Physical Infrastructure - Transport Briefing Document. Resilient Puerto Rico Advisory Commission

Physical Infrastructure - Transport Briefing Document Resilient Puerto Rico Advisory Commission February 2018 1

Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Overview of Existing Transportation Governance and Services 3 a. Transportation Governance 3 1. Puerto Rico Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) 3 2. Puerto Rico Department of Transport and Public Works (DTOP) and Associated Agencies 4 3. MPO Committees and Working Groups 6 b. Relevant Transportation Policies and Plans 6 c. Current Transportation System and Users 7 3 Summary of Hurricanes Impacts on Transportation Infrastructure 9 a. Transportation Impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria 9 b. Pre-hurricane Transportation Funding and Financing Issues and Their Relationship to Recovery 10 c. Number of Residents without Transportation Service as a Result of the Hurricanes 11 4 Framework for Recovery: Existing Support and Preliminary Opportunity Areas 11 a. Relevant Federal/State Recovery Policies 11 b. Description of Focus Areas to Facilitate Recovery Processes 12 c. Opportunities: Relevant Studies and Recovery Frameworks 14 2

1 Introduction Resilience is defined as the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. The focus on resiliency and disaster recovery is both broad and comprehensive, and is predicated on three factors that cause disasters in the first place: Hazards: risks, such as severe weather conditions, that are present for a given community Vulnerability: a community s capacity (or lack thereof) to deal with disasters Exposure: hazardous locations, such as coastal positions or low-lying areas, which are likely to be affected in severe weather conditions This summary report presents an overview of Puerto Rico s existing transportation governance, systems and policies. In addition, the known impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria are summarized, along with existing recovery plans and programs, as well as potential frameworks and relevant studies for developing timely, actionable plans for disaster recovery and resilience in Puerto Rico. Main Shocks and Stressors in Puerto Rico Aging infrastructure Coastal & tidal flooding Declining population / human capital flight Increasing elderly population groups Disease outbreaks Earthquakes Extreme weather events Infrastructure failures Fluvial & pluvial flooding 2 Overview of Existing Transportation Governance and Services a. Transportation Governance 1. Puerto Rico Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) The Puerto Rico MPO framework is organized into seven transportation planning regions, including two large population Transportation Management Areas (TMAs) San Juan and Aguadilla and five smaller regions containing nine other urbanized areas, which each are comprised of several municipalities (as shown in the map below). 1 1 http://www.dtop.gov.pr/pdf/public_involvement_plan_for_lrtp2040.pdf?_sm_au_=ivvhnrbm0qw3572m 3

MPO responsibilities include the planning and programming of federal funds through the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and State Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), respectively, and the approval of highway, transit, and non-motorized transportation-related projects across the island. Each of the areas was required to create their own individual LRTP, which aspects were adapted for the MPO-led Islandwide LRTP. The MPO organizational structure includes three components of policy decisions, technical oversight, and public involvement (see organizational chart below). This structure assures a forum for cooperative decision-making in the planning process with several structured committees (Policy, Technical and Citizen Participation), which are discussed in more detail later. 2 2. Puerto Rico Department of Transport and Public Works (DTOP) and Associated Agencies The Puerto Rico Department of Transport and Public Works (DTOP) is in charge of the infrastructure across the Commonwealth and was designated as the Operative Arm of the MPO for the San Juan Urbanized Area in 1973. It operates as the parent agency of the following four transportation agencies (government-owned corporations) and one commission ascribed to the DTOP: Commission on Traffic Safety (Comisión para la Seguridad en el Transito - CST): CST is responsible for preparing and implementing a general traffic safety program and determining the use of state and federal funds assigned to it. 3 2 http://www.dtop.gov.pr/pdf/public_involvement_plan_for_lrtp2040.pdf 3 http://comisionparalaseguridadeneltransito.com/ 4

