Climate Change Adaptation Support for Transportation Practitioners: 2013 Volpe Center Innovation Challenge Project.

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center;Climate Change Clearinghouse2015PDFTech ReportCybulski, JonLewis, KristinMcCoy, KevinRasmussen, BenJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)New MexicoClimate changeWeatherResilience (Materials)Expert systemsState government agenciesLocal government agenciesFederal government agenciesRegional governmentData collectionData analysisCase studiesTransportation planningGap analysisExtreme weatherAdaptationDOT-VNTSC-OST-R-15-03REC2B1Technical report; Dec. 2013-Sep. 2015The nature of the U.S. transportation system requires that actions to adapt to climate change impacts occur primarily at the State and local levels. Federal agencies support State, regional, and local agencies and they work hard to provide frameworks, data, tools, and research and to fund pilot projects as well. Experience has shown that advanced planning to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to the impacts of climate change has the potential to save money and prevent economic disruptions. However, even proactive State and local governments that have begun evaluating climate- and extreme weather-related risks to their resources have not yet fully integrated consideration of changing conditions into existing planning and operational practices, and others are in the early stages of identifying the climate risks and vulnerabilities they face. In December 2013, the Volpe Center's Innovation Challenge judges selected as the winning idea a project focused on helping transportation practitioners at all levels better understand, access, and use Federal climate change adaptation resources. This report summarizes the project and presents the resulting \u201cExpert System\u201d concept.109