Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21474

The Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) is administered by the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). It is a campus-wide initiative that harnesses the expertise of UMD faculty and the energy and ingenuity of UMD students to help Maryland communities become more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. PALS is designed to provide innovative, low-cost assistance to local governments while creating real-world problem-solving experiences for University of Maryland graduate and undergraduate students.

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Author: search.filters.author.Bell, Julia A.Subject: search.filters.subject.Environmental planning

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    Finding Vulnerable Roads in Harford County
    (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2018) Bell, Julia A.; Bennehoff, Yohannes Eagle; Curran, Margaret L.; Peng, Binbin; Zhou, Frank
    Climate change has induced more extreme weather in recent years and Harford County and the surrounding region has experienced more frequent and intense storms. Flooding in Harford County, caused by the increase in storms, generated many instances of roads washing out, which have caused severe damage and created unsafe driving conditions. The issue has necessitated considerable use of public resources. Unfortunately, county budgets are limited, and staff resources are thin. Mitigation is the most cost-effective tool to reduce damage and associated costs; therefore, the county requires a tool that can more effectively identify vulnerable roadway segments. By working with the PALS program at University of Maryland, College Park, the county has identified an opportunity to work proactively and better meet the road safety obligations of the Public Works Department and the Division of Highways. As part of the PALS program, the team used data processing tools and GIS mapping technology to help the county preserve their roadways. Through ongoing conversations, the county worked with the team to create a tool that meet their needs by identifying roads at risk. Vulnerable segments have been identified and prioritized so county staff can plan road reinforcement projects in a more cost-effective manner. Along with a map of identified at-risk road segments, the team has created an interactive web app that allows an in-depth of analysis of at-risk roads, a geodatabase with watershed and soil analysis, and a presentation that reviews key findings. This report reviews the background research, the GIS methods used, the results and their implications for the county, and suggestions for moving forward. The goal, as GIS technicians and community planners, is to serve the interests of the county by providing tools to better predict instances of road failure.