Rating Sustainability: Transportation Investments in Urban Corridors as a Case Study

Abstract

Interest in sustainable “green” practices continues to rise throughout the United States, particularly in relation to green building. Currently, programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Green Globes assess the ecoefficiency of a variety of building types and communities. The existing rating systems include some aspects of transportation; however, currently there is no program that focuses on transportation investments. In addition, there is little documentation of the development of these rating systems. This research develops a methodology for rating systems and applies the system to transportation investments, specifically urban corridors. Urban transportation corridors serve to illustrate the concepts because of their essential role of providing mobility and interaction between and within communities. The end product, sustainable corridor rating system (SCRS), is intended to alter the behavior of transportation practitioners and induce sustainable transportation practices by defining a methodology for developing green rating systems. In addition, the methodology defined in this research can be applied universally to the development of green rating systems similar to SCRS.