Whereas the research report titled Climate Change Risks to the Movement of Goods in Peel Region identifies the goods movement sector in Peel Region is at-risk from a range of climate-related hazards, most notably, extreme precipitation, extreme heat, freeze-thaw cycles, and compounding events are likely to expose roads, railway, train stations and terminals to increased damage;
And whereas, the research proposes a concept process for conducting road vulnerability assessment for critical goods movement that could inform, as appropriate, community-scale planning and other initiatives, including emergency planning;
And whereas, planned implementation activities of the Region’s Transportation Master Plan and integration of climate risk into asset management planning will yield outputs consistent with initial steps in the concept process for conducting road vulnerability assessment, including an updated Goods Movement Network map;
And whereas, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has developed a methodology for road vulnerability assessment with an objective of identifying roads that are vulnerable to flooding under different riverine flood scenarios (for both current and future climates) to inform future disaster route planning;
And whereas, the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) has a Risk and Return on Investment Tool that can support the analysis of urban overland flooding and social vulnerability to flooding at a Peel-wide scale;
And whereas, leveraging existing and planned Regional activities that align with the concepts proposed in the research represents the most efficient use of time and resources;
Therefore be it resolved, that staff be directed to leverage existing and planned transportation planning and climate risk/asset management activities to address, where appropriate, the initial steps in the concept process for conducting road vulnerability assessment;
And further, that staff coordinate with the TRCA and CVC to align 2023 budget priorities with the Region’s need to identify all roads that are vulnerable to flooding under different riverine flood scenarios (for both current and future climates) and, as appropriate, urban overland flooding and social vulnerability;
And further, that staff consolidate all appropriate assessment outputs and share with Emergency Management Teams at Peel Region, the Peel Goods Movement Task Force, all municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and all Peel-area MPs and MPPs, to advance emergency preparedness planning that increases the community’s resilience to climate impacts.