This summary provides an overview of climate change impacts on transportation in New York State. It includes a synopsis of key climate change hazards, equity and justice considerations, impacts on Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations, key findings from the assessment’s Transportation chapter, and opportunities for the future.

New York State’s transportation network consists of roads and highways; mass transit like subways and buses; rail lines; maritime transportation; air transportation; and micromobility, such as bikes, scooters, and skateboards. Climate conditions affect all these modes of transportation. Key climate change hazards that can affect transportation include:

• Increased precipitation and flooding.
• More frequent and intense storms, such as hurricanes and lake-effect snowstorms.
• Rising sea level.
• Increased frequency, intensity, and variability of extreme temperatures.

Impacts on transportation that can result from these climate hazards include:

• Impacts on the physical system, such as flooding from heavy precipitation and saltwater corrosion of equipment and infrastructure from sea level rise.
• Impacts on the movement of people, such as longer travel times during climate-related disruptions and health concerns for passengers if extreme weather keeps the air conditioning, heating, and ventilation on a bus, commuter train, or subway car from working adequately.
• Impacts on the movement of goods, such as supply chain delays during extreme weather events.

Some groups have less access to affordable, reliable transportation options or are more dependent on certain forms of transportation. Climate change could reinforce or worsen these inequities. As a result, climate change impacts on transportation can disproportionately affect these communities and individuals. For example:

• A legacy of racial segregation and other forms of socioeconomic marginalization has resulted in populations of color and low-income households residing in higher-risk areas, such as low-lying neighborhoods or floodplains that rely on transportation to evacuate during a flood or a severe coastal storm.
• Low-wage earners are more likely to commute to work. Climate-related disruptions to transportation could affect them more than high wage earners, who are more likely to have remote work options.
• People who do not have backup options can be left stranded if their primary mode of transportation is disrupted. For example, some commuters may be unable to get to work if public transit shuts down due to climate hazards such as flooding.
• Because accessible transportation options are limited, people with disabilities are especially at risk of not being able to travel when transportation is disrupted.

New York State has nine federally recognized or state-recognized Tribal Nations, along with several other Indigenous communities that maintain ties to the state and live in surrounding states. The 11 Native American reservation territories in the state total about 254 square miles. Roadways serve as the primary means of transportation into, out of, and throughout these areas. Having fewer transportation options creates more risk when climate-related events disrupt transportation. Engaging Indigenous communities and incorporating Indigenous knowledges in adaptation can foster more equitable adaptation. 

Technical workgroups for each of the assessment’s eight sectors developed key findings focused on climate change impacts, responses, and solutions. More detail on the transportation key findings and the evidence base for each can be found in the full Transportation chapter.

Many climate hazards could damage or disrupt New York State’s transportation systems, with heavy precipitation and sea level rise presenting the most severe risks.

Increased flooding from more intense storms, storm surge, and rising sea level poses risks to all modes of transportation. Flooding can affect roadways, portions of railways, airport runways, and underground subway systems, blocking vital routes. It can also raise water levels in waterways, making it harder for boats to pass under bridges. 

What Can We Do?

Flood protection infrastructure could help address flooding impacts on New York State’s transportation. Older drainage systems along roadways could be updated to handle higher water flows. Likewise, the capacity of pumping equipment at airports and in underground subways could be increased to remove greater volumes of excess water. Constructing flood barriers and elevating low-lying structures, such as bridges, railway tracks, and critical electrical equipment, could further protect transportation infrastructure. In addition, “green” infrastructure can help absorb or drain excess water, such as airports covering their buildings’ rooftops with vegetation.

New York State’s transportation systems are vulnerable to impacts that cascade across modes of transport and across sectors.

Impacts on transportation can also cascade to other sectors in New York. For example, disruptions to roadways and mass transit can cause commuter delays and hinder parts of the economy that rely on an onsite workforce. Disruptions also affect New York’s agricultural sector because of the time sensitivity of transporting food at risk of spoilage.

What Can We Do?

Adaptation planning can limit the spread of climate change impacts from one mode of transportation to another and across sectors. Improving the resilience of individual modes can help address overall impacts. However, even where modes may be individually resilient, the points where they connect may still be vulnerable. At these intermodal connection points, expanding network connections to additional modes of transport can provide transportation alternatives if other modes fail. For example, micromobility options, such as bicycles and scooters, can fill gaps for some people.

Climate change could exacerbate existing transportation system inequities, which well-planned climate solutions can help to reduce.

Transportation can enable people to move around safely and efficiently, but these benefits are unequally distributed. So are the harms—for example, from highways built through historically Black neighborhoods due to housing decisions made decades ago.

 Climate change could worsen existing inequities in the transportation network for many of the state’s vulnerable populations. Some communities located in “transit deserts” lack adequate mass transit service, which means there are fewer alternatives for transit-dependent residents when climate hazards shut down one bus or train service. Additionally, low-income workers tend to lack remote work options and are more likely to need to physically commute to work. During climate-driven disruptions to public transportation, they might be unable to get to their workplaces. This situation can cause loss of income and can negatively affect their employment.

These disproportionate impacts could be felt in both rural and urban communities with limited mobility options because they lack alternatives if their primary mode of transportation is disrupted. Rural areas have been historically underserved by public transit, so closure of the limited roads and bridges that connect people can prevent them from commuting to their jobs or accessing critical services like healthcare. In New York State’s urban areas, many vulnerable populations depend on public transit, which can be shut down by flooding and power outages. Research shows that Black, Asian, and Latino residents in New York City are more likely than white residents to rely on mass transit for commuting.

