[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 56 (Thursday, March 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20290-20295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05934]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No.: FHWA-2023-0002]


Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and 
Cost-Saving Transportation Discretionary Program Metrics

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is establishing metrics for the purpose of evaluating 
the effectiveness and impacts of projects under the Promoting Resilient 
Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving 
Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program. The FHWA will 
select a representative sample of projects to evaluate using these 
metrics. This notice fulfills FHWA's requirement to publish the 
proposed metrics in the Federal Register for public comment.

DATES: Submit comments on the proposed metrics by May 20, 2024.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions,

[[Page 20291]]

please submit comments by only one of the following means:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590;
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The 
telephone number is (202) 366-9329;
     Instructions: You must include the Agency name and docket 
number for the notice at the beginning of your comments. All comments 
received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Lupes, Office of Natural 
Environment; [email protected], 202-366-7808, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, or Alla C. Shaw, Esq. HCC-30, 
[email protected], (202) 366-1042, Room E84-463, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On November 15, 2021, the President signed the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58, also known as the 
``Bipartisan Infrastructure Law'' (BIL)) into law.
    Section 11405 of the BIL established the PROTECT Formula and 
Discretionary Grant Programs, which are codified in section 176 of 
Title 23, United States Code (U.S.C). Although both the PROTECT Formula 
and Discretionary Grant Programs share common activities, this notice 
focuses only on the discretionary grants authorized under 23 U.S.C. 
176(d). Under 23 U.S.C. 176(f), FHWA is directed to establish metrics 
for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness and impacts of PROTECT 
Discretionary Grant Program-funded projects and procedures for 
monitoring and evaluating projects based on those metrics. The FHWA is 
also required to select a representative sample of projects to be 
evaluated based on these metrics and procedures. This notice provides 
an opportunity for public comment on the proposed metrics before they 
are adopted. (23 U.S.C. 176(f)(2)). The FHWA may adjust these metrics 
based on feedback from this notice and from grant recipients, as well 
as FHWA's assessment of analytical and data challenges and ongoing 
assessment of the utility of each measure.
    The vision of the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program is to fund 
projects that address the climate crisis by improving the resilience of 
the surface transportation system, including highways, public 
transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. Projects selected 
under this program should be grounded in the best available scientific 
understanding of climate change risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. 
Projects should support the continued operation or rapid recovery of 
crucial local, regional, or national surface transportation facilities. 
Furthermore, selected projects should utilize innovative and 
collaborative approaches to risk reduction, including the use of 
natural infrastructure, which is explicitly eligible under the program. 
Natural infrastructure (also called nature-based solutions) strategies 
include conservation, restoration, or construction of riparian and 
streambed treatments, marshes, wetlands, native vegetation, stormwater 
bioswales, breakwaters, reefs, dunes, parks, urban forests, and shade 
trees. Nature-based solutions reduce flood risks, erosion, wave damage, 
and heat impacts while also creating habitat, filtering pollutants, and 
providing recreational benefits. Projects in the PROTECT Discretionary 
Grant Program have the potential to demonstrate innovation in the area 
of resiliency and best practices that State and local governments in 
other parts of the country can consider replicating.
    By funding projects that improve resilience to natural hazards and 
climate change impacts, the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program aims to 
reduce damage and disruption to the transportation system, improve the 
safety of the traveling public, and improve equity by addressing the 
needs of disadvantaged communities that are often the most vulnerable 
to hazards. The FHWA will seek to award projects to communities that 
demonstrate a strong need for the funding. The program also includes 
set asides for rural communities and Indian Tribes.
    Under the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program, similar to the 
PROTECT Formula Program, grant funds may only be used for activities 
that are primarily for the purpose of resilience or inherently 
resilience-related.
    There are four categories of funding under the PROTECT 
Discretionary Grant Program. One category is for Planning Grants. The 
other three categories are for Resilience Improvement, Community 
Resilience and Evacuation Routes, and At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure 
projects, collectively referred to as Resilience Grants. The FHWA is 
seeking input on proposed performance metrics that will enable the 
Agency to measure the impact and effectiveness of a representative 
sample of grant projects funded under the PROTECT Discretionary Grant 
Program. Proposed metrics are located in Section II of this notice.

