T fare hike likely despite ridership high

Bolstered by a rise in weekend travel, ridership on MBTA trains, buses, and ferries hit a new record this year, according to numbers released yesterday by the transit agency.

While the record was a coup for MBTA administrators, the increased revenue from the boost will likely not be enough to eliminate the need for an eventual fare hike, said Richard Davey, the T’s general manager.http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/28/t_fare_hike_likely_despite_ridership_high/?p1=Local_Links

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Martine Powers

American Commuting Habits Influenced by Many Factors

Eighty-six percent of Americans drive to work, but the figures are lower in metropolitan areas such as New York City, San Francisco and Boston. Length of commute, weather, job type and population density all influence how people commute, according to an analysis by University of Maine economics professor Todd Gabe. People who live in drier climates, or who have creative jobs, are more likely to walk, bike or use public transportation to get to work, Gabe found.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/the-geography-of-how-we-get-to-work/240258/

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Onlilne from The Atlantic  by Richard Florida

New York, San Francisco and Boston Top Walk Score's Rankings of America's Most Walkable Cities and Neighborhoods

Walk Score rates the walkability of 2,500 cities and 10,000 neighborhoods

SEATTLE, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New York has been named America's most walkable city by Seattle-based Walk Score®, in its list of America's Most Walkable Cities and Neighborhoods. Miami, Minneapolis and Oakland are new additions to the top ten. Walk Score also rates the walkability of 2,500 cities and 10,000 neighborhoods.

Walk Score's ten most walkable cities for 2011 include: 1) New York, 2) San Francisco, 3) Boston, 4) Chicago, 5) Philadelphia, 6) Seattle, 7) Washington, D.C., 8) Miami, 9) Minneapolis, and 10) Oakland.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-york-san-francisco-and-boston-top-walk-scores-rankings-of-americas-most-walkable-cities-and-neighborhoods-125865898.html

Article courtesy of Smart Growth online from PRnewwire

 

Beyond Safety in Numbers: Why Bike Friendly Cities are Safer

Studies often show that bicyclists find "safety in numbers." Norman Garrick and Wes Marshall explain that the street design strategies that attract bike riders are the same ones that improve road safety for all road users.

http://www.planetizen.com/node/50020

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Online news from  Planetizen  Author: Norman W. Garrick and Wesley E. Marshall

 

 

Activists deliver support for EPA mercury rule

Activists delivered more than 630,000 comments to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office in Boston today to support the agency’s draft rules to significantly curb mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2011/07/activists_delivers_support_for.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog posted by Beth Daley

Newly green, city reaches for the sun

Even as Woburn this week earned state designation as a green community, the city is pursuing a plan to locate a solar farm at its former landfill.

The city would lease the land to a developer to build and operate the solar facility on the approximately 50-acre Merrimack Street site, which includes the 39-acre former landfill, 6 to 7 acres of clean, usable land, and several acres of wetlands. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/21/newly_green_city_reaches_for_the_sun/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by John Laidler

National Grid urges people to recycle refrigerators, freezers

The city of Providence and National Grid have set up eight refrigerators in prominent parts of the city.

Is it a new way to get residents to think cool thoughts? Sort of.

National Grid and the City of Providence want residents to think about recycling old refrigerators and freezers.

On Tuesday at Kennedy Plaza in Burnside Park, Mayor Angel Taveras and Michael Ryan, vice president of government relations in Rhode Island for National Grid, unveiled one of those refrigerators — with a big orange hippopotamus painted by Andrew Sloan — to kick off the utility’s recycling-awareness campaign. http://www.projo.com/news/content/PROVIDENCE_FRIDGE_EXHIBIT_07-20-11_O4P99CC_v22.4ec83.html

Article courtesy of The Providence Journal by Tatiana Pina-Journal Staff Writer

Supervisors Back Dulles Rail Compromise-With Caveats

There was some trepidation coming from the dais Tuesday, but the Board of Supervisors voted to support the Dulles Rail compromise presented by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Raymond LaHood-only if a series of conditions are met.

The board voted 7-2, with Supervisors Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) and Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) opposed, to accept the funding compromise with a list of seven caveats not the least of which is that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority agree to build an above-ground station option at Dulles Airport. If the compromise is accepted it would drop Phase 2's estimated cost by around $1 billion-getting it much closer to the original estimate.http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_77609b5a-b22a-11e0-931d-001cc4c002e0.html

Article courtesy of Leesburg Today posted by Erika Jacobson Moore

 

Phoenix debates land use near light-rail stations

Phoenix is amending the city's general plan for land-use planning near light-rail stations and is asking residents for input.