Highways and Transportation Authority (Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación - ACT): ACT is in charge of construction, operation, and maintenance of roadways, bridges, highways, tunnels, public parking, tolls, and other transit facilities. 4 ACT filed for Title III bankruptcy in May 2017 despite having outstanding bond payments. 5 Metropolitan Bus Authority (Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses - AMA): AMA is the public transit provider of local bus service based in San Juan. 6 Maritime Transport Authority (Autoridad de Transporte Marítimo - ATM): ATM is in charge of providing maritime transportation services for cargo and passengers (including ferry service) within Puerto Rico and islands of Vieques and Culebra. 7 Ports Authority (Autoridad de Puertos - AP): AP is in charge of developing, operating, and overseeing all 9 seaports/harbors and 10 airports in Puerto Rico. 8 Puerto Rico Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) Commission on Traffic Safety (CST) Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT) Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA) Maritime Transport Authority (ATM) Ports Authority (AP) P3: Autopistas de Puerto Rico (Teodoro Moscoso Bridge) P3: Metropistas (PR-5 & PR-22) The multimodal transportation network in Puerto Rico is a system of highways, transit and ferry services, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. In August 2014, the governor signed Act 123 to smooth out the inter-agency planning process and related inefficiencies by integrated everything under a central transit authority Puerto Rico Island Integrated Transit Authority (ATI). This included transferring Puerto Rico s Highway and Transportation Authority s (ACT) operations, rights, obligations, and related assets to ATI. The other main agency assigned to ATI was the Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA). While ATI operates the entire mass transportation system, the Tren Urbano system is operated by Alternate Concepts, Inc. through a P3. The three primary goals established for ATI include to: (1) reduce costs by addressing service overlaps between bus lines and Tren Urbano rail; (2) maximize rider access by showing despite the overall bus service cuts, travel times by transit and walking were not significantly reduced; and (3) minimize adverse social impacts of service changes using demographic data and considering how low-income households and neighborhoods would be 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/puerto_rico_highways_and_transportation_authority 5 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-26/puerto-rico-tells-trustee-not-to-cover-payment-on-highway-bonds 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/puerto_rico_metropolitan_bus_authority 7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/puerto_rico_maritime_transport_authority 8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/puerto_rico_ports_authority 5

affected. Increased ridership from the reduced headways and improved systems appeared in the first few months following the system changes. 9 The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recognizes three large transit agencies (over 2 million boardings per year) in San Juan: DTOP, AMA, and ACT. 10 ACT has two existing private-public-partnerships (P3): Autopistas de Puerto Rico operates the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge and Metropistas operate the PR-5 and PR-22 toll roads. 3. MPO Committees and Working Groups The Puerto Rico MPO has a collection of structured committees and working groups related to public policy, technical, and citizen participation to assure a forum for cooperative decision-making in the planning process with several structured committees. 11 The Policy Committees contain three subcommittees: San Juan Urbanized Area (SJUA), Aguadilla Urbanized Area (AUA), and Urbanized Areas under 200,000 Population (UZA), for which members are involved in the planning process from inception to final approval of routine planning documents prepared by the MPO. The Technical Committees (TCs) are comprised of technical representatives of MPO agencies and municipalities (including public and private transportation providers). The Technical Group (TG) is an ad hoc subcommittee of the MPO s TC comprised of DTOP, ACT, municipal and other agency liaison representatives, private entities and consultants with the primary purpose of establishing a participatory forum during development or revision of regional transportation studies and plans. The Public Participation Committee (PPC) is an ad hoc committee of the MPO and organized by ACT with representatives from state and federal agencies, local civic, professional and community groups, and the general public to provide an early forum to the community about Transportation Plans. The Public Involvement Committee (PIC) is organized by ACT to promote and facilitate the participation of private agencies, community organizations, and the general public. It assures that the interests and social, economic, and environmental concerns of the community are being considered in the planning process. The Central Planning and Coordination Work Group (CPCWG) includes technical staff from DTOP s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and ACT s Planning Area. This group provides technical support to the MPO committees and subcommittees to prepare the planning documents as well as carry out outreach efforts to the community. b. Relevant Transportation Policies and Plans The Puerto Rico 2040 Islandwide Long Range Transportation Plan was released by DTOP and ACT in September 2013 to assess trends, conditions, and changes in factors that affect the transportation system: demand for its use, 9 http://www.metro-magazine.com/management-operations/article/715438/how-puerto-rico-transformed-transit-and-its-planning-process 10 http://www.apta.com/resources/links/unitedstates/pages/puertoricotransitlinks.aspx 11 http://www.dtop.gov.pr/pdf/public_involvement_plan_for_lrtp2040.pdf 6

funding available for maintenance and improvement, priorities for system management, new requirements on how the system relates to land use and the environment, among other concerns. It is an overarching 28-year blueprint to guide the collaborative efforts of DTOP, ACT, and other Puerto Rico stakeholder industries to improve and integrate roadways, transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, airports, seaports, and freight networks. This plan thus considers policies and strategies to meet the expectations of Puerto Ricans, help promote economic development, create more livable communities, and advance environmental sustainability by coordinating transportation and land use to the natural and built environments. The document describes the plan framework, public outreach conducted, island-wide socio-demographic characteristics, existing transportation systems, funding sources, strategic direction, and implementation and performance monitoring. 12 To address stakeholder and agency engagement, DTOP (through ACT), in coordination with the MPO, developed LRTPs for each of the seven transportation planning regions, which federally require public involvement in the development process. A Technical Working Paper: Public Involvement Plan (PIP) was released in January 2012 as a plan for execution of the regional planning operation and administration of funds through FTA programs. The PIP describes the required public participation process and strategies/tools to deploy when engaging stakeholders, including public citizens, technical advisory groups, underserved populations, media, and documentation. Also discussed is recommended MPO, client, and agency coordination during the process. The primary objectives include developing an early, proactive, and ongoing public participation process, building a marketing campaign to increase public awareness, and creating communication channels to encourage public participation. 13 The Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) 2014-2018 was prepared in partnership with the Puerto Rico CST, the Puerto Rico Police, the Puerto Rico Health Department, and the Puerto Rico s ACT. Its approval in July 2014 represented a starting point for a collaborative process among safety stakeholders in Puerto Rico that share the same interest of reducing fatalities and serious injury crashes. Emphasis area that continuously contribute to the enhancement of SHSP include: traffic records & information systems, alcohol impaired driving, vulnerable road users, emergency medical response, aggressive driving, roadway departure, occupant protection, young drivers 14 15 16 (15 to 20 years), and intersections. The latest SHSP Annual Report was released in 2016. c. Current Transportation System and Users The multimodal transportation network in Puerto Rico is a system of highways, transit and ferry services, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This network serves the general public, businesses, tourists, government, defense, ports and seaports while supporting trips related to work and school commuting, freight and goods movement, recreation, shopping, among other functions of society. DTOP released the Puerto Rico 2040 Islandwide LRTP in September 2013. 17 Summaries of facilities by type are listed in the following subsections, as described in the LRTP. 12 http://www.dtop.gov.pr/fotos/pr-islandwide-lrtp-final-dec-2013.pdf 13 http://www.dtop.gov.pr/pdf/public_involvement_plan_for_lrtp2040.pdf 14 http://carreterasegurapr.com/content/docs/puerto_rico_shsp_2014-2018_english.pdf 15 http://carreterasegurapr.com/content/docs/annualreports/2016%20shsp%20annual%20report.pdf 16 http://carreterasegurapr.com/default-en.aspx 17 http://www.bgfpr.com/2013/grants/tigergrants2014/documents/sjmultimodal/02- SupportingPlans/PuertoRico2040IslandwideLongRangeTransportationPlan.pdf 7

Highway System: PR s extensive highway system has 16,691 miles of roadways with the breakdown show in the table below. There were approximately 51 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The primary regional corridors consist of PR-2/PR-22 Northwest Corridor, PR-2 West Corridor, PR-3/PR-66 Northeast Corridor, PR-3/53 Southeast Corridor, PR-2 National Highway System Other Federal-Aid Highways Non-Federal-Aid Highways # Miles 412 3,092 13,186 % Urban 85% 84% 81% Southwest Corridor, PR-10 Corridor, and PR-30 Corridor. All freight is moved by truck in Puerto Rico and therefore the major highways carry significant truck volumes. Bridges: Of the 2,222 bridges under Puerto Rico s jurisdiction, half were found to be deficient (structural or functional) during the 2012 data collection. Public Transportation: The public transit network in Puerto Rico consists of heavy rail (Tren Urbano), local buses, trolleys, publicos, ferries, and taxis. Local buses and trolleys are typically owned by specific municipalities and operate exclusively within them. DTOP operates the Tren Urbano rail line and the Metropolitan Bus Authority, which is a fixed route bus system in the San Juan core area. Rail ridership was approximately 34,000 in 2012 serving 16 stations, including 6 park-and-ride facilities. The Metro Urbano BRT line on PR-22 connects the Bayamon station to the reversible dynamically tolled lanes within the median of PR-22. Publicos are a form of public transportation as shared taxis or vans that can travel around the island and are centered around major destinations. Ferries: Ferries within the San Juan harbor are operated by Puerto Rico Maritime Authority to connect between Old San Juan, and Cataño, and passenger and vehicle service between Fajardo and the islands of Vieques and Culebra. Bicycle and Pedestrian (Non-Motorized) Facilities: There are 20 bicycle and pedestrian trails covering 237 kilometers described in the Long-Range Plan, but numerous expansion plans were also listed, which have likely been constructed since then. Pedestrian and bicycle planning is coordinated between the municipalities and ACT. Maintenance is relatively inconsistent, and sidewalks are often used as parking in some locations which inhibits pedestrian and bicycle travel. Recent projects and plans have been incorporating Complete Streets elements. DTOP and ACT released two draft planning documents in July 2017 for public comment. The Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for Puerto Rico is a public policy document that defines the vision, goals, objectives and action strategies necessary to integrate cycling and pedestrian activity in the transportation system. Seaports: The Port of San Juan is located on the north coast and is the primary commercial port handling cargo and large cruise ships. The Port of the Americas (Port of Ponce) is controlled by the government-owned corporation called Ponce Port Authority. Other ports include the Port of Mayaguez, Guayanilla, Guayama, Yabucoa, Arecibo, and Port of Fajardo. Airports: The primary airport for air cargo and passenger traffic is San Juan s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU), with ten additional regional airports. All airports are owned and operated by the Puerto Rico Ports 8

