Climate Change Adaptation Guide for Transportation Systems Management, Operations, and Maintenance

IV. Getting Started

This guide provides information and resources to help department of transportation (DOT) transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) and maintenance staff use TSMO, maintenance, and emergency management activities to increase the resilience of their agency to extreme weather events and climate change. The materials presented throughout this guide will help State DOTs and other transportation agencies to better understand the risks that climate change poses and actions that can help reduce those risks.

There is already sufficient information to begin a more concerted effort to evaluate programs and begin to make or plan to make adjustments today. New information will also continue to emerge regarding anticipated risks and strategies to address those risks. As it does and as the framework and concepts presented in this guide are put into practice, it will be important to revisit and refine this guidance.

In the meantime, the specific resources and checklists provided throughout Section IV of this guide in the “Getting Started” text boxes will enable users to use the segments of the guide best suited to their individual needs, level of familiarity with climate change adaptation, and readiness to get started on planning and implementing adaptation measures.