A public meeting to discuss the station at Central Avenue and Camelback Road is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Days Inn, 502 W. Camelback Road.

The general plan is a blueprint that outlines land-use and policy guidelines on how the city should grow and redevelop for decades into the future.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2011/07/18/20110718phoenix-light-rail-plan.html#ixzz1SeIqCxVB

Article courtesy of Sadie Jo Smokey-The Arizona Republic

Fracking: Monterey shale exploration draws protest

Environmental groups filed a formal protest this week with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management calling for a halt to the leasing of 2,600-acres in California's Fresno and Monterey counties for oil and gas shale exploration. They said  future drilling would likely involve high-pressure hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a new drilling method linked to water contamination in other parts of the country.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/fracking-monterrey-shale-bureau-of-land-and-management.html

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times -Greenspace posted by Ashlie Rodriguez

Bikes will be here, there, but not yet everywhere

In Back Bay, there will be nine depots where bicyclists longing for a quick jaunt on a shiny set of wheels can rent a ride. In Jamaica Plain, there will be none.

In Allston, there will be eight bike-sharing stations. In South Boston? Zero.

As the countdown begins to next week’s inauguration of Boston’s bike-sharing initiative - evoking Paris and Washington, where bike sharing is all the rage - one of the most persistent questions from potential customers remains: Will Hubway, as it will be known, set up shop in my neighborhood?

Administrators in the city’s Boston Bikes program are finalizing the locations of about 60 stations, which will dispense 600 bikes. But since the company hired to run the program released a roster of tentative locations yesterday, potential Hubway users online and at public meet-and-greets have clamored to know why Hubway passed over Jamaica Plain, Cambridge, and Somerville, all focal points of the Hub’s cycling culture.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/20/bike_sharing_to_start_in_select_boston_spots/?p1=News_links

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Martine Powers

EPA is sued over smog in Los Angeles Basin

Environmental and public health groups filed suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, saying the agency has failed to force officials to crack down on smog in the Los Angeles Basin.

The suit contends the EPA missed a May deadline to, in effect, determine whether the ozone level in the region is hazardous to public health. Such a determination could trigger tougher limits on pollution from cars, trucks, ships and refineries.http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-clean-air-20110719,0,2305093.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Ashlie Rodriguez

'Carmageddon's' good karma

The success of Carmageddon has given way to a political and lifestyle question: If L.A. residents can cut their driving for one weekend, how can they be encouraged to drive less the rest of the time?

The closure of the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass came with the threat of epic gridlock — but the exact opposite happened. Streets and freeways were clear. California Department of Transportation statistics show significantly fewer cars on some freeways and significantly less traffic, even in areas far from the 405.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-carmageddon-20110719,0,5035874.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Kate Mather, Ari Bloomekatz and Catherine Saillant

Changes in state's bottle law weighed

Lawmakers are considering updates to the state’s bottle bill that would expand deposit fees to noncarbonated beverages and redirect unclaimed deposits to help fund local recycling programs.

Over a dozen bills proposing changes to the state’s 30-year-old container deposit system are set to be heard before a legislative committee Wednesday, including one that would place deposit fees on nearly all beverages, including water, iced tea, juice, and sports drinks.http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/19/changes_in_states_bottle_law_weighed/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by Johanna Kaiser/Associated Press

EPA says it knew about asbestos in wood chips

BILLINGS, Mont. - Federal regulators knew potentially contaminated bark and wood chips were being sold from a Superfund site in the asbestos-tainted town of Libby, Mont., for three years before they stopped the practice, according to a letter from the Environmental Protection Agency to Senator Max Baucushttp://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/19/epa_says_it_knew_about_asbestos_in_wood_chips/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by The Associated Press

California leads 'clean economy,' study finds

Nationwide, 2.7 million people work in the "clean economy," according to a new study. It employs nearly 320,000 people in California. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the sector accounts for about 90,000 workers.

Based on the definition offered in the report from the Brookings Institution, which refers to the clean economy as goods and services with an environmental benefit, there are more green jobs than there are positions with the fossil fuel industry.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/california-leads-clean-economy-study-finds.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

 

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Greenspace posted by Tiffany Hsu

If work goes smoothly, 405 Freeway could reopen early

If demolition work on the Mulholland Drive bridge goes smoothly this weekend, the 10-mile section of the 405 Freeway might reopen early, though officials said Thursday they did not know how much sooner traffic could be moving again on one of the nation's busiest interstates.

