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[H+T--Friends] AUTO: Susan Herbel is out of the office (returning 08/16/2012)

by Susan Herbel

I am out of the office until 08/16/2012. I will be away from the office until August 16. Please call my cell if you want to reach me. 202.494.5539 Note: This is an automated response to your message "[H+T--Friends] After the Dust Has Settled...Some Reflections on the New Transportation Law (MAP-21)" sent on 8/13/2012 1:09:58 PM. This is the only notification you will receive while this person is away.

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] After the Dust Has Settled...Some Reflections on the New Transportation Law (MAP-21)

by Phyllis Orrick

>From Ken Orski. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ken Orski <korski(a)verizon.net> Date: Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 7:11 AM Subject: After the Dust Has Settled...Some Reflections on the New Transportation Law (MAP-21) To: Our Readers <korski(a)verizon.net> ** [image: Innovation Briefs] <http://www.innobriefs.com/> Vol. 23, No. 21 (Rev) www.innobriefs.com August 13, 2012 (update) ** *After the Dust Has Settled... Some Reflections on the New Transportation Law (MAP-21) * ****** ------------------------------ By a vote of 373-52 in the House and a vote of 74-19 in the Senate, the lawmakers approved a two year reauthorization (October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2014) of the federal surface transportation program, just one day before the program was set to expire on June 30. In so doing, Congress passed the first multi-year reauthorization in almost seven years and put an end to a three-year long series of nine short-term extensions that kept the transportation community in a state of perpetual uncertainty. The bill, which also extended the existing authorization through the end of the current Fiscal Year (September 30) was signed into law at a subdued White House ceremony on Friday, July 6. Stakeholders and the construction industry applauded the bill as one "that will bring us 27 months of much needed funding certainty and program stability" in the words of Kirk Steudle, AASHTO’s president. Political observers praised the compromise bill as a commendable example of bicameral give-and-take. Even many think tank conservatives privately admitted that the bill was far better than they had reason to expect. About the only sour note was sounded by environmentalists and advocates of so-called "active transportation" (i.e. the bike/ped lobby). They felt cheated by what they considered too many concessions made by Senate negotiators eager to pass a bill at any price."A substantial capitulation," and "a major step backward," was how the disappointed Transportation for America (T4America) advocacy group characterized the conference bill in its press release. "Bad News for America," headlined the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Smart Growth America thought the bill "fails to provide the kind of visionary...transportation reform America deserves." Nature Conservancy deemed it "a sad event in the history of American conservation." And an anti-automobile civil liberties activist called the bill ‘The most hyperpartisan and least productive that I’ve seen in decades." Collectively, the green advocacy groups gave vent to their frustration that Congress did not embrace enough of their agenda. They found themselves isolated, unable to influence the outcome and, ironically, opposed to a bill that was unanimously supported by all congressional Democrats. As with any negotiated compromise, neither Senate Democrats nor House Republicans felt completely satisfied. But in the end, fear of being accused of killing a"jobs bill" five months before a critical election, plus a genuine desire to put an end to three-years of uncertainty, tipped the scales in favor of a compromise. The prospect of a 27 month respite from having to revisit the transportation authorization also weighed in favor of approving the measure, despite reservations on both sides. * Lingering Fiscal Concerns * Although the bill was welcomed, its failure to address the problem of long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund did not escape notice. "A good step forward," said former Governor Rendell, co-chairman of the Building America’s Future coalition, but the bill lacks a "long-term sustainable and significant funding source." Echoed ARTBA’s President Pete Ruane, "The tough job of coming to grips with how to fund the nation’s investment in transportation over the longer term remains." So did Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, who observed that "The revenue title kicks the can down the road, failing to put the Highway Trust Fund on a sustainable path forward." Fiscal conservatives complained about the questionable way the $118 billion bill ($105.2 billion bill in obligation authority for FY 2013-14) is to be paid for. To fully fund it, the bill supplements the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) with an $18.8B transfer from the general fund and an additional $2.4B transfer from the LUST (Leaking Underground Storage Tank) Trust Fund. To pay for these transfers, the bill uses "a remarkable array of budget gimmicks voters aren’t supposed to notice," in the words of the Wall Street Journal. The main source of offsets is the projected revenue from the so-called Pension Funding Stabilization reform which will allow employers to lower their contributions to defined benefit pension plans. Since pension contributions are tax deductible, reducing them will increase employers’ taxable income and hence allow the government to collect more taxes. Also used for offsets will be projected increases in premiums paid to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. FY2012-2014 offsets will only amount to $8.077B. To fully pay for the 27 months of funding, ten years worth of offsets will be required. "It is simply nonsensical to pay for this measure for at least eight years after it expires," observed Sen. Hatch. While pension funding stabilization has been called "phantom savings" by the Wall Street Journal, and criticized as problematic by conservative groups such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, it is not without supporters. They include, primarily, corporate employers who feel that current regulations require them to set aside more funds than is necessary. *End of Long-term Reauthorizations?