GTC PLANNING COMMITTEE
Rush-Henrietta Ninth Grade Academy – Strickland Conference Room
July 15, 2004
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
Joan Dupont, NYSDOT – Region 4
Michael Garland, Monroe County – At Large
Richard Garrabrant, NYS Thruway Authority
Kristen Mark Hughes, Ontario County
Paul Johnson, Monroe County Planning Board
Terrence J. Rice, Monroe County
George Stam, City of Rochester
David Woods, Livingston County
ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT
Jeff Lurie, Monroe County, representing Wayne Zyra
James Pond, Monroe County – At Large, representing Scott Leathersich
Charles E. Walker, RGRTA, representing Mark Aesch
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE
Kristin Bennett, GTC Staff
Anne Da-Silva Tella, GTC Staff
Deborah Elliott, GTC Staff
Richard Perrin, GTC Staff
Bob Scholl, NYSDOT – Region 4
Rob Slaver, Jr., NYSDOT – Region 4
James Stack, GTC Staff
John Thomas, City of Rochester
Bill Wright, Ontario County
Kevin Yost, citizen
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT AND UNREPRESENTED
Philip Brito, FAA
Glenn Cooke, Seneca County
Robert Griffith, FHWA
Timothy Hens, Genesee County
Fred Humphrey, Wyoming County
Tracy Logel, Monroe County Supervisors’ Association
Charles Nesbitt, Jr., Empire State Development Corporation
Kenneth Rush, Orleans County
Larry Stid, City of Rochester Planning Commission
William Sullivan, Rochester City Council
(Vacant), Yates County
(Vacant), NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
1. Call to Order & Introductions
David Woods called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Members, Alternates, and others present introduced themselves.
2. Public Forum
Kevin Yost (a resident of the Town of Henrietta) spoke in favor of developing a light rail system in the area. He also expressed concern about the preservation of the former Hojack Railroad Bridge and the advancement of the Rochester Central Station project.
3. Approval of Minutes
Terry Rice requested a minor correction to be made to the minutes regarding the Pedestrian Activity Safety Study. The project update was reported by Scott Leathersich, not Tom Goodwin.
Terry Rice moved for approval of the minutes from the May 20, 2004 Planning Committee meeting with the correction; Michael Garland seconded the motion. The minutes were approved.
4. Reports and Action on Old Business
a. Reports on UPWP Projects and Other Activities
GTC
Richard Perrin reported:
· GTC staff has restarted work on the GTC Strategic Plan. GTC Staff and NYSDOT have met to review the project. An outline of major components has been developed. Feedback from the Executive Committee is expected in August or September
· GTC staff has finalized the inventory of in-house resources for the clearinghouse component (ARTIC) of the Rural County Resource Development Initiative. The same framework will be used to document other resources
· There is no progress to report on the Transportation Safety Information Analysis
· An update on the Long Range Transportation Plan will be provided later in the meeting
· An update on Air Quality Planning and Outreach will be provided later in the meeting
· There is no progress to report on the Transportation and Industrial Access project
· GTC staff will develop a scope of work for the Greater Rochester Transportation Operations and Management Organization Feasibility Study later this year
· GTC staff has completed the assessment for the Regional Rights-Of-Way Study and is prioritizing corridors
· The final report for the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Study (NEMS) was accepted by the GTC Board at its June 17 meeting
· Priority Trails Advancement (PTA) has three sub-projects: The Canandaigua Rail-with-Trail final report is being published; the Auburn Rail-to-Trail project will be completed in fall 2004 following another public meeting and publication of the final report; and the City of Rochester’s Neighborhood Connectors project is completed. The Regional Trails Initiative Steering Committee is reviewing 8 proposals for the FY 2004-05 PTA program following this Planning Committee meeting
· GTC staff is continuing work on the data collection for the On-Street Bicycle Facilities Opportunities Review
· The Congestion Management System (CMS) is progressing. A draft of the standards and performance measures is near completion for distribution to the CMS Working Group
· The TIP Management Enhancement Study Steering Committee met on June 10 and reviewed the consultant’s recommendations
G/FLRPC
David Zorn reported:
· Regional Land Use Monitoring report is complete; an Executive Summary was distributed
· The Regional Development Projections are progressing. G/FLRPC staff is reviewing data and expect draft figures within the next few weeks
· There is no progress to report on the Preparing Village Main Streets for Planning project
· The scope of work for the Optimizing Transportation Infrastructure through Effective Land Use project will be developed this summer
· There is no progress to report on the Regional Atlas
Livingston County
David Woods reported:
· There is no progress to report on the Horizontal Alignment Safety Study
Monroe County
Paul Johnson reported:
· Monroe County Land Use Monitoring project is complete
· The Monroe County Parking Study is progressing with the continuation of parking counts for seasonal uses. QA/QC and report development should be complete by the end of the fiscal year
Terry Rice reported:
