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Resilient and Sustainable Transportation Systems Technical Assistance Program

Steering Committee Meeting Materials Archive

Proceedings from past meetings of the Resilient and Sustainable Transportation Systems Technical Assistance Program (RSTS) Steering Committee are provided below. Prior to RSTS, the program title was the AASHTO Sustainable Transportation: Energy, Infrastructure and Climate Solutions Program (STEICS), and prior to that the program title was the AASHTO Climate Change Steering Committee.

The AASHTO Committee on Transportation System Security and Resilience (TSSR) quarterly recorded webinar meetings and annual meetings/events information is available on the TSSR Committee website.

• AASHTO RSTS Steering Committee Meeting, May 24, 2017
  • Agenda
  • Welcome from the Chair (Leslie Richards; Chair, RSTS Steering Committee)
  • Approval of the 2016 Boston, MA Annual Meeting Minutes (Leslie Richards)
  • Onward & Upward: Discuss and Approve the RSTS Strategic Plan (Shane Marshall, Utah DOT) Approved Strategic Plan
  • RSTS Recaps & Highlights (Melissa Savage)
  • Partner and Stakeholder Updates
  • Federal Highway Administration (Gloria Shepherd; Acting Executive Director, FHWA, invited) [Hari Kalla, FHWA on behalf of FHWA]
  • NCHRP: What Every CEO Needs to Know About Resilience (Stephan Parker, TRB)
  • Understanding Transportation Resilience: A 2016-2018 Roadmap (Jan. 2017)
  • Resiliency as a Core Priority (Michael Flood, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff)
  • New Business
  • SCOTSEM-SCOHT-TRB ABR 10 Meeting (Patrick Zelinski, AASHTO)
  • AASHTO Committee on Committees Review (see AASHTO Committee Reorganization web page)
  • Review and Close
  • Transportation System Security and Resilience Committee Meeting, Sept. 25–28, 2017; Sheraton Grand Phoenix

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• AASHTO RSTS Steering Committee Meeting, November 13, 2016
  • Agenda
  • Committee Introductions and Welcome from the Chair: Leslie Richards, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT; Chair, RSTS Standing Committee
  • Federal Highway Administration Update: Gloria Shepherd, Associate Administrator, Office of Planning, Environment, And Realty, Federal Highway Administration
  • Transportation Research Board Activities: Stephan Parker, Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board
  • Comprehensive Committee Review Update: Shannon Eggleston, AASHTO Program Director for Environment
  • Special Committee on Transportation Security and Emergency Management (SCOTSEM) Update: Brian Ness, Director, Idaho Transportation Department; Chair, SCOTSEM
  • RSTS 2016-2017 Work Plan Update and Review: Melissa Savage, Director, Center for Environmental Excellence, AASHTO
  • RSTS Strategic Plan Working Group Update: Shane Marshall, Deputy Director, Utah DOT, Next Steps and Next Meeting (May 22-25, 2017; Portland, Maine)

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• AASHTO RSTS Steering Committee Meeting, May 25, 2016
  • Steering Committee Meeting Minutes/Summary

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• AASHTO STEICS Steering Committee Meeting, May 30, 2014

  AASHTO Sustainable Transportation: Energy, Infrastructure and Climate Solutions (STEICS) Steering Committee Meeting, AASHTO Spring Meeting, Louisville, KY, May 30, 2014

  This steering committee meeting focused on practitioners in state DOTs who were facing more frequent extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, several local storms, flooding, winter storms, wildfires, and freezes. The meeting included an overview of new and upcoming research and tools related to extreme weather preparedness and resiliency in transportation. FHWA provided an update on new and ongoing activities at FHWA related to extreme weather events. The STEICS steering committee discussed state DOT challenges and needs related to extreme weather and future work for the STEICS program.

  • Welcome & Introductions (Joan McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation; Chair, STEICS Steering Committee)
  • FHWA Update (Gloria Shepherd, Associate Administrator, FHWA Office of Planning, Environment & Realty)
  • Adaptation to Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change (Rob Kafalenos, FHWA)
  • Extreme Weather Research and Tools Update (Mike Meyer, Parsons Brinckerhoff)
  • General Discussion & Next Steps

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• AASHTO STEICS Steering Committee Meeting, November 17, 2012

  AASHTO Sustainable Transportation: Energy, Infrastructure and Climate Solutions (STEICS) Steering Committee Meeting, AASHTO Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, Nov. 17, 2012

  State DOT Responses to Extreme Weather Events: This meeting brought together leaders of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways, Standing Committee on Planning, and Standing Committee on the Environment as well as the Subcommittees on Asset Management, Maintenance, Design, Construction and Operations to discuss the impact of extreme weather events such as heat waves, hurricanes, dust storms, and heavy rain on transportation infrastructure and state DOT responses to these events. Participants discussed what state DOTs are doing, what can be done, how to prioritize activities, and what are easily implementable, cost effective measures/activities that states can undertake. FHWA also discussed work it has been doing with states in this area.

