and communications, as well as requirements for security and training for project personnel, are set out in the plan.

Sustainability Leadership & Management – The DOA has established a set of  design standards to incorporate sustainability and climate resilience into all of its capital projects.  These standards include a commitment to measuring and addressing the social, environmental, and economic aspects of development projects at PHL and PNE (Northeast Philadelphia Airport) along with the utilization of the Envision framework for design and construction of airport infrastructure. The project team hosted a sustainability kickoff meeting – including interdisciplinary representation from engineers, planners, capital developers, construction managers, project managers, sustainability experts, and senior leadership – to discuss aligning their sustainability goals with Envision. The team then developed a project-specific Sustainability Management Plan to guide, track, and communicate their sustainability efforts using Envision throughout the project.

Operational Energy Reduction – The project team analyzed operational energy consumption for the project and determined the driver to be airfield lighting and signage. All airfield lighting and signage will be updated from traditional incandescent bulbs to more energy-efficient light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. This is expected to reduce operational energy consumption by 55%.

Reducing Impervious Cover – The project area is 14.75 acres, all located on previously developed airport property, and it consists of airfield pavement and grass infields. The project team found the total impervious cover to be 13.68 acres, or 93% of the project area. This project will reduce impervious cover by removing unneeded pavement and converting 0.18 acres of impervious cover back to pervious grass cover.

Infrastructure Integration – Taxiway J serves as an important connection to the airport’s deicing apron. During periods of winter weather, aircraft use Taxiway J for queuing to access the deicing apron. If the taxiway were not safe to use due to poor pavement conditions, this would cause flight delays. Originally, this project’s scope only included the rehabilitation of pavement for Taxiway J from Taxiways Z to Y. However, it became apparent to the project team that the intersection of Taxiway J and Taxiway Y should also be included in the project scope. The expanded scope not only improves safety for the overall airfield, but also allows for more efficient taxiway operations for the airport. Another key enhancement will be the installation of specific airfield lighting that provides routing, guidance, and surveillance for improved control of aircraft and vehicles during various weather conditions.

Quotes

“We are proud that our airport has received its very first Envision verification for Taxiway J,” said Lee Sutanto, Philadelphia International Airport’s Assistant Engineering Manager. “This achievement was made possible through a collaborative and concerted effort by the design team, the airport’s project and construction management team, and the cooperation of the general contractor. We work hard at PHL to prioritize sustainability in all our infrastructure investments.”

“RS&H has worked with PHL/PNE DOA to create a programmatic approach for Envision, developing policies, procedures, guidance and documentation for project teams,” said Megan Kilinski, ENV SP, Sustainability and Resilience Consultant at RS&H. “Leveraging this programmatic approach was key to our team’s success with the TW-J rehabilitation project, and the lessons we learned are paving the way towards more sustainable infrastructure projects at the airport in the future.”

“We are excited to celebrate PHL’s first Envision Award as they embark on their journey toward greater sustainability,” says Kristi Wamstad, ISI Verification Director. “PHL’s Department of Aviation’s commitment to sustainability through the use of Envision sets a great example for the airport industry.”

 

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