CLIMATE ADAPTATION & TRANSPORTATION Identifying Information and Assistance Needs

The report identifies a critical gap between climate science outputs and the operational needs of transportation practitioners. It argues that adaptation requires not only improved climate data—such as updated precipitation atlases and sea-level rise projections—but also a deep understanding of local non-climate factors like infrastructure elevation and soil saturation. The document emphasizes the need for a 'central clearinghouse' of information, better 'Climate-to-English' translation of scientific terms, and the integration of climate risk into existing asset management and budgeting processes. It highlights various pilot projects and tools, including the FHWA Risk Assessment Model and Toronto's Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool, as pathways toward increasing the adaptive capacity of transportation systems.

• Local, non-climate contextual data is often as important as, or more important than, climate science for adaptation decisions. Critical factors include infrastructure elevation, state of repair, culvert capacity, and natural conditions such as soil saturation and hydrology.
• There is a significant communication gap between climate scientists and transportation engineers, necessitating a 'Climate-to-English' translation to replace technical jargon with familiar units and accessible terminology.
• Transportation professionals require a central clearinghouse to navigate available climate information, identify the correct agencies to contact for assistance, and access best management practices for risk assessment and prioritizing responses.
• Current climate models often lack the temporal and spatial resolution needed by hydraulic engineers, who require precipitation data for events of 6 hours or less, rather than the standard 24-hour projections.
• Adaptation should be integrated into the entire transportation lifecycle—including planning, design, siting, construction, operations, and maintenance—by consistently 'Asking the Climate Question' to evaluate how decisions affect resilience.
• Green infrastructure, such as permeable pavement and urban forestry, can provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional 'grey' infrastructure. For example, in Portland, OR, an $8 million investment in green infrastructure saved $250 million in grey infrastructure costs.
• The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed a conceptual Risk Assessment Model to help identify assets most exposed to climate threats, which has been piloted in New Jersey, Hampton Roads (VA), San Francisco, Washington State, and Oahu (HI).
• The City of Toronto implemented a first-of-its-kind Environmental Risk Assessment Process and Tool for its Transportation Services Division, generating over 1,600 impact scenarios to prioritize risks and corrective actions.
• The New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) shifted from reactive to proactive management after a 2007 storm, implementing pre-emptive service shutdowns for Tropical Storm Irene and retrofitting 25 priority locations with raised ventilation grates.

APA

Winkelman, S., Winkelman, S., Mueller, J., & Jue, E. (2012). CLIMATE ADAPTATION & TRANSPORTATION Identifying Information and Assistance Needs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/Climate_Adaptation_Transportation.pdf

Chicago

Winkelman, S., Steve Winkelman, Jan Mueller, and Erica Jue. CLIMATE ADAPTATION & TRANSPORTATION Identifying Information and Assistance Needs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2012. https://www.eesi.org/files/Climate_Adaptation_Transportation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Winkelman |first1=S. |last2=Winkelman |first2=Steve |last3=Mueller |first3=Jan |last4=Jue |first4=Erica |title=CLIMATE ADAPTATION & TRANSPORTATION Identifying Information and Assistance Needs |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=May 2012 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Climate_Adaptation_Transportation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{winkelman2012climate, author = {Winkelman, S. and Winkelman, Steve and Mueller, Jan and Jue, Erica}, title = {{CLIMATE ADAPTATION \& TRANSPORTATION Identifying Information and Assistance Needs}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2012}, month = may, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Climate_Adaptation_Transportation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }