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Events

Transportation Funding Update

Last week, Sustainable Pittsburgh shared with its 3E Links readers information regarding Governor Corbett’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission’s recommendations. Included was Sustainable Pittsburgh’s encouragement to communicate to Governor Corbett just how critical transportation systems, infrastructure and public transportation are to our economy.

The recommendations of the Commission provide a positive framework from which to develop specific proposals that would benefit all modes of transportation.
- See a bulleted list on why you should be concerned if no improvements are made to State funding.
- See how this affects public transportation.

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured Sustainable Pittsburgh’s letter to the editor, "Transportation group provided sound advice."

An article in Tuesday's Post-Gazette, "Panel: How to do more on roads," provides an overview of the Panel's recommendations.

The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission full report is now available at: www.tfac.pa.gov

Resources

SAVE THE DATE: 11th Annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference “Smart Growth is Smart Business”

Tuesday, December 13
Downtown Pittsburgh - Location TBD
Featuring: Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView

This year's conference will launch a 'businesses for smart growth' initiative in southwestern Pennsylvania. Filling a strategic gap, the event will solidify the bottom line business case and economic imperative for regional smart growth and galvanize business constituency.

Business leaders around the nation increasingly recognize that regional growth and development patterns -- guided by principles of smart growth and sustainability -- improve quality of life, lessen the cost of doing business, increase profitability, help reduce tax and infrastructure costs, and contribute to talent recruitment and retention.

Time is ripe for a business initiative focused on advancing our region's goals for more efficient and sustainable development to spur economic prosperity and extend this region's signature livability to more persons. The bottom line business case of smart growth is apparent.

Mark your calendars as the Smart Growth Conference is an invitation to address the ways smart growth is smart business:
- engage the private sector in harnessing smart growth market opportunity
- explore innovative means of ensuring financial feasibility of sustainable development
- channel the pattern and character of growth and development to improve productivity and hasten regional sustainability that protects and enhances business investments
- opportunities to have an impact on state, regional, and local planning and programming
- incentives to level the field for development and redevelopment to revitalize our existing communities
- the new economics nexus of land use, transportation, housing, and development

Keynote speaker Henry Cisneros is the executive chairman of CityView, an urban institutional investment firm which finances commercial and residential developers. His governmental experience and dedication to America's cities are important features of CityView's "Smart Capital for Smart Growth" strategy focused on urban solutions. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York, Dallas and San Antonio, CityView has invested in and developed more than $2 billion in real estate assets for 45 projects in 30 markets across 13 states since 2003. CityView is one of the nation's premier institutional investment firms focused on urban real estate, incity housing, and metropolitan infrastructure and is a fully-integrated operating company with an active management approach. Prior to establishing CityView, Henry Cisneros served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and was the four-term Mayor of San Antonio, Texas.

The 11th Annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference is presented by:
Allegheny Conference on Community Development; Green Building Alliance; NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Pittsburgh Chapter; Pittsburgh Technology Council; Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission; Sustainable Pittsburgh; Urban Land Institute Pittsburgh District Council

Creating Sustainable Communities Conference

Thursday, November 3
7:30 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Point Park University
Registration: $30
Questions? Contact Hannah Hardy at (412) 481–9400 or hhardy@pecpa.org Registration information and conference schedule will be available in late August at:
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/conservationscience/sustainablelands/conferences/index.htm
This conference qualifies for 5 recertification credits for the PLNA Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist and the PLANET Landscape Industry Certified Technician, as well as 5 continuing education credits through ASLA.

Join conference organizers at Point Park University in downtown Pittsburgh for a conference that promotes green infrastructure, healthy communities and low-cost land management practices for government officials, park managers, landscape architects, planners and anyone else interested in balancing human needs with natural resource protection.

EVENT ORGANIZERS: Allegheny County, Allegheny County Conservation District, City of Pittsburgh, Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, Friends of the Riverfront, Pa. Environmental Council, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Western Pa. Conservancy

Healthy Body, Healthy Home, Healthy Planet Workshop

Thursday, August 4
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Ohio Township Municipal Park, Sewickley
Cost: $20 per participant or $25 per couple.
To register and for more information, contact Sarah Alessio Shea at saraha@ccicenter.org, by calling (412) 488-7490 ext. 236, or by visiting www.zerowastepgh.org.