Definitions

     Baseline refers to the observed level of performance for a 
specified timeframe from which implementation begins, improvement is 
judged, or comparison is made.\1\
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    \1\ For the purpose of this notice, FHWA is utilizing 
definitions for the performance management terms ``baseline'', 
``goal'', ``performance measure'', and ``metric'' from the FHWA 
Transportation Performance Management (TPM) Guidebook available at 
https://www.tpmtools.org/guidebook/.
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     Goal is a broad statement of a desired end condition or 
outcome; a unique piece of the Agency's vision.
     Performance Measures are quantifiable and are based upon a 
defined metric used to track progress toward goals, objectives, and 
achievement of established targets. They should be manageable, 
sustainable, and based on collaboration with partners. Measures provide 
an effective basis for evaluating strategies for performance 
improvement.
     Metric is an indicator of performance or condition.
     Effectiveness refers to the extent to which a project is 
achieving one or more of the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program 
objectives.\2\
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    \2\ The FHWA is utilizing a variation of the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office's (GAO) definitions for the terms 
``effectiveness'' and ``impact.'' See GAO. Program Evaluation Key 
Terms and Concepts. GAO-21-404SP (2021), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-404sp.pdf.
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     Impact refers to a valuation of a project's outcomes, 
including estimating what would have happened in the absence of the 
project.
     Robustness refers to the strength, or the ability of 
elements, systems, and other measures of analysis to withstand a given 
level of stress or demand without suffering degradation or loss of 
function.\3\
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    \3\ The FHWA is utilizing Bruneau et.al.'s definitions for the 
terms ``Robustness'', ``Redundancy'', ``Resourcefulness'' and 
``Rapidity''. See: Bruneau, M., SE Chang, R.T. Eguchi, G.C. Lee, 
T.D. O'Rourke, A.M. Reinhorn, M. Shinozuka, K. Tierney, W.A. 
Wallace, and D.V. Winterfeldt. 2003. ``A Framework to Quantitatively 
Assess and Enhance the Seismic Resilience of Communities.'' 
Earthquake Spectra 19:733-752.
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     Redundancy is the extent to which elements, systems, or 
other measures of analysis exist that are substitutable, i.e.,

[[Page 20292]]

capable of satisfying functional requirements in the event of 
disruption, degradation, or loss of functionality.
     Resourcefulness refers to the capacity to identify 
problems, establish priorities, and mobilize resources when conditions 
exist that threatens to disrupt some element, system, or other measures 
of analysis.
     Rapidity is the capacity to meet priorities and achieve 
goals in a timely manner in order to contain losses, recover 
functionality and avoid future disruption.

Areas Where FHWA Is Seeking Input

     Number and detail of proposed metrics. The FHWA seeks 
comment on the number and level of detail of the proposed metrics.
     Data availability. The FHWA is seeking comment regarding 
the extent to which data resources are readily available to support the 
proposed metrics.
     Decision support. The FHWA intends for the proposed 
metrics to provide useful and timely data to inform transportation 
decision-making. The FHWA seeks comment on how data collected and 
published by the Agency may later be utilized by State departments of 
transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, cities, Tribes, 
and other stakeholders to deepen the understanding of resilience.
     Reporting burden. The FHWA seeks general comments on 
reporting burden associated with FHWA's collection of resilience metric 
data on the projects FHWA selects to monitor, especially PROTECT 
Discretionary Program Grant projects located in disadvantaged or 
environmental justice communities.

II. Project Metrics

a. Planning Grants

    The purpose of PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program Planning Grants 
is to enable communities to assess vulnerabilities to current and 
future weather events and natural disasters and changing conditions, 
including sea level rise, and plan transportation improvements and 
emergency response strategies to address those vulnerabilities (23 
U.S.C. 176(b)(2)(B)). To assess the effectiveness and impact of 
projects in fulfilling this purpose, FHWA established the program 
objectives and performance measures identified in Table 1. The FHWA 
will monitor progress made on each applicable performance measure using 
the associated metrics in Table 1.

