NewsWatch: Sustainable Communities

Pothole in Alpharetta? There's an App for That
See a pothole that needs to be filled? There's an app for that. Wish the city would fix that balky traffic signal around the corner? There's an app for that, too -- if you're in Alpharetta, Ga. The city has launched a new system for reporting minor hazards using a free application for smart phones. SeeClickFix allows residents to flag the location, take a picture of the offense and notify the city of the problem. The complaint appears on the city's website with a time stamp. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Urban Farm of the Future?
Prairie Crossing, Ill., was developed to conserve prairie. The developers set aside 60 percent of the 677 acres in a land conservation easement; another 3,200 acres are protected within the Liberty Prairie Reserve, a conglomeration of public and private land connected to the community. Grist

EPA Releases Local Government Green Building Toolkit
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit for Local Governments in order to assist local governments in identifying and removing barriers to sustainable design and green building within their permitting process. There are two sections to the Toolkit: the first section is an Assessment Tool and Resource Guide. The second section is a guide to developing an Action Plan for implementing changes within a community's permitting process. EPA

Dallas Upgrading Streetcars
Within three years, the McKinney Avenue trolley will have a longer route, faster cars and, its backers believe, a new direction. A $4.9 million federal grant awarded earlier this month will allow MATA to extend tracks down Olive Street to within walking distance of DART's Pearl Street commuter rail station, then loop around the Arts District to the current end-of-the-line stop on St. Paul Street. Dallas Morning News

Transit CIOs Join Together
CIOs representing more than 30 transit authorities -- from Amtrak to metropolitan agencies in Chicago, Dallas, New York City and San Francisco -- are joining together to form the nationwide Transit CIO Consortium. The Consortium will provide a forum for transit CIOs to share technology and program information with each other on a broad range of technology subjects. CIO Insight

Anaheim Tests Diesel-to-Electric Bus Conversion
The Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) announced a partnership with NexGen Power Group Inc. to test a fully functional heavy-duty, zero-emission, battery-powered transit bus for one year beginning December 2010. NexGen Power will retrofit two buses from diesel to an electric operating platform to perform a full operating day. Two buses, one full size 40-foot diesel bus and one 22-foot diesel bus will go through a six-month conversion process before being placed back in for a one-year demonstration test. During the demonstration phase of the project, NexGen Power will have full access to the buses for data collection and analysis purposes.

Renewable Gas -- Vision for a Sustainable Network
Sixteen percent of natural gas demand in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and New Hampshire could be met by renewable gas, according to a white paper by National Grid. The white paper discusses the potential sources of renewable gas in the Northeastern U.S. and provides an overview of renewable gas technology. National Grid

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