Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse
The Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse (TCCC) website replaces the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting website. In addition to new resources and content, the TCCC includes information previously offered on DOT's Center website, as well as information about DOT's Center and its activities. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration maintains the Clearinghouse.
History of the Center
The prospect of global warming and increased climate variability has become a major policy issue during the last decade. The transportation sector is currently responsible for approximately 28 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and is expected to be one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the foreseeable future, due to increased demand for motor gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel. In May 1999, DOT announced the formation of its Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting to address issues associated with climate change and variability.
The Department of Transportation established the Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting in 1999 to play a leadership role in meeting these challenges. The Center has become the focal point within USDOT for information and technical expertise on transportation and climate change, working with its component organizations to coordinate related research, policies, and actions. The Center promotes comprehensive multimodal approaches to reduce GHG emissions and prepare for the effects of climate change on the transportation system, while advancing USDOT's core goals of safety, mobility, environmental stewardship, and security. View the Center's 2006-2010 Strategic Plan (PDF 222kb).
Revised Charter
A revised Charter was adopted by the Center in October 2004. The new Charter recognizes the Center's role as a unifying structure for DOT's actions and policies that address climate change issues within a multi-modal context, its role in information sharing and the development of multimodal technical expertise on transportation and climate change, and its vital coordination role in the Department's research on climate change.
View the revised Center Charter PDF Version (PDF 24 KB).
Mission
The Center is the focal point in the DOT of technical expertise on transportation and climate change. Through strategic research, policy analysis, partnerships, and outreach, the Center creates comprehensive and multi-modal approaches to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gases and to mitigate the effects of global climate change on the transportation network. View more on Policies and Programs.
Vision
The Center advances timely and effective transportation initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and preserve the transportation infrastructure. The Center develops and evaluates strategies, and promotes technologies that encourage livable communities by fostering economic development, mobility, safety, and social equity.
Activities
Research and Analysis
The Center researches transportation strategies and technologies to reduce greenhouse gases, identifies facilities that may be at risk from possible effects of climate change and climate anomalies, and develops an array of tools to assess the transportation system's ability to adapt to variances in global climate. Recent and continuing research has focused on a diverse range of topics, including emission modeling, evaluation of state and local efforts, early action, tax credits, alternative fuels, and urban ferries. DOT is also working with other agencies to launch an interagency study of how climate changes may impact transportation systems and planning. View more on Center research.
Outreach, Partnerships and Communications
The Center builds DOT capacity and awareness by conducting educational forums and establishing a clearinghouse for research and policy coordination related to transportation and climate change. It leverages resources by building strategic partnerships, and reaches out to State and local agencies, environmental advocates, industry, and academia. This ranges from simple information exchange to ongoing partnerships in major research projects and conferences. View more about the Center's Activities and Partnerships.
Strategic Planning and Operations
To respond to the dynamic technological and policy environment, the Center continuously assesses and redirects its activities to make the best use of emerging science and technology. The center develops performance measures to assess proposed climate change strategies and promote the most cost-effective strategies through synergies with other agencies' environmental and climate change policies. The Center tracks the progress of technological developments and the relative costs of climate change mitigation strategies, ensuring that resulting transportation policies are congruent with policies in other sectors.
Policy Assessment and Leadership
The Center ensures a DOT voice in climate change policy formulation through active participation in domestic and international policy activities. The Center participates in the interagency Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI), and in initiatives such as the 21st Century Truck, National and international conferences, and through peer review and publication of research results and policy papers. View more on Policy Assessment and Leadership.
Organization
The Center functions as a virtual DOT-wide organization, with a membership of nine DOT operating administrations and the Office of the Secretary of DOT. Strategic direction is provided by a Climate Council comprised of the administrators of the member organizations. A steering committee of senior executives from each of the member organizations leads the Center. Operating administrations support the Center's work through contributions of funds, staff, and technical expertise, and by participating in Center efforts to share information, build partnerships, and coordinate activities related to climate change. A cross-modal, virtual structure helps to ensure strong participation throughout the DOT, while avoiding unnecessary administrative and institutional costs.
How to Submit Material for Inclusion on the US DOT Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse
This clearinghouse is being developed as part of an NCHRP project (NCHRP 25-25 (44)) that is being conducted by FHWA. The website will be announced at the 2009 TRB Annual Meeting. The National Transportation Library (NTL) will begin maintaining the site once it's live. Also, the scope of the clearinghouse is listed below.
Scope of Clearinghouse for USDOT
The following information is being collected by USDOT:
Journals & publications
All peer reviewed journals
- Transport Policy
- Transportation Research under Elsevier (A-F)
- TRB
- TCRP
- NCHRP
- TR News
- TRIS database
- Science
- University Transportation Centers
- Journal of American Planning Association
- Climate Change
- ENO
- Encyclopedia of the Earth
Federal and International Government Organizations
- DOT publications
- EPA
- UN
- IPCC
- ICAO
- IMO
- DOE
- USDA
- NSF
- NOAA
- CCSP
- CCTP
- European Commission
- Canada
- NRCAN
- Environment Canada
- Transport Canada
- Foreign Governments subject to review
- Foreign transport providers subject to review
- JITI
- OECD
- PIARC
Major Media Outlets (such as but not limited to)
- New York Times
- Washington Post
- Wall Street Journal
- Economist
- Time
- Newsweek
- US News
NGO/think tank/industry
- AASHTO
- APTA
- Environmental Defense
- PEW
- Center for Clean Air Policy
- Resources for the Future
- UIC
- Union of Concerned Scientists
- American Trucking Association
- Air Transport Association
- Brookings Institution
- Urban Institute
- Urban Land Institute
- Smart Growth America
- National Center for Smart Growth
- Reconnecting America
- Lincoln Institute for Land Use
- World Resources Institute
- UITP
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- American Petroleum Institute
- Cato Institute
- American Association of Railroads
- EDTA
- Edison Electric
- EPRI
- American road and transportation builders association
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- AMPO
- American Planning Assoc
Guidance for preparing State and Regional Climate Change resource materials:
The state climate change resource is intended to provide easy access to publicly available reference material on transportation-related climate change activities in each state. The Transportation Knowledge Network (TKN) partners would provide material from their organizations/states that are not already covered on the website or by one of the organizations monitored by USDOT. Material may be provided by TKN Members. It is requested that multiple members within one state coordinate their submissions to avoid duplication. Please send draft materials to Roger Garren, Reference Librarian, National Transportation Library, at roger.garren@dot.gov. If you have questions, please cal him at 202-366-5684.
Submitting your material
To support faster publication of the resources, please use the following formatting to prepare your draft resource list.
- Prepare the document in MS Word. Do NOT use formatting such as bullets and tabs as the information will need to be reformatted to the web site.
- Links to websites: Provide a title of the website; the URL; and a brief description of the site.
- Documents: Provide the following information:
- Title
- Author (R)
- Publication Date (format: yyyy-mm-dd)
- Short Abstract/Description (1-2 sentences)
- Category (e.g., GHG Reduction Strategies, GHG Inventories, Adaptation to Climate Change [full list forthcoming])
- URL
Examples:
Transportation and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation (2008)
University of California at Davis - Institute of Transportation Studies
This paper describes GHG mitigation strategies for transportation, grouped into three categories: vehicle efficiency, low carbon fuels, and travel reduction. Categories are grouped into near and mid-term options, and co-benefits are noted.
http://pubs.its.ucdavis.edu/publication_detail.php?id=1136
Washington Climate Action Team web site
Information on the Governor's Climate Action Team and state initiated activities
underway in Washington.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/2008CAT_overview.htm
Washington State Transportation Implementation Working Group
Information on meetings, recommendations and resources materials of the Transportation Implementation Working Group. This group is a subcommittee of the Governor's Climate Action Team.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/2008CAT_iwg_tran.htm
WSDOT Climate Change web site (2008; active)
Provides information on Washington State DOT climate change activities.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/climatechange/