* With a road user (mileage) fee garnering little support in Congress (indeed, the House has approved an amendment to the FY 2013 appropriations bill that would block the exploration of a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee), and with no other money-raising mechanism anywhere in sight, there is a growing sense among seasoned observers that the days of long-term transportation authorizations may be over. The prevailing fiscal and political climate will make it difficult if not downright impossible to raise hundreds of billions of dollars in a single legislative package. For example, at FY 2013-14 (MAP-21) levels of expenditure, a six-year surface transportation authorization would require approximately $300 billion in funding. Highway Trust Fund revenue and interest over the same time frame is expected to generate only $210 billion, leaving an unfunded shortfall of $90 billion. Faced with this dilemma, Congress is likely to embrace short-term bills as the only practical solution. Short-term authorizations, such as MAP-21, will only require relatively modest injections of general funds and, if recent experience is any guide, Congress will always find ways to offset modest revenue transfers with "creative" accounting gimmicks. To be sure, the transportation community will contend that longer-term (i.e. five- or-six-year) authorizations are necessary to allow for an orderly planning and implementation of major capital investments. But to the extent that large highway capital projects still figure on State DOTs agendas, tolling, private capital and credit instruments such as TIFIA, can probably provide an adequate substitute for the funding stability offered by long-term federal authorizations. * The Winners * Major credit for passing the bill goes to *Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)*chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee who, having formed a bipartisan alliance with the Committee’s Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK), never wavered in her determination to get a bill passed during the current session of Congress, and was willing to meet John Mica halfway in order to gain the House Republicans’ support. Sharing in the credit is *Rep. John Mica (R-FL)*, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee who had to contend with and persuade a diverse and independent-minded group of conferees of his own party to accept some unpopular Senate provisions. Major credit also goes to *Speaker John Boehner (R-OH))* who put his prestige on the line and skillfully traded his major trump card, the Keystone XL pipeline, at a crucial point in the negotiations with *Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-NV)* for important Senate concessions. Just how extensive and significant those concessions have been, will become apparent from the summary below. * Two Substantive House Victories * The House can point to two substantive victories: It prevailed upon the Senate to agree to stronger reforms to the project delivery process, including an expanded use of the "categorical exclusion" process. The conference bill provides for setting a 4-year deadline for project approval and for exempting more categories of projects from environmental assessments (EIS). The exemptions now include repair of existing highways and bridges, reconstruction of projects damaged in natural disasters; projects within an existing ROW; and projects receiving minimal Federal assistance ($5M or less). The House was also successful in reining in the Senate’s "Transportation Enhancement" program, a favorite of the bike/ped advocates. The conference bill renamed the program as the "Transportation Alternatives" (TA) program. (Sec. 1122). It eliminated funding eligibility of certain "Enhancement" projects (such as transportation museums, public art). And it folded the "Recreational Trails," and "Safe-Routes-to-School" programs into the overall Transportation Alternatives program, thus depriving them of their own dedicated funding. The new TA program is funded with a set-aside amounting to 2 percent of total federal highway funding. Fifty percent of the set-aside is allocated to local agencies and the other 50 percent to the states. However, states can transfer their allocation to other uses if they get a backlog of 150 percent of an annual set-aside. Effectively, the Enhancement (TA) program will be reduced from 1.2B in FY 2011 to $808/820 million/year in FY 2013/2014, a reduction of approximately 30 percent. The conference bill also allowes expanded authority to toll new Interstates and added lanes on existing Interstates so long as the current toll-free lane capacity is not diminished (Sec. 1512). It allows conversion of HOV lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes; and it requires US DOT to compile "best practices" for working with the private sector and to develop guidance for P3 in public transit.(Sec. 1534). Provisions favoring tolling and public-private partnerships had been missing from the Senate bill. * Left on the Cutting Room Floor... * In return for dropping the Keystone XL Pipeline amendment and the proposal to curb EPA coal ash regulation, and in return for abandoning Congressman’ Mica’s earlier goal of a six-year bill (H.R. 7), the House was able to win significant concessions from the Senate. Left on the cutting room floor were: + The Senate bill’s "Bingaman amendments." The amendments would have penalized states for entering into public-private (P3) toll concessions by withholding formula funding for privatized interstate toll roads and eliminating accelerated depreciation and use of Private Activity Bonds for P3 transactions. Defeating the amendments was a major goal of the financial community. + The Senate bill’s Title III, *Surface Transportation and Freight Policy Act of 2012. *However, the bill keeps modified Senate provisions establishing a national freight policy, designating a primary freight network of 30,000 miles and requiring the development of a national freight strategic