GTC Planning Committee - Minutes

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GTC PLANNING COMMITTEE

Livingston County Government Center - Room 205/208

January 21, 2005

 

 

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT

Jeffrey Adair, Monroe County

Joan Dupont, NYSDOT Region 4

Richard Garrabrant, NYS Thruway Authority

Kristen Mark Hughes, Ontario County

Fred Humphrey, Wyoming County

Paul Johnson, Monroe County Planning Board

Scott Leathersich, Monroe County At Large

Charles Nesbitt, Jr., Empire State Development Corporation

Terrence J. Rice, Monroe County

George Stam, City of Rochester

David Woods, Livingston County

David Zorn, Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council

ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT

David Cook, RGRTA, representing Mark Aesch

James Fletcher, Monroe County At Large, representing Michael Garland

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE

Kristin Bennett, GTC Staff

Deborah Elliott, GTC Staff

Erik Frisch, GTC Staff

Don Higgins, Livingston County

Brian Kehoe, Livingston County

Richard Perrin, GTC Staff

Ora Rothfuss, Wayne County

Robert Scholl, NYSDOT Region 4

Rob Slaver, NYSDOT Region 4

James Stack, GTC Staff

John Thomas, City of Rochester

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT AND UNREPRESENTED

James Brady, Wayne County

Philip Brito, FAA

Glenn Cooke, Seneca County

Robert Griffith, FHWA

Timothy Hens, Genesee County

Tracy Logel, Monroe County Supervisors Association

Kenneth Rush, Orleans County

Larry Stid, Rochester City Planning Commission

William Sullivan, Rochester City Council

(Vacant), FTA

(Vacant), Yates County

(Vacant), NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

(Vacant), City of Rochester At Large

 

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

No one from the public spoke during the Public Forum.

3. Approval of Minutes

Terrence Rice requested a correction be made to the minutes, first paragraph on page 8, to clarify that the UDC would reconvene to review existing projects that were worthwhile but did not get funded.

Terrence Rice moved for approval of the minutes from the November 18, 2004 Planning Committee meeting with the correction; George Stam seconded the motion. The minutes were approved as corrected.

4. Reports and Action on Old Business

a. Reports on UPWP Projects and Other Activities

GTC

Richard Perrin reported:

        There is no progress to report on the GTC Strategic Plan

        The Rural County Resource Development Initiative is expected to restart in February

        Steering Committee members have been identified for the Transportation Safety Information Analysis project. The Steering Committee will hold a roundtable discussion on February 22

        The Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee Finger Lakes Region: 2005-2025 was adopted by the GTC Board at their December 9 meeting. An RFQ for the graphic design and layout of the final document is nearly complete. Four designers have been identified to receive the RFQ. GTC staff will continue editorial reviews prior to publication

        The scope of work for the Air Quality Planning and Outreach project has been revised to include greater consultant involvement in the conformity process. A Technical Memo on costs and benefits of CMAQ-eligible projects has been completed. Staff is now working on the request letter for CMAQ funds to be distributed to this region. It is uncertain whether GTC will receive CMAQ funds until TEA-21 is reauthorized. The major focus now will be on obtaining positive conformity determinations for the current TIP, TIP Update, and LRTP

David Woods asked if a political route should be taken in order to secure CMAQ funds for the region. Rich responded that since the funds are allocated on a statewide basis, we could consider requesting them when the Federal government makes the statewide allocation. David suggested that the Executive Committee could be reconvened when the time is appropriate, if necessary.

        GTC Staff will restart work on the Transportation and Industrial Access project in February

        A scope of work for the Greater Rochester Transportation Operations and Management Organization Feasibility Study has been revised to better reflect the need to include flexibility to accommodate potential participation of county agencies outside Monroe County in the future. It is under review by the Study participants and Livingston, Ontario, and Wayne Counties

        The draft Action Plan is being revised for the Regional Rights-Of-Way Preservation Study. Staff expects to bring the Action Plan before the Planning Committee for closeout in February

        The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Study (NEMS) is complete

        The three projects that comprise the 2003-04 Priority Trails Advancement (PTA) project are complete. Kristin Bennett will present them to the Committee for recommendation to the Board as agenda item 5b. Clark Patterson Associates was chosen as the preferred consultant for the 2004-05 program. The Steering Committees are formed for all three projects. An initial Steering Committee meeting for the Lakeville-Livonia Trail was held January 3. An initial Steering Committee meeting of the other two projects will be held soon

        A Technical Memo of accepted treatments for the On-Street Bicycle Facilities Opportunities Review is being finalized per Monroe County and NYSDOT comments

        Travel demand model migration is being completed by Resource Systems Group for use in the Congestion Management System. Migration will be completed in a timely manner. A draft CMS Plan is being developed for the CMS Working Group to review in the spring

        The two components of Transportation Information Resources Rural ITS and Context Sensitive Design/Solutions are complete for this fiscal year

        The consultant has revised the recommendations of the TIP Management Enhancement Study based on the most recent TDC review and input. The revised recommendations will be provided to the TDC for a final review in February. The consultant will make final revisions based on input from the TDC

G/FLRPC

David Zorn reported:

        The Regional Land Use Monitoring project is complete for 2003. Staff has begun work for the 2004 calendar year

        The Regional Development Projections report is complete

        A kick off meeting for the Preparing Village Main Streets for Planning project will be held in late January or February

        No progress to report on the Optimizing Transportation Infrastructure through Effective Land Use project

        The final layout and design for the Regional Atlas is complete and a meeting between G/FLRPC staff and GTC staff has been scheduled to discuss final edits

Livingston County

 

David Woods reported:

