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From page 1... ... Research Results Digest September 2009 BACKGROUND Transportation officials and hazardsrelated professionals are very concerned about the potential impact of disasters on our nation's transportation infrastructure, and both are working to reduce that impact on multiple fronts. Put simply, though, there is a major gap: transportation officials and hazards professionals don't always speak the same language, and they typically don't access the same resources. Read the entire page →
From page 2... ... This digest, as well as volumes issued under NCHRP Report 525: Surface Transportation Security and TCRP Report 86: Public Transportation Security, can be found on the TRB website at http://www.TRB.org/SecurityPubs. Read the entire page →
From page 3... ... Number 4 September 2009 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Andre LeDuc, Lorelei Juntunen, and Emma Stocker wrote and researched this Informer with funding from the Transit Cooperative Research Program and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Andre LeDuc, an ECONorthwest Associate, is founder and executive director of the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience and director of Emergency Management at the University of Oregon. Read the entire page →
From page 4... ... 4 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer We live in a world of complex, interrelated sys-tems. Some of those systems are human con-structed: the network of roads, sewer and water lines, and buildings we have built to support our towns and cities. Read the entire page →
From page 5... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 5 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards The National Strategy for Homeland Security, last updated in October 2007, is a unifi ed document that articulates how national initiatives are building capacity for disaster prevention, protection, response, recovery, and preparedness. The National Strategy was created to "mobilize and organize our nation to secure the U.S. Read the entire page →
From page 6... ... 6 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Chapter 2: Overview The Informer is broadly divided into two sections: The fi rst section presents an overview of key issues to consider in a systems approach to emergency planning and response. It also includes some practical resources relevant to those working in the transportation fi eld. Read the entire page →
From page 7... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 7 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Chapter 3: The Economy and Hazards Hazards impact our economy in some obvious ways: by directly interrupting the systems that allow us to do the work that drives the nation's productivity. But they also have a subtler effect. Read the entire page →
From page 8... ... 8 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Public investment in preparedness can bolster economic resilience by fostering diverse economies as well as encouraging private sector preparedness and mitigation activities. Many communities have implemented economic development plans that improve their resilience to economic shocks by creating quality jobs and diversifying the economy. Read the entire page →
From page 9... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 9 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards The full cost of a disaster includes indirect and macroeconomic loss and those realities can burden generations into the future: Indirect losses are consequences of the direct impact of the crisis. They can include wage, production, customer, and valuation losses stemming from business interruption and closure. Read the entire page →
From page 10... ... 10 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer though insurance is not considered a mitigation measure, a carefully designed insurance program can encourage the adoption of loss reduction measures through economic incentives such as premium reductions and lower deductibles" (Petak 1998) Read the entire page →
From page 11... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 11 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Useful Resources and Documents Continuity of Operations Planning Guidelines for Transportation Agencies www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp? id=5612 This report is designed to assist transportation agencies in evaluating and modifying existing operations plans, policies, and procedures, as called for in the National Incident Management System. Read the entire page →
From page 12... ... 12 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer THE LINK BETWEEN SOCIAL SYSTEMS AND HAZARDS The connection between social forces and disasters is a complex web of cause and effect. Disasters, to be called disasters, necessarily occur in a human context: an earthquake in the middle of the trackless desert is not a disaster. Read the entire page →
From page 13... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 13 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards SOCIOECONOMIC SEGREGATION Transportation is both a means and an end for social connectivity, bringing people and goods closer together. A transportation system can contribute directly and indirectly to socioeconomic segregation by providing greater or lesser degrees of access. Read the entire page →
From page 14... ... 14 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer populations face record-breaking hurricane seasons and as the country braces against potential terrorist strikes, transportation planners must anticipate the need to evacuate local and regional transit-dependent populations. Transportation systems can also contribute to hazards. Read the entire page →
From page 15... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 15 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Establishment of Network Communications: Establish a multipurpose community communications network, used to implement mitigation and preparedness. Recognition of Equity Standards: Work with residents to defi ne needs and appropriate mitigation techniques. Read the entire page →
From page 16... ... 16 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Useful Resources and Documents Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness www.fema.gov/areyouready/ This site offers an in-depth guide to individual, family, and community preparedness. Read the entire page →
From page 17... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 17 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Chapter 5: Infrastructure: Lifelines During Disasters Some researchers have dedicated their efforts to defi ning ways to improve the security and resilience of our built infrastructure: the network of roads, bridges, and railroads; sewer, water, and electrical lines; and buildings that are critical components of the day-to-day functions of our lives. This chapter examines some of that work. Read the entire page →
From page 18... ... 18 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer SECURING INFRASTRUCTURE: REDUNDANCY, REINFORCEMENT, AND READINESS There are three broad paths to mitigation for physical aspects of critical infrastructure systems: redundancy, reinforcement, and readiness. First, engineering infrastructure systems to withstand extreme stress from natural forces and securing them from human-induced harm is critical. Read the entire page →
From page 19... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 19 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards sions (Chang 2003) Read the entire page →
From page 20... ... 20 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Useful Resources and Documents Federal Highway Administration Best Practices in Emergency Transportation Operations ops.fhwa.dot.gov/OpsSecurity/ This site presents the results of 30 FHWA workshop series. Guidelines for Vulnerability Reduction in the Design of New Health Facilities www.proventionconsortium.org/? Read the entire page →
From page 21... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 21 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Chapter 6: Land Use, Development, and Natural Systems This part of the Informer focuses on development patterns in urban and rural areas and the ways in which those patterns impact -- both positively and negatively -- disaster resilience. Research Overview THE LINK BETWEEN DISASTERS AND LAND USE PLANNING During the 20th century, America experienced dra-matic changes in land use patterns. Read the entire page →
From page 22... ... 22 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer hazards fi eld have stated: "No single approach to bringing sustainable hazard mitigation into existence shows more promise at this time than increased use of sound and equitable land use management" (Mileti 1999) Read the entire page →
