IMPACTS OF THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION

Scientists suggest that temperatures might rise 5 deg F to 9 deg F over the next 100 years, and that the sea level could rise 2 to 5 ft in response. Temperature change might reduce snow and ice control costs, slow road and bridge deterioration, and eventually reduce required pavement thickness. The uncertainty of future temperatures suggests increasing the safety factor currently designed into expansion joints on bridges and major roads, and reexamining the heat tolerances of railroad tracks. A rising sea level and the potential for more intense storms could require bridge redesign, better airport drainage, and raising of low-lying streets near tidal waters. Retrofitting could be much more costly than changes made prospectively during reconstruction. Design standards and siting criteria should be reassessed in light of likely climate changes.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1989/1240/1240-007.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=IMPACTS+OF+THE+GREENHOUSE+EFFECT+ON+URBAN+TRANSPORTATION&author=W.+Hyman&author=T.+Miller&author=J.+Walker&publication_year=1989
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1240, Current Environmental Research in Transportation. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Hyman, William A
  • Miller, Ted R
  • Walker, J Christopher
• Publication Date: 1989

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 45-50
• Monograph Title: Current environmental research in transportation
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1240
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport runways; Bridge design; Bridges; Climate; Concrete; Costs; Design standards; Drainage; Durability; Expansion joints; Forecasting; Greenhouse effect; Highway design; Impacts; Pavements; Reconstruction; Retrofitting; Safety factors; Snow and ice control; Structural design; Thickness
• Uncontrolled Terms: Pavement thickness
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Finance; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Pavements; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00495460
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309049512
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 31 1990 12:00AM