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Title:

Lessons Learned from Hurricane Irene: Vermont Regional Planning Commissions Address Transportation System Recovery

Accession Number:

01478468

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

One week after moving into the Caribbean and then striking the U.S. east coast as a category 1 hurricane, Tropical Storm Irene arrived in Vermont on August 27, 2011. The storm caused widespread damage in 223 of the state’s 251 towns and villages. Severe flooding was particularly devastating for transportation infrastructure, requiring the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to take a leading role in the recovery. The extent of the damage, however, proved too much for a single agency to manage alone. VTrans’ leadership sought help from the state’s 11 regional planning commissions (RPCs) to assume responsibility for assessing needed local road repairs. While the RPCs were well positioned to assist because of their established relationships and networks within the towns, their recovery activities often went beyond their typical scope of work. The collaboration between VTrans and the RPCs offers lessons for disaster preparedness and recovery, both crucial elements for building more resilient communities. In Vermont, the RPCs serve as regional transportation planning organizations under contract to VTrans, including one that serves as the state’s only metropolitan planning organization. This paper describes the roles played by the regional transportation planning entities and lessons learned in order to provide a model for local-state-regional relationships in other potentially disaster-affected areas of the country.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADA30 Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities.

Monograph Accession #:

01470560

Report/Paper Numbers:

13-3952

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Kissel, Carrie
Humphrey, Kate

Pagination:

19p

Publication Date:

2013

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2013-1-13 to 2013-1-17
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; Maps; Photos; References

Geographic Terms:

Vermont

Subject Areas:

Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; Transportation (General); I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2013 Paper #13-3952

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Feb 5 2013 12:46PM