Transportation 2035 - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

ENVIRONMENT | air, water, energy, community livabilityGOAL ENOBJECTIVES EN.1.aEN.1.bEN.1.cEN.1.dPOLICIES EN.2.aEN.2.bEN.2.cEN.2.dEN.2.eEN.2.fRecognize, protect and enhance the quality of the state’s environmental resources and the livability of its communities through welldesignedtransportation projects and effective operation of the transportation system.Improve air quality.Manage stormwater runoff from roadways to improve quality of receiving waters.Conserve energy.Enhance community livability and visual quality.Reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from mobile sources, and conserve energy by reducing vehicles milestraveled; reducing the number of single occupant vehicle trips; promoting increased usage of high efficiency vehicle technologies; andretaining vegetated buffers.Manage stormwater runoff from roadways and reduce pollutants through retrofit and maintenance of stormdrains, implementation ofbest management practices, retention of trees within rights-of-way to provide vegetated buffers for infiltration, limiting the use of deicingchemicals (consistent with safety), and other approaches, especially within the watersheds of impaired waters and overgroundwater aquifers. Promote the use of “grassy strips” for snow storage.Utilize transportation programs and projects to maintain and enhance environmental quality and community livability, by includingpractices such as historic and scenic preservation, open space acquisition, landscaping, streetscaping, and recycling to improveaesthetics, and contribute to water and air quality improvements.Ensure that the transportation planning and project programming embrace the principles of environmental stewardship throughmeasures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate cumulative environmental impacts on affected communities. Utilize existing and newenvironmental resource data to estimate the additional burdens or benefits projects will have on wildlife, air quality and water quality.Minimize conflicts between the transportation system and wildlife resources.Acknowledge that sea-level rise may threaten transportation facilities, and plan infrastructure improvements accordingly. (See PL.3.v)Transportation 2035 (2012 Update)State Guide Plan Element 611RI Statewide Planning ProgramPage 5-17December 2012BICYCLEDESIGNECONOMICDEVELOPMENTEMERGENCYRESPONSEENVIRONMENTEQUITYFINANCEHIGHWAYINTERMODALLAND USE ANDCORRIDORSPEDESTRIANPLANNINGSAFETYTRANSIT