Transit Agency Adaptation to Extreme Weather Events: Cataloging and Modeling Decisions and Behaviors

The CSTEPS research team - Eric Welch, Mary Feeney, Qing Miao, and Fengxiu Zhang - is working on a series of research projects funded by the Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration which seek to understand adaptation of transit systems to climate and extreme weather risks. Most recently, the team launched a national survey which involves nearly 900 transit managers and planners from approximately 300 public transit agencies across the US. The goal of this study is to understand how mass public transit agencies prepare for and respond to extreme weather events, and particularly, the factors that encourage long-term proactive, systematic, and collaborative approaches to mitigate climate and weather-related risks.

While extreme weather events often cause disruptions to transit system operation, agencies can improve their effectiveness of adaptation by investing in climate-proof facilities and infrastructure. In two related studies, we investigate the extent to which bus and train shelter coverage mitigates the negative impacts of extreme weather on transit ridership. Using ridership data from Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Utah Transit Authority (UTA), our studies shed light on the value of platform shelter coverage as a potential adaptation strategy and provide empirical evidence that improves the information available to transit agencies when they make weather-relevant infrastructure decisions. More information about these projects can be found HERE