New York State DOT Adaptation to Climate Change and Extreme Weather Elisabeth Lennon New York State Department of Transportation Union College, January 2014
New York State Transportation is A vast and Expansive network 130 billion vehicle miles annually 485 public and private aviation facilities 12 major public and private ports 2
New York State Landscape is Diverse Lake Ontario Lake Erie Drained by > 70,000 miles of streams 10 major river systems 113,000 highway miles 17,400 bridges; more than 1 million culverts (local, county, state system) Diverse climate Atlantic Ocean Map Source - http://geology.com/state-map/new-york.shtml
Higher frequency and intensity of extreme weather in NYS There has been a 67% increase in the number of 2-inch rainfall events occurring over a 48- hour period since the 1950s.
The results... Snow
Ice
Inland flooding Tropical Storm Lee, 2011
Washouts Hurricane Irene, 2011
Coastal flooding Hybrid Storm Sandy, 2012
Operations disrupted
Climate Change Initiatives Statewide: NYS Sea Level Rise Task Force (2008) NYSERDA s ClimAID Project NYS Climate Action Council (2009) NYS Climate Smart Communities (2009) NYS 2100 Commission (2013) NY Rising (2013) NYS Climate Change Clearing House (Future) Ongoing Research NYS Interagency Adaptation Work Group Local/Regional Examples: New York City s PlaNYC Hudson Valley Climate Action Network Kingston Waterfront Flooding Taskforce
NYS infrastructure initiatives NYSDOT Forward Four Guiding Principles Best Value Design-Build Cost-effectiveness
Executive Management Support NYSDOT hosted Climate Change and Extreme Weather Workshop Executives and Practitioners Climate Scientists, Planners and Engineers Held Oct 24, 2012 NYSDOT Commissioner chairs AASHTO Sustainable Transportation : Energy, Infrastructure & Climate Solutions Committee
NYSDOT CC Vulnerability Assessments 1) NY-NJ-CT Post Sandy Study - FHWA 2) NYSDOT/TNC Lake Champlain Watershed - FHWA Pilot 3) Statewide Flooding Vulnerability Assessment
NY-NJ-CT Post Sandy Study- FHWA Sandy (+) Impacts Assessment Representative Assets (10) Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Analysis
FHWA Pilot - NYSDOT/TNC Partnership
NYSDOT Pilot Lake Champlain Basin Objectives: 1) Prioritize road-stream crossings and road segments 2) Develop engineering-based design adaptation options 3) Create an economic tool that evaluates the full benefits and costs of adaptation 4) Incorporate climate vulnerability assessments into existing standards and guidelines
USGS StreamStats Tool Expanded version of tool for NY State Funding work to incorporate projected climate changes into StreamStats Estimate changes in streamflow from predicted changes in precipitation
NYSDOT CC Vulnerability Assessments 1) NY-NJ-CT Post Sandy Study - FHWA 2) NYSDOT/TNC Lake Champlain Watershed - FHWA Pilot 3) NYSDOT Statewide Flooding Vulnerability Assessment
NYSDOT Statewide Flooding Vulnerability Assessment Based on WashDOT s 2011 FHWA Pilot Obtain & share knowledge from Regional staff Communicate vulnerabilities
NYSDOT Statewide Flooding Vulnerability Assessment: Steps Review regional climate change effects Review regional GIS Maps for reconnaissance Populate spreadsheets Create statewide GIS data layer : Flooding Vulnerability Critical infrastructure Communicate & inform TAM! Complete in 2014
Information for improved decision-making
Climate Change and Transportation Infrastructure o Define risk and vulnerability o Build information/knowledge into planning and inform asset management o Build into DOT organizational structure o Infrastructure Life Cycle - 21 st Century and Beyond o NYSDOT efforts underway in many areas (data, guidance, infrastructure assessments, collaborative studies).
People's nature is always to want a better life. You can only expect people to help the environment out of their own interest. Professor Zheng Zhe - from Alan Weisman: Countdown: Our Last Best Hope for a Future on Earth? Elisabeth.Lennon@dot.ny.gov Tel. 518-457-7344