SESSION: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATIONS Toward a More Resilient Transportation System: Adapting to Climate Change in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy Heather Holsinger, Environmental Specialist, FHWA The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is collaborating with partners in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York on a project to enhance the region’s resiliency to climate change and extreme weather in the longer-term, while informing the ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery process. Building from a FHWA-sponsored New Jersey vulnerability assessment pilot, performed in 2011, the study will survey the damage and disruption wrought by Hurricane Sandy on the region’s transportation systems, along with that of Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Winter Storm Alfred (the Halloween Nor’easter of 2011). The project partnership will leverage the lessons learned from these events, as well as future climate projections, to develop feasible, cost- effective strategies to reduce and manage extreme weather vulnerabilities amid the uncertainties of a changing climate. A selection of regionally significant transportation facilities—ranging from roads, to bridges, tunnels, and ports—has been chosen by the region’s transportation agencies for a more detailed, engineering-based assessment. Results from the engineering assessments will inform a multimodal transportation vulnerability and risk assessment for the region. In addition, the project partnership will develop strategies for bolstering transportation resiliency for a selection of critical subareas. The project will provide information to agencies in the tri-state region—and nationwide—that seek to plan and invest for long-term climate resiliency while addressing today’s transportation challenges. A representative from FHWA and/or one of project partner organizations will discuss the overall project and some of the preliminary results. If requested, an overview of the FHWA’s broader climate resiliency work could also be provided. Heather Holsinger is an Environmental Specialist with the Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team in FHWA's Office of Natural Environment. Her work at FHWA involves policy development and analysis in the areas of climate change adaptation, sustainability, and electric vehicles. Prior to joining FHWA, Heather served as a Senior Policy Fellow and Program Manager for Adaptation at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, a Senior Analyst with the Natural Resources and Environment team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and as an economic and environmental management consultant. She holds Masters Degrees from Duke University in resource economics and public policy and a BA from the University of Virginia with majors in Economics and Environmental Science. Brian ten Siethoff is a Principal of Cambridge Systematics, with 14 years of experience. He oversees Cambridge Systematics’ Transportation Planning and Management business line for the Northeast region. Mr. ten Siethoff is part of the FHWA Post- Hurricane Sandy Transportation Resiliency project management team, and was part of the NJTPA Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessment pilot technical team. Mr. ten Siethoff received both a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Brian ten Siethoff, Principal, Cambridge Systematics
SESSION: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATIONS. Toward a More Resilient Transportation System: Adapting to Climate Change in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy. Heather Holsinger, Environmental Specialist, FHWA. Brian ten Siethoff, Principal, Cambridge Systematics. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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SESSION: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATIONS Toward a More Resilient Transportation System: Adapting to Climate Change in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy
Heather Holsinger, Environmental Specialist, FHWA
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is collaborating with partners in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York on a project to enhance the region’s resiliency to climate change and extreme weather in the longer-term, while informing the ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery process. Building from a FHWA-sponsored New Jersey vulnerability assessment pilot, performed in 2011, the study will survey the damage and disruption wrought by Hurricane Sandy on the region’s transportation systems, along with that of Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Winter Storm Alfred (the Halloween Nor’easter of 2011). The project partnership will leverage the lessons learned from these events, as well as future climate projections, to develop feasible, cost-effective strategies to reduce and manage extreme weather vulnerabilities amid the uncertainties of a changing climate. A selection of regionally significant transportation facilities—ranging from roads, to bridges, tunnels, and ports—has been chosen by the region’s transportation agencies for a more detailed, engineering-based assessment. Results from the engineering assessments will inform a multimodal transportation vulnerability and risk assessment for the region. In addition, the project partnership will develop strategies for bolstering transportation resiliency for a selection of critical subareas. The project will provide information to agencies in the tri-state region—and nationwide—that seek to plan and invest for long-term climate resiliency while addressing today’s transportation challenges. A representative from FHWA and/or one of project partner organizations will discuss the overall project and some of the preliminary results. If requested, an overview of the FHWA’s broader climate resiliency work could also be provided.
Heather Holsinger is an Environmental Specialist with the Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team in FHWA's Office of Natural Environment. Her work at FHWA involves policy development and analysis in the areas of climate change adaptation, sustainability, and electric vehicles. Prior to joining FHWA, Heather served as a Senior Policy Fellow and Program Manager for Adaptation at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, a Senior Analyst with the Natural Resources and Environment team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and as an economic and environmental management consultant. She holds Masters Degrees from Duke University in resource economics and public policy and a BA from the University of Virginia with majors in Economics and Environmental Science.Brian ten Siethoff is a Principal of Cambridge Systematics, with 14 years of experience. He oversees Cambridge Systematics’ Transportation Planning and Management business line for the Northeast region. Mr. ten Siethoff is part of the FHWA Post-Hurricane Sandy Transportation Resiliency project management team, and was part of the NJTPA Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessment pilot technical team. Mr. ten Siethoff received both a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
Brian ten Siethoff, Principal, Cambridge Systematics
Toward a More Resilient Transportation System:
Adapting to Climate Change in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy
TRB ADC-60 Summer Workshop
Heather Holsinger, FHWA
Brian ten Siethoff, Cambridge Systematics
June 18, 2014
Office of Planning, Environment and RealtySustainable Transport & Climate Change Team
2
Photo: Flooding of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel in NYC due to Hurricane Sandy. Source: MTA
– Planning: Includes consideration of vulnerability to climate change impacts in MPO scenario planning
– Asset Management: State DOTs required to develop asset management plans that address risks—climate change and extreme weather expected to be included in proposed rule as examples of types of risks could consider
• GROW AMERICA Act: would require states and MPOs to plan for climate resilience
“USDOT shall integrate consideration of climate change impacts and adaptation into the planning, operations, policies, and programs of DOT in order to ensure that taxpayer resources are invested wisely and that transportation infrastructure, services and operations remain effective in current and future climate conditions.”
Climate Change Adaptation at FHWA
Goal: Regular/Systematic consideration of climate change vulnerability and risk in transportation decision making, at:
• 1) Systems Level: Transportation Planning, Asset Management