In the ring with Greenroads: We got certified – so what? Freeman Anthony, P.E. Project Engineer, City of Bellingham, Washington Member, APWA Transportation Committee Chair, APWA Transportation Sustainability Subcommittee
utting an industry-recognized stamp of sustainability on transportation infrastructure projects has been a hot topic in the sector for a few years now with pilot phases, Technical Committees, partnerships, lunch meetings, online surveys, and all the other work plan items that surround a new industry initiative. After tracking the leading systems over the last few years, the City of Bellingham Public Works Department decided to throw the Greenroads version 1.5 manual at a 2011 corridor rehabilitation project and wade into the deep, green end of the pool. The City has worked on and off with the Greenroads Foundation, a nonprofit, third-party transportation infrastructure certification system
based in Redmond, Washington and initially developed at the University of Washington (with substantial industry help and input). As a project engineer for the City’s Public Works Department, I began talking with Associate Professor Steve Muench at the University of Washington in 2009 as the City of Bellingham was working on a street rehabilitation project that included its first large-scale use of porous concrete in the Lake Whatcom watershed. A former gradstudent’s concept of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-like certification system for transportation projects was being further developed into something real. The APWA Transportation
Freeman Anthony (right) receives the project certification from University of Washington Professor Steve Muench and Jeralee Anderson of the Greenroads Foundation. 62 APWA Reporter
July 2012
Sustainability Subcommittee (TSSubcom) realized that the concept could have great value for the industry with the potential of LEEDlike success. The success in branding and benchmarking sustainability that LEED had demonstrated over 10 years could likewise help agencies and consultants in the transportation sector to standardize progressive designs and concepts and capture a broad audience. The public relations component of such a system could help engage the public, much like LEED had, to support complex project delivery with multiple stakeholders. For the TSSubcom, sustainability rating systems have been one of our key focus areas and includes INVEST, the FHWA selfevaluation tool, and ENVISION. Our Northshore Drive project was one of the Pilot Projects for Greenroads and basically amounted to me dropping the entire construction file on Steve’s desk and saying, “Have fun, it’s a pretty sustainable road if you ask me.” After six or so months of guiding Greenroads staff through my cryptic reports, spreadsheets, specifications and construction data, the City received a score that put us three points and a few minimum requirements shy of certification. Not bad considering we had only submitted our standard City documentation without considering what the Greenroads Manual had wanted to see and without certification as a goal.
