Transportation Resiliency
and Carbon
Reduction Plan

 

Overview

Polk TPO’s Resiliency and Carbon Reduction Plan evaluates the vulnerability of the transportation system to hazards such as flooding and wildfires. This plan addresses the impacts of these hazards and identifies which are eligible for resilience/carbon funding to prioritize solutions. Building on statewide efforts by the Florida Department of Transportation, the plan aims to enhance the local transportation system’s resiliency and reduce carbon emissions through innovative infrastructure solutions and community-driven initiatives.

Assessment of Vulnerability

For this assessment, vulnerability was defined as a combination of risk and criticality. To understand risk, the TPO analyzed the roadway’s exposure to hazards and the likelihood of these hazards occurring. Criticality was determined by considering evacuation routes, access to critical facilities and average annual daily traffic. The results of the assessment were used to group transportation assets into three tiers:

Tier 1: Most Vulnerable

• Roadways in this tier carry the most traffic, serve as evacuation routes and connect to critical facilities like hospitals, shelters and disaster recovery centers.

Tier 2: Vulnerable

• These roadways carry less traffic and connect to secondary critical facilities, such as bus terminals and state government facilities.

Tier 3: Least Vulnerable

• These roadways carry the least amount of traffic and connect to tertiary critical facilities.

Next Steps

The study will further examine the issues faced by each Tier 1 roadway. Identify mitigation measures and resilience improvements to reduce the impact of hazards. Potential measures include raising road elevations, improving stormwater management systems, and burying power lines underground.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the plan, please contact Polk TPO.