2/1/24 - Part 7 - SCCRTC Board Meeting - Climate Adaptation Presentation and Questions

Climate Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment and Priorities Report(CAVA) Milestone 1: Prioritization Framework(Brianna Goodman, Transportation Planner)The Santa Cruz County Climate Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment (CAVA) meeting focused on presenting the project's framework and discussing future steps. Brianna Goodman, a staff member, outlined the six-month progress, including stakeholder and public outreach. The project, a collaboration between Santa Cruz County, RTC, and consultants WSP and Ecology Action, aims to adapt and prioritize transportation assets in response to increasing climate-related hazards.Goodman highlighted the significant impact of natural disasters, such as extreme storms and wildfires, on the county's transportation system. The CAVA project, aligning with the National FEARNAHT framework, will focus on understanding climate hazards, assessing impacts, and prioritizing vulnerabilities. The methodology involves using climate change models to assess transportation assets and developing metrics for prioritization.The project sought extensive community feedback, especially from areas like San Lorenzo Valley and South County, severely impacted by recent disasters. Public input revealed that while a majority felt prepared for climate emergencies, those in recently affected areas expressed greater concerns. Common hazards identified were extreme wind events, slope failures, and wildfires, with impacts like travel delays and access to resources being significant concerns.The framework, presented by Tim Gross from WSP, involves prioritizing transportation assets based on hazard likelihood and impact severity. It includes various asset classes like roadways, bridges, and railway segments, and considers a range of hazards like flooding, landslides, and wildfires. The prioritization scores, ranging from 0 to 100, will guide resource allocation for adaptation and resilience efforts.Commissioner Rotkin raised concerns about the framework's applicability to the railroad, especially in relation to disadvantaged communities. Commissioner Montesino highlighted the lack of investment in South County's rail infrastructure. The Coastal Commission's guidance was discussed, with suggestions for early engagement to avoid project delays.The meeting summary was done with AI on ChatGPT. The transcripts were generated on the RSS platform and were corrected to ~75%. I apologize for errors. If you spot something that needs correction let me know.Meeting Agenda : https://sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-02-01-RTC-agenda-packet.pdfZEPRT handout:https://sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Handouts-item-27.pdfOfficial Meeting Highlights:https://sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2-1-2024-RTC-Meeting-Highlights-1.pdfOriginal Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fZgdXbbBB8&list=PLo9N9AsVOVvRZ52uJW8KW1xLX7iizMk85Videos of the episodes are here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOE8OGb8ohlInlNQMDD3KlX-UxSfAVCAy