Resources and Publications
This page highlights resources and publications supported by FHWA. For other climate change and transportation resources, please visit the USDOT Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse. Click on the links below to find resources in a particular category.
Background on Climate Change and Transportation
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AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence Primer on Transportation and Climate Change (April 2008) (Link to PDF version of the primer is available at the bottom of the page). The primer provides some scientific background on climate change, introduces climate change policy issues, and discusses areas of further research. It details some GHG emission trends that relate to the road transportation sector and discusses technological transportation improvements that could help reduce GHG emissions. |
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Transportation and Global Climate Change: A Review and Analysis of the Literature (June 1998). This report provides an overview of scientific literature on climate change and describes some potential consequences of warming temperatures, including sea level rise. The report discusses international and U.S. policies related to climate change and presents some strategies to reduce GHG emissions in the transportation sector. |
Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Impacts of Climate Change and Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts
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Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region (January 2009). This study assesses the impacts of sea-level rise on the physical characteristics of the Mid-Atlantic coast, on coastal communities, and the habitats that depend on them. The report, examines multiple opportunities for governments and coastal communities to plan for and adapt to rising sea levels. |
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The Potential Impacts of Global Sea Level Rise on Transportation Infrastructure – Mid-Atlantic Study Phase 1 – Final Report: the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia (August 2008). This study assesses the potential net effects of sea level rise, and associated increases in storm surges, on transportation infrastructure in several coastal states and low-lying regions. Using statistics from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the report describes several scenarios for sea level rise and provides a series of statewide and county maps that visualize the potential impacts of sea level rise on transportation infrastructure. The next phase of the study will explore potential effects on New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic coast of Florida. |
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Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure – Gulf Coast Study (March 2008) The research, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), was conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). This report, the first in a three-phase effort, assesses the potential climate-change-related impacts to transportation infrastructure in the U.S. Gulf Coast region and describes ways to incorporate climate change issues into transportation planning. The major drivers of climate change examined in the report were rising sea levels, warming temperatures, precipitation pattern changes, and increased intensity of storm activity. |
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2nd Workshop on Impacts of Global Climate Change on Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Transportation (March 2006). This workshop, the second in a pair of workshops sponsored by the U.S. DOT Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting and other partners, focused on the potential multimodal impacts of climate change on hydraulics, hydrology, and transportation with a particular focus on sea level rise. |
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1st Workshop on Impacts of Global Climate Change on Hydraulics, Hydrology, and Transportation (March 2005). This workshop, the first in a pair of workshops sponsored by the U.S. DOT Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting and other partners, focused on the potential impacts of climate change on hydraulics, hydrology, and transportation with a particular focus on sea level rise. |
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The Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Transportation: Workshop Summary and Proceedings (October 2002). This report provides a summary and eighteen discussion papers from a workshop exploring the potential impacts of climate change on transportation systems and services. |
Both Mitigation of and Adaptation to Climate Change
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FHWA Transportation and Climate Change News is a monthly newsletter that provides transportation stakeholders with up-to-date information on transportation and climate change milestones. |
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Integrating Climate Change into the Transportation Planning Process (July 2008). This study reports on opportunities for States and MPOs to incorporate climate change considerations into long-range transportation planning (LRTP) processes, including adaptation and mitigation practices. The study also describes examples of current state and MPO practices that link climate change and the LRTP process. |
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Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, and the Boston Region MPO: A Discussion Paper (May 2008). This paper identifies the current and potential climate change-related impacts to the Boston, MA region, details current actions undertaken by the Boston Region MPO to address climate change issues, and discusses possible future actions for the Boston Region MPO to reduce GHG emissions |
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Summary Report: MPO Peer Workshop on Planning for Climate Change (April 2008). This report summarizes discussions from an MPO peer workshop on transportation planning for climate change, which took place in March 2008. The peer workshop focused on current MPO practices that address climate change issues, as well as outcomes, challenges, and areas of common concern. |
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Summary Report: MPO Peer Workshop on Planning for Climate Change (September 2008). This report summarizes discussions from an MPO peer workshop on transportation planning for climate change, which took place Albany, NY. The peer workshop focused on current MPO practices that address climate change issues, as well as outcomes, challenges, and areas of common concern. |
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Summary Report: MPO Peer Workshop on Planning for Climate Change (October 2008). This report summarizes discussions from an MPO peer workshop on transportation planning for climate change, which took place in Seattle, WA. The peer workshop focused on current MPO practices that address climate change issues, as well as outcomes, challenges, and areas of common concern. |
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Assessing State Long Range Transportation Planning Initiatives in the Northeast for Climate and Energy Benefits (December 2005) This study identifies state LRTP practices for climate protection and energy efficiency outcomes. |