                               Table 1--PROTECT Planning Grant Performance Metrics
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              Aligned DOT        Program                         Performance      Performance
   ID#      strategic goal      objective      Applicability       measure           metric        Data source
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P1.......  Climate &         Integrate        Planning.......  Grant recipient  Number of grant  FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   resilience in                     plans that       recipient and    the Grant
                              transportation                    integrate        partner plans    recipient to
                              planning and                      resilience to    that integrate   obtain this
                              programming.                      ensure           resilience to    local/self-
                                                                alignment with   ensure           reported data.
                                                                long range       alignment with
                                                                transportation   long range
                                                                plans (State     transportation
                                                                or               plans (State
                                                                metropolitan).   or
                                                                                 metropolitan).
P2.......  Climate &         Integrate        Planning.......  Grant recipient  Number and type  FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   resilience in                     procured or      of tools         the Grant
                              transportation                    utilized tools   procured or      recipient to
                              planning and                      for resilience   utilized for     obtain this
                              programming.                      related          resilience       local/self-
                                                                planning         related          reported data.
                                                                analysis to      planning
                                                                assess hazard    analysis to
                                                                severity,        assess hazard
                                                                duration, and    severity,
                                                                recovery of      duration, and
                                                                hazard events.   recovery of
                                                                                 hazard events.
P3.......  Climate &         Integrate        Planning.......  Public           Number and type  FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   resilience in                     involvement      of public        the Grant
                              transportation                    processes        involvement      recipient to
                              planning and                      (e.g., events    processes        obtain this
                              programming.                      or documents)    (e.g., events    local/self-
                                                                where            or documents)    reported data.
                                                                resilience and   where
                                                                resilience       resilience and
                                                                related topics   resilience
                                                                are discussed.   related topics
                                                                                 are discussed.
P4.......  Climate &         Integrate        Planning.......  Scenario         Qualitative      FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   resilience in                     Planning         description of   the Grant
                              transportation                    analyses that    how resilience   recipient to
                              planning and                      include          has been         obtain this
                              programming.                      resilience.      incorporated     local/self-
                                                                                 into scenario    reported data.
                                                                                 planning
                                                                                 processes and
                                                                                 analyses and
                                                                                 how results
                                                                                 have been used.
P5.......  Climate &         Improve          Planning.......  Grant recipient  Number of        FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   evacuation                        and partner      evacuation-      the Grant
                              planning and                      evacuation       related plans,   recipient to
                              emergency                         plans            tools, or        obtain this
                              management                        incorporated     procedures       local/self-
                              preparations.                     into an          incorporated     reported data.
                                                                agency's         into Grant
                                                                overall          recipient's
                                                                processes or     overall
                                                                policies.        processes or
                                                                                 policies.
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b. Resilience Grants

    The metrics in Table 2 will apply to the three PROTECT 
Discretionary Program Resilience Grant categories that fund 
construction: Resilience Improvement Grants, Community Resilience & 
Evacuation Route Grants, and At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants. The 
FHWA will use these metrics to assess the effectiveness and impact of 
projects in fulfilling the statutory purpose for these three grant 
types, which are described below.
i. Resilience Improvement Grants
    An eligible entity may use a resilience improvement grant for one 
or more construction activities to improve the ability of an existing 
surface transportation asset to withstand one or more elements of a 
weather event or natural disaster, or to increase the resilience of 
surface transportation infrastructure from the impacts of changing 
conditions, such as sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, extreme 
weather events, and other natural disasters. (23 U.S.C. 
176(d)(4)(A)(ii)(I)).
ii. Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants
    An eligible entity may use a community resilience and evacuation 
route grant for one or more projects that strengthen and protect 
evacuation routes that are essential for providing and supporting 
evacuations caused by emergency events. (23 U.S.C. 176(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I-
III)).
iii. At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants
    An eligible entity may use an at-risk coastal infrastructure grant 
for strengthening, stabilizing, hardening, elevating, relocating, or 
otherwise

