HDOT Climate Resilience Action Plan | May 2021

Climate change imposes a pressing need for change, not only in the types of projects and actions undertaken by state departments of transportation (DOTs), but also in how these agencies conduct their business. The need for change largely reflects the fact that, as noted before, many of the project development decisions today are based on assumptions that historical trends in environmental conditions will remain stable over time. However, the reality of climate change is that many of these conditions may change, and some may be dramatically different than estimated by traditional forecasting methods. HDOT through this Action Plan has taken the first steps in recognizing this future reality. The actions that follow focus on the important changes HDOT should make to enhance its capacity in developing a more resilient State Highway Network. These recommended changes reflect not only the areas for which HDOT should undertake these changes, but also a recognition that not all changes can or should occur at the same time. Not only do some actions depend on the implementation of earlier steps, but also that successful organizational change often needs to be phased over time in order to build the internal support and external constituencies to support desired change. The following actions were developed after interviews with HDOT officials responsible for a wide range of functions, limited discussions with representatives of key stakeholder agencies in 2019 and 2020, and a review of existing HDOT plans and guidance documents. Each action below is accompanied by a rating of the level of effort required for implementation—low, medium, and high. These ratings reflect factors such as the need for organizational change, additional budget and/or administrative budget, and the estimated time needed for the change to occur. Plan 3

Implementation

RESPONSE AND RECOVERY ASSESS EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES CON- SIDERING CHANGING INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS HDOT has a good reputation for responding to disruptions, despite the often-limited road capacity for diverting traffic around bottleneck points. HDOT has established effective and mutually respected partnerships with emergency management and response agencies, including those at the county and local levels. HDOT will ensure that as counties update their emergency response plans, HDOT will participate as a partner and that its roles and responsibilities UPDATE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR HDOT STAFF DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS HDOT will ensure in-house staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in emergency situations, for example, defining an “emergency worker” more clearly and consistently across the agency. HDOT staff training will include acknowledgment from HDOT leadership that such skills and a knowledge base are essential to the fulfillment of HDOT’s mission. Such an acknowledgment must be reaffirmed when new leadership joins the agency to ensure continuity over time. Rating of Implementation Effort: Low ENHANCE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY DECISION SUPPORT STRUCTURE HDOT will ensure that the resources necessary for rapid and effective response to disruptions are available and tested for adequacy on each island. This action includes examining the procurement process to address short-term resource needs through contracts and working closely with county and local governments, who also have similar contracts, to improve are clearly articulated in these plans. Rating of Implementation Effort: Low.

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