Climate Resilience Guidance for Planners

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

The MPO and Resilience

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the regional planning body responsible for conducting the federally required transportation planning process, including developing a vision for transportation in the region, allocating federal funds, and matching state funds for transportation projects. The MPO recognizes its role in responding to increasing risk to transportation assets posed by climate change, and has embedded a consideration of resilience-building into all aspects of the long-range planning process.

One way climate resilience has been integrated into the planning process is through the Boston Region MPO's project selection process for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is a five-year capital programming document updated on an annual basis to reflect projects selected for funding by the MPO. Projects seeking funding are scored based on their adherence to the MPO’s goals and objectives, which includes climate resilience.

Purpose

The purpose of this guide is to provide planners with guidance on our resilience standards and the criteria the MPO uses to evaluate projects for funding in the TIP. This guide

  • provides background information on climate change in the Boston region;
  • gives examples of resilient transportation improvement projects completed in the Boston region;
  • offers adaptation strategies and best practices common to resilient transportation projects; and
  • provides a walkthrough on how to meet the MPO's resilience criteria for the TIP.

Climate Change Impacts

Boston Region MPO Map

Overview

Climate change poses increasing risk to transportation assets and users from increased flooding, sea level rise, extreme temperatures, and other hazards. According to the  2022 Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment  and the  2018 State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Action Plan , the following are projections for the Commonwealth and the Boston region.

Boston Area Impacts and Projections

Resilience in Transportation Systems

Resilience refers to the ability of a system, community, project, or other entity to anticipate extreme events, absorb their impacts, recover in a timely and efficient manner, and adapt to better withstand future disturbances. Planning for resilience is essential to ensure that transportation infrastructure is able to withstand extreme weather events and will continue to serve the public in the face of a changing climate.

Regional Examples

Adaptation Strategies

Extreme Heat Adaptations

The Boston region is expected to experience both higher average temperatures and an increased number of extreme heat days, with implications for both public health and transportation infrastructure. Incorporating extreme heat adaptation strategies into transportation projects can help reduce the vulnerability of both people and assets, and ensure a safer, more reliable transportation system.

Stormwater Management Improvements and Best Management Practices (BMP)

Strains on stormwater and drainage infrastructure from heavy precipitation and coastal flooding can be combated by implementing appropriate stormwater BMPs. BMP selection is important but can be complex. Luckily tools such as the  BMP Selection Matrix  within the EPA's Coastal Stormwater Management Through Green Infrastructure handbook can help decision makers find the best practices for their area.

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Nature-Based Adaptations

Nature-based adaptation strategies can both improve resilience and enhance the natural environment, especially when planned with native, drought-resistant plant species in mind.

Resources such as the Audubon Society's  Native Plants Database  can help identify native plants specific to an area. Using keywords such as "flood tolerant" or "drought resistant" can filter through the database for plants specific to resilience efforts.

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Structural Adaptations

Structural adaptation, or gray infrastructure, can be used to improve resilience to sea level rise, heavy precipitation, and other climate hazards in areas with particularly high vulnerabilities. Structural adaptation strategies can be very effective at preventing damage from hazards, but should be implemented alongside nature-based strategies to minimize ecological impacts and provide co-benefits to surrounding natural areas.

Common Combination of Adaptation Strategies

Combinations of BMPs or "Treatment Trains" incorporate multiple stormwater treatment strategies in a sequence with the goal of maximizing pollutant-reduction potential.

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Best Practices

Community Engagement: Meaningful community engagement is a vital component of all stages of transportation planning, including identifying needs, siting, design, construction, and evaluation. Inviting both community members and advocacy groups to participate in the transportation planning and improvement process allows for the acknowledgement and incorporation of local needs into project design, provides transparency for major projects and their potential impacts on communities and ecosystems, and provides legitimacy by increasing the likelihood that projects are supported by the public.

Plan for all Seasons: Consider infrastructure's adaptability and resilience to extreme summer and winter conditions. It is particularly important to consider the durability of natural stormwater infrastructure that will be greatly affected by low temperatures. For example, the depth of soil media used in the planting bed for a vegetated filter strip should extend below the frost line in order to minimize the impacts from freezing during harsh winter conditions.

Diversify Strategies: When implementing a combination of BMPs/adaptations, try to select strategies that provide a diverse range of functions and benefits. Consider the costs and benefits of including additional strategies and try to strike a balance between the needs of your project site and your project's budget.

Plan Ahead: Adaptation strategies and BMPs incorporated into the initial construction and design of transportation projects are often more effective that retrofits. Taking resilience into account in the beginning stages of a project can maximize efficiency of the adaptation strategy and extend the service life of the asset.

Nature First: Nature-based adaptation strategies are almost always recommended either on their own or combined with structural adaptations because they can reduce vulnerability to climate hazards, provide multiple ecological benefits, and promote valuable ecosystem services. A few examples of these ecosystem benefits include wildlife conservation, habitat connectivity, carbon capture and sequestration, recreational and cultural services, and nutrient cycling.

Online Tools: Tools such as  MAPC's Green Stormwater Infrastructure Siting Tool  can help identify suitable sites for nature-based strategies and provide suggestions on new ways to implement green stormwater infrastructure.

Resilience TIP Criteria

This section covers the resilience-related criteria used to evaluate projects for prioritization in the Boston MPO’s TIP, and explains how to earn points for each criteria. This section also includes the data staff use to evaluate the environmental components of TIP projects, which may help planners better achieve points in the resilience category. Note that not all criteria will apply to every project type, the point totals may vary slightly across investment programs.

Please reach out to MPO staff using the contact information at the bottom of this web page if you have any questions about how to meet these criteria or need any additional support in the environmental aspects of project design.

Resources