The workshop presented by the Pennsylvania Resources Council, encourages action around the issue of carcinogens and toxins that people come into contact with through products used and food eaten. The workshop also focuses on the consequences of these toxins on health and how to avoid exposure. The program provides the public with practical solutions such as safe alternatives and healthy lifestyle choices.

In an effort to reduce one’s exposure to toxins and to reduce the amount of toxins in the environment, all workshop participants will receive a non-toxic green cleaning kit.

Household Chemical Collection

Saturday, August 6
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Senior High School Parking Lot, Somerset
Details below.

This event provides all Pennsylvania residents with an opportunity to safely dispose of common household chemicals. The Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) will collect “household hazardous waste” such as cleaners, paints, automotive fluids, pesticides and other products containing potentially hazardous chemicals. The cost will be $2/gallon, cash only. A certified contractor on site at Somerset Senior High School will process the hazardous wastes collected for proper disposal. For more information – and a complete list of items accepted – visit www.zerowastepgh.org or call the Somerset Planning Commission at (814) 445-1571 or PRC at (412) 488-7452.

“Understanding Legal Issues Related to Marcellus Shale Gas Workshop”

Wednesday, August 10
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Eden Hall Campus of Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Road, Richland Township
Free and open to the public; pre-registration is required.
For more information about the workshop and to register online visit www.pasafarming.org/marcellusshalechoices.
Contact Leah Smith at leah@pasafarming.org or (412) 977-6514 with questions.

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) has received a grant from the Colcom Foundation to develop action-oriented tools and trainings throughout western Pennsylvania to help farmers, rural land owners, and other citizens make informed, integrated decisions, understand legal issues, and engage in environmental monitoring and local organizing efforts related to Marcellus Shale Gas issues within their communities.

This third workshop in the Marcellus Shale Choices series will be facilitated by Ross Pifer, the Director of the Penn State Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center at the Dickinson College of Law. The workshop will review leasing information for those with leases, an overview of oil and gas law concepts, address surface owner issues, and share some recent case laws.

Accelerating the Clean Energy Economy and Enhancing Energy Security

Thursday, August 11
8:15 am - 9:30 am
Reed Smith LLP Offices, 225 Fifth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Free. Continental breakfast included. Space is limited.
Participants must register by August 10, 2011 to attend. (Registered participants must bring a valid ID to gain access to the building).
Registration and more information

According to the Pew Project on National Security, Energy, and Climate, climate change and the nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy constitutes a serious threat—militarily, socially, and economically. Burning through more than 300,000 barrels of oil per day, the Department of Defense accounts for nearly 80% of the government’s total energy consumption and estimates say American taxpayers spend between $67 and $83 billion each year deploying service members on oil-security missions overseas. How does overdependence on fossil fuels put the United States at risk and what are the economic opportunities of addressing our reliance on foreign oil?

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh invites you to join Senator John W. Warner and Vice Admiral Dennis V. McGinn for a discussion of how energy independence impacts national security. These panelists will be joined by Phyllis Cuttino, Director of the Clean Energy Program at the Pew Environment Group which advocates for national policies that promote the economic, environmental and national security benefits of the clean energy economy.

Transforming Transportation: The Role of Intelligent Transportation Systems

August 18 – 19
Alumni Hall, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Registration and Agendas for both days
Please RSVP by August 10th.

The University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics Infrastructure Policy Committee and Traffic21, a transportation research initiative of Carnegie Mellon University, invite you to attend this two day workshop on Intelligent Transportation Systems. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) offer many ways to make transportation systems work smarter, with fewer accidents, less congestion, reduced energy use, and without more dollars. ITS enables vehicles, transit riders, roads, traffic lights, and message signs, to name a few, to communicate with each other by utilizing wireless technology. Around the world, ITS has already been shown to significantly improve transportation system performance by reducing congested roadways, improving commute times and vehicle safety, as well as allowing motorists and transit riders to feel more confident traveling based on the real-time information they are able to receive through these systems.

Both days of this unique program offer participants the chance to hear from a variety of dynamic speakers working with transportation and infrastructure policy and intelligent transportation systems, globally, nationally, and locally. The Thursday evening component will highlight a variety of ITS demonstration projects from the region and will also feature a discussion about the status of ITS around the United States and across the globe. On Friday, the forum’s focus will shift to what is happening locally and statewide and what policies need to be in place for ITS to become a reality here.

