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Emergency Relief Reports

Improving the Resilience of Transit Systems Threatened by Natural Disasters

In 2014, FTA sponsored the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) to develop the report Improving the Resilience of Transit Systems Threatened by Natural Disasters. The research backing up this guide includes an extensive literature review and 17 case studies that showcase leading practices in resilience adoption across a wide spectrum of transit agency organizational structures, sizes, hazard profiles, and regions. Also included is the Improving Transit Resilience Database, in which users can explore and share resilience tools and resources.

  • On March 12, 2018, FTA and TRB held a webinar to share the results of this research with stakeholders.

Other Reports

  • FTA Emergency Relief Manual and Guide - September 2015
    Emergency Relief Manual: A Reference Manual for States & Transit Agencies on Response and Recovery from Declared Disasters and FTA’s Emergency Relief Program (49 U.S.C. 5324)
  • Microgrids and Their Application for Airports and Public Transit (2018)
    This report describes microgrids that airports and public transit agencies can implement to increase resilience of their critical infrastructure.
  • Response to Extreme Weather Impacts on Transportation Systems (2014)
    This report examines eight cases of extreme weather in the United States from the perspectives of transportation operations, maintenance, design, construction, planning, communications, interagency coordination, and data and knowledge management.
  • The Role of Transit in Emergency Evacuations (2008)
    This report explores the roles that transit systems can play in accommodating the evacuation, egress, and ingress of people from and to critical locations in times of emergency. 
  • Paratransit Emergency Preparedness and Operations Handbook (2013)
    This report includes guidance, strategies, tools, and resources to help paratransit service providers plan and prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies. The guidance has applicability to urban, suburban, rural, and tribal paratransit operating environments.
  • Guidelines for Ferry Transportation Services (2012)
    This report examines the history and characteristics of ferry systems throughout North America and offers guidelines for planning, marketing, operating, and managing a ferry system as a component of an overall transportation network, including the role of ferries in disaster preparedness and response.