plan. + The Senate bill’s Title V, *National Rail System Preservation, Expansion and Development Act of 2012*." House conferees opposed this measure because it would increase funding for Amtrak and high-speed rail, and add provisions that "stifle private sector competition in passenger and commuter rail service and lay the groundwork for re-regulation of the rail industry." Striking out Title V was another nail in the coffin for the Administration’s high-speed rail program, the funding for which Congress has now denied three years in a row. + The Senate bill’s seven-year $1.4 billion proposed reauthorization of the *Land and Water Conservation Fund,* a National Park Service program within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The measure was opposed by the House conferees as too costly and totally unrelated to the purpose of the bill. + The Senate bill’s proposal to create a new *National Endowment for the Oceans, Coasts and Great Lakes*, to be housed in the Department of Commerce, another measure totally outside the scope of the transportation bill. + The Senate bill’s provision to continue the TIGER grant program, a favorite of the Democrats but opposed by the Republicans as "executive earmarks" that are lacking transparency and are used to promote only the Administration's own priorities. In its place, the conference bill created a new program of Projects of Regional and National Significance ($500M in FY 2013) intended to fund competitive grants for large highway and transit projects. Unlike TIGER, which was open to local governments and metro areas, only states and transit agencies can apply. The Senate bill’s provision authorizing the issuance of TRIP Bonds. + The Senate bill’s provision for a National Infrastructure Bank, a White House priority but opposed by House Republicans as creating a redundant financial bureaucracy. Instead, the bill retained a bipartisan provision to boost TIFIA program funding from $122 million/year to $750 million in FY 2013 and $1 billion for FY 2014; and to increase the maximum project cost share from 33% to 49%. The conference bill eliminated most of the selection criteria such as "sustainability" and "livability." An increase in TIFIA funding had been strongly promoted by the financial community. + The Senate bill’s set-aside for the "Job Access and Reverse Commute" program (JARC). The program was moved to Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Capital Grants. + The Senate bill’s provision that would allow transit agencies to use a limited portion of their Sec. 5307 formula funds for operating assistance during periods of high unemployment for up to two years, a measure championed by transit advocates. + The Senate bill’s restoration of an expanded tax benefit for transit commuters. (It goes back to $125/month for transit but remains at $240/month for parking); another measure supported by transit advocates. + The Senate bill’s provision that would require automakers to equip cars with "Event Data Recorders" that record and store the vehicle’s operation immediately before and after an accident. House conferees expressed concern that this provision would constitute an invasion of motorists’ privacy. + The Senate bill’s "Complete Streets" provision. This provision would have established standards for the "safe and adequate accommodation ...of all transportation network users, including motorized and non-motorized users," but was seen by the critics as another way of advancing the green advocates' bike/ped agenda. + The Senate bill’s controversial offset giving the IRS the power to lift the passports of American citizens who owe more tha $50,000 in back taxes. The Senate Finance Committee had estimated the passport provision could have brought in more than $500 million in collected back taxes in its first five years of operation, but House conferees opposed it as being of doubtful constitutionality. *By yielding so much ground, the Senate conferees showed a genuine willingness to meet the House halfway. This they did without sacrificing the Senate bill's fundamental objectives of maintaining current funding levels and bringing funding certainty and stability to the transportation program. The House, in turn, won major concessions on two issues important to the Republicans---environmental streamlining and reining in transportation enhancements. It also got rid of the most questionable and objectionable provisions of the Senate bill in a quid pro quo for giving up the Keystone XL pipeline. Both parties can truly claim to have achieved their main goals. And, importantly, Congress has demonstrated that it can still get things done --- even in the highly partisan and supposedly gridlocked pre-election season. * ### Kenneth Orski, Editor/Publisher *Note: the NewsBriefs can also be accessed at www.infrastructureUSA.org<http://www.infrastructureusa.org/> ; They are often posted on www.newgeography.com; www.cascadiaprospectus.org; heartland.org; www.examiner.com, and the National Journal Transportation Experts Blog ( http://transportation.nationaljournal.com). A listing of all recent NewsBriefs can be found at www.innobriefs.com* *Please feel free to forward or reprint this item with appropriate citation. All correspondence, including requests to unsubscribe, should be addressed to: C. Kenneth Orski, Editor/Publisher, email: ** korski(a)verizon.net* <korski(a)verizon.net>*. tel: 301.299.1996; fax: 301.299.4425. Please make sure that your email account is set up to accept incoming mail from **korski(a)verizon.net* <korski(a)verizon.net>* * -- Phyllis Orrick Communications Director Safe Transportation Research and Education Center<http://www.safetrec.berkeley.edu/> (SafeTREC) University of California Transportation Center <http://www.uctc.net/> (UCTC) Institute for Urban and Regional Development <http://www.iurd.berkeley.edu/> (IURD) California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages<http://catsip.berkeley.edu/> (CATSIP) 2614 Dwight Way UC Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720-7374 510-643-4119 @transsafe <https://twitter.com/#!/transsafe> @californiaUTC <https://twitter.com/#!/CaliforniaUTC> @IURDBerkeley <https://twitter.com/#!/IURDBerkeley> @trbhealth <https://twitter.com/#!/trbhealth>

