MBTA Boston, MA

MBTA Power, Communication, and Signals Vulnerability

BSC Group was chosen to join the team for the MBTA Climate Change and Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation on-call contract.

Looking at existing climate change data and reports, BSC evaluated the applicability to MBTA’s assets and integration with regional resiliency initiatives. An assessment methodology was developed by BSC specific to the assets, assisting in ranking the various assets according to vulnerability. Scenarios taken into account in the assessment include extreme heat, inland and coastal flooding, extreme precipitation, and wind.

Additionally, a GIS Database and Prioritization and Indexing Methodology was created by BSC specialists, which included inventory of critical power, signaling, and communication system assets at risk to climate change extremes. The database gives the client the ability to view the assets with overlays of elements including climate exposure, climate sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. It also can be used to link the asset to other climate data or planning reports.