· Data collection for the Monroe County Traffic Count Collection project will resume in September
· Crash report information for the Pedestrian Activity Safety Study has been compiled and is being analyzed at this time
· A public meeting for the Ballantyne Road Corridor Study was held on June 29. The consultant is currently collecting data
Ontario County
Kris Hughes reported:
· The Route 332 Corridor Management Study is in the second phase and is progressing
· The final report for the Routes 5 & 20 Corridor Study was accepted by the GTC Board at its June 17 meeting
· The Steering Committee for the Canandaigua Regional Transportation Study met on July 14. The consultant is summarizing activity of the focus groups and will finish the analysis phase after GTC completes the transition to TransCAD
City of Rochester
John Thomas reported:
· The final report for the Street Condition Rating Update Study was accepted by the GTC Board at its June 17 meeting
· The scope of work for the Port of Rochester Transportation Evaluation and Support Study will be presented later in the agenda
· The scope of work for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Concept Design and Implementation Study will be presented in Fall 2004
· The final report for the Highland Park/Canalway Neighborhood Connector Trail Study will be presented later in the agenda
· City Council approved the consultant for the City’s portion of the RGRTA/City of Rochester ITS Implementation Plan at its June meeting
RGRTA
Chip Walker reported:
· The contract for the Security and Safety Plan for Public Transportation was approved in June and progress is being made by the consultant
· The final report for the Route Analysis Information System was accepted by the GTC Board at its June 17 meeting
· No progress reported on the RGRTA/City of Rochester ITS Implementation Plan (RGRTA component)
· No progress reported on the Gates-Chili Transit Study
· No progress reported on the Area Wide Job Access and Reverse Commute Plan
· No progress reported on the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation Service to Universities and Colleges
· No progress reported on the Alternative Fuels Technology Study
Seneca County
Richard Perrin reported:
· A scope of work for the State Route 96/State Route 318 Rural Corridor Study – Phase I is being developed
Wayne County
Richard Perrin reported:
· There is no progress to report on the Cluster Development Enhancement Project Feasibility Study
Wyoming County
Richard Perrin reported:
· The consultant for the Transportation Elements of Scenic and Historic Resources in Wyoming County is reviewing comments received
Yates County
Richard Perrin reported:
· The consultant is preparing materials for the Route 14A Corridor Study for Steering Committee review. A steering committee meeting is expected late summer or early fall
Other Agencies
Richard Perrin reported:
· The final report for the Conesus Transportation and Safety Management Plan was accepted by the GTC Board at its June 17 meeting
· The final report for the Monroe Avenue/I-590 Interchange Study was accepted by the GTC Board at its June 17 meeting
· The scope of work for the Regional Traffic Count Collection project was approved by the Planning Committee at its May 20 meeting
b. Any Other Old Business or Announcements
David Woods announced that Livingston County received a grant from the State Archives and Records Administration (SARA) for a GIS needs assessment study.
5. Planning Committee Action Items
a. Recommendation to GTC Board concerning Certifying that all Federal planning requirements are met/Proposed Council Resolution 04-30
Richard Perrin explained the need for a Self-Certification Document and that it must be approved by the GTC Board. Richard asked if there were any questions regarding the Self-Certification document. There were none.
Joan Dupont moved to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 04-30; Terry Rice seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
b. Recommendation to GTC Board concerning Accepting the report, Highland Park/Canalway Trail Planning And Concept Design as evidence of completion of UPWP Task 6520/Proposed Council Resolution 04-31
John Thomas gave a presentation on the study purpose, findings, and recommendations. He noted Pictometry was utilized in the mapping, which is an effective presentation tool. John then detailed the proposed alignment for the trail.
Rob Slaver asked if there was a breakdown of ROW costs. John responded that he did not have that information with him, but could provide it if desired.
David Woods asked if using the street network was the best option. John responded that other constraints made it necessary to utilize the existing street network. Joan Dupont noted that signage will be a significant component of the project when implemented.
Monroe County has expressed concern about placing a signal at the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Goodman Street. John Thomas noted the consultant has been asked to change the recommendation to conduct a signal warrant study for this location.
Terry Rice stated concerns about recommendations for road crossing treatments and placement of signals. Monroe County Department of Transportation needs more information on proposed restriping of selected intersections and information on the recommendation for a contra flow bicycle lane on McLean Street.
John Thomas noted that this study is a planning concept and details would be worked on in the design phase.
