Construction company Skanska, announces that its Expo Line Phase 2 Extension, which expands the existing line from Culver City to Santa Monica, California, has received the highest Envision certification from the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). As the first transit project to receive the certification, the line may serve as a model for sustainability in future transit systems in LA and across the country.
Similar to the way the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) creates incentive to improve the sustainability of buildings and thier construction, Envision rates civil infrastructure based on its cost, maintenance, materials, energy usage, and strengths in other sectors. To achieve Platinum status, infrastructure excels in all of these, and takes many phases of construction into account, from planning and designing, to building and maintaining.
The extension effectively serves to connect downtown Los Angeles to Pacific beaches. At 6.6-miles long, it provides an alternative to driving so that commuters can relax and avoid traffic. The Expo Line encompasses seven stations and is also recognized by the award for its bikeway facilities, and pedestrian linkages. It aims to improve quality of life for commuters; it sources local materials; and it considers existing environmental factors. It is also highlighted for its incorporation of work from local artists, painters, and designers.
The milestone serves to ensure new infrastructure in the city will be better for the environment than existing ones. At the Greenbuild 2017 conference and expo earlier this month, visitors were able to attend a tour of the extension, for a review of its qualifications for the certification.
