Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) recently received an Envision Silver Award for the Taxiway-L Rehabilitation Project. Envision Verification is a rating system administered by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Envision awards include Verified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, and are based on the level to which a project has gone above and beyond to deliver improvements in social, economic, and environmental conditions by employing sustainability elements into its design and construction. The goals of the Envision program are to create a more sustainable infrastructure by conserving land, diverting waste from landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.
Key sustainability strategies that allowed the PNE to achieve a Silver award included:
- 30% of the project paving and concrete materials were reused or recycled content, specifically:
- Reclaimed asphalt product (RAP)
- Recycled byproduct (fly ash or slag) used in the cement paving and concrete pipes.
- Operational energy consumption for the project reduced by at least 50 percent by converting taxiway and signage lighting from incandescent to LED lights
- 95% of construction waste diverted from landfill.
The City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation has completed three Envision-verified projects, which are the first three verified infrastructure projects in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and PNE are two of only 16 airports in the United States to have achieved Envision verification. In 2024, the Department of Aviation was recognized for two PHL projects: Taxiway-J in February and Taxiway U&Y in November.
The Department of Aviation has developed resources, design standards and guidance documents for design and construction teams to incorporate environmental, social and economic sustainability considerations into infrastructure development. Three airport employees have earned their credentials as Envision Specialists: Jessica Noon, Airport Sustainability Manager; Elena Fisher, City Planner; and James Clarkin, City Planner Supervisor. “We are very excited now to have received an Envision Silver award for the Taxiway-L project at Northeast Philadelphia Airport,” said Fisher, Department of Aviation Envision Specialist on the Taxiway L Rehabilitation Project. “Achieving Envision Verification demonstrates our dedication to building sustainable infrastructure that serves our community, protects the environment, and supports future generations.”
Congratulations to the PNE Taxiway L project team:
- Envision Lead and design team: AtkinsRéalis,
- PM/CM Team: AECOM
- Contractor: JD Morrissey (JDM)