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enhancing the resilience of highway and non-rail infrastructure, 
including bridges, roads, pedestrian walkways, and bicycle lanes, and 
associated infrastructure, such as culverts and tide gates to protect 
highways, that are subject to, or face increased long-term future risks 
of, a weather event, a natural disaster, or changing conditions, 
including coastal flooding, coastal erosion, wave action, storm surge, 
or sea level rise, in order to improve transportation and public safety 
and to reduce costs by avoiding larger future maintenance or rebuilding 
costs. (23 U.S.C. 176(d)(4)(C)(iii)).
iv. Resilience Grant Performance Metrics
    Table 2 below lists proposed metrics that will be used on a subset 
of PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program Resilience Grant projects FHWA 
selects to monitor. For all selected projects, FHWA will assess 
vulnerability and whether the resilience improvement reduced exposure 
or sensitivity or increased adaptive capacity of the surface 
transportation asset. The FHWA will monitor progress made on each 
applicable program objective using the performance measures and metrics 
in Table 2. When collecting data on these projects, FHWA may consider 
how likely it is that specific hazards will occur (probability) as well 
as the consequences of an event occurring. Where possible, FHWA will 
request pre- and post- event data to help assess project effectiveness. 
For projects that require a baseline year measurement, FHWA will 
consult with the recipient to determine an appropriate baseline year to 
best measure effectiveness and impact.
v. Four ``R'' Components of Resilience
    The FHWA proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of a representative 
sample of Resilience Grant projects against the ``Four R'' components 
of resilience: Robustness; Redundancy; Resourcefulness; and 
Rapidity.\4\
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    \4\ Bruneau, M., SE Chang, R.T. Eguchi, G.C. Lee, T.D. O'Rourke, 
A.M. Reinhorn, M. Shinozuka, K. Tierney, W.A. Wallace, and D.V. 
Winterfeldt. 2003. ``A Framework to Quantitatively Assess and 
Enhance the Seismic Resilience of Communities.'' Earthquake Spectra 
19:733-752.
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vi. Equity Metrics
    The FHWA will collect socioeconomic data from the representative 
sample of Resilience Grant projects to evaluate the effectiveness and 
impacts of those projects on underserved and disadvantaged communities. 
The FHWA will identify disadvantaged communities using the Climate and 
Economic Justice Screening Tool, available here: https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/, and DOT's transportation 
disadvantage tool, available here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/d6f90dfcc8b44525b04c7ce748a3674a_.
vii. Metrics Specific to Certain Hazard and/or Project Types
    The column titled ``applicability'' in Table 2 indicates whether a 
metric applies only to a specific hazard or project type. The FHWA will 
apply each metric on projects selected for monitoring based on project 
scope, applicable activities, etc. Because of the specific focus on 
nature-based solutions (NBS) in the PROTECT Discretionary Program, for 
example, some metrics are designed to only apply to projects installing 
NBS.

