SURFACE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND OPERATIONS: THE IMPACTS OF WEATHER WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Surface transportation is the dominant method of moving people and commerce in the United States. Services supporting surface transportation require usable infrastructure and effective systems. Primary highway operational goals--safety, mobility and productivity--are affected by environmental conditions. Weather acts through visibility impairments, precipitation, high winds, temperature extremes, and lightning to affect driver capabilities, vehicle maneuverability, pavement friction, and roadway infrastructure. The Road Weather Management Program of the Federal Highway Administration has documented operational practices of traffic, maintenance, and emergency managers employed under various weather threats and the weather information needs of travelers. This paper examines weather impacts on roadways, operational practices of transportation managers and road users, and the weather parameters with the greatest effects on roadways. Finally, a discussion of how possible climate change may affect these parameters during the next century is presented.