Philbrick: Transit is crucial for emergency preparedness

Dozens of San Jose firefighters have headed south to help contain the wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, while San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has called on local officials to evaluate efforts to protect our city from a similar disaster. As climate-driven events like wildfires, floods and earthquakes grow more frequent and severe and hit even closer to home, effectively integrating public transportation into emergency response can help mitigate damage, preserve infrastructure and save lives.

The fires near LA have burned nearly 40,000 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and killed at least 24 people since the beginning of January. These blazes are so destructive that even well-equipped and well-versed Southern California firefighters have called on support from other states and even Canada and Mexico.

Such fires have become far too familiar to us as Californians. CalFire responded to 605,868 emergencies last year, including four major fires in Santa Clara County. And yet, fires are only part of the equation: other climate-driven disasters like earthquakes and storms are also a threat to our city. Last year, the United States endured 27 weather and climate disasters that caused at least 568 fatalities.

When a major fire, earthquake  or other emergency suddenly strikes — how will you evacuate?

In LA, many tried to flee in their cars and ended up leaving on foot when traffic prevented their escape, creating even more danger as abandoned vehicles blocked emergency access. Nearly 1 million people live in San Jose — including thousands of vulnerable unhoused people — and hundreds of thousands more in surrounding areas. Traffic congestion is already a pressing problem, and an earthquake or fire could play out the same here as in LA. San Jose is fortunate enough to have a variety of public transportation options, and the buses, light rail and trains are essential to a robust emergency response plan.

A landmark study by the Mineta Transportation Institute examined the role of public transportation during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, focusing on the coordination efforts of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City Transit, Port Authority and the U.S. Office of Emergency Management. Transit systems were an important part of evacuating Lower Manhattan and Washington, D.C., in part because of transit operators’ disaster preparedness. MTA’s specialized heavy equipment also supported rescue operations and infrastructure repair.

Transportation agencies were also a frontline resource during the 2021 Caldor Fire, which required the evacuation of over 30,000 people from the Lake Tahoe basin. The Tahoe Transportation District helped evacuate more than 2,000 residents, including disabled and unhoused people — even though prior to the fire, neither the transportation district nor local and regional emergency management offices had formal plans for transit evacuation.

Just last year, hurricanes Helene and Milton caused $100 billion in damage. Transit agencies in North Carolina made 790 trips to assist more than 2,000 residents, delivering emergency supplies and meals to communities in need. The vast capacity of public transportation in supporting communities during a crisis — especially when authorities recognize and prepare for threats like climate-driven disasters — cannot be understated. Agencies, policymakers and the community need to collaborate in order to formally integrate transit into emergency preparedness planning.

The increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven disasters demand proactive planning and investment. All of us need to recognize the importance of preparedness, collaboration and leveraging public transportation to protect lives and infrastructure.

The start of 2025 has brought a stark reminder of the deadly reality of living with climate change. Integrating transit into emergency response plans isn’t just a safeguard — it’s a necessity.

San José Spotlight columnist Karen E. Philbrick is the executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, a research institute focusing on multimodal surface transportation policy and management issues.