Program objective

The climate and transportation research center shall advance the following research and technology goals: (1) support decarbonization of the transportation sector; (2) build resilience of transportation infrastructure, networks, and operations; (3) address climate and environmental injustices related to transportation; and (4) otherwise advance understanding of solutions to the nation’s climate change and transportation challenges. Priority research and technology development topics with high potential to serve these goals include, but are not limited to, the following: • Data and tools to reduce trips and shift trips to climate-friendly vehicles and modes, including shift to electric vehicles, transit, micromobility services, and active transport, combined with integrated transportation and land-use planning, including transit-oriented development, such that people are less dependent on personal vehicles and more likely to walk, bike, or use transit. • Transformative approaches to understanding, predicting, and addressing via technology, design, behavior, and policy interventions, the induced demand and associated greenhouse gas emissions from roadway improvement projects. Methods for better incorporating induced demand into travel demand models. Evidence-based approaches and tools for decision makers for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions effects of transportation investments, policies, and practices. • Cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to leverage the climate-tech industry to transform the United States to be a world leader in sustainable transportation, such as innovations in data-driven insights, automation, and integrated system-of-systems that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. • Innovative applications of social and behavioral sciences for transportation demand management and other policy interventions that support lower-carbon consumer transportation choices, mode shift, seamless modal connectivity, and reductions in transportation greenhouse gas emissions overall. Research supporting state and local governments considering policy options to realign consumer incentives and disincentives to encourage lower-carbon consumer choices. • Innovative use of new and emerging environmental sensors to support the assessment and early detection of pollutants, helping public agencies reduce climate and environmental impacts and transportation and respond to environmental emergencies, and integration of such analyses into climate and environmental justice policy decisions. • The development and deployment of methods to assess and reduce the risks to transportation system performance posed by climate change and related natural hazards that are exacerbated by climate change (e.g., extreme heat, pluvial flooding, slope stability concerns, permafrost thaw) Incorporation of nature-based solutions. Research and deployment of innovative resilient infrastructure, networks, and operations, especially in underserved and overburdened communities and communities with environmental justice concerns. • Innovative adaptation strategies and standards for the new resilient transportation networks that will be needed in vulnerable areas and for climate-driven relocation, such as new passenger rail lines and resilient access for coastal locations (e.g., transition from surface roads to waterways, elevated transportation corridors, alternate road surfaces that are environmentally friendly if damaged and can be rapidly repaired). • Innovative research on policy solutions to tackle challenges around deployment of transportation decarbonization technologies at the local level, such as research on balancing priorities the need for rapid deployment and adoption while centering underserved communities and prioritizing community engagement. • Other innovative approaches proposed by applicants that have the potential to solve climate and sustainability challenges within the U.S. transportation sector. In concert with U.S. DOT, the climate and transportation research center shall publish and release research results and tools that empower communities, state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and commercial operators to make informed decisions on climate change and environmental justice.