Authority, but a public-private partnership to manage SJU was awarded in 2013. In 2016, over 9 million passengers utilized SJU. 18 Other Transportation Modes: Other modes of transportation have emerged over the past few years by private companies that offer alternatives to public transportation. Uber is a ride-for-hire service and is available only in the eastern and northern parts of the island, primarily serving San Juan. 19 Pinkcar is a new transportation company authorized by Puerto Rico s Public Service Commission (PSC) to offer service exclusively to women and children driven in vehicles by women. This company was enabled by the law signed by Governor Rossello to simplify the process and requirements of all ground passenger transportation operators in Puerto Rico. 20 3 Summary of Hurricanes Impacts on Transportation Infrastructure a. Transportation Impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria As the hurricanes were the strongest storms to hit the island in more than 80 years, losses to transportation infrastructure were recorded across all modes and sectors. Heavy rain and winds carpeted roadways with debris, knocked out the electrical grid and cell towers, destroyed clean water sources, and destroyed other important infrastructure. Gasoline supplies became depleted, and roughly two-thirds of the gas stations were closed as a result of the storm, which limited mobility of residents across the island due to a strong reliance on personal automobiles. The air traffic control system was also significantly damaged during the storm, and a week into Hurricane Maria, Federal Aviation Administration crews were continuing to repair radar units, navigational aids and other equipment, with seven of the eight commercial airports operating on very limited capacity. At the end of the storm, only the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan was able to operate a few dozen flights daily. 21 Puerto Rico s Secretary of DTOP, Carlos Contreras Aponte, shared a preliminary estimate of damage shortly following the Hurricanes of $240 million, but also acknowledged that not all damages were accounted for as information was not able to be obtained for all roadways. 800 incidents were recorded after Irma, with an additional 1,500 cases of damaged or destroyed transportation infrastructure recorded after Maria, which do not include broken traffic lights. 22 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released a total of $72.5 million in quick release Emergency Relief (ER) funds: an initial $2.5 million after Hurricane Irma, $40 million after Hurricane Maria in September to begin the repair process of critical roadways and bridges across the island, and an additional $30 million in late November to continue emergency work. 23 24 As on November 3, 2017, 2,932 miles of the 5,073 miles of roads 18 http://www.asur.com.mx/assets/files/es/inversionistas/informacion-financiera/asur-aeropuerto-cancun-mexico-reporte-anual-bmv-ia- 2016.pdf 19 https://www.uber.com/cities/san-juan-pr/ 20 http://caribbeanbusiness.com/pinkcar-authorized-to-operate-in-puerto-rico/ 21 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/09/29/puerto-ricos-roadways-alone-are-a-disaster-and-it-will-cost-at-least- 240-million-to-fix-them/?utm_term=.78890e93fd89 22 https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/dtopsolicita40millonesalaadministracionfederaldecarreteras-2361069/ 23 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/department-transportation-awards-40-million-puerto-rico-emergency-road-and-bridge 24 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot9017 9