All ramps, freeway connectors and lanes on the 405 are set to be back in operation by 6 a.m. Monday. Officials said the freeway could reopen earlier if contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. can finish and clean up the pavement ahead of schedule.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-405-shutdown-20110715,0,5780842.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Dan Weikel

Seabrook safety review put off till 2012

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has put off completion of a safety review of Seabrook Station until the power plant can better explain and halt degradation of concrete at the plant from ground water.

The safety report, originally due out this month as part of the nuclear plant’s bid to continue operating once its license expires in 2030, will be pushed back at least until May 2012.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/15/seabrook_safety_review_put_on_hold/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog-Posted by Beth Daley Globe Staff

Copper mine plan for Superior advances in U.S. House

WASHINGTON - A bill to clear the way for development of North America's largest copper mine, near Superior, was approved Wednesday by a deeply divided House Natural Resources Committee.

The party-line vote by the committee was 26-19, with Republicans supporting the federal land swap needed to facilitate the Resolution Copper Mining project and Democrats opposing it.

The next step is a vote by the full House, possibly before the August legislative recess begins Aug. 6. The Republican-led chamber is expected to pass the bill, which supporters say could bring nearly 4,000 jobs to Arizona. Its fate in the Senate is far less certain.

Arizona lawmakers have been trying to win approval of the project for about six years.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/07/14/20110714superior-copper-mine-project-advances.html#ixzz1S6IuwhCs

Article courtesy of The Arizona Republic by Erin Kelly

 

 

California leads 'clean economy,' study finds

Nationwide, 2.7 million people work in the "clean economy," according to a new study. It employs nearly 320,000 people in California. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the sector accounts for about 90,000 workers.

Based on the definition offered in the report from the Brookings Institution, which refers to the clean economy as goods and services with an environmental benefit, there are more green jobs than there are positions with the fossil fuel industry.

The study attempts to tackle a quandary faced by many other researchers: What counts as a green job anyway?

Is it just wind turbine makers, solar panel installers and conservation specialists? Or, as Brookings researchers suggest, does the category also include workers in public mass transit, waste management and organic farming?

Find out how the study deals with the ambiguity -– and learn how much green employees make -– in Wednesday's article. 

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Greenspace posted by Tiffany Hsu

 

 

 

Boston looks to make city safer for bicycles

With a bike-sharing program soon to roll into Boston, police are preparing to stand sentinel at intersections across the city known to be flashpoints for unfortunate encounters between bicycles and cars. They will educate cyclists and motorists about bicycle safety - with much of that education coming in the form of traffic citations.

The ramped-up police surveillance is part of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s new campaign to educate Bostonians on avoiding situations dangerous for bicyclists. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/14/boston_looks_to_make_city_safer_for_bicycles/?p1=Local_Links

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Martine Powers

 

 

What July 1 means to thousands of motorists in California

As of July 1, the owners of about 85,000 hybrid vehicle will no longer be able to drivesolo in carpool lanes. The yellow stickers that allowed them access officially expire,after a six-year run. The only Californians allowed to drive alone in carool lanes are theroughly 10,000 with white stickers for all-electric or natural gas vehicles.   Article courtesy of CommuteSmart News

 

 

Maximize space with vertical gardening

Big on ideas but short on space? Maximize your yard's potential by growing up - not out - with vertical gardening.

Long a staple in Europe, vertical gardening is blooming among U.S. landscapers, designers and home gardeners looking to transform skinny side yards, bitty balconies and cramped courtyards into living, breathing masterpieces.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/outdoors/articles/2011/07/12/20110712maximize-space-vertical-gardening.html#ixzz1Rz2rQYw3

Article courtesy of AZCENTRAL.COM by Sarah Wolfe for the Associated Press

 

 

LAX advice for 405 Freeway shutdown: Avoid driving to or from the airport

Avoid driving, take public transit and allow extra time if you need to get in or out of Los Angeles International Airport during the 53-hour shutdown of the 405 Freeway next month. That's the advice from LAX, which has launched a 405 Freeway Alert Web page that outlines transit options for mid-July, when one of  the busiest freeways in Southern California will close for bridge demolition as part of a larger project.