State Transportation Commission Hearings

Thursday, August 25
8:30 am
Marriott Pittsburgh North, 100 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township 16006
Questions? Contact: Ms. Jessica Clark or Mr. Nolan Ritchie.
Review the Public Participation Guidelines here

Act 120 of 1970, as amended, requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to prepare and submit to the State Transportation Commission every two years, a program of transportation improvements which it recommends be undertaken during the next 12 years. This program is to address all transportation modes and be fiscally constrained; that is, listing only projects and project phases that can reasonably be expected to be funded over the ensuing 12-year period.

The Commission sets policy direction with respect to the development of the Commonwealth’s Twelve Year Transportation Program. Input is solicited from the public and interested parties. The Twelve Year Transportation Program is biennially adopted by the Commission as the blueprint for improving Pennsylvania’s transportation system. This program is then submitted to the Governor, the General Assembly and the Secretary of Transportation.

If you would like to offer Oral Testimony, submissions must be made at least one (1) week prior to the event. Oral testimony will be accepted the day of the event, but those individuals will be taken in order of registration after pre-registered presenters.

If you would like to submit Written Testimony only, submissions can be made until September 30, 2011.

Get Involved! Building Change Conference

Building Change: a convergence for social justice
October 13-15, 2011
Senator John Heinz Regional History Center
More information

Join the Three Rivers Community Foundation (TRCF) for a conference like no other: skill-building workshops, panel discussions, community dialogues on key issues, speakers, actions, art, films, roundtable talks, networking, entertainment, and more!

Key issues being discussed: Disability Rights, Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, LGBTO Rights, Peace/Human Rights, Racial Justice, and Women, Youth and Families Issues.

TRCF is looking for more co-sponsors for the Convergence! Please spread the word to organizations and individuals working for social change. Direct interested parties to trcf@trcfwpa.org or (412) 243-9250.

Deadline for Arts, Films, and Performances has been extended to July 15th.

Resources

Transportation Funding Update (continued from 3E Center)

Last week, Sustainable Pittsburgh shared with its 3E Links readers information regarding Governor Corbett’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission’s recommendations. Included was Sustainable Pittsburgh’s encouragement to communicate to Governor Corbett just how critical transportation systems, infrastructure and public transportation are to our economy.

The recommendations of the Commission provide a positive framework from which to develop specific proposals that would benefit all modes of transportation.

Why you should be concerned if no improvements are made to State funding:
- More than 5,000 bridges statewide are rated structurally deficient.
- Pennsylvania has both the highest number and highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges of any state in the nation.
- More than 8,000 miles of highway are rated "poor" in Pennsylvania.
- As the buying power of transportation entities (PennDOT, local municipalities, transit systems, etc.) erodes with reduced funding at all levels of government and inflation, recent initiatives to enhance the "livability" of regions such as expanded bicycle access can be expected to be sharply reduced in the future, if not eliminated altogether.

How is public transportation affected?
- By restructuring Act 44, funding for public transportation can be more reliable and potentially grow to adjust with inflation - something that does not occur today and causes much of transit's financial hurdles. Use of the State Sales and Use Tax is an ideal source for public transportation.
- A local 15% match still would be required but this would not increase under the recommendations.
- Not all of this would be "new money." The first $150 million Statewide of any funding package for transit would replace dollars lost to the failed plan to generate toll revenue on Interstate 80.
- As an example of the economic value of public transportation across the Commonwealth, the Port Authority of Allegheny County provides bus, light rail and ACCESS van service to more than 200,000 riders daily throughout Allegheny County. More than half of Downtown Pittsburgh commuters use public transportation. One standard bus takes roughly 40 cars off the road.
- There are more transit trips per capita taken in the Pittsburgh region than in most similar cities, including Cleveland, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Cincinnati or St. Louis. - Transit supports development.
- Riding the bus or T saves money. The American Public Transportation Association estimates that compared with driving, the average Pittsburgh-area rider saves $9,500 a year.

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured Sustainable Pittsburgh’s letter to the editor, "Transportation group provided sound advice."

An article in Tuesday's Post-Gazette, "Panel: How to do more on roads," provides an overview of the Panel's recommendations.

The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission full report is now available at: www.tfac.pa.gov

Re-Branding Mother Nature

Many of us spend 12+ hours a day staring at a screen, be it computer, television, tablet or smart phone. Which means our lives are now framed by pixels, plasma, glass and ionized gas more than any other point in history.