From page 23... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 23 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Ultimately, researchers have found no signifi cant differences between vulnerability induced by explicit sprawl containment policies (urban growth boundaries) and implicit ones (natural boundary features) Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... 24 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer tinues even under unacceptable levels of risk (Godschalk 2003) Read the entire page →
From page 25... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 25 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Planning for the Unexpected: Land Use Development and Risk www.planning.org/APAStore/ The American Planning Association's Planning for the Unexpected helps planners identify and manage risks associated with land use. The book can be ordered on the APA website. Read the entire page →
From page 26... ... 26 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Chapter 7: From Theory to Practice: Case Studies Case Study 1: The PortSTEP Program: Integrating and Coordinating Port Security in a Multimodal Transportation System PORTS IN CONTEXT The port environment is unique among transporta-tion systems because its primary goal is to con-nect one mode of transportation to another, rather than one destination to another. Rail and truck services bring goods that are taken on by ships, and ferries and airplanes transport people who access mass transit or road systems. Read the entire page →
From page 27... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 27 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards COMMUNICATION: Ability to share information about plans and actions in a way to facilitate collaboration and coordination. COORDINATION: Consistent actions among programs/departments/organizations such that the work in one area does not counteract work in another area. Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... 28 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer the poor condition of regional coordination. Intermodal transportation is critical for moving goods from the port to markets. Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 29 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards hazard-resistant and resilient transportation systems. As described above, the recent lessons learned in the port environment are a prime example of how an expanded view of security reveals not only vulnerabilities but also ways to protect key infrastructure systems. Read the entire page →
From page 30... ... 30 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Evacuations challenge the capacity, fl exibility, and in-tegrity of the transportation system. They are a key-stone test of its resilience. Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 31 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards fi re-prone mountain communities in San Bernardino and Riverside County. In his experience, the timing of information is crucial when coordinating an evacuation of hard-to-access and isolated communities. Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... 32 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer • Possible system weaknesses are addressed through strategic evacuation techniques such as phasing and contra-ﬂ ow; • Notiﬁ cation of evacuation orders reaches residents through fast and eﬀ ective methods; and • The incident command structure incorporates multiple aspects of response, including ﬁ re response, public safety, and medical operations. LAND USE MATTERS: PREPARE-STAY-AND-DEFEND Evacuation notices are given to protect lives. Read the entire page →
From page 33... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 33 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Evacuations are perhaps one of the most obvious ways in which the transportation system participates in the disaster cycle. These mass movements of people require transportation infrastructure to support unusually high volumes of traffi c, but also to function in ways that are totally unplanned for under normal conditions. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... 34 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer home to a large number of independent living communities for elderly residents 55 and over. At the time of the 2007 fi res, Scott Tarde was head of the skilled nursing facility at the Remmington Club, a 405-bed retirement community providing all levels of senior care. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 35 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Case Study 3: Hazard Mitigation and an Alternative Approach to Transportation and Land Use in Fort Collins, Colorado This case study highlights efforts to reduce fl ood risk in Fort Collins, Colorado. Land use planners, fl oodplain and stormwater managers, and multi-modal transportation planners and engineers have all worked together to create a system of pedestrian and bicycle trails in the most fl ood-prone corridors in the city. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... 36 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Bicycle trail map for the northern half of Fort Collins. Floodplain map for the northern half of Fort Collins. Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 37 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards were vulnerable to seasonal and fl ash fl oods. Fort Collins spent over $5 million on fl ood mitigation efforts including channelization, storm drainage improvement, reinforcement of rail embankments, bridge improvements, and the acquisition and relocation of structures in the fl oodplain to make room for pedestrian and bicycle trails. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... 38 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer tricts, and the cities and towns of the region established the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA) Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 39 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards The fi gure at right illustrates the systems connections that this document has described: the economy cannot function without infrastructure to support it, but that infrastructure cannot be created without the economy to provide materials and labor; the demographic makeup of society infl uences the organization of our built environment and the market conditions in which economic transactions occur. The transportation network is critical to the success of this framework. Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... 40 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer • How will the system be called upon to respond to and facilitate response? • What are the priorities for long-term investments in a recovery scenario, and how can transportation investments now help to assure recovery of the nation's economic and social systems when disasters occur? Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 41 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Appendix: Works Cited and Reviewed WORKS CITED Abramovitz, Janet. Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... 42 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Mileti, D Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 43 A Guide to Planning Resources on Transportation and Hazards Cova, Thomas J and Justin Johnson. Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... 44 Natural Hazards Informer • September 2009 The Informer Natural Hazards Center The mission of the Natural Hazards Center is to advance and communicate knowledge on hazards mitigation and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Using an all-hazards and interdisciplinary framework, the Center fosters information sharing and integration of activities among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world; supports and conducts research; and provides educational opportunities for the next generation of hazards scholars and professionals. Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... Transportation Research Board 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 These digests are issued in order to increase awareness of research results emanating from projects in the Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) Read the entire page →

From page 1...

... Research Results Digest September 2009 BACKGROUND Transportation officials and hazardsrelated professionals are very concerned about the potential impact of disasters on our nation's transportation infrastructure, and both are working to reduce that impact on multiple fronts. Put simply, though, there is a major gap: transportation officials and hazards professionals don't always speak the same language, and they typically don't access the same resources.