Evaluating the Progress of Climate Change Adaptation Practices across Transportation Planning Agencies: A Case Study on the Mid-Atlantic

To prepare and protect societies, economies, and the environment from the potential impacts of climate change, adaptation is required. Specifically, transportation organizations throughout the country, including state Department of Transportation agencies and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), should not only be reducing climate change impacts through mitigation but also supporting adaptation practices. This paper evaluates agencies' behavior in terms of their integration of adaptation practices with the transportation planning process. Eighteen MPOs within the Mid-Atlantic region are surveyed based on a series of questions to assess the agency's progress in adaptation such as vulnerability assessments, infrastructure design/construction, and practices that support mitigation. The results are used to compare progress across jurisdictions and identify areas for improvement. By providing guidance and methods for integrating adaptation practices, agencies can begin to protect and prepare transportation networks and facilities from the potential impacts of climate change.