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] FHWA Webinar on H + T

by Eloisa Raynault

Just announced: STEP to Host Webinar on Transportation and Health On Tuesday, September, 25, 2012 from 1-2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) will host a webinar to discuss planning research initiatives that are planned or underway related to transportation and health. Topics that will be discussed include healthy communities, safety and megaregions. Speakers will include representatives from FHWA and other state and local transportation agencies. To register, please visit http://goo.gl/aug85 For more information on this webinar or to suggest topics for future webinars, please contact Sarah Mashburn at 202-366-6515 or Sarah.Mashburn.ctr(a)dot.gov.

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] Federal Resources for Sustainable Rural Communities

by Phyllis Orrick

Hi all, In the context of some recent discussions concerning rural transportation/health connections, this was listed on a recent TRB e-news. Beg pardon if this is old news to some. Best, Phyllis http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/federal_resources_rural.pdf -- Phyllis Orrick Communications Director Safe Transportation Research and Education Center<http://www.safetrec.berkeley.edu/> (SafeTREC) University of California Transportation Center <http://www.uctc.net/> (UCTC) Institute for Urban and Regional Development <http://www.iurd.berkeley.edu/> (IURD) California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages<http://catsip.berkeley.edu/> (CATSIP) 2614 Dwight Way UC Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720-7374 510-643-4119 @transsafe <https://twitter.com/#!/transsafe> @californiaUTC <https://twitter.com/#!/CaliforniaUTC> @IURDBerkeley <https://twitter.com/#!/IURDBerkeley> @trbhealth <https://twitter.com/#!/trbhealth>

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] Minutes of Summer 2012 Md-Year Meeting

by Phyllis Orrick

Dear Friends of the Health & Transportation Subcommittee, Thank you again to everyone who was able to attend our Summer Web Meeting on Friday, July 27th. We have now added the minutes from the meeting to our website at the following link. You can also find PDFs from the presentations. http://www.trbhealth.org/subcommittee-information/meetings-minutes We look forward to being in touch as the work of the subcommittee continues! Sincerely, Megan Wier (Secretary) via Phyllis Orrick -- Phyllis Orrick Communications Director Safe Transportation Research and Education Center<http://www.safetrec.berkeley.edu/> (SafeTREC) University of California Transportation Center <http://www.uctc.net/> (UCTC) Institute for Urban and Regional Development <http://www.iurd.berkeley.edu/> (IURD) California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages<http://catsip.berkeley.edu/> (CATSIP) 2614 Dwight Way UC Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720-7374 510-643-4119 @transsafe <https://twitter.com/#!/transsafe> @californiaUTC <https://twitter.com/#!/CaliforniaUTC> @IURDBerkeley <https://twitter.com/#!/IURDBerkeley> @trbhealth <https://twitter.com/#!/trbhealth>

