addressing climate change adaptation in regional transportation plans
addressing climate change adaptation in regional transportation plans addressing climate change adaptation in regional transportation plans
Addressing Climate Change Adaptation in Regional Transportation PlansA Guide for California MPOs and RTPAsPrioritize Adaptation Strategies for Inclusion in RTPThe penultimate stage in the assessment process is the prioritization ofadaptation strategies for integration into the RTP, hazard mitigation plans, oreven short-term implementation where applicable. At this point, the dimensionscritical to prioritization will be known for all assets/strategies that haveundergone full assessment: the magnitude of risk, effectiveness (in mitigatingrisks) and implementation feasibility – or, alternatively, the B/C ratio –preferably for the duration of the Climate Hazard Protection Window. Thesescorings can be ranked or, perhaps more suitably, grouped into tiers of priority,by time period. For example, “high,” “medium,” and “low” priorities for short-,mid-, and long-term implementation. It is anticipated that many of thesepriorities will correspond to established asset renewal cycles, helping agenciescost-effectively promote adaptation in the course of preserving or improvingtheir assets (a practice referred to as “mainstreaming”).Although this document aims to provide efficient, workable approaches for eachelement of the assessment, it is particularly important at this stage to employthese approaches to the extent that they support decision-making, but not to beconstrained by them. Agencies are encouraged to apply (or adapt) their ownproject planning and prioritization processes, and to integrate other methods andfactors to the assessment as they see fit, such as the consideration ofcomplementary benefits to other aspects of transportation or environmentalperformance. Agencies will also profit by working collaboratively in makingthese determinations, especially by leveraging the skills and knowledge ofinfrastructure managers and by working constructively with their constituentsand with other agencies to increase the effectiveness and buy-in of their decisionmaking.This leads to the incorporation of adaptation into formal plans and processes –the final, and perhaps most important outcome of the assessment. Ultimately,climate adaptation projects must take their places alongside safety, congestionmitigation, accessibility, and environmental projects, for example, which arethemselves crucial to fulfilling the agency’s mission and the region’s goals. It isanticipated that an early, unflinching consideration of climate change, coupledwith timely and cost-effective adaptation action, will strengthen the ability oftransportation agencies to fulfill their fundamental mandates, now and fordecades to come.12-14 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
Addressing Climate Change Adaptation in Regional Transportation PlansA Guide for California MPOs and RTPAs13.0 Module 5: Monitorand Evaluate13.1 THE VALUE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATINGTHE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE PLANTo a greater extent than in other sectors, the economic impacts of climate changeon the transportation sector are closely tied to the continual cycles ofinfrastructure renewal and reconstruction. Most transportation infrastructuredecisions play out over many decades, and the affected infrastructure oftenextends long beyond intended design lifetimes.The prioritization process for transportation investments needs to consider notonly the potential intensity of climate impacts but the condition and vulnerabilityof existing facilities and the relative importance of those facilities to overallsystem performance. By weighing all of these factors, transportation plannerscan direct resources to the most necessary and cost-effective actions.Effective adaptation requires an ongoing, iterative process of understandingtransportation infrastructure resiliency, conducting a vulnerability and riskassessment, and then selecting adaptation actions. This is a cycle that then feedsinto performance assessment, monitoring, and continuing adaptation. Thisprocess requires a range of technical skills, quality data sources, and institutionalcollaboration to bring together the scientific, engineering, and planning resourcesnecessary to make good decisions. Climate impacts assessment and adaptationplanning is not a stand-alone process though. In order for climate impactsassessment and adaptation to be pursued effectively, they must be integratedinto the ongoing transportation decision-making process. This long-termperspective needs to be balanced with monitoring for near-term changes thatmay require more immediate design adjustments.Thus the plan will continue to change. Monitoring strategy effectiveness andscientific advancements is only valuable if the findings are used to adjustadaptation strategies when necessary. Periodic review through the cycle of theRTP process is critical to achieving implementation results. Given theuncertainty inherent in climate projections and impact assessment, an adaptiveapproach is critical to long-term policy effectiveness and efficient use ofresources.Figure 13.1 provides a step-by-step illustration of the primary elements of theplan monitoring and evaluation module.Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 13-1
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Address<strong>in</strong>g Climate Change Adaptation <strong>in</strong> Regional Transportation PlansA Guide for California MPOs and RTPAs13.0 Module 5: Monitorand Evaluate13.1 THE VALUE OF MONITORING AND EVALUATINGTHE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE PLANTo a greater extent than <strong>in</strong> other sectors, the economic impacts of <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong>on the <strong>transportation</strong> sector are closely tied to the cont<strong>in</strong>ual cycles of<strong>in</strong>frastructure renewal and reconstruction. Most <strong>transportation</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructuredecisions play out over many decades, and the affected <strong>in</strong>frastructure oftenextends long beyond <strong>in</strong>tended design lifetimes.The prioritization process for <strong>transportation</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestments needs to consider notonly the potential <strong>in</strong>tensity of <strong>climate</strong> impacts but the condition and vulnerabilityof exist<strong>in</strong>g facilities and the relative importance of those facilities to overallsystem performance. By weigh<strong>in</strong>g all of these factors, <strong>transportation</strong> plannerscan direct resources to the most necessary and cost-effective actions.Effective <strong>adaptation</strong> requires an ongo<strong>in</strong>g, iterative process of understand<strong>in</strong>g<strong>transportation</strong> <strong>in</strong>frastructure resiliency, conduct<strong>in</strong>g a vulnerability and riskassessment, and then select<strong>in</strong>g <strong>adaptation</strong> actions. This is a cycle that then feeds<strong>in</strong>to performance assessment, monitor<strong>in</strong>g, and cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g <strong>adaptation</strong>. Thisprocess requires a range of technical skills, quality data sources, and <strong>in</strong>stitutionalcollaboration to br<strong>in</strong>g together the scientific, eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, and plann<strong>in</strong>g resourcesnecessary to make good decisions. Climate impacts assessment and <strong>adaptation</strong>plann<strong>in</strong>g is not a stand-alone process though. In order for <strong>climate</strong> impactsassessment and <strong>adaptation</strong> to be pursued effectively, they must be <strong>in</strong>tegrated<strong>in</strong>to the ongo<strong>in</strong>g <strong>transportation</strong> decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g process. This long-termperspective needs to be balanced with monitor<strong>in</strong>g for near-term <strong>change</strong>s thatmay require more immediate design adjustments.Thus the plan will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to <strong>change</strong>. Monitor<strong>in</strong>g strategy effectiveness andscientific advancements is only valuable if the f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs are used to adjust<strong>adaptation</strong> strategies when necessary. Periodic review through the cycle of theRTP process is critical to achiev<strong>in</strong>g implementation results. Given theuncerta<strong>in</strong>ty <strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong> <strong>climate</strong> projections and impact assessment, an adaptiveapproach is critical to long-term policy effectiveness and efficient use ofresources.Figure 13.1 provides a step-by-step illustration of the primary elements of theplan monitor<strong>in</strong>g and evaluation module.Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 13-1
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