Congress previously authorized the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to administer emergency relief funds for public transit and appropriated $10.4 billion for Hurricane Sandy relief, nearly half of which will be spent on resiliency projects in the affected area. The lessons from rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy and other major disasters experienced throughout the country will help public transit systems that have not yet been affected (but are susceptible to flooding, high winds, earthquakes, blizzards and other natural disasters and climatic events) better prepare their assets and infrastructure for potential major events. By deploying resiliency strategies, public transit systems nation-wide could save billions of dollars in recovery costs.

Research is needed to investigate measures that were undertaken or will be undertaken to protect public transit equipment, infrastructure, and operations from future weather events—measures identified from among those developed by public transit agencies that have experienced severe weather events. For each measure, analysis is needed to address

Research is also needed to address (1) situational assessment/risk analysis, including likelihood of a future hazard or disaster (vulnerability and criticality of assets, and extent of damage from previous hazards); (2) design criteria or operational concepts applied; (3) alternatives evaluated; and (4) rationale for selecting the option, including cost and anticipated reduction in damage or other negative impacts, including cost estimating and financing for capital planning. Information for this research will be gathered through targeted case studies and review of literature. Similarly, risk assessment techniques for planning for and predicting natural hazards are well advanced. Literature and case studies could yield numerous well-thought-out illustrative examples. Given the frequency, severity, and impact of natural disasters and climatic events in the United States, research is needed to develop strategies for public transit systems to improve their resiliency in order to better plan for, protect against, respond to, and recover from natural disasters and climatic events.

 

The objectives of this research are to develop (1) a handbook with an associated suite of digital presentation materials to address planning principles, guidelines (including metrics), strategies, tools, and techniques to enable public transit systems to become more resilient to natural disasters and climatic events; and (2) a draft recommended practice for public transit resilience to natural disasters and climatic events suitable as input to the APTA Standards Program. The handbook and its associated suite of digital presentation materials should be appropriately designed for use by public transit agency executive staff to plan, budget, and institutionalize effective practices to improve resilience, addressing (a) capital project planning and asset management (including financial planning and risk assessment for natural disasters and climatic events), (b) operations and maintenance, and (c) administration. They should provide sufficient detail to allow users to adapt them to their individual entities.

(1). Describe, analyze, and critique pertinent domestic and international research, on the basis of applicability, conclusiveness of findings, and usefulness for public transit systems to become more resilient to natural disasters and climatic events. The comprehensive review should include: accepted practices; guidelines; published plans; tools; training; exercises; and after-action reports from natural disasters and climatic events, focusing on public transit systems. Identify key focus areas and highlight particularly informative real-world examples. (2). Prepare a plan to develop 6 to 8 case studies on current and past practices as well as lessons observed that will provide a basis for recommending principles, guidelines (including metrics), strategies, tools, and techniques for making transit systems across the U.S. more resilient to natural disasters and climatic events. Case studies should reflect diversity in agency size, public transit mode, and natural disasters and climatic events. The case studies should focus thematically on the various resilience elements of

The case studies plan shall be submitted for TCRP review and approval prior to use. Upon approval, conduct the case studies. Information gathered through the case studies is intended to inform the development of the final handbook, with a focus on resiliency principles, guidelines (including metrics), strategies, tools, and techniques that can be adopted by public transit agencies. (3). Based on Tasks 1 and 2, distill findings into a technical memorandum presenting a thematic overview of current practices. The technical memorandum should include

A focus on the evolution of current practices and challenges encountered is desired. (4). Based on Tasks 1 through 3, prepare a draft recommended practice for public transit resilience to natural disasters and climatic events suitable as input to the APTA Standards Program. (5). Prepare an interim report, within 12 months, documenting Tasks 1 through 4 and providing a Phase II work plan for review by the TCRP. The Phase II work plan shall include (1) a detailed outline of (a) the handbook and (b) its associated suite of digital presentation materials; (2) a draft recommended practice for public transit resilience to natural disasters and climatic events suitable as input to the APTA Standards Program; and, (3) a plan to engage the public transit industry for vetting the draft items.

(6). Develop a draft handbook and an associated suite of digital presentation materials that provide principles, guidelines (including metrics), strategies, tools, and techniques for public transit agencies to make their systems more resilient to natural disasters and climatic events. The handbook should include an annotated literature review, case studies, and lessons observed domestically and internationally. The handbook should also include examples applying the principles and guidelines. The digital presentation materials should be suitable for use in introducing the handbook’s resiliency principles, guidelines (including metrics), strategies, tools, and techniques for both executive and middle-management, including items suitable for smaller and medium-sized transit agencies to use in getting started on the path to resiliency. (7). Review the Task 6 handbook and its associated suite of digital presentation materials with a diverse group of public transit agencies. Submit a technical memorandum summarizing findings and planned adjustments based on the Task 7 review. (8). Prepare a final report documenting the entire research effort. The report should include a potential implementation plan (to be implemented by others) and identify potential future research. Include, as separate deliverables, (a) the handbook and its associated suite of digital presentation materials; (b) an updated draft recommended practice for public transit resilience to natural disasters and climatic events suitable as input to the APTA Standards Program; and (c) an executive summary of the project.

 

STATUS: Completed. Published as TCRP Web Only Document 70: Improving the Resilience of Transit Systems Threatened by Natural Disasters, Volume 1: A Guide,

A Transit Resilience website with a database of easily downloaded information (initially developed under TCRP Project A-41) is available at resilienttransit.org. The database contains the full case studies, resilience planning process aids (worksheets, checklists, etc.), resilience planning frameworks and guidance, self-assessment tools and guidance, and weather and climate-related data resources and tools.  Many of the case studies and tools are referred to throughout the guide, and Chapter 4 of the Guide includes brief descriptions of the individual items in the database as of the date of publication.