CCRPC moves to scope resilience projects using flood-vulnerability tool, debates state vs. local focus

Christine Forde introduced the CCRPC resilience planning effort at the June 2 Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, explaining the project will identify a list of candidate projects and scope three to five to be ready for funding. The project uses the Transportation Resilience Planning Tool to evaluate vulnerability to flood damage and combines those findings with other criteria for final prioritization.

Joe Segale said the goal is to get a small set of projects to scoping level so they can be competitive for grant programs. Members raised whether the effort should prioritize state roads or local roads and whether to concentrate on structures (bridges/culverts) or continuous road segments; discussion points included comparative cost magnitude and the difference between inundation and washout risks. The group noted potential complications if a project lies in a Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain, which can affect funding eligibility and design requirements.

Next steps include reviewing the compiled project list to determine which projects should proceed to scoping with an appropriate budget, identifying lower‑cost conceptual planning opportunities for others, and considering development of an operational playbook for high‑risk corridors such as Route 2/I‑89 between Bolton and Richmond. No formal motions or votes were taken on project selection at the meeting.