In July 2022, the Transportation Planning Board (TPB) concluded a four-part Transportation Resiliency Planning Capacity Building webinar series. The series was designed for planning, engineering, transportation, environmental services, community development, and policy professionals. The first webinar offered an overview, the second focused on getting started with climate vulnerability assessments, and the third and fourth addressed breaking down barriers to integrate climate resilience into transportation project development and design, as well as transportation planning and programming.

Recordings and presentations from the webinars are available online, and the TPB is pleased to offer a Resiliency Webinars Resource Guide with key takeaways from the webinars. Each takeaway in the guide lists related publications, websites, and program resources

A recap of the topics covered in each webinar is posted below. The expands on the recap with additional detail and links to federal, state DOT, and local jurisdictional resources. 

Webinar 1 -  Transportation Resilience in the Region: What Next?   

• Provided an environmental overview.
• Defined key resiliency-related terms.
• Discussed equity considerations related to vulnerability and resilience for traditionally marginalized populations.
• Announced federal, Maryland, and Virginia funding opportunities.

Webinar 2 – Get Started: Climate Vulnerability Assessments

• Explained approaches to vulnerability assessments including stakeholder input, indicator based, engineering assessment, and monetized risk.
• Provided examples of how the states of Florida, Vermont, and Charles County, Maryland, are conducting vulnerability assessments.

Webinar 3 – Break Down Barriers: Integrate Climate Resilience into Transportation Project Development & Design

• Emphasized the importance of considering climate change early in the project development process and referring to existing resources and lessons learned.
• Provided examples of how the states of Delaware, Maryland, and the City of Alexandria, Virginia, conduct resilient project development.

Webinar 4 – Break Down Barriers: Integrate Climate Resilience into Transportation Project Planning & Programming

• Offered examples of how resilience could be integrated into asset management plans, transportation plans, and programs and policies.
• Provided examples of how state of Maryland, Frederick County, Maryland, and Fairfax County, Virginia, have resilient planning and programming efforts underway.

Looking Ahead…

The TPB will continue its efforts in resiliency planning. Some products and meetings TPB staff are planning on are as follows:

• Regional interactive resiliency map
• Phase two of Transportation Resiliency Study
• Resiliency Forum

For more information, please look at Task 3.10 in the FY 2023 UPWP, stay tuned for announcements related to these activities later this year, or visit Visualize 2045’s resilience page: Climate Resiliency and Environmental Health.