The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region. The MPO leads regional transportation planning activities for the entire Clark County region collectively known as Southern Nevada, a place famous for attracting nearly 42 million visitors a year. Approximately 96% of Southern Nevada's 2.3 million residents reside in the core urbanized area. Among all counties in the United States, Clark County is at the 11.27 percentile in its ability to prepare for anticipated natural hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover rapidly from disruption. At the same time, Clark County is at the 85.65 percentile in their residents' susceptibility to the adverse impacts of natural hazards. Given this alarming combination of statistics, this scope of work outlines a series of consultant led tasks designed to improve both near-term and long-term transportation climate resilience in Southern Nevada.

Over the last several years Southern Nevada has experienced many events that underscore the need for resiliency planning. In August of 2023, tropical storm Hilary brought 40 percent more rainfall to the community of Mount Charleston than it typically receives throughout an entire monsoon season. Residents sheltered in place after electricity and road access were cut off as the storm caused roadway damage that cost $11,000,000 to repair. In June of 2024 with temperatures cresting 105 degrees Fahrenheit, an equipment failure caused a power outage at the Three Crowns Mobile Home Park requiring the deployment of a backup power generator and a Red Cross staffed evacuation center. Other notable events include, but are not limited to, a two-mile stretch of Interstate 15 destroyed by rainfall, additional intermittent power outages during summer heat events, and the increasing number of heat related deaths in Southern Nevada which exceeded 2024 roadway fatalities statewide by approximately 100 people.

To address intensifying needs, the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) program, a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides funding to adapt communities and their surface transportation assets to be more resilient to natural hazards. In May 2024, the RTC was awarded a PROTECT grant to complete Southern Nevada's first ever Transportation Resilience Improvement Plan (TRIP). To complete the TRIP, consultant services will be funded through RTC's PROTECT grant award, an eligible planning activity described in the notice of funding opportunity. The project study area is geographically bounded by RTC's MPO boundary which is coextensive with that of Clark County, Nevada.