are open to allow passage through the outer ring of the island. Additionally, 88% of gas stations (970 of 1,100) have been reopened as of December 26, 2017. 25 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) immediately supported the restoration of services to most of the commercial airports in Puerto Rico, restored full Air Traffic Control service to the primary Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, and worked to restore radars, navigational aids and other damaged equipment to increase the number of flights that could arrive and depart the island. 26 All airports are currently open or open with restrictions. 27 The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $8.4 million in critical grant funding to Puerto Rico to support the island s transit systems. 28 As of December 29, 2017, all AMA bus routes are operational. 29 The Maritime Administration provided vessels to deliver power, food, clean water and berthing to first responders to free up hotels for displaced residents. 30 All ports, including container ship ports have been reopened. 31 On September 28, 2017, the U.S. President temporarily waived the Jones Act to allow foreign ships coming from U.S. port to dock in Puerto Rico to deliver supplies, as was previously done for Florida and Texas. Under the Jones Act, only goods traveling by boat from one U.S. port to another can be a U.S. ship, which disallows foreign ships to dock in Puerto Rico if they plan to continue to the mainland and unload goods there. 32 Specific and current data by mode type and extent of needed investment is not readily available as it was unlikely collected and updated due to concentrating on specific recovery efforts, but this data will prove critical in better understanding impacts to effectively direct future recovery efforts and funding. b. Pre-hurricane Transportation Funding and Financing Issues and Their Relationship to Recovery Municipalities in Puerto Rico were already facing financial struggles prior to Hurricanes Irma and Maria and were approximately $74 billion in debt. These financial struggles affected ability to receive Federal transportation funding. Due to Puerto Rico s long standing fiscal and economic situation, they were not often able to provide the necessary 20% minimum local match funding to receive Federal dollars. Mayors across the island were requesting funds for infrastructure improvements due to crumbling roadways, collapsed bus terminals, and other deteriorating infrastructure, but did not have the matching funds available. 33 Additionally, Puerto Rico has been long crippled by debt and an essentially bankrupt financial system, making the road to recovery even longer. Compared to mainland states like Texas and Florida, which were also recently hit by major storms, Puerto Rico 25 https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-maria 26 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/department-transportation-awards-40-million-puerto-rico-emergency-road-and-bridge 27 https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-maria 28 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/department-transportation-awards-40-million-puerto-rico-emergency-road-and-bridge 29 http://www.status.pr/ 30 https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/department-transportation-awards-40-million-puerto-rico-emergency-road-and-bridge 31 http://www.status.pr/ 32 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/09/27/all-about-the-jones-act-an-obscure-shipping-law-thats-stalling-puerto-ricosrecovery/?utm_term=.f174fe37b4e9 33 http://caribbeanbusiness.com/municipalities-struggle-for-transportation-grants/ 10

has and is facing considerably more challenges in receiving recovery funds due to the political, financial, and logistical challenges of delivering aid to the island. 34 In May 2017, ACT filed for Title III bankruptcy. The Bank of New York Mellon Corp serves as trustee for bonds issued by the ACT but was directed by the agency to not cover any bond payments coming due as the agency claims the money belongs to them as it works through bankruptcy proceeding to reduce its debt. The authority has approximately $4 billion of debt and at least one large holder of these highway bonds is suing Puerto Rico in an attempt to stop them from redirecting toll revenue away from bondholders, but the court denied the 35 36 preliminary injunction. Credit ratings across all sectors in Puerto Rico were downgraded following the Hurricane Maria and are aligned with Moody s estimates of Puerto Rico s reduced debt serving capacity due to damage from natural causes. The Highways and Transportation Authority, 1968 Resolution bonds were specifically downgraded from Ca to C. 37 In May 2017, DTOW released Amendment #1 to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Fiscal Year 2017-2020. It was prepared in accordance with the requirements of MAP-21 and presents proposed improvements to the transportation and highway system in Puerto Rico for a period of four fiscal years. This TIP Amendment covers transportation programs and projects totaling approximately $58.1 million over four years. c. Number of Residents without Transportation Service as a Result of the Hurricanes Extremely limited data on the current status of transportation services is limited, but FEMA has reported that 58% of roads are open as of November 3 to allow passage through the outer ring of the island. Additionally, all airports and federally maintained ports are open or open with restrictions. 38 More specific data will prove critical in better understanding impacts to effectively direct future recovery efforts and funding. 4 Framework for Recovery: Existing Support and Preliminary Opportunity Areas a. Relevant Federal/State Recovery Policies The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was established in 1979 to coordinate federal disaster policy including preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery. In 2011, FEMA released the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). The NDRF is a guiding framework that enables effective recovery support to disaster-impacted areas and enables disaster recovery managers to operate in a unified and collaborative manner (see organizational chart below, left). Its focus is how to best restore, redevelop and revitalize the health, social, economic, natural and environmental fabric of the community. Within the NDRF, a framework is provided if a disaster with catastrophic impact occurs to multiple sectors (see below, right). The joint field office (JFO) has a unified group of both state and federal officers and recovery coordinators to deliver recovery support functions 34 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/us/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-recovery.html 35 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-26/puerto-rico-tells-trustee-not-to-cover-payment-on-highway-bonds 36 https://www.chapman.com/insights-publications-puerto_rico_bankruptcy_statutory_lien.html 37 https://www.moodys.com/research/moodys-downgrades-puerto-rico-gos-cofina-and-other-debt-after--pr_904269952 38 https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-maria 11