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] CA Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool

by Ed Christopher

This was passed on to me by a colleague of mine. It ill be interesting to learn more about this as it rolls out. ------------------------- California Proposes Methodology to Evaluate Impacts of Pollution on Communities LOS ANGELES—California regulators unveiled a proposed methodology July 30 for evaluating the cumulative impacts of multiple sources of pollution on communities. Called the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen), the draft methodology employs existing environmental, health, and socioeconomic data to identify areas of the state most vulnerable to cumulative impacts of air pollution, pesticides, contaminated water, waste sites, and other types of pollution. State and local officials can use the screening tool, once it is finalized, to prioritize cleanup and abatement projects and direct grants and other resources to communities with the greatest needs, the California Environmental Protection Agency said in a written statement. “The draft screening tool is meant to present a broad picture of the burdens and vulnerabilities different areas face from environmental pollutants,’’ said George Alexeeff, director of Cal/EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Chemical-by-chemical, source-by-source, route-by-route risk assessment approaches are not well-suited to assess community-scale impacts, according to OEHHA. The agency said it has developed “a workable approach’’ that can incorporate multiple factors to reflect community impacts not included in traditional risk assessments. ‘A Work in Progress.' OEHHA called the draft document “a work in progress.’’ The proposed methodology is not designed to precisely predict or quantify specific health risks or even the effects associated with cumulative exposures for a given community or individual, the agency said. Also, it does not directly correlate the potential impacts of exposure from different types of pollutants, like particulate exposures from vehicle emissions and exposures from pesticides or hazardous materials. CalEnviroScreen is part of an effort to implement a statewide environmental justice plan, officials said. “Our objective is to provide state and local decision makers with information that will enable them to focus their time, resources, and programs on those portions of the state that are most in need of assistance,’’ Cal/EPA Secretary Matt Rodriquez said in a written statement. Cal/EPA's Cumulative Impacts and Precautionary Approaches Work Group will review the proposal at its Aug. 7 meeting in Sacramento. Five public workshops are planned to discuss the proposed methodology—Aug. 21 in Los Angeles; Aug. 22 in San Bernardino; Aug. 23 in San Diego; Sept. 5 in Fresno; and Sept. 6 in Oakland. Public comments on the proposal are due Sept. 18. Cal-EPA also is seeking peer-review of the document. The draft methodology and related materials are available at http://oehha.ca.gov/ej/cipa073012.html -- Ed Christopher 708-283-3534 (V) 708-574-8131 (cell) FHWA RC-TST-PLN 4749 Lincoln Mall Drive, Suite 600 Matteson, IL 60443

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] August Health and Transportation Subcommittee Newsletter Now Online

by Phyllis Orrick

Hello everyone, On behalf of Newsletter Editor and Subcommittee Co-Chair Eloisa Raynault, I'm happy to announce that the second issue of the Health and Transportation SubcommitteeNewsletter, dated August 2012, is now online. You can find it here: http://www.trbhealth.org/newsletter Contents include: *Urban traffic exposure in the Puerto Rican Health Study *Sustainable Environments, Sustainable Behaviors *New Resources of Note *Selected Upcoming Events Contributors: Brendan Crain at Project for Public Spaces; Ellin Reisner, Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership; Heidi Guenin, Upstream Public Health; Ipek Nese Sener, Texas Transportation Institute; Jared Ulmer, Urban Design 4 Health; Mary Leary, Easter Seals; Stephanie Kneeshaw-Price, Transportation Alternatives. Newsletter Editors: Eloisa Raynault, American Public Health Association; Phyllis Orrick, Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, UC Berkeley; Sheryl Gross-Glaser, Community Transportation Association of America. Please let us know if you have suggestions for the website or would like to take part in any of the working groups or otherwise help us out, and thanks to those who have already volunteered. We will be getting in touch in the coming month. Also, be sure to complete our second information needs survey here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dGwtVmN… And our reviewer survey here: http://www.trbhealth.org/trb-meetings/trb-2013/call-for-paper-reviewers-201… Regards, Phyllis Orrick (signing for) Carey McAndrews Sheryl Gross-Glaser Communications Working Group, Subcommittee on Transportation and Health Communications Director Safe Transportation Research and Education Center<http://www.safetrec.berkeley.edu/> (SafeTREC) University of California Transportation Center <http://www.uctc.net/> (UCTC) Institute for Urban and Regional Development <http://www.iurd.berkeley.edu/> (IURD) California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages<http://catsip.berkeley.edu/> (CATSIP) 2614 Dwight Way UC Berkeley Berkeley CA 94720-7374 510-643-4119 @transsafe <https://twitter.com/#!/transsafe> @californiaUTC <https://twitter.com/#!/CaliforniaUTC> @IURDBerkeley <https://twitter.com/#!/IURDBerkeley> @trbhealth <https://twitter.com/#!/trbhealth>

