Speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Annual Meeting in Miami, ASCE Younger Member Danielle Elkins, A.M.ASCE, gave a presentation titled, "Best Practices in Sustainable Freight and Goods Movement" to a special Mayors Task Force on Sustainable Freight and Goods Movement.

Elkins, of CH2M Hill, cited ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure as a sign that at its current condition, the nation's infrastructure cannot support the expected increases in the amount of freight entering, exiting, and traveling through the country. Using case studies from three different states, however, Elkins demonstrated urban policy initiatives working with engineering modifications that ease congestion and reduce emissions.

From her own experiences in Southern California, Elkins shared with the task force the "Clean Trucks Program" being developed at the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles which create container fees to help subsidize the replacement of old trucks with those that meet 2007 EPA emissions standards. Additionally, at the nation's busiest port complex, a policy which was implemented to encourage off-peak travel through fee-based incentive programs has reduced traffic entering the port and reduced air pollution from idling trucks. The traffic mitigation fees collected at peak times are directed towards the creation of additional off-peak operating hours at the port.

To read more about the Mayors' Annual Meeting, visit ASCE GR's blog Our Failing Infrastructure. http://www.asce.org/govrel/blog