                               Table 2--Proposed PROTECT Resilience Grant Metrics
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              Aligned DOT        Program                         Performance      Performance
   ID#      strategic goal      objective      Applicability       measure           metric        Data source
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                                                 Equity Measures
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R1.......  Equity..........  Increase         All selected     Disadvantaged    Number of        FHWA may use
                              transportation   projects.        or underserved   people from      the Climate
                              system                            communities      disadvantaged    and Economic
                              effectiveness                     with improved    or underserved   Justice
                              and                               access to        communities in   Screening
                              reliability                       critical         the project      Tool. In
                              for all users.                    services,        area with        addition, FHWA
                                                                facilities, or   improved         may interview
                                                                evacuation       access (post     the Grant
                                                                routes.          construction)    recipient to
                                                                                 to critical      obtain data.
                                                                                 services,
                                                                                 facilities, or
                                                                                 evacuation
                                                                                 routes.
R2.......  Equity..........  Increase         All selected     Disadvantaged    Reduction in     FHWA may use
                              transportation   projects.        or underserved   number of        the Climate
                              system                            communities      people from      and Economic
                              effectiveness                     affected by      disadvantaged    Justice
                              and                               hazard-          or underserved   Screening
                              reliability                       impacted         communities in   Tool. In
                              for all users.                    transportation   the project      addition, FHWA
                                                                infrastructure.  area affected    may interview
                                                                                 by hazard-       the Grant
                                                                                 impacted         recipient to
                                                                                 transportation   obtain data.
                                                                                 infrastructure.
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                                               ROBUSTNESS MEASURES
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R3.......  Climate and       Improve          All selected     Improved         Change in Life   FHWA conducts
            Sustainability.   transportation   projects.        performance      Cycle Cost       Life Cycle
                              infrastructure                    and ability of   (per facility)   Cost
                              strength and                      surface          or (per mile)    Assessment
                              robustness.                       transportation   for pavement     (LCCA)
                                                                facilities to    system in the    comparison of
                                                                withstand        project area.    replacement in
                                                                changing                          kind vs.
                                                                climate                           adaptive
                                                                conditions.                       (resilient)
                                                                                                  design.
R4.......  Climate and       Improve          All selected     Decrease in      Change in        FHWA
            Sustainability.   transportation   projects.        Annual           Projected or     coordinates
                              infrastructure                    Maintenance      Actual Annual    with the Grant
                              strength and                      Costs.           Maintenance/     recipient to
                              robustness.                                        Repair Costs.    obtain this
                                                                                                  local/self-
                                                                                                  reported data.
R5.......  Climate &         Improve          Flooding/Scour.  Reduction in     Number of        FHWA reviews
            Sustainability.   transportation                    roadway,         Hydraulic        project design
                              infrastructure                    bridge, and      countermeasure   documentation
                              strength and                      culvert          s, structural    submitted by
                              robustness.                       vulnerability    measures, or     the Grant
                                                                to floods.       road drainage    recipient.
                                                                                 features         Suggested
                                                                                 installed or     references:
                                                                                 enhanced in      FHWA Hydraulic
                                                                                 the project      Engineering
                                                                                 area.            Circular 22
                                                                                                  and Hydraulic
                                                                                                  Engineering
                                                                                                  Circular 23
                                                                                                  (Vols 1 & 2).

[[Page 20294]]