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] Provide inputs on proposed new journal by Elsevier

by Eloisa Raynault

Greetings TRB Health and Transportation Subcommittee friends, You are welcome to provide feedback on the idea of a proposed new journal, Journal of Transport & Health (JTH). This request for feedback comes from Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com), via Subcommittee research needs sub-group co-lead Andrew Dannenberg. Provide comments online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5Z6CNJ5 >From Elsevier: The journal will be devoted to research on the many interactions between transport and public health. These include, for instance: * The impacts on health and inequalities of: o active modes of transport o noise and air pollution generated by transport o road traffic injuries o community severance * Road danger and its reduction: o actual safety and security hazards associated with transport o o perceptions of danger and factors affecting these * Factors affecting transport choices: o urban form o location and accessibility of health and other facilities o age, health and disability o socio-economic inequalities o rurality o logistics systems, especially for food transport and distribution o tourism and leisure travel * Synergies between sustainability and health impacts of transport * Economic and health impact assessments * And policies that promote or discourage healthy and sustainable transport modes, transport systems and communities. The journal aims to cover transport and health issues in all countries. Three particular aims of the journal are: to promote dialogue between the two research communities it serves; to improve the quality of data and the appropriate use of data; and to encourage transfer of research into practice. If you would like to comment on this idea, please do so using this web survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5Z6CNJ5

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] Announcing Call for Expressions of Interest in STAR Pilot Community Program

by Kochtitzky, Christopher (CDC/ONDIEH/NCEH)

FYI... Subject: Announcing Call for Expressions of Interest in STAR Pilot Community Program ***************************************** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, DC -- STAR Communities has announced a Call for Expressions of Interest in the STAR Pilot Community Program. STAR Pilot Communities will be the first cities and counties rated in the STAR Community Index(tm) Version 1.0 and will have access to the STAR Online Reporting Tool. The STAR Community Index(tm) is the nation's first framework for evaluating, quantifying, and improving the livability and sustainability of U.S. communities. STAR uniquely combines: * A framework for sustainability encompassing the social, economic and environmental dimensions of community; * A rating system that drives continuous improvement and fosters competition; and * An online system that gathers, organizes, analyzes, and presents information required to meet sustainability goals. Focal areas in the Index include (but are not limited to): * Compact and Complete Communities * Housing * Transportation Choices * Active Living * Community Empowerment * Food Access & Nutrition * Environmental Justice * Human Services * Health System Capacity * Safe Communities * Water for Human Use * Air Quality * Waste Minimization * Climate Adaptation * Educational Opportunities * Natural Resources For those interested, STAR Communities will hold an informational meeting next Tuesday July 31st at 2:00 p.m. EDT. RSVP to info(a)starcommunities.org<mailto:info@starcommunities.org>; meeting materials will be forwarded in advance. To view the Expressions of Interest form, STAR Pilot Program FAQs and other resources, please visit our website<http://www.starcommunities.org/>. <http://www.starcommunities.org/> -- Hilari B. Varnadore, Director

13 years, 7 months

[H+T--Friends] AUTO: Susan Herbel is out of the office (returning 08/03/2012)

by Susan Herbel

I am out of the office until 08/03/2012. I will be away from my office until August 3. Please call my cell if you want to reach me. 202.494.5539 Note: This is an automated response to your message "[H+T--Friends] Announcing Call for Expressions of Interest in STAR Pilot Community Program" sent on 7/27/2012 1:33:06 PM. This is the only notification you will receive while this person is away.

13 years, 7 months

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