C

limate change will require significant changes in the way transportation systems are designed, built and maintained, says a new report from the National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board. The report, released on March 11, says current climate predictions used by planners and engineers may no longer be reliable. Decision-makers will need to consider a range of solutions that could include retrofitting infrastructure to withstand more extreme weather conditions; building new infrastructure such as seawalls and levees; and relocating roads, rail lines and airport runways in low-lying coastal areas. Janet Oakley, director of policy and government relations for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, says members “need to look at what the implications are for design standards for materials [and] how we design, maintain and construct transportation facilities in the context of adaptation.”