Transportation and Water

Transportation & the Environment Workshop
Focus on Clean Water and Flooding

March 22, 2011                  

There are many instances where water and transportation interact.  Water affects our transportation system and vice versa.  This workshop gave participants an overview of the abundant water resources in southwest Michigan.  Both our water resources (wetlands, inland lakes, streams, rivers, Lake Michigan) and our transportation system (roads, trails, harbors, etc.) are essential to our economy and quality of life.  These systems (watersheds and transportation infrastructure) are both threatened by polluted water and flooding. 

To protect these vital systems, a more natural approach to handling water runoff in transportation project planning and implementation is essential.  Every time a street is retrofitted or built, bioswales, porous pavement, and other practices must be incorporated to ensure clean water and less flooding.  The price may be a little more upfront to implement these practices, but the cost to our communities in the future to deal with increased flooding and polluted waters could be shocking and devastating.  As we all know, the success of southwest Michigan depends on clean water.       

Below are the presentations, other resources and contacts for the speakers.  SWMPC thanks the following sponsors for their support of this workshop: 

Michigan Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

Berrien, Cass and Van Buren County Road Commissions

Friends of the St. Joe River

Two Rivers Coalition

Galien River Watershed

Michigan's Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum

SWMPC is looking forward to continuing the dialogue on this topic and building partnerships to improve and protect our watersheds and transportation infrastructure!

Download Presentations:

Transportation and Water Overview

Best Practices

Implementation - Example Projects

Handout: 

Street Retrofit - To Reduce Flooding and Improve Water Quality 

Video:

YouTube Video of the Sylvan Road Porous Pavement Project

Useful Links:

Low Impact Development Resources

LID Case Studies - search for projects, add your project!

FHWA Eco-Logical Approach 

Report - Evaluation of Best Practices for Highway Runoff Control

EPA - Intro to Low Impact Development

Contact Information for the Presenters:

 Marcy Colclough
colcloughm@swmpc.org

(269) 925-1137 x25

Kimberly Majerus 
kimberly.majerus@dot.gov

(708) 283-4346

Wendy Ogilvie, CFM, LEED®-AP

ewogilvie@ftch.com

(616) 464-3915

Chris Wall, P.E., PTP, PTOE

cewall@ftch.com

(248) 324-1338