The U.S. transportation sector accounts for approximately 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Between 1990 and 2008, greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. transportation sector increased 22%. All other sectors increased by roughly 11%.
Besides contributing to a changing climate, the transportation system in the United States will also be negatively affected by climate disruptions. Roads, bridges, airports, rail lines and coastal ports face particular risks from increasing temperatures, more extreme weather events and changes in precipitation over the coming decades.
Higher temperatures make it easier for expansion joints on bridges and highways to stress, asphalt pavements to deteriorate more rapidly and aircraft to operate less efficiently. Higher sea levels associated with a changing climate will increase damages to roads, ports, bridges and airports due to increased storm surges. Changes in precipitation, such as increased flooding and droughts, will impact bridge foundations, airline delays and cancellations, and storm drainage systems for roads, tunnels, airports and city streets.
According to U.S. EPA’s report, Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action, reducing global greenhouse gas emissions over the next century can save the U.S. an estimated $4.2-$7.4 billion in road infrastructure maintenance by 2100. Understanding how climate change will impact roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure can help community planners and decision-makers design infrastructure that is resilient to changing environmental and operational conditions.
Learn more about the projected impacts of climate change on U.S. infrastructure in the figures below.
(Sources: EPA. Climate Action Benefits: Bridges. http://www2.epa.gov/cira/climate-action-benefits-bridges. EPA. Climate Action Benefits: Roads. http://www2.epa.gov/cira/climate-action-benefits-roads. NCA2014. Transportation. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/transportation. USDOT. Transportation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. http://climate.dot.gov/about/transportations-role/overview.html. USDOT. Federal Highway Administration: Mitigation. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation)
