NTL Record

Title Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure: Gulf Coast Study, Phase I
Record ID 32124
Personal Name
Creator
Savonis, Michael; Burkett, Virginia R.; Potter, Joanne R.
Source Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.7; 439p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator Climate Change Science Program (U.S.); Climate Change Science Program (U.S.). Subcommittee on Global Change Research
Publisher Climate Change Science Program (U.S.)
Publication Date 20080300
Abstract Climate affects the design, construction, safety, operations, and maintenance of transportation infrastructure and systems. The prospect of a changing climate raises critical questions regarding how alterations in temperature, precipitation, storm events, and other aspects of the climate could affect the nation's roads, airports, rail, transit systems, pipelines, ports, and waterways. Phase I of this regional assessment of climate change and its potential impacts on transportation systems addresses these questions for the region of the U.S. central Gulf Coast between Galveston, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. This region contains multimodal transportation infrastructure that is critical to regional and national transportation services. This report presents the findings of the first phase of a three phase research effort. The ultimate goal of this research is to provide knowledge and tools that will enable transportation planners and managers to better understand the risks, adaptation strategies, and tradeoffs involved in planning, investment, design, and operational decisions. The objective of Phase I was to conduct a preliminary assessment of the risks and vulnerabilities of transportation in the region, after collecting and integrating the range of data needed to characterize the region – its physiography and hydrology, land use and land cover, past and projected climate, current population and trends, and transportation infrastructure. Subsequent phases will conduct more detailed analyses. Phase II will conduct an in-depth assessment of risks to transportation in a selected location, reporting on implications for long-range plans and impacts on safety, operations, and maintenance. This phase will also develop a risk assessment methodology and identify techniques to incorporate environmental and climate data in transportation decisions. Phase III will identify and analyze adaptation and response strategies and develop tools to assess these strategies, while enumerating future research needs.
Rosap ID dot:17351
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/17351
TRT Terms Multimodal transportation; Climate change; Border regions; Regions; Environmental impact analysis; Passenger service
Geographical
Coverage
Alabama; Texas
Resource type Research Paper
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/32000/32100/32124/32124.pdf
Alternative URL http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS95358
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository