Many studies have examined the potential impacts of climate change on broad sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and forestry, but few have studied the impacts on transportation. The primary focus of this study is on the consequences of climate change for U.S. transportation infrastructure and operations.
The report provides transportation professionals with an overview of the scientific consensus on the current and future climate changes of particular relevance to U.S. transportation, including the limits of present scientific understanding as to their precise timing, magnitude, and geographic location; identifies potential impacts on U.S. transportation and adaptation options; and offers recommendations for both research and actions that can be taken to prepare for climate change. The report also summarizes previous work on strategies for reducing transportation-related emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas, that contribute to climate change, an area in which more research has been done.
The study was funded by the Transportation Research Board, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Transit Cooperative Research Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.