And honestly, we’re not here to harp. We have to work, too. And when we get home, we’re so damn tired from all the Brand Spanking® that we’re happy things like Shark Week exist. Simply sit down, tune in and tune out.

But all signs point to the fact that we’re tuning out way, way too much anymore.

Thankfully, there’s a small band of local individuals here to save us with a single, simple idea: Walls Are Bad. It’s sort of self explanatory, but the premise behind Walls Are Bad is that Southwestern Pennsylvania has some of the most stunning, accessible and downright fun terrain around. And none of us enjoy it near enough because of all the walls in our lives. Thus, walls are bad.

Green Development Resources for Small Business Development

Pittsburgh is recognized as a leader in the construction of green buildings and we believe that the maintenance of this position is advantageous. Here the URA provides a compilation of Green Development incentives and resources available to you for completing your project within the City of Pittsburgh. We have tried our best to capture all that is available to you.

More

Biking: Trail impact study under way

A few minutes of your time. That's all the Trail Town Program, Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau and Allegheny Trail Alliance are asking for. By taking time to answer 12 questions, users of the Great Allegheny Passage will be participating in an economic impact study and doing a favor for themselves, other trail users and businesses situated along the passage from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md.

EPA proposes new emissions rules

"For an agency that's frequently derided as 'job-killing,' this proposal looks very promising," Mr. O'Donnell said. "It would not only reduce air pollution but would save industry money. It doesn't solve all the issues associated with fracking, but at least it would reduce the air pollution problems caused by it." . . . The EPA's proposed rules would set new source standards for the oil and gas industry that would cut emissions of volatile organic compounds by nearly a quarter and cut VOC emissions from new and modified hydraulically fractured gas wells by almost 95 percent. The rules also propose to limit sulfur dioxide and air toxics emissions from wells, gas transmission lines and storage facilities. The industry could achieve those emissions reductions by using existing technologies, including the 150 cost-effective technologies that are promoted by the EPA's 20-year-old Natural Gas STAR Program.

Down on the farm, investors see big potential

A new breed of gentleman farmer is shaking up the American heartland. Rich investors with no ties to farming, no dirt under their nails, are confident enough to wager big on a patch of earth — betting that it's a smart investment because food will only get more expensive around the world.

American Rivers gets $1 million to improve waterways
Dam removal, river restoration planned in Pa., Ga.

The national river conservation organization will use $600,000 to identify three to five dams for removal in the Laurel Highlands, French Creek watershed in northwestern Pennsylvania and western and central northern tier counties collectively known as the "Pennsylvania Wilds." . . . Ms. Hollingsworth-Segedy said American Rivers will partner with other conservation organizations for the river restoration work and seek additional foundation funding for the dam removal work, which will cost "several million dollars." Those organizations include the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, the French Creek Valley Conservancy, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative, local watershed groups and county conservation districts.

WBCSD partners with Bloomberg/BusinessWeek on custom section dedicated to sustainable development

The WBCSD has partnered with Bloomberg/BusinessWeek, one of the most prominent U.S. business publications, to produce a custom section dedicated to advocating the business case for sustainable development. Available on newsstands now, the July 18 issue explores how business - through innovative and creative solutions in production, distribution and marketing of its products and services - is driving the global sustainability market. The special section features an interview with WBCSD President Björn Stigson in which he outlines the enormous challenges businesses face over the coming decades. It gives examples of ways in which WBCSD member companies are successfully tackling them. And it educates readers on trends and new developments in sustainable development, which is an increasingly important component for achieving business success. The special section also appears in BusinessWeek’s Global Edition that has a circulation of over 900,000.

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Sustainable Pittsburgh affects decision-making in the Pittsburgh Region to integrate economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality bringing sustainable solutions to communities and businesses.

Sustainable Pittsburgh benefits from support ($1,000 and up) in 2011 from:

Allegheny County - Dan Onorato, County Executive
Bayer Corporation
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
BNY Mellon
Dollar Bank
FedEx Ground
The Heinz Endowments
Highmark
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Pashek Associates LTD
Pittsburgh Quarterly
PNC Financial Services Group
Port Authority of Allegheny County
UPMC


Special thanks to the SP Members

Sustainable Pittsburgh
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1335
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 258-6642
fax (412) 258-6645
E-mail SP