By Sarah Raykhman, EIT, Engineer

This year our team, including Krupa Gajjar, Manas Subbaraman, Melvin Wah, Miguel Perez Luna, Sarah Mawdsley, Sarah Raykhman, and Sydney Maves, participated in the 2024 ITE Sandbox Competition: Resilience in the Face of Climate Change. We were selected as one of two finalists for the Professional Competition category.

The goal of the competition was to apply “a variety of strategic, programmatic, and tactical activities to improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure in response to four potential climate/naturally occurring threats: Coastal Flooding, Wildfire, Winter Storms, and Extreme Heat.” Participants were challenged to create a comprehensive plan that included both mitigation and adaptation strategies, along with a conceptual infrastructure design improvement, to address climate-related risks for two of four events.

Our team chose to address wildfire risks in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and extreme heat risks in Billings, Montana. The approach involved evaluating the existing transportation systems in each location and their vulnerabilities in emergencies. Using this analysis, we developed a plan to improve resilience before, during, and after such events. To complement the plan, we redesigned a vital corridor in each location to better support communities during emergencies.

Wildfire Scenario: Idaho Falls, Idaho

For Idaho Falls, our plan focuses on proactive measures to defend public spaces, foster public awareness and education, and enhance emergency response capabilities. Key strategies include adopting a Fire-Adapted Community framework, improving local road connections to I-15 and US-20, implementing a contraflow lane system for evacuations, and socializing residents to this system through wayfinding and simulations.

We proposed a contraflow lane system on Skyline Drive due to its connection to the regional airport and major thoroughfares. However, this design can be applied to other major arterials in the area. During emergencies, this system facilitates mobility by allocating space for priority modes and increasing roadway capacity.

Post-wildfire, our plan includes assessing damage, evaluating the effectiveness of preventive and firefighting efforts, and planning recovery measures.

Heat Wave Scenario: Billings, Montana

For Billings, our plan outlines resilience initiatives to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable individuals and communities, ensuring safe commuting and overall well-being. Key strategies include providing access to cooling centers, organizing outreach programs, establishing an extreme heat early warning system, designing heat-resilient infrastructure, and offering emergency assistance.

We focused on transforming a segment of 5th Avenue in Downtown Billings into a heat-resilient corridor through two design typologies: Cooling Islands and Movement Corridors. Cooling islands are urban public gathering spaces with design elements that reduce surface temperatures and offer residents a place to cool off during heat waves. Movement Corridors provide naturally shaded walking and cycling paths to the cooling centers and other community spaces. The figures above illustrate the applicability of different elements from each typology. These typologies can be adapted to different areas based on programming and land use context. Post-heat wave, our plan includes assessing the effectiveness of implemented measures and addressing any residual impacts. Community engagement is essential to ensure future emergency responses are adaptive and reflective of evolving needs and vulnerabilities.

Through the ITE Sandbox Competition, Sam Schwartz has demonstrated the importance of comprehensive planning and infrastructure improvements that both mitigate hazards and adapt to the changing climate. The unpredictable nature of climate change impacts calls for flexible solutions that can be modified to meet the unique needs of various communities. This ensures that resilience measures are effective and relevant, regardless of the context. By integrating resilience into transportation, a critical part of our everyday lives, we can create systems that are robust, adaptable, and capable of withstanding the diverse challenges posed by climate change.