Energy conservation decisions can be a factor
in mode choice decisions made in Planning, as part
of Major Investment Studies, or in Project Development
as part of the alternatives analysis process for projects
for projects undergoing Environmental Assessments and
Environmental Impact Statements. Within construction
and operations, DOTs also have choices with regard
to operation of construction equipment (addressed in
Chapter 4) and design of facilities.
A number of excellent green building resources are
available. Building Green is an independent research
organization which does not accept advertising, and
which won the Architects, Designers, Planners for Social
Responsibility (ADPSR) Lewis Mumford Award for Environment
for 2004.
New York City Transit's
Green Building and Design for the Environment Programs
The New York City Transit (NYCT) agency is a national
leader in very long-term facility and capital planning
in conjunction with environmental conservation; sustainable
development supports the concept that economic and
social development is complementary to environmental
protection. It involves both long and short-term planning
to increase community and business growth and productivity
without diminishing the health and productivity of
supporting and surrounding natural systems.
NYCT's Green
Building Program is among the most notable of any transportation
agency in the country. NYCT's program, Design for the
Environment (DfE), ensures that all building and construction
projects (ranging from building designs to subway expansion)
are reviewed and approved to meet sustainability standards
that include energy efficiency; indoor environmental
quality; water and natural resources conservation;
and pollution prevention. Some project examples address:
- Harnessing renewable energy – The
Gun Hill Bus Depot (the Bronx) contains one of the
largest solar energy facilities on the East Coast.
Renovations at the Stillwell Avenue terminal (Coney
Island-Stillwell Av station in Brooklyn) will include
60,000 feet of integrated photovoltaic paneled roof.
This is expected to produce 210 kilowatts of solar
power.
- Conserving water – The Corona Subway
Yard and Maintenance Facility ( Queens) is being designed
to use rainwater and recycle wash water in its subway
car wash.
- Recycling materials and reducing landfill needs – The
Roosevelt Avenue subway station ( Queens) rehabilitation
has diverted more than 85 percent of demolition waste
(e.g., concrete, steel, wood) from landfill to recyclers.
NYC Transit has implemented many programs that promote
sustainability. In December,
2003, NYC Transit
became a Full Signatory member of the International
Association of Public Transport (L'Union Internationale
des Transports Publics, or UITP)
Charter on Sustainable Development, building on agency
commitments on which NYCT took action in the late 1990s.
In 1999, the NYCT Department of Capital Program Management
(CPM) became the first department of an American public
agency and the first transit organization in the world
to have an environmental management system certified
to the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 EMS.
The following recommendations come from the Nova
Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
EMS: [N]
Design for Efficient
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning of Facilities
- Consider alternative heating sources such as ground-source
heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, solar or other
renewable energy sources.
- Design buildings to allow for the use of outdoor
air for cooling/heating as temperatures allow.
- Design HVAC systems to allow for changes of heating/cooling
and ventilation to match building occupancy times.
Any manual over-rides of the system should be designed
to automatically return to the original schedule at
the end of the over-ride period.
Design for Lighting
Conservation
- Consider daylighting during design; make it possible
to turn off or dim interior lights to take advantage
of daylighting.
- Include occupancy sensors wherever possible so
that lights are not left on in unoccupied areas.
- Plan for task lighting in each work area.
Design for Cooler Pavements and Reducing the Urban "Heat
Island" Effect
Dark pavements and the reduction of vegetation in
urban areas has been shown to produce a "heat
island" in urban areas which raises cooling and
energy costs during the summer. EPA commissioned a
report to capture the state of knowledge and activity
on "cool pavements," which incorporate
paving materials with higher surface reflectivity (solar
reflectance) that are generally cooler in the sun.
Use of lighter-colored aggregate in asphalt and concrete
pavements can produce higher reflectance, where such
material is locally available. In addition, roller-compacted
concrete may be used where a strong, economical pavement
is needed in locations where speed and smoothness are
not critical. On lower volume roads, asphalt chip seals
may use light-colored aggregate, which can improve
reflectance while extending asphalt pavement life and
improving skid resistance. |
