Climate Change Adaptation Tool for Transportation: Mid-Atlantic Region Case Study
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 4
Abstract
Transportation has contributed to climate change and will most likely be impacted by changes in sea level, temperature, precipitation, and wind, for example. As the risk of climate change impacts become more imminent, pressure for adaptation within transportation agencies to address these impacts continues to rise. The most logical strategy is to integrate consideration of adaptation projects into the long-range transportation planning (LRTP) process. To do this, tools and experience are needed to assist transportation agencies. The Climate Change Adaptation Tool for Transportation (CCATT) is a step-by-step method to evaluate climate change scenarios and impacts, inventory at-risk existing and proposed infrastructure, and assess mitigation practices to identify supporting adaptation efforts. This paper focuses on the application of CCATT to the Mid-Atlantic region using a case study on the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO), the Metropolitan Planning Organization for northern Delaware. The results of the application and case study demonstrate the importance of climate change adaptation practices in long-range transportation planning.
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Acknowledgments
This work was partially supported by the University of Delaware University Transportation Center under Grant Number DTRT06-G-0028 from the Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the U.S. Department and Transportation, and the Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship program. The authors acknowledge and appreciate the participation of the transportation practitioners at WILMAPCO who provided valuable input to the case study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 4 • April 2013
Pages: 407 - 415
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 24, 2011
Accepted: Oct 31, 2012
Published online: Nov 3, 2012
Published in print: Apr 1, 2013
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