Nora's Note
Nora Madonick | CEO & Founder
Building the Bench. Last Friday, Allison Jacobi, Arch Street’s Project Director for Federal Contracts, volunteered with Transportation YOU, a WTS program that introduces young women to careers in transportation and engineering. Allison joined engineers from NCDOT to lead hands-on activities and conversations with 35 girls from three area middle schools.
The results were worth noting. Every participant learned something new about engineering, 53% left more interested in the field, and 74% said they’d come back for another event. That’s the standard we hold our own work to: create real opportunities to participate, then measure whether they made a difference.
Transportation and infrastructure still have a long way to go before women are fully represented on job sites and in the firms that win the work. That’s why I’m stepping into a new role as a spokesperson for disadvantaged women-owned businesses in our industry; more on that in issues to come. Programs like Transportation YOU build the pipeline. Advocacy helps make sure there’s a place for that talent when it arrives.
Arch Street brings the same commitment to every community we serve, from the DMV to New York. We show up, we listen, and we give back.
Thank you, Allison, for representing Arch Street and for helping the next generation see themselves in this work.
Transportation
Since Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New York City fourteen years ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has allocated over $7 billion for infrastructure investments and improvements to its system. The MTA has allocated a $500 million tranche towards resiliency improvements to Coney Island Yard, MTA's 100-acre rail facility in Brooklyn. The expansive overhauls to the Yard include a reinforced concrete seawall and elevated bridge to carry cables above ground in case of flooding from severe storms. The half-billion-dollar investment is one of the many proactive measures the MTA is taking to better prepare the system for future climate-related impacts.
Read more about MTA's infrastructure overhauls. (Source: CBS News)
CBS News: NYC Moving Forward with major Third Avenue Redesign in Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Streetsblog USA: Would Ending Seasonal Clock Changes Make Streets Safer for People Outside Cars?
amNewYork: MTA Could Plug Projected Budget Holes by Taking Conductors Off More Trains
Climate
The environmental-justice-focused Green Task Force advises Detroit City Council on green principles to improve the city. Among its initiatives is a local Complete Streets transportation program to improve safety and access for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The group is also exploring ways to reduce energy costs for Detroiters, including legislation to support plug-in solar.
Read more about the Task Force’s initiatives here. (Source: Bridge Detroit)
Climate Plan: Getting There: A Transportation Playbook for California’s Next Governor
abc17news: Three charts that prove clean energy progress is really happening
Route fifty: Who Should Have Land-Use Authority in Green Energy Projects?
Economic Development
Cambridge, Massachusetts, has launched a new interactive housing dashboard that makes it easier for residents, developers, and community members to track housing projects across the city. The dashboard provides information on nearly 250 housing projects, from the early planning stages through construction and completion. The tool comes as Cambridge works to expand housing opportunities and address growing affordability challenges. Having this information readily available can help the city better understand where development is happening, identify housing needs, and plan for future growth. Expanding housing options is also important for attracting businesses, supporting the local workforce, and ensuring that people can afford to live near where they work. Cambridge's new dashboard shows how cities can use accessible data to support more informed planning decisions and encourage community involvement in local development.
Read More about the interactive housing dashboard here. (Source: SmartCityDrive)
Planetizen: Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future
Sacramento Bee: US Weekly jobless claims at 57 year lows; worker productivity surges in third quarter
Planetizen: Buzzer beater? MTA Vows to turn this SoHo pit into a basketball court in 30days
Digital
Fort Collins, Colorado, is testing a shared drone program to help local agencies assess emergencies before sending crews. Police, the Poudre Fire Authority, and city utilities split the cost of three drones that can survey traffic crashes, water main breaks, and power outages. Dispatchers can use the aerial footage to decide whether a crew is needed on site.
Read more about how the departments share the fleet and how city leaders are responding to residents’ privacy concerns. (Source: Route Fifty)
TechCrunch: Google will let schools disable its AI tools, but not without sacrificing Search
Social Media Today: Companies may need to restrict AI use to manage costs
Mashable: NY Gov. Hochul signs major chatbot safety law
About Arch Street Communications
At ASC, we help government agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations across the globe communicate issues that affect people’s lives. We’re the bold, nimble, women-owned small business (WBE) that has supported strategic communications programs to build stronger communities for 30 years.
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