State/Local/MPO Actions & Policies

State DOT Climate Change Programs

 

Multiple States

AASHTO State-By-State Interactive Climate Change Map. This interactive map of the United States contains state-by-state links to documents, powerpoints, and other information on state DOT climate change and energy activities. It includes reports, policies, plans, and research sponsored by the designated state DOT or part of a collaborative effort that involves the state DOT. It includes information on both greenhouse gas mitigation activities as well as climate adaptation activities. To access this information for a particular state, click on the state name on the website, and it will bring up a list of items which are accessible by clicking on the individual item title. This map will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Synthesis of Climate Change and Transportation Research Efforts at State DOTs, State Universities, and Federal Level (NCHRP 25-25, Task 76), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (July 2011). The report describes a wide range of research underway on transportation and climate change by state DOTs, federal agencies, and state universities, including mitigation as well as climate change adaptation. It is based on a literature review and survey of state DOTs and follow-up contacts with practitioners.

Climate Change Initiatives of State Departments of Transportation: Synthesis (January 2008). This report was prepared based on a request from Katy Taylor, WSDOT Public Transportation Division Director, who requested a synthesis report on the role of state departments of transportation in climate change initiatives.

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California DOT

Caltrans Activities to Address Climate Change: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Adapting to Impacts, California Department of Transportation (April 17, 2013). This report describes efforts by Caltrans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. Programs that have led to GHG reductions include adopting new standards for concrete production, installing efficient roadway lighting, and using alternative fuels and vehicles in the state fleet. The agency also has sought to adapt to climate change through efforts including the development of a sea level rise ‘hot spot’ map of areas along the state highway system that are likely to be vulnerable to sea level rise. Other Caltrans adaptation efforts include using native plants for landscaping to reduce irrigation requirements and developing a standard specification for cool pavements to reduce the urban heat island effect.

Smart Mobility 2010: A Call to Action for the New Decade, Caltrans (May 2010). This document seeks to provide a new approach to integrating transportation and land use in response to the mobility and sustainable challenges facing the state, including mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce vehicle miles traveled. The document outlines six principles of "smart mobility"; introduces a new approach to planning and design through the concept of place types; presents performance measures; and offers an action plan for implementation.

Climate Action Program at Caltrans, California Department of Transportation. This website links to Caltrans' Climate Change Branch. 

Senate Bill 375: This web page contains information on California's landmark 2008 legislation to reduce GHG emissions from transportation, through GHG reduction targets and planning for light duty vehicles.

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Maryland DOT

Maryland Climate Action Plan – Maryland Department of Transportation Draft 2012 Implementation Plan (April 2011). This report summarizes recent efforts under the MDOT work program to address the statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction target under the Maryland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2009, which requires a 25 percent reduction in 2006 GHG emissions by 2020. The report specifically summarizes the Phase III process, which updates the Maryland Climate Action Plan - MDOT 2009 Implementation Status Report. Additional materials are available in the MDOT Draft 2012 Implementation Plan – Appendix.

Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland's Vulnerability to Climate Change, Phase II, Building Societal, Economic, and Ecological Resilience, Maryland Commission on Climate Change (Jan. 24, 2011). This report outlines adaptation strategies to reduce the state’s vulnerability to climate change impacts, including sea level rise, increased temperature, and changes in precipitation. The strategy covers the following sectors: human health; agriculture; forest and terrestrial ecosystems; bay and aquatic environments; water resources; and population growth and infrastructure. Key recommendations include enhancing the preparedness of the transportation system for extreme weather events.

Maryland Transportation and Land Use Strategies Group – This website features an overview of activities by the stakeholder group, which was launched by the Maryland Department of Environment to develop policy recommendations for the transportation and land use sector to meet statewide goals for greenhouse gas emission reductions and Chesapeake Bay protection. The website also features presentations and other documents from recent meetings of the group.

MDOT Carbon Neutral Corridor Program, Maryland Department of Transportation. This initiative of MDOT and state agency partners seeks to develop and evaluate different transportation, land use, and conservation strategies to achieve significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions from transportation corridors. The first project and pilot corridor selected under the program is U.S. Route 40 running from Baltimore to the Susquehanna River.

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Massachusetts DOT

MassDOT Announces Mode Shift Goal to Triple Biking, Walking, Transit, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Oct. 9, 2012). MassDOT has announced a statewide goal to triple the share of travel in Massachusetts by bicycling, transit and walking. The mode shift is expected to be one of the central elements of the agency’s GreenDOT sustainability implementation plan, which will be issued in final form in the fall of 2012. The mode shift also is expected to help meet the state’s ambitious targets of 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050.