What Can We Do?

Adapting the transportation system for climate change presents an opportunity to also address current inequities (such as disparities in transportation access or mobility options) and the consequences of past planning decisions while also serving broader neighborhood or community goals. 

Large-scale capital projects, such as covering sunken sections of highway that cut through the heart of a city or developing public greenways, provide opportunities to consider who experiences the benefits and harms of transportation investments. For example, the New York State Route 33 (Kensington Expressway) Project in Buffalo involves capping approximately 4100 feet of the Kensington Expressway and establishing continuous greenspace for community residents. Planting vegetation is an important adaptation strategy to reduce stormwater runoff. This project also connects formerly severed communities and raises local property values previously depressed by the highway, benefitting the primarily Black populations living in Buffalo’s East Side.

Transportation investments increasingly seek to address climate change impacts, but decision-makers still face constraints that limit their ability to respond proactively. 

As climate impacts on the transportation system become more apparent, many transportation agencies in New York State have taken steps to design for the climate of the future, not the climate of the past. Transportation planners are also embracing new techniques and technologies. For example, to prepare for sea level rise and other future climate risks, some decision-makers in New York are planning to upgrade marine transportation infrastructure. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has published science-based Climate Resilience Guidelines that exceed existing codes and standards and ensure that infrastructure design considers the effects of climate change. Still, decision-makers must contend with rising costs, financial constraints, limited personnel capacity (particularly in smaller or less well-funded jurisdictions), and a backlog of routine maintenance needs and infrastructure in disrepair.

What Can We Do?

Transportation infrastructure is expensive to construct and maintain. Transportation departments at both the state and local levels need sufficient funding or staff to implement climate-resilient projects. Although literature, data, and training on proven adaptation and resilience techniques are available, these resources can sometimes be difficult for decision-makers to identify, locate, and understand. Ensuring local governments have access to these resources can help them learn and deploy new adaptation and resilience techniques.

Advancements in transportation planning, systems, and mobility present both opportunities and challenges for climate adaptation.

While these advancements can provide mobility and environmental benefits, they can also worsen climate vulnerabilities. There is an inherent risk in making transportation more dependent on electric power and telecommunications grids. These grids themselves are vulnerable to outages resulting from increasingly severe weather and climate events. For example, severe storms and flooding can cause power outages that might leave electric vehicle motorists unable to charge their vehicles. During extreme weather events, telecommunication networks can fail due to overwhelming wireless call volumes and loss of power at transmission stations. These impacts are likely to be more disruptive given the increased reliance on telecommunications in transportation, including intelligent transportation systems and mobile apps for ridesharing. 

What Can We Do?

Advancements in the transportation sector continue to develop globally as new technology is introduced and implemented. Transportation planners would benefit from increased understanding of how climate change will affect future transportation systems and consider the broad ranges of uncertainties and vulnerabilities inherent to new technologies.

Climate adaptation efforts in the state’s transportation sector can produce positive changes, particularly if adaptation goes hand in hand with greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies that ultimately help to reduce the severity of future climate impacts. Climate adaptation can also contribute toward a more sustainable and equitable transportation network. Examples of opportunities include:

• Balancing short-term needs and long-term priorities for sustainable, equitable transportation systems. Transportation infrastructure requires long-term planning, but the use of transportation occurs on short timescales when people and goods need to move from one place to another. The dynamic between long-term durability and real-time mobility is an opportunity to address present-day climate impacts while also considering the long-term implications of transportation investments. Additionally, restorative climate adaptation efforts can address historical inequities in the transportation sector and incorporate community perspectives into decision-making.
• Adapting to climate change without increasing contributions to climate change. Adapting transportation systems to climate change will require new construction. In addition to considering climate impacts, transportation planners can consider the lifecycle impact of new construction and seek to reduce its environmental impacts. These actions can make transportation systems more resilient while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Meeting multiple needs through redesign. Climate change will require transportation infrastructure to be designed differently to incorporate adaptive elements and prepare for climate hazards. Transportation redesign is an opportunity to update designs to incorporate not just resilience measures, but also other improvements that increase accessibility and safety, reduce environmental impacts, improve neighborhoods, and consider other local needs.

Emerging Research Topics:

Researchers continue to study how climate change will affect New York State’s transportation network. Attention to any gaps in knowledge will be important as the state develops adaptation strategies and plans. This assessment revealed a few areas of research to investigate further, such as:

• Investigating the impacts of new transportation technologies on adaptation and resilience, electric systems, the built environment, and society.
• Improving methodologies for lifecycle assessment of transportation infrastructure and data on embodied carbon to inform opportunities for construction.
• Improving availability of data on the condition of transportation infrastructure and effectiveness of existing adaptation measures to support improved planning and design for future climate conditions.
• Improving understanding of how transportation infrastructure and operations produce benefits and negative impacts in surrounding communities.
• Improving understanding of ridership needs of historically underrepresented and underserved communities.

Climate change is already affecting transportation systems in New York State, and climate impacts are expected to intensify. Transportation systems across the state are interconnected, creating additional challenges and a need for coordination and collaboration across different systems. Each mode of transportation faces unique climate risks in addition to the risks shared by all modes.

Adapting to future climate conditions provides an opportunity to re-envision the movement of people and goods, prioritizing accessibility, sustainability, efficiency, and reliability when designing the future of New York State’s transportation systems.

Read the full Transportation chapter to learn more about impacts and adaptation strategies.

Learn more about equity, justice, and climate change.

Explore assessment resources.