Developing Community Resources for Building Transportation Systems Resilience to Extreme Weather Events

State transportation departments and regional planning agencies face increasing pressure to address the impacts of extreme weather events on transportation systems and the associated mobility challenges to communities that rely on these systems. However, many current transportation planning and implementation projects do not comprehensively consider the risks and potential consequences that extreme weather poses to public health, safety, environment, and the economy. For example, many of the biggest impacts during disasters have been caused by transportation system failures that have impaired people’s ability to safely evacuate, emergency responders’ ability to gain access, and communities’ ability to recover post disaster. Recognizing that there is a critical need to help transportation agencies successfully plan for and implement measures to improve the resilience of their transportation systems before, during, and after disasters, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program requested support to help fill this gap. 

ERG, in collaboration with Cambridge Systematics, Inc., has been developing a comprehensive framework and supporting resources for state transportation departments and other planning agencies to ensure that their transportation systems will be reliable, redundant, safe, and resilient before, during, and after disasters. This research focuses on understanding and addressing the impacts of extreme weather on transportation assets, services, and systems and the mobility of community members and emergency responders. Our work includes a comprehensive review of existing literature and practices; development of case studies showcasing successful resilience planning; interviews with state transportation departments; and creation of a framework, resilience strategy tool, and resource handbook that provide practical approaches for achieving transportation systems resilience in the face of disasters. Achieving transportation systems resilience will help ensure safe mobility for community members and emergency responders; reduce the damage and long-term impacts of extreme weather on transportation assets and systems; and increase community and economic resilience.