###From the Press Release of Dutchess County’s Mark Debald, Transportation Program Administrator###

Public Input Sought at June 21st Meeting, Online Survey

Poughkeepsie—On June 12, 2023, the Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) announced the launch of Resilient Ways Forward, an assessment of climate change and its impact on transportation in Dutchess County.

Resilient Ways Forward will identify where Dutchess County’s transportation system is most vulnerable to weather impacts, such as flooding, extreme temperatures, snow and ice, and wind. The assessment will also recommend ways to adapt to or reduce the adverse impacts of these events on the transportation system – which includes roads and bridges, buses and trains, sidewalks, rail trails, and other strategic transportation assets. These impacts extend to state, regional, county, and local agencies alike.

Resilient Ways Forward begins with an analysis of climate data to better understand how the climate is changing in Dutchess County, following three steps:

Data collection

Gathering climate and transportation data
Assessing future climate scenarios

Analysis

Understanding the risks of climate hazards for transportation assets at the system level
Identifying priority locations for adaption investments at the asset level

Recommendations

Developing a toolbox of adaption options, including design guidelines
Recommending policy-based actions
Implementing and monitoring the recommendations

The DCTC encourages the public to visit the website at www.ResilientWaysForward.com to learn more and provide input through the on-line interactive Map Survey about where extreme weather events have affected their ability to get around Dutchess County.

A virtual public meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 21st at noon. This meeting is an opportunity for the public to learn about Resilient Ways Forward and provide feedback about where the transportation system is vulnerable to extreme weather events. Registration is required: https://bit.ly/RWFVirtualMtg. Feedback gathered from the public meeting will help inform the project team as they develop a toolbox of prioritized adaptation strategies to reduce the transportation system’s climate vulnerability.

Resilient Ways Forward is one of several planning initiatives underway by Dutchess County to better understand and address current and future environmental issues in the county. Though focused on the impacts of extreme weather on the transportation system, the data and analysis done for Resilient Ways Forward will also support the development of the County’s Natural Resource Inventory, as well as Hazard Mitigation Plan, which are also underway.

DCTC Transportation Program Administrator Mark Debald said, “Our goal is to create a more resilient transportation system that minimizes disruptions and better prepares us to meet the uncertainties of a changing climate. Resilient Ways Forward will provide decision-makers and agencies with the needed information to help prioritize how and where we can build resiliency – both countywide and pinpointed more locally, depending on specific need.”

About The Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC)

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 have 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.