Projects
Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning for Marin County’s Transportation System
Transportation Authority of Marin
As a subconsultant to Arup, Pathways supported work to advance adaptation planning, identify potential solutions to the threats sea level rise poses to Marin communities, roadways, critical assets, and guide future implementation of infrastructure. Pathways conducted an exposure assessment of key assets to sea level rise, emergent groundwater, and coastal flooding.
Oakland-Alameda Adaptation Projects
City of Alameda
The Oakland-Alameda Adaptation Committee is a coalition of communities and stakeholders working to coordinate and accelerate sea level rise adaptation, protect and restore water quality, recreation, and habitat, and promote community resilience. Pathways Climate Institute, in collaboration with CMG Landscape Architecture is leading the subregional long-term adaptation plan and supporting both near-term projects.
Fifth National Climate Assessment
US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
The National Climate Assessment informs the Nation about the impacts of climate variability and climate change on the U.S., as well as presenting what is being done, and what can be done, to minimize impacts and risks. The impacts of climate change are happening faster than originally projected, with impacts happening today that climate scientists originally projected were decades away.
Caltrans Statewide Caltrans Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
Caltrans
Pathways, in collaboration with Arup and Cambridge, is leading the multi-hazard climate exposure and vulnerability assessment for Caltrans Statewide Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. Although Caltrans completed a statewide climate change vulnerability assessment in 2020, the agency developed a new project, asset management and prioritization framework.
Sea Level Rise Policy Implementation Guidance
and Facilities Assessments
County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability
Pathways Climate Institute, in collaboration with Carollo Engineers, is supporting the County of San Mateo Office of Sustainability to develop a suite of tools to mainstream compliance with the policy across all county departments. The tools include an easy-to-use checklist, online map viewer, comprehensive guidebook and customized trainings for department staff.
Climate Action and Resiliency Plan
City of Alameda
Pathways, in collaboration with Raimi + Associates, is supporting the City of Alameda conduct its mid-cycle update of the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP). The update includes a greenhouse gas inventory and serves as a mid-cycle update and blueprint for the next phase of the City’s climate work from 2025-2030 with a focus on implementation steps needed to achieve net zero emissions.
North Monterey County Regional Transportation Vulnerability Assessment
Transportation Agency for Monterey County
Pathways, as prime, is leading the Regional Transportation Vulnerability Assessment for the TAMC. This project includes conducting an existing conditions review; a vulnerability assessment; an analysis of impacts to low income and disadvantaged communities; developing an evaluation framework; and the development of stakeholder groups.
Scaling and Application of Climate Projections for Stormwater and Wastewater Resilience Planning
Water Utility Climate Alliance
Pathways Climate Institute in collaboration with the Water Utility Climate Alliance led a project that addresses the fundamental gap between climate modeling in the research and academic space and the practical use of this information by planners, engineers, and decision makers with a focus on stormwater and wastewater utilities.
Shallow Groundwater Response to Sea Level Rise
Bay Area Council’s California Resilience Challenge
Pathways Climate Institute and the San Francisco Estuary Institute collaborated to extend their groundwater research to better support regional adaptation planning. This ground-breaking study currently covers Alameda, Marin, San Mateo, and San Francisco Counties, providing publicly available data to support climate resilience and adaptation.
Climate Adaptation Assessment for Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Pathways, in collaboration with Ascent, prepared a transportation-specific Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) for the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) that identifies priority actions to future-proof the system, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Calabazas Creek/San Tomas Aquino Creek-Marsh Connection Project
Valley Water, Santa Clara County
This project will realign Calabazas and San Tomas Aquino creeks to directly flow into the A8 Ponds located at the southern boundary of San Francisco Bay and the northern shoreline of Santa Clara County. This project supports the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project.
Extreme Precipitation Study
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Port of San Francisco, San Francisco International Airport, Office of Resilience and Capital Planning
Pathways, in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is evaluating how extreme storms may change under future climate conditions. This project fills a critical data gap in the Bay Area, including robust future condition Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves.
Statewide (24 Water Districts) Climate Adaptation Plan
California Water (CalWater)
CalWater is the largest investor-owned U.S. water utility west of the Mississippi River, providing water to more than 472,000 customers across 24 service districts throughout the state. Pathways assessed how climate change could impact water resources and supply as well as the infrastructure that treats and delivers water to residential, industrial, commercial, and agricultural customers.
Adapting to Rising Tides / Bay Adapt
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), Bay Area Regional Collaborative (BARC)
Working towards a regional strategy to adapt San Francisco Bay's shoreline to sea level rise and other climate hazards.
Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Wastewater Enterprise
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, through the Sewer System Improvement Program, is upgrading and enhancing the combined sewer system to increase the overall efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the system. Climate change is one of many considerations informing the multi-billion-dollar program.
Waterfront Resilience Program
Port of San Francisco
Pathways Climate Institute is supporting the Waterfront Resilience Program and USACE Flood Study along 7.5 miles of bayside shoreline that is home to some of the region’s most popular open spaces and attractions, a national historic district, hundreds of small businesses, nearby housing, and maritime and industrial uses.
Islais Creek Southeast Mobility and Adaptation Strategy
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Planning Department
The Islais Creek Mobility Adaptation Strategy is a long-range vision for the Islais Creek shoreline to protect transportation infrastructure, enhance shoreline access and habitat, and nurture community resiliency in adjoining neighborhoods.
Palo Alto Sea Level Rise and Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment
City of Palo Alto
The City of Palo Alto released a vulnerability assessment that considers both sea level rise and the response of the shallow groundwater layer to sea level rise. Pathways completed groundwater modeling and mapping and led the exposure assessment of all City infrastructure and residential parcels.
San Francisco Sea Level Rise Action Plan
San Francisco Planning Department, Port of San Francisco, and the Office of Resilience and Capital Planning
Released in March 2016, the Sea Level Rise Action Plan defines an overarching vision and set of objectives for future sea level rise and coastal flooding planning and mitigation in San Francisco. The Action Plan provides the foundation for the Se Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequence Assessment and the Port's Waterfront Resilient Program.
San Francisco Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequence Assessment
San Francisco Planning Department, City and County of San Francisco
Recognizing the urgent need to adapt our waterfront communities to sea level rise (SLR) and coastal flooding, the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequences Assessment describes the vulnerability of public buildings and infrastructure and the consequences on people, the economy, and the environment.
Sea Level Rise Guidance for San Francisco
Office of Resilience and Capital Planning
Dr. Kris May has served as the City and County of San Francisco’s key Sea Level Rise Strategic Partner and a member of the City’s Sea Level Rise Working group since 2013. Pathways developed the comprehensive (automated) checklist for projects submitted to the City's Capital Plan, including innovative tools to reduce the burden on project managers complying with the City's guidelnes.
Shoreline Protection Program
San Francisco International Airport
The Shoreline Protection Program will protect the Airport’s assets and operations from flooding from a 100-year storm surge and future sea level rise due to climate change. Pathways provided sea level rise and coastal flood protection design guidance.
Fourth National Climate Assessment
US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities. Global climate change has already resulted in a wide range of impacts across every region of the country.