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New York State DOT

NYSDOT Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Initiative Website. This website provides a "Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 101" overview, lists NYSDOT activities on climate change and energy efficiency, provides tips for actions individuals can take, and provides links to other important climate change information.

New York State DOT Strategies for Climate Change (PowerPoint presentation, June 2008). This presentation summarizes New York State DOT's climate change activities, including emissions reporting, public education and outreach, VMT reduction efforts, and the NYSDOT Climate Change/Energy Efficiency Team.

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Oregon DOT

Solar Highway Breaks Ground Near Portland, Oregon Department of Transportation (Aug. 23, 2011). Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez was present at the groundbreaking for the installation of solar panels to supply power to a rest area along Interstate 5, located 14 miles south of Portland near Wilsonville, Ore. The project is a component of ODOT’s Oregon Solar Highway, a public-private partnership to install solar panels on highway rights-of-way in the state. The Baldock Solar Highway project will include a 1.75 megawatt solar array that will generate an expected 1.9 million kilowatt hours of electricity to power both the northbound and southbound facilities at the Baldock Safety Rest Area. The array will cover seven acres of ODOT-owned land adjacent to the rest area and is expected to be operational in January 2012.

Oregon DOT Selects Vendor for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Project, Oregon Department of Transportation (Aug. 18, 2011). The Oregon Department of Transportation has announced the selection of a vendor to install and operate 22 charging stations for electric vehicles to be located in major transportation corridors in northwest Oregon. The vendor, AeroVironment, of Monrovia, Calif., will supply, install, operate, and maintain the stations using funding from a $2 million TIGER II grant from U.S. DOT. The Oregon project is part of the West Coast Green Highway initiative, a partnership between the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, and the province of British Columbia to advance the adoption and use of electric and alternative-fuel vehicles along the Interstate 5 corridor.

ODOT Releases the First Two Primers for the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative, Oregon Department of Transportation (Aug. 2011). These two primers concern the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (OSTI) and are part of a set of five primers designed to explain the details of the OSTI. The first primer, #1 STS Primer, is an overview of the other primers, whereas #2 STS Primer describes the Statewide Transportation Strategy, a long term plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

Oregon Greenhouse Gas Toolkit, The Oregon Department of Transportation is leading the development of a GHG toolkit to help metropolitan planning organizations and local governments reduce GHG emissions from light vehicle transportation. The toolkit, which is part of the statewide Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative (OSTI), is a database that will contain information on actions and programs local governments can take to achieve reductions. The toolkit also will include best practices for implementing the actions and programs, modeling and analysis tools, and educational tools for informing the public about GHG reduction targets and strategies.

Efforts on Climate Change, Oregon Department of Transportation (March 2008). This is a fact sheet summarizing Oregon DOT's activities to reduce transportation GHG emissions in Oregon.

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Vermont Agency of Transportation

VTRANS Climate Change Action Plan, Vermont Agency of Transportation (June 2008). This is the VTRANS initial plan for dealing with climate change, focusing on three areas: reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector; protecting Vermont's transportation infrastructure from the effects of climate change; and reducing VTRANS' operational impacts on climate change.

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Virginia DOT

Assessing Vulnerability and Risk of Climate Change Effects on Transportation Infrastructure – Hampton Roads Virginia Pilot, Virginia Department of Transportation (November 2011). VDOT was one of five transportation agencies selected by FHWA in 2011 for a pilot project to test a draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The Hampton Roads area project focused on developing tools for prioritizing which transportation assets were more vulnerable to climate change or were higher priority under different scenarios. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

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Washington State DOT

Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment Report, Washington State Department of Transportation (November 2011). This report documents work conducted by WSDOT as part of a pilot project to test FHWA’s draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The WSDOT project applied the model using scenario planning in a series of statewide workshops, using local experts, to create a qualitative assessment of climate vulnerability on its assets in each region and mode across the state. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

Sustainable Transportation Website, Washington State Department of Transportation. This is the section of WSDOT's website includes the agency's strategies and resources on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change, including the following:

2010 Sustainable Transportation Report, Washington State Department of Transportation (Dec. 29, 2010). This report provides an update on the progress of WSDOT’s sustainable transportation efforts, including analyses of statewide vehicle miles traveled and of a potential low-carbon fuel standard. The report also includes updates on development of the West Coast Green Highway Initiative; capital facilities sustainability requirements; fleet use of alternative fuels and electric vehicles; the statewide integrated climate change response strategy; and WSDOT’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

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