  • Welcome and Introduction: Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation, Washington State DOT, Chair, STEICS
  • Asset Management and Extreme Weather: Michael Savonis, Fellow, ICF International, panelists Scott Christie, Deputy Secretary for highway Administration, Pennsylvania DOT; Elizabeth Habic, Program manager for Climate Change, Maryland DOT, State Highway Administration. Link to White Paper: Integrating Extreme Weather Risk into Transportation Asset Management
  • How Can DOT Operations and Maintenance Prepare for Extreme Weather Events: Gregory Johnson, Chief Operations Officer/Chief Engineer, Michigan DOT
  • Emergency Response Efforts: Brian Searles, Secretary, Vermont Agency of Transportation
  • FHWA Update, Gloria Shepherd, Associate Administrator, FHWA Office of Planning, Environment & Realty
  • Research Update: Nanda Srinivasan, Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board
  • Group Discussion and Next Steps

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• AASHTO STEICS Steering Committee Meeting, October 2011

  AASHTO Sustainable Transportation: Energy, Infrastructure and Climate Solutions (STEICS) Steering Committee Steering Committee Meeting Agenda, AASHTO Annual Meeting, Detroit, MI, Friday, October 14, 2011

  This meeting convened members of AASHTO’s Climate Change Steering Committee to discuss issues related to climate change adaptation. Designated speakers presented information on key climate adaptation research and implementation efforts followed by facilitated discussion about adaptation issues and challenges. The meeting was geared toward providing state DOT engineers with a brief overview of adaptation information, providing an opportunity for the exchange of information, and brainstorming ideas for joint activities or technical services between AASHTO’s Standing Committee on Highways and the steering committee.

  • Moderator: Paula Hammond, Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation and Chair of AASHTO’s Sustainable Transportation: Energy, Infrastructure and Climate Solutions Steering Committee
  • Presentations:
  • Overview of Climate Adaptation for the Transportation Sector and an Update on NCHRP Project 20-83 (05): Climate Change and the Highway System: Impacts and Adaptation Approaches: Jake Keller, Parsons Brinckerhoff
  • Overview of FHWA Adaptation Efforts, including Gulf Coast I and II Studies and Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots: King Gee, Associate Administrator for Infrastructure, FHWA and Gloria Shepherd, Associate Administrator Office of Planning, Environment & Realty, FHWA
  • Addressing Climate Change Adaptation – California Department of Transportation (presentation) and Caltrans Guidance on Incorporating Sea Level Rise: Richard Land, Chief Deputy Director (Acting), California DOT

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• AASHTO Climate Change Steering Committee Meeting, May 2011

  AASHTO Climate Change Steering Committee Meeting Agenda, AASHTO Spring Meeting, Las Vegas, NV – Wed., May 4, 2011

  This meeting provided an opportunity for members of AASHTO’s Climate Change Steering Committee to convene and discuss a number of issues. Designated speakers provided an overview of climate change policies and shifting priorities at the national and state level, an update on the West Coast Green Highway project, an update on NCHRP 20-83 (05) Climate Change and the Highway System: Impacts and Adaptation Approaches, and an update on FHWA’s climate change activities. The meeting included a group discussion on AASHTO’s climate change program, with the goal of increasing emphasis on issues such as energy security, infrastructure adaptation, and technology.

  • Meeting Agenda
  • Moderator: Paula Hammond, Paula Hammond, Secretary, Washington Department of Transportation Chair, AASHTO Climate Change Steering Committee
  • Speakers:
  • John Horsley, Executive Director, AASHTO
  • Judi Greenwald, Vice President of Innovative Solutions, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
  • Jeff Doyle, Director, Public Private Partnerships, WSDOT
  • Mike Meyer, P.E., Frederick R. Dickerson Chair, Director of Georgia Transportation Institute/University Transportation Center
  • Gloria Shepherd, Associate Administrator for Planning, Environment and Realty, FHWA
  • Caroline Paulsen, Program Manager for Climate Change, AASHTO

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• AASHTO Climate Change Steering Committee Meeting, October 2010

  AASHTO Climate Change Steering Committee Meeting Agenda, AASHTO Annual Meeting, Biloxi, MS - Friday, October 29, 2010.

  This meeting provided an opportunity for members of AASHTO’s Climate Change Steering Committee to convene and discuss a number of important topics. Designated speakers provided information on electric automobile technology innovations, California MPO actions with regard to SB 375, an overview of the nearly complete NCHRP 20-24 (70) study to update the 2003 Pew report on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. transportation, and the recently created Transportation Climate Initiative among Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. The meeting also included an update from SCOH on climate change adaptation efforts and an update on FHWA’s climate change activities.

  • Welcome and Introductions: Matthew Garrett, Director, Oregon Department of Transportation
  • The Role of Electricity as a Transportation Fuel: Sean McNamara, Manager, Member Relations, PJM Interconnection
  • California SB 375 and Action at the MPO Level: Gordon Garry, Director of Research and Analysis, Sacramento Area Council of Governments
  • Opportunities to Address Climate Change Through Reauthorization: Nick Nigro, Solutions Fellow, Pew Center for Global Climate Change
  • Climate Change Adaptation Update:
  • SCOH: Jim McDonnell, Program Director for Engineering, AASHTO; Kevin Chesnik, Administrator of the Division of Transportation System Development, Wisconsin DOT
  • FHWA: Gloria Shepherd, Associate Administrator for Planning, Environment and Realty, FHWA and Steering Committee Members
  • The Transportation and Climate Initiative of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States: Mark Stout, Independent Transportation Consultant

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