NSTWOS Ear
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ITS World Congress 2012
Emerging Changes to the System
•Our work today is based on current conditions
•What happens when the climate changes?
–What are the impacts to highway operations if there’s an increase in coastal flooding? 
–What are the impacts to highway operations if we experience more icing events instead of snow events
–Or what if we have more frequent and severe thunderstorms and flash floods?
As you know, Paul Pisano has headed our Road Weather Management Program for many years.  We realized that it was now time to look at the longer-term climate and weather changes, their impacts and the potential adaptation strategies and what that means System performance operational issues as part of the adaptation strategies which are primarily looking at land-use, design, and structural integrity.

We started by asking these questions.

To respond to those shifts, what is the appropriate level of funding and other resources that will be needed?  While we know that a number of coastal states will be affected, do we also need to consider what if any affects these rising sea levels will have to major river system base levels and the possible effects on the transportation network?  Would those affects be due to large-scale drainage changes?  If it is likely that the changing weather environment will increase the number of disasters, what is needed to help prepare emergency transportation operations?  Once we understand how and where transportation will be affected, what is needed in operations to respond to these shifts?