        Five consultant proposals were received for the Horizontal Alignment Safety Study and are under review. A meeting between Livingston County and GTC staff to select a preferred consultant will be held later in the day

Monroe County

Terry Rice reported:

        The Monroe County Traffic Count Collection project was completed in October 2004. Accurate counts were obtained for 372 locations and are being processed. Monroe County will prepare a letter for the Planning Committee summarizing the count program

        The consultant for the Pedestrian Activity Safety Study is analyzing the 25 selected locations and will determine mitigation techniques, as appropriate

Scott Leathersich reported:

        The consultant for the Ballantyne Road Corridor Study is behind schedule due to issues with the transportation model which have been corrected

Paul Johnson reported:

        Data collection for the Monroe County Land Use Monitoring project for 2004 is ongoing; community surveys have been distributed

        Seasonal counts for the Monroe County Parking Study are complete. Staff is finalizing the analysis. Reproduction is expected by the end of 2005

Ontario County

Kris Hughes reported:

        The final draft of the Route 332 Corridor Management Study is expected in the near future

        The Steering Committee for the Canandaigua Regional Transportation Study met December 6. Traffic data has been finalized and the project is moving forward

City of Rochester

George Stam reported:

      The City is waiting on the outcome of the auction of the Ferry in February for further work on the Port of Rochester Transportation Evaluation and Support Study. A scope of work is anticipated for later in the spring

John Thomas reported:

      No progress to report on the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Concept Design and Implementation Study

        The final report for the Highland Park/Canalway Neighborhood Connector Trail Study was approved at the December 9 GTC Board meeting

        Interviews for the City of Rochester ITS Implementation Plan have been completed. Two chapters have been drafted and a peer city review is complete

        The City is working to develop the Steering Committee for their portion of the Priority Trails Advancement project. They are focusing on identifying neighborhood representatives

RGRTA

David Cook reported:

        The consultant for the Security and Safety Plan for Public Transportation is continuing progress on developing a draft Plan for security policies and procedures and is 75% complete

        David Cook and Richard Perrin will re-schedule a meeting to discuss options to advance the other current RGRTA projects

Seneca County

Richard Perrin reported:

        The scope of work for the State Route 96/State Route 318 Rural Corridor Study Phase I was approved at the October Planning Committee meeting. An RFP has not been issued yet

Kris Hughes noted that the schedule for this study affects the timing of Phase 2. Other options may need to be considered should this study continue to fall behind schedule.

Wayne County

       Scope of work for the Cluster Development Enhancement Project Feasibility Study will be reviewed at this meeting

Wyoming County

 

Richard Perrin reported:

        Wyoming County has requested that the contract with AKRF to conduct the Transportation & Scenic/Historic Resources project in Wyoming County be terminated. GTC, as contract administrator, is drafting a letter for review by legal counsel. GTC Staff will complete the project

 

Yates County

Richard Perrin reported:

       There is no progress to report on the Route 14A Corridor Study. GTC staff have contacted Yates County regarding restarting the project

Other Agencies

        Members of the three agencies conducting the Regional Traffic Count Collection project reported no progress.

b.      Any Other Old Business or Announcements

1. A finalized 2005 Meeting Calendar was distributed to reflect additions to the meeting locations.

2. UPWP Development Committee is convening following the Planning Committee meeting to begin developing an update to 2005-06 UPWP

The GTC Board amended the Budget to include approximately $390,000 in additional USDOT planning funds.

The UDC will review proposals submitted in Fall 2003 as part of the original call for projects and will determine priority areas for a new call for projects to be issued by GTC next week with proposals due in early March 2005.

The UDC will develop a list of projects for Planning Committee review and recommendation for a 30-day public review.

James Fletcher asked if the UDC was going to consider projects that were previously submitted but not funded. Richard Perrin noted that they would be considered.

5. Planning Committee Action Items

a.       Planning Committee Action concerning the DRAFT 2005-2010 Transportation Improvement Program Update Project Lists for Public Review

Richard Perrin noted that the TIP Development Committee (TDC) recommended the list of projects included in the attached draft Public Review Document for inclusion in the 2005-2010 TIP Update. Projects included in this list can expect to begin construction in FFY 2008-09 and FFY 2009-10, the final two years of the 2005-2010 TIP.

Rich noted that GTC staff found errors in the summation totals for the highway and bridge modes. Corrections have been made to the totals at the bottom of pages 21 and 23. No individual projects were affected.

Rich added the TDC deserves credit for developing this project list in a condensed schedule in order to meet air quality conformity requirements.

Rich gave the following highlights:

        Highway projects will address congested links throughout the system, especially the regions most congested area, the Southern Corridor of Monroe County - Routes I-390, 15, 15A, and 252

        Every bridge project submitted that was eligible for Federal replacement and rehabilitation funds is fully funded, including three that are currently closed

        Funding is included for two public transportation facilities: Renaissance Square and the Ontario County joint CATS/Highway Maintenance Facility, as well as for vehicle replacement for RTS and Monroe County Department of Human Services to assist seniors and the developmentally disabled

        Three trail projects totaling almost $1.5 million are included. Planning studies were conducted for all three using UPWP funds

        Increases above current funding levels are provided for ITS projects that are expected to eliminate or reduce the need for highway expansion projects

        Continued emphasis is on operational improvements to increase capacity on the highway network

The next step for the TIP will be to gather public input via e-mail, mail, or fax over the 30-day public review period which would run between January 24 and February 22. A list of locations where the TIP can be reviewed is on page 19 as well as the GTC website.

Four public meetings have been scheduled. The February 9 meeting at the Henrietta Town Hall will be held during the day and typically draws public officials as well as representatives from private and not-for-profit organizations.

An update on public comments received to date will be provided at the February 17 Planning Committee