| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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NEMWI Hill Briefing: "No Getting Around It: Getting More From Our Transportation System in the Northeast and Midwest"
| The Northeast-Midwest Institute is hosting a Capitol Hill briefing: "No Getting Around It: Getting More from Our Transportation System in the Northeast and Midwest." This informational briefing, scheduled for June 8 from 12:30-1:30pm at the Capitol Visitor Center, Senate Rm. 202, will query the timely topic, "What are we getting for our transportation money?":
- How do NEMW states stack up in terms of the quality and availability of their performance measures information?
- How have NEMW states reduced cost and congestion, and improved quality of life in our region through regional transportation planning?
- How can the NEMW region get more out of its transportation systems?
Panelists include: Robert Zahradnik from Pew Center on the States; Michael Boyer of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; Beverley Swaim-Staley, Secretary of MDOT; and Allen D. Biehler, former PennDOT Secretary.
Please direct any questions to Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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New NEMWI Staffer: Great Ships Initiative Site Manager
| Travis Mangan joined the NEMWI staff today as Great Ships Initiative Site Manager. Mr. Mangan, who has both field biology and engineer expertise, will provide hands-on support to--and serve as the on-site NEMWI representative for--all Great Ships Initiative research activities.
For more information, contact Allegra Cangelosi, President of the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Great Lakes Regional Listening Session
| The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will co-host a Great Lakes Regional Listening Session on Monday, June 13, 2011, at the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, IL 60604. The session, which runs from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CDT, will focus on the actions and issues most important to Americans whose lives are affected by the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, as well as National Ocean Policy. The input and comments from these listening sessions will be considered in the development of a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes. Advance in-person registration will close Friday, June 10 at 5:00 pm EDT. It can also be viewed via a free webinar. Registration is available through the Great Lakes Information Network website. In-person and webinar participants are encouraged to read the Strategic Action Plan outlines ahead of time. In-person attendees will be able to submit written and verbal comments.
For more information, contact Leah Konrady, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program.
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Smart Growth America Releases "Repair Priorities" Report
| Smart Growth America released its "Repair Priorities" report urging states to prioritize road upkeep over expansion. According to the report, "Federal Highway Administration data indicate that half of all major state roads were in "fair" or "poor" condition in 2008, and in 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation's roads a D-, down from a D in 2005." Find the full report and the executive summary on the Smart Growth America website. Also released was a related article, "The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from US cities," from Gilles Duranton and Matthew A. Turner, which argues that "every lane-mile of highway built leads to a corresponding increase in vehicle-miles traveled" showing that new capacity often induces demand rather than just meeting it. The "fix-it-first" agenda is of interest to the Northeast-Midwest Institute because of problems with aging infrastructure in much of the region.
Fore more information contact Fritz Ohrenschall, Research Associate at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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