APTA SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT SUBCOMMITTEE

Monday, August 6, 2012, 5:15-6:15pm (ET)

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Salon A

Philadelphia, PA

DRAFT

MINUTES

Attendees: Kevin Desmond (Chair), Susannah Kerr Adler (Vice-Chair), Eric Hesse, J. Barry Barker, Mike Usen, Karen Jealous, Michael Weinberger, Meg Cederoth, Joshua Goldman, Jennifer Niece, Mike Harbour, Barbara Thomson, Betsy Delaney, Craig Bilderback, Robert Stafford, Amy Shatzkin, Mark Minor, Michaella Wittmann, David Taylor, Lolalisa D. King, Jeff Wharton, Rachel Healy, Ed Smyth, Paul DeSantis, Francis Tenggardjaja, Scott Demharter, Petra Mollet, Jenn Golech, Lisa Cuellar, Cris Liban, Erik Johanson, Larry Murphy.

Welcome and Introductionsof Erik Johanson, SEPTA; Cris Liban, LAC MTA; Larry Murphy, CDM Smith (incoming) Co-Chairs. Thanks to Eric Hesse, TriMet (outgoing) Chair.

Motion to approve the minutes of August 1, 2011 meeting was seconded and approved.

Update on Sustainability Commitment

New signatories in 2012 included Unitrans, PennTransit, MBTA, Arcadis, First Environment, Central Maryland Regional Transit, Eco Microfilters, Red Kite Project, NS Wash. New recognition in 2012 included Gold for SEPTA, Intercity Transit, and Sound Transit.

Review of Sub-Committee Strategic Priorities

The mission of the Sustainability Commitment Signatories Subcommittee is to act as a forum for peer guidance and review on meeting the APTA Sustainability Commitment goals. Its priority activities include:

-Peer exchange and learning

(education on Commitment and goals)

-Technical assistance/guidance

-Performance standards for achievement of the recognition levels

-Peer review for recognition levels

Resources / Support for signatories

Erik Johanson and Cris Liban introduced the newly-approvedRecommended Practice:Quantifying and Reporting Transit Sustainability Metrics and highlighted its role in providing a resource to subcommittee members looking for a “how-to” for measuring APTA Sustainability Commitment metrics.

Support for business member signatories

Larry Murphy started the discussion around providing more tailored support to business member Commitment signatories. This could take the form of type- or industry-specific subgroups, as a diverse group of business signatories has varied data, environmental footprints, and therefore different support needs. Susannah Kerr Adler mentioned that that proprietary information is often a concern when sharing metrics. If anyone is interested in working with Larry, please let him know.

Larry Murphy and Jeff Wharton will expand this focus on business members at the Annual Meeting.

Other – web resources, outreach

Best practices; Standards; information on the Commitment are available on the website. Petra asked if there is anything that we can offer for our signatories: more information, different topics.Cris Liban mentioned that something the signatories receive other than bragging rights, such as a special logo for prominent display as with LEED, could be a good way to highlight efforts. Erik Johanson seconded that perhaps we could have a decal or some kind of tangible logo.Petra responded thatthose that earn an award get a special certificate; Susannah added that they receive recognition at the Committee and at the Sustainability Workshop. Kyle reminded participants that we will continue to have regular articles in Passenger Transport featuring recognition recipients.

Changes to Sustainability Commitment and recognition level process

Erik Johanson commented that generally, if we are editing the Commitment, is it a wholesale change or gradual change. He then asked if there any other things that have been frustrating or that we should look to change going forward.

Template

Kyle Bell from APTA gave an overview of the newly designed template for Sustainability Commitment recognition applications. This template may be modified easily to reflect incremental changes in the Commitment and may also be modified for use with annual progress reports. Amy Shatzkin thanked Kyle for this template, which will make reporting a more orderly process, and added that it would make sense to add some basic background about the agency – modes run, for example.

Jeff Wharton added that a regular reminder of annual reporting requirements would be useful for ensuring year-to-year compliance with Commitment. Erik added that afull “how-to” – leading agencies through signing, progress reports, and adherence to the core commitment– may be useful. Petra reminded the group that there is a reporting template.Perhaps a yearly reminder would be useful. Kyle will make contacting the signatories and remind them to report back a priority in the upcoming year.

Changes to core commitment

New normalization factors from Quantifying Sustainability Metrics document were introduced by Eric Hesse. Water pollutant discharge was removed as a required metric, as quantification is “pass/fail” and therefore difficult to measure and show improvement.

Justification of non-measurement

Metrics that do not apply to an agency or are not measurable can be justified in the application process. Feedback that shows persistent measurement issues could be used to tweak and improve the Commitment.

Recognition levels

Kyle Bell further elaborated on the new template for recognition level applications. This template removes water pollutant discharge, incorporates new normalization factors, including a space to justify why each normalization factor was chosen as most relevant to the metric in question.

Social Sustainability

J. Barry Barker made a presentation about the Social Pillar of Sustainability document, an approach which will be elaborated on in the APTA Standards Sustainability Metrics working group. The document still needs volunteers to “test-drive”. The goal is to eventually integrate social elements more expressly into the Sustainability Commitment recognition process, be it through quantification or action items / stretch goals.

Any agency interested in participating in the test-drive of the social sustainability framework should contact Barry Barker or APTA Staff for more information.

Meeting adjourned at 6:15pm.

WHAT / WHO / WHEN
Reach out to business member signatories to design industry subject- or type-specific subgroups.Larry Murphy and Jeff Wharton will expand this focus on business members at the Annual Meeting. / Larry Murphy and Jeff Wharton with business members / September 2012
Adjust recognition template and Commitment materials to reflect changes in normalization factors, removal of water pollutant discharge. / Kyle Bell and APTA Staff / September 2012
Remind signatories of requirement to report on annual progress towards meeting the goals of the Commitment (separate from recognition applications). / Full committee / December 2012
Development of a “how-to” from signing, to progress reports, compliance, and applying for a recognition level. May include modified Excel template for progress reports. / Erik Johanson and Kyle Bell / Prior to December 2012
Test-drive social sustainability framework. / Full committee / Deadline TBD