David Woods asked if the City would be amenable to tabling the item until the August Planning Committee meeting. John agreed with that suggestion.
Terry Rice said he would like to see the changes to the final report before it was brought to the Planning Committee.
David Woods then asked if anyone was opposed to tabling this report until August after Monroe County Department of Transportation has a chance to review and discuss it.
Terry Rice moved to postpone consideration of Proposed Council Resolution 04-31 until the next Planning Committee meeting; Paul Johnson seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
c. Planning Committee concurrence concerning the Approval of UPWP Project Scope of Work
1. Task 4800 – Port of Rochester Transportation Evaluation & Support Study
John Thomas discussed the proposed UPWP Project Scope of Work for the Port of Rochester Transportation Evaluation & Support Study.
Kris Hughes asked for the scope to include looking at how regional, non-local transportation will be or may be accessing the Port of Rochester (site specific connections to non-local transportation services). George Stam responded that the City can count these services as part of the overall data collection efforts.
Chip Walker requested that Task #2 of the scope of work, specifically include transit data.
Terry Rice moved to approve the UPWP Project Scope of Work for Task 4800; Kris Hughes seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
d. Planning Committee concurrence concerning the Approval of Key Strategic Directions for the GTC Long Range Transportation Plan
Richard Perrin explained the purpose of the 10 Key Strategic Directions (KSD) to be included in the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).
Richard Garrabrant asked Richard Perrin to review the goals and objectives of the current LRTP.
Richard Perrin reviewed the goals and objectives of the current LRTP then discussed each specific KSD.
Paul Johnson asked if the language could be modified to be more action-oriented and gave some suggestions.
David Woods noted that the differences between the goals and objectives and the KSD are not clear and asked if another layer of items is necessary.
George Stam noted the KSD would be more valuable with measurable objectives.
Richard Garrabrant noted that we do not have any way to prioritize the alternatives and recommendations in the LRTP.
David Woods expressed concern about KSD #9 (Continue current practices which provide fiscal resources above the Federal formula funds allocated to this region for transit and bicycle/pedestrian facilities) in light of possible reduced funding for the region.
Joan Dupont agreed with David Woods’ opinion about #9 and stated there needs to be programmatic flexibility to address areas that are lagging.
Bill Wright expressed concern about KSD #7 (Continue the commitment to preserving the existing transportation system with limited expansions to meet demonstrated safety or congestion needs) because system expansion may be necessary in some areas. He also felt we need to emphasize maintaining the quality of the existing transportation system before it falls into disrepair and requires full reconstruction.
Terry Rice suggested removing the word “limited” in KSD #7 and replacing it with “maintenance”.
Richard Garrabrant concurred; stressing the need to preserve and maintain what we have.
Mike Garland stated that if the KSD are in place to support and advance the goals and objectives, they have value.
Kris Hughes asked if we are looking to use the KSD to filter our efforts or refine the goals and objectives.
David Woods asked Richard Perrin to give the LRTP update (item 6.a.) before the committee made a decision on the KSD.
Richard Perrin discussed the status of the LRTP development. As part of the second round of public input, staff held six public meetings. The comment period remains open until July 31. Staff has begun developing the fiscal projections. Staff is looking at the conformity requirements under the Basic Nonattainment designation for ground level ozone as well as requirements to comply with the New York State Energy Plan. The package included a memo soliciting participation on the LRTP Development Committee. A special Planning Committee meeting has been scheduled for September 16 to approve a draft LRTP for public review.
George Stam stated that the LRTP should have strategic measures for the Goals and Objectives, and the TDC should keep the KSD in mind as it develops the next TIP.
Joan Dupont expressed concern that the current discussion is focusing too much on details.
Kris Hughes suggested the Planning Committee not adopt the KSD, but keep them for TDC consideration.
The Planning Committee did not take action on this item.
6. Planning Committee Information Items
a. Long Range Transportation Plan Update
This update was presented as part of the discussion for item 5.d.
b. Air Quality Update
Richard Perrin reported that, at the direction of the Executive Committee, GTC requested that the Interagency Consultation Group meet in Rochester. This meeting will take place on August 3 at the GTC office. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss: agency roles and responsibilities; timing and location of meetings; content for LRTP and TIP conformity by June 15, 2005.
7. New Business
As additional information items to the Planning Committee, Richard Perrin noted:
On July 1, Chairman Decker provided testimony to the New York State Advisory Panel on Transportation Policy for 2025.
A “How-To” Guide for Rural Communities in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region is now available from the GTC website.
8. Next Meeting
The next Planning Committee meeting will be held August 19, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. in the Rochester City Council Chambers.
9. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.