Transportation Council to Host Virtual Meeting on Resilient Ways Forward Study

Input Sought on Ways to Address Climate Vulnerabilities Across the Transportation System

The Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) has completed the first phase ofResilient Ways Forward, an assessment of climate change and its impact on transportation in Dutchess County. The assessment, which shows where the transportation system is most vulnerable to climate hazards such as flooding and landslides, is now looking at ways to reduce these impacts

on transportation infrastructure and services.

The DCTC will host a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, April 10 at noon to provide an update on Resilient Ways Forward. This will be an opportunity for the public to learn more about where the transportation system is most vulnerable to climate hazards, and discuss the menu of tools and strategies to address these vulnerabilities.

Registration is required: bit.ly/RWFVirtualMtg2.

The DCTC encourages the public to visit the website at ResilientWaysForward.com to learn more and read the latest reports:

Climate Change Summary and Fact Sheet

Vulnerability Assessment Fact Sheet

• • Phase 1 System-level Analysis
  • Phase 2 Asset-level AnalysisVirtual Meeting on Resilient Ways Forward Study

 Resilient Ways Forward is one of several planning initiatives underway by Dutchess County to better understand and address current and future environmental issues. While Resilient Ways Forward focuses on the impacts of extreme weather on the transportation system, the data and analysis also support the County’s Natural Resource Inventory and Hazard Mitigation Plan.

DCTC Transportation Program Administrator Mark Debald said, “We are excited to begin this last step ofResilient Ways Forward and explore ways to make our transportation system more resilient. Feedback from this virtual meeting will help guide the project team as we finalize a toolbox of adaptation strategies to reduce the transportation system’s climate vulnerability. Ultimately, we want to provide decision-makers and agencies with actionable tools and data to help prioritize how and where we can build resiliency.”

 The Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) serves as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Dutchess County. Federal statutes require that urbanized areas with over 50,000 people be represented by an MPO. The main duty of an MPO is to ensure that federal transportation funds are committed through a locally driven, comprehensive planning process. Since 1982, the DCTC has provided a forum for state and local government to solve transportation issues and reach consensus on federally supported transportation plans and projects in Dutchess County and across the Mid-Hudson Valley.

###