Transportation Impact Mitigation Program

Purpose

The Transportation Impact Mitigation (TIM) program supports the MPO’s efforts to evaluate and address risks of natural hazards that may impact the regional transportation system. The program is focused on assessing possible threats that can impede progress toward achieving the goals and objectives of the LRTP. It also seeks to develop a planning process for mitigating the impact of severe weather on transportation assets, and offer technical support to assist communities in the region to adapt to and withstand these potential adverse effects.

The program activities support the MPO’s long-term goals by (1) prioritizing investments that make the region’s roadway and transit infrastructure more safe, reliable, and able to recover from severe weather events, particularly through improvements to emergency access and evacuation routes; (2) prioritizing transportation investments that mitigate adverse effects in communities at risk and incorporate nature-based solutions to reduce runoff and negative impacts to water resources, air quality, open space, and environmentally sensitive areas; and (3) engaging a range of stakeholders to ensure a transparent planning process that provides an opportunity for communities to share their needs and priorities.

The TIM program will strengthen and support the MPO’s efforts to adopt a vulnerability assessment framework, elevate the consideration of resilience across MPO work efforts, improve regional coordination, and explore funding opportunities that will expand the MPO’s capacity to mitigate adverse effects through its investment decisions.

MPOs are federally required to assess environmental mitigation activities, consider strategies that preserve the existing and projected future metropolitan transportation infrastructure, and reduce the vulnerability of the existing transportation infrastructure to natural disasters in the development of long-range transportation plans. They are also required to reflect these investment priorities in the development of their TIP. In addition, MPOs are federally required to conduct air quality conformity analyses and determine project eligibility for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program funding for their long-range transportation plans, TIPs, and amendments in accordance with the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) transportation conformity regulations, and the processes described in 23 CFR 450.326(a), 23 CFR 450.324(m), 23 CFR 450.324(f)(9), and 23 CFR 450.326(g)(6). The Boston Region MPO’s TIM Program activities ensure that the MPO follows these federal requirements, including the following activities:

• Development of a vulnerability assessment to identify risks to the region’s transportation assets, guide outreach and project initiation, and inform funding decisions within the framework of the MPO’s planning process
• Consideration of risk mitigation and adaptation in the TIP development process and all aspects of the MPO’s long-range transportation planning process, including assessing projects’ adaptive capacity
• Air quality conformity analysis on any updated or amended TIP or LRTP
• Air quality analysis for TIP and LRTP projects in nonattainment and maintenance areas
• Air quality analysis to develop cost estimates for LRTP projects, regardless of air quality designation 

Approach

In FFY 2026, the TIM Program will focus on

• Continuing Research to Adopt a Vulnerability Assessment Framework: MPO staff will continue research focused on developing a vulnerability assessment framework with the goal of improving the MPO’s ability to identify risks to the region’s transportation assets, guide outreach and project initiation, and inform funding decisions within the framework of the MPO’s planning process. In FFY 2026, staff will use the results of a literature review to outline the plan components, with particular attention to work already underway in our region.
• Scoring Transportation Improvement Program Projects for Adaptive Capacity: Projects seeking funding in the TIP are scored based on their adherence to the MPO’s goals and objectives, including their capacity to withstand a range of environmental conditions. Staff will assess the effectiveness of the current evaluation metrics, revise as necessary, and participate in scoring the FFY 2026 project applications.
• Contributing to the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan Needs Assessment: Between 2019 and 2022, MPO staff developed the Destination 2050 Needs Assessment, which includes the need to protect transportation assets from a range of hazards. MPO staff will complete the next Needs Assessment in FFY 2026.
• Continuing Air Quality Analyses and Monitoring Efforts: The TIM Program supports targeted analyses related to air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, and the impact they have on community well-being to strengthen the MPO’s regional efforts to improve quality of life and community health. TIM staff conduct the state and federally required air quality analyses, including air quality conformity for the TIP and LRTP, greenhouse gas emissions estimates for the TIP, and determination of project eligibility for CMAQ funding.
• Continuing Coordination and Engagement with Regional Agencies, Municipal Stakeholders, and Members of the Public: In 2024, MPO staff developed Strategies for Environmental Outreach and Engagement, which guides the MPO’s approach for engaging with environmental stakeholders. MPO staff will continue to leverage these strategies to effectively engage with a range of stakeholders in identifying needs and coordinating hazard mitigation efforts across the region.

FFY 2026 Anticipated Outcomes

• Outline for a vulnerability assessment framework
• Project application scoring for the TIP for risk mitigation and adaptive capacity
• Documentation of regional transportation impact mitigation needs for the  MPO’s LRTP Needs Assessment
• Continued environmental stakeholder engagement
• Required air quality analyses and reporting