The airport is south of the closure area, but traffic is expected to be heavy on east-west freeways such as the 10 and 105, as well as on surface streets, the airport's website says.

Here's the 411:

The closure: On July 16 and 17, the northbound 405 will be closed for 10 miles from the 10 Freeway to the 101 Freeway, including the Sepulveda Pass; the southbound 405 will close for four miles between the 101 Freeway and the Getty Center Drive exit.

Drivers can expect lane closures to begin as early as 7 p.m. Friday night (July 15), and reopening of ramps and connectors to go as late as 6 a.m. Monday (July 18). http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-los-angeles-airport-405-shutdown-20110623,0,229860.story

 

Article  courtesy of The Los Angeles Times  By Mary Forgione Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger

 

 

 

New crisis planning urged for US nuclear plants

WASHINGTON - Calling the Japan nuclear disaster “unacceptable,’’ an expert task force convened by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has concluded that nuclear power plants in the United States need better protections for rare, catastrophic events.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/13/new_crisis_planning_urged_for_us_nuclear_plants/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe –Green Blog by Dina Cappiello Associated Press

 

 

Trash trucks fueled by 'trash gas': a growing trend

The company that operates the largest trucking fleet in the waste industry is fueling more and more trucks with so-called trash gas. On Tuesday, Houston-based Waste Management Inc. will add its 1,000th truck fueled with natural gas. Powered with captured and converted methane gas from the company's Altamont, Calif., landfill, the new truck will service Long Beach, picking up recyclables.

North America's largest waste services company, Waste Management operates almost 300 landfills and runs 22,000 big trucks daily, 720 of which are in Southern California. All of the trucks Waste Management runs out of its L.A. Metro fueling station are powered with liquefied natural gas (LNG) derived from the methane generated through decomposition of organic waste in its Altamont landfill. Since November 2009, the landfill has been generating as much as 13,000 gallons of LNG per day. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/waste-management-trash-trucks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Greenspace posted by Susan Carpenter

 

 

Series of earthquakes hit California-Mexico border region

A series of earthquakes have rattled the California-Mexico border region over the last day.

The largest of the quakes was a magnitude 4.1 temblor that hit near the the town of Ocotillo in Imperial County on Sunday night. A 3.4 shaker also occurred on Sunday, and magnitude 3.1 and 3.4 quakes were reported outside of Mexicali, Mexico, on Monday morning.

The quakes were felt in Mexico as well across parts of Imperial and San Diego counties, officials said.

In 2010, this area was shaken during the magnitude 7.1 Easter Sunday quake outside Mexicali, which killed two people in Mexico and caused nearly $100-million damage in California alone.

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Shelby Grad

Charles River finalist for international river prize

The Charles River – once so dirty it turned colors depending on the paint being manufactured on its banks – is a finalist for the International Riverprize, an award that annually awards $350,000 for the development and implementation of visionary and sustainable river management. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2011/07/_the_charles_river.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-The Green Blog posted by Beth Daly

Smart fracking

Extracting natural gas from shale is safe and economically sensible

ENLIGHTENED MOMENTS in politics are few and far between. Populism has a lot to do with it; playing to fear, anger, and other emotions is a safe move politically, and what the media love most.

That’s why New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to lift a ban on hydraulic fracturing - also known as “fracking’’ - should be celebrated as a victory for rational thought. His administration is now preparing regulations allowing access to 85 percent of the shale gas beneath the state. This has members of the hard-core environmental lobby gnashing their teeth. Their dramatic, and often misleading, claims drove last year’s ban in the first place. Cuomo’s move also strikes a blow for states’ rights and encourages a balanced approach to energy policy - and highlights some cool engineering as well. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/07/11/smart_fracking/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe - The Green Blog by John E. Sununu

Verizon Wireless to unveil its new facility in Waltham

WALTHAM - A digital jukebox with instant wireless access to 3 million songs. A device that extends cellphone coverage to the back of large grocery stores. And a suitcase that’s wirelessly connected to your social network and can tell you when you’ve forgotten to bring it along.

Which product is market-ready, which will be available soon, and which is a vision for future wireless technology?

At the Verizon Technology Innovation Center in Waltham, which will celebrate its grand opening tomorrow, it can be difficult to tell the present from the future.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/07/11/verizon_wireless_to_unveil_its_new_facility_in_waltham/?p1=Well_Business_links

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Calvin Hennick