Climate Adaptation Planning
Climate Adaptation Planning
The geographically and climatologically diverse Sacramento region faces a range of climate-related threats. Increasing extreme heat poses maintenance and operational issues for roadways, bridges and railways, particularly in the lower lying portions of the region. Wildfires and landslides present risks to the transportation system in the higher elevation areas. Higher extreme and average precipitation levels and changing snowmelt patterns could increase flooding and erosion on roadways in both the more mountainous areas and in downstream drainage basins. Sea level rise and storm surge pose risks to the Delta communities and transportation system serving them.
The region’s communities vary in size, demographics, and capacity to address climate threats. Through climate adaptation planning work, SACOG aims to help its members navigate these risks and establish a more resilient transportation network.
Regional Climate Adaptation Data web apps
State, regional, and local governments are exploring how potential climate change impacts could affect their natural and man-made systems, and residents. In addition to the human experience of extreme weather events, they can also cause significant damage to transportation infrastructure, requiring expensive repairs or replacement of infrastructure.
Project-Level Adaptation Strategies for Transportation
The Project-Level Climate Adaptation Strategies for Transportation in the SACOG Region (2020) provides guidance for transportation practitioners to address climate change risk at the project-level. It offers recommendations to SACOG for advancing the resilience of the region’s transportation system.
Vulnerability and Criticality Assessment
The 2020 Vulnerability and Criticality Assessment establishes a better understanding of extreme weather and climate change threats to the region’s transportation system. Expected changes in wildfire, riverine flooding, Delta sea level and surge, extreme heat, and other hazards pose significant risks to many portions of the regional transportation system and require rethinking of how transportation infrastructure is planned, engineered, and managed.
Sac Region Transportation Climate Adaptation Plan
The 2015 Sacramento Region Transportation Climate Adaptation Plan examines climate stressors in the region, their impacts on transportation infrastructure, and policies and strategies to address these impacts.