(The following story by Thomas L. Gallagher appeared on The Journal of Commerce website on December 15, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Strengthening the transportation system’s resilience may reduce long-term costs from climate change, according to a study by transportation specialists Cambridge Systematics.
In a white paper prepared for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Transportation Policy Project, researchers identify areas for federal policy action to be implemented through the anticipated surface transportation authorization, climate and energy legislation, and executive actions.
The study highlights the need for further research on the predicted impacts of climate change, especially on roads, rail lines and airports in coastal zones, which are most vulnerable to climate change.
When the recently expired surface transportation bill is reauthorized, climate adaptation strategies targeted at the federal-aid transportation system should be incorporated, the study said.
Strategies include planning requirements for climate adaptation, National Environmental Policy Act-related guidelines, and Department of Transportation research recommendations.
The study recommends that Congress fund climate research, planning and capital investment in transportation resilience.
The study, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, is available online at http://bipartisanpolicy.org/library/research/transportation-adaptation-global-climate-change .