(RSFs) for each sector as defined in the figure. Transportation is listed under the Infrastructure System s RSF. Recovery services should be available by public transit as quickly as possible and consider accessibility for those with disabilities. 39 Over the first three months of recovery, over $1 billion federal funds have been provided to Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, largely driven by FEMA ($500m+), FHWA Emergency Relief funds ($72.5m), and public donations. 40 FEMA recommends ways for individuals to support recovery efforts through donating time or money to trusted charitable organizations. 41 FHWA s Emergency Relief Program is a special program from the Highway Trust Fund to repair Federal-aid highways and roads which have suffered serious damage from external causes. The authorized budget is $100 million annually but could be limited to $20 million for U.S. Territories. 42 The provision of quick release funds defers on-site damage surveys to later in the recovery process. 43 The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) is one of the most encompassing Federal funding mechanisms to provide financial assistance to local, tribal, and State governments after a Presidential declaration has been made. Assistance under the Stafford Act is provided by FEMA in the form of both individual assistance and public assistance. 44 b. Description of Focus Areas to Facilitate Recovery Processes With the goal of the Resilient Puerto Rico Commission focusing around actionable and timely recommendations for aligning funding programs and recovery frameworks, the forthcoming recommendations from these efforts will focus on evaluating and prioritizing critical transportation infrastructure needs, identifying relevant funding 39 https://www.fema.gov/pdf/recoveryframework/ndrf.pdf 40 https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/12/09/4339/more-1-billion-assistance-approved-puerto-rico 41 https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/09/22/how-help-after-hurricane-maria 42 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/erelief.cfm 43 https://www.transportation.gov/highlights/disaster-recovery/funding/federal 44 https://www.transportation.gov/highlights/disaster-recovery/funding/federal 12

opportunities, and leveraging existing and enhanced organizational frameworks to build resilience across both hard and soft assets of Puerto Rico. In acknowledging the hazards, vulnerability and exposure which define the level of impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the focus for the Resilient Puerto Rico Commission should evaluate key considerations in building resilience for the island, which includes the following: Mitigation: mitigation measures include efforts undertaken before an event to reduce or eliminate the risks from hazards that may affect human lives and property. The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA, in the US, identifies several forms of mitigation, which includes a focus on land use practices to minimize exposure to hazardous areas, and construction practices to lessen the structural damage to critical buildings and infrastructure. Moreover, upon initiation, it is important for transportation agencies to integrate resilience planning as part of their strategy as early as possible; the sooner the implementation of a protection framework, the more cost efficient and effective it becomes. Preparedness and Emergency Response: for the physical infrastructure working group, this will include a focus on a vulnerability assessment of key infrastructure assets (and in this case, transportation assets) to prioritize those assets and align associated funding sources to enable a more rapid recovery. This also includes an evaluation of communications protocols and plans for assessing, repairing and returning transportation infrastructure to sufficient operating standards as quickly as possible. Recovery: In tandem with the preparedness and emergency response initiatives, recovery efforts will include both short-term and long-term initiatives. Generally, short-term initiatives tend to focus on life sustaining, property and infrastructure protection, and other measures intended to neutralize the immediate threat to life, environment, and property and infrastructure to stabilize the community. Long-term recovery, on the other hand, provides an assessment of critical facilities and transportation infrastructure to enable redundancy or reduce risks of future disruption based on their location and design. An example of a long-term initiative would be the widening of a bridge or roadway that improves both residents access to employment areas and improves a hurricane evacuation route. As a long-term effort and important investment in Puerto Rico s resiliency, evaluating the planning framework for the island s transportation infrastructure among other physical and natural infrastructure will be critical for ensuring the sustainability of the investments identified through this commission. 13

Source: AECOM c. Opportunities: Relevant Studies and Recovery Frameworks For an initial overview, below are two relevant studies and recovery frameworks developed to evaluate recent natural disasters and imminent challenges in the U.S. due to climate change. In response to Hurricane Sandy, the FHWA released the Post-Hurricane Sandy Transportation Resilience Study of NY, NJ, and CT. 45 This report contains a framework for evaluating the exposure, vulnerability, and risk faced by transportation assets from various climate stressors including sea level rise and coastal storm surge. It also contains 10 case studies on how the framework was applied to 10 different transportation assets (such as roadway segments, railway segments, bridges, roadway drainage systems, etc.) to evaluate their vulnerability, and come up with appropriate engineering-based adaptation strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities. The framework follows a certain pattern where the asset sensitivities and adaptive capacity are first documented, followed by a risk assessment which focuses more on what the broader economic, social, or environmental consequences of those assets going out of service might be. For example, if a bridge serves as an emergency evacuation route, then damage to the bridge is more consequential than if it were a regular bridge with plenty of redundancies in the overall transportation network. The risk assessment outlined here is often used as a way of prioritizing the most important assets to focus on for disaster recovery and long-term resiliency planning. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) released its report: Climate Change and Extreme Weather Adaptation Options for Transportation Assets in the Bay Area Pilot Project in December 2014. 46 This report contains a very comprehensive compendium of different types of adaptation strategies that can be applied to different transportation assets. The strategies range from physical (e.g., levees) to 45 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/resilience/publications/hurricane_sandy/index.cfm 46 https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/mtc_clmtechng_extrmwthr_adtpn_report_final.pdf 14

informational (e.g., doing a drainage study to fill knowledge gaps about drainage patterns on a highway) to governance-based strategies (e.g., updating a capital improvement plan to account for sea level rise considerations). It also contains a neat prioritization exercise for adaptation strategies, because often times multiple adaptation strategies are proposed for the same asset in order to select the most suitable among the options. The exercise uses a set of social, environmental, economic or governance criteria to evaluate the strategy options, and the strategy that scores the highest across each category rises to the top. While this initial report presents only a couple of relevant studies and recovery frameworks, additional analysis of additional studies and approaches that are applicable to Puerto Rico will be conducted through the physical infrastructure working group to identify other best practices for developing the key recommendations for the commission. 15

APPENDIX: Puerto Rico Transportation Plans & Reports 2040 Islandwide Long Range Transportation Plan: http://www.dtop.gov.pr/fotos/pr-islandwide-lrtp-final-dec-2013.pdf 2040 Long Range Multimodal Transportation Plans, Technical Working Paper: Public Involvement Plan (Task 2) http://www.dtop.gov.pr/pdf/public_involvement_plan_for_lrtp2040.pdf Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for Puerto Rico: http://www.movilidadparatodospr.com/docs/comprehensive_bicycle_and_pedestrian_plan_- _Main_Document.pdf FEMA s National Disaster Recovery Framework https://www.fema.gov/pdf/recoveryframework/ndrf.pdf FEMA s Stafford Act: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1490360363533- a531e65a3e1e63b8b2cfb7d3da7a785c/stafford_actselecthsa2016.pdf FHWA Post-Hurricane Sandy Transportation Resilience Study of NY, NJ, and CT 2017: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sustainability/resilience/publications/hurricane_sandy/index.cfm MTC Climate Change and Extreme Weather Adaptation Options for Transportation Assets in the Bay Area Pilot Project 2014: https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/mtc_clmtechng_extrmwthr_adtpn_report_final.pdf Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) 2014-2018: http://carreterasegurapr.com/content/docs/puerto_rico_shsp_2014-2018_english.pdf SHSP Annual Report 2016: http://carreterasegurapr.com/content/docs/annualreports/2016%20shsp%20annual%20report.pdf Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) FY 2017-2020 Amendment #1: http://www.dtop.gov.pr/fotos/coordinacionfederal/tipa1uza.pdf 16