 
R6.......  Climate &         Improve          Flooding/Scour.  Reduction in     Percent change   FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   transportation                    roadway          in number of     the Grant
                              infrastructure                    inundation or    coastal and      recipient to
                              strength and                      overtopping.     other low-       obtain this
                              robustness.                                        lying roadway    local/self-
                                                                                 overtopping or   reported data.
                                                                                 inundation
                                                                                 events (due to
                                                                                 sea level
                                                                                 rise, tides,
                                                                                 and other
                                                                                 factors).
R7.......  Climate &         Improve          Flooding/Scour.  Reduction in     Number of        FHWA reviews
            Sustainability.   transportation                    stream/river     constructed      project design
                              infrastructure                    crossing         crossings        documentation
                              strength and                      vulnerability    designed to      submitted by
                              robustness.                       to future        accommodate      the Grant
                                                                projected        future           recipient.
                                                                conditions.      projected
                                                                                 precipitation
                                                                                 events or
                                                                                 projected
                                                                                 changes in
                                                                                 land use/land
                                                                                 cover.
R8.......  Climate &         Improve          Flooding/Scour.  Reduction in     Number of        FHWA reviews
            Sustainability.   transportation                    stream/river     culverts         project design
                              infrastructure                    crossing         installed to     documentation
                              strength and                      vulnerability    withstand the    submitted by
                              robustness.                       to future        100-year flood.  the Grant
                                                                projected                         recipient.
                                                                conditions.
R9.......  Climate &         Improve          Geohazards.....  Frequency of     Annual percent   FHWA
            Sustainability.   transportation                    slope failures.  reduction in     coordinates
                              infrastructure                                     frequency of     with the Grant
                              strength and                                       slope failures   recipient to
                              robustness.                                        in project       obtain this
                                                                                 area.            local/self-
                                                                                                  reported data.
                                                                                                  FHWA or FHWA
                                                                                                  contractor
                                                                                                  determines pre/
                                                                                                  post-project
                                                                                                  slope
                                                                                                  stability
                                                                                                  rating using
                                                                                                  relevant
                                                                                                  project plans
                                                                                                  and surveys.
R10......  Climate &         Improve          Geohazards.....  Rockfall impact  Annual percent   FHWA
            Sustainability.   transportation                    incidents to     reduction in     coordinates
                              infrastructure                    roads and        rockfall         with the Grant
                              strength and                      highways.        impact           recipient to
                              robustness.                                        incidents to     obtain this
                                                                                 roads and        local/self-
                                                                                 highways in      reported data.
                                                                                 project area.
R11......  Climate &         Improve          Seismic          Seismic          Change in        FHWA completes
            Sustainability.   transportation   Vulnerability.   vulnerability    seismic          seismic
                              infrastructure                    rating.          vulnerability    vulnerability
                              strength and                                       rating.          rating
                              robustness.                                                         analysis.
R12......  Climate &         Improve          Projects         Erosion rate     Annual percent   FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   transportation   incorporating    and shoreline    change in the    the Grant
                              infrastructure   Nature Based     position.        erosion rate     recipient to
                              strength and     Solutions                         and shoreline    obtain this
                              robustness.      (Coastal).                        position in      local/self-
                                                                                 the project      reported data.
                                                                                 area.            Possible field
                                                                                                  work required.
R13......  Climate &         Improve          Projects         Vegetation       Annual percent   FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   transportation   incorporating    coverage.        change in the    the Grant
                              infrastructure   Nature Based                      vegetation       recipient to
                              strength and     Solutions.                        coverage in      obtain this
                              robustness.                                        the project      local/self-
                                                                                 area.            reported data.
                                                                                Report in cover   Possible field
                                                                                 per square       work required.
                                                                                 meter or
                                                                                 number of
                                                                                 stems per
                                                                                 meter.
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                                               REDUNDANCY MEASURES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R14......  Climate &         Improve          All selected     Detour lengths   Reduction in     FHWA reviews
            Sustainability.   transportation   projects.        (miles).         detour length    project design
                              system                                             (miles)          documentation
                              redundancy.                                        because of the   submitted by
                                                                                 project.         the Grant
                                                                                                  recipient.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                RAPIDITY MEASURES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R15......  Climate &         Improve          All selected     Observed         Annual percent   FHWA interviews
            Sustainability.   transportation   projects.        closure hours    change in        the Grant
                              system                            for roads or     observed         recipient to
                              rapidity and                      facilities in    closure hours    obtain this
                              responsiveness.                   project area.    for roads or     local/self-
                                                                                 facilities in    reported data.
                                                                                 project area.
R16......  Climate &         Improve          Evacuation       Travel times     Percent change   FHWA will use
            Sustainability.   transportation   Routes.          before, during   in travel        National
                              system                            and after        times before,    Performance
                              rapidity and                      evacuation       during and       Management
                              responsiveness.                   event.           after            Research Data
                                                                                 evacuation       Set (NPMRDS)
                                                                                 event.           data or
                                                                                                  equivalent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            RESOURCEFULNESS MEASURES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R17......  Climate &         Improve          All selected     Equipment and    Number of        FHWA or FHWA
            Sustainability.   transportation   projects.        sensor           warning          contractor
                              system                            technology       systems or       coordinates
                              resourcefulnes                    that support     sensors that     with the Grant
                              s.                                rapid            were used to     recipient to
                                                                restoration of   improve          obtain this
                                                                asset or         transportation   local/self-
                                                                system           system           reported data.
                                                                functionality.   performance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 20295]]

    The FHWA will utilize comments received on these draft metrics to 
develop final metrics that will be used to evaluate a representative 
sample of PROTECT Discretionary Grant projects. Final metrics will be 
posted on the FHWA PROTECT website https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/protect/discretionary/.
    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 176(f).

Shailen P. Bhatt,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-05934 Filed 3-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P