Delaware’s Transportation Adaptation in Response to Climate Change

A growing concern facing the transportation sector in the United States is the potential impact of climate change on land transportation. The advanced infrastructure along the east coast combined with the impending threat of climate change and rising sea levels has led many to prepare for the potential impacts. This research investigates three studies of adaptation planning for the state of Delaware. The first application focuses on using spatial representation and analysis capabilities of computer based geographical information systems (GIS) to explore possible flooding impacts on railroad corridors in New Castle County, Delaware. The second application explores the impact of sea level rise (SLR), including storm surge, on the I-95 corridor in Delaware transportation infrastructure, land use, and population. The third application is a case study of the Climate Change Adaptation Tool for Transportation: Mid-Atlantic focused on a Metropolitan Planning Organization in Delaware (WILMAPCO) that evaluates impacts related to temperature, sea level rise and precipitation specific to New Castle County, Delaware from a planning perspective. These three applications serve as examples to promote the integration of adaptation practices into transportation planning.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Delaware Center for Transportation

  University of Delaware
  Newark, DE  United States  19716

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Oswald, Michelle
  • McNeil, Sue
  • Ames, David
  • Mao, Weifeng
• Publication Date: 2011-12-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 47p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Climate change; Countermeasures; Floods; Geographic information systems; Metropolitan planning organizations; Railroads; Sea level; Storm surges; Transportation planning
• Identifier Terms: Interstate 95
• Geographic Terms: Delaware
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01505751
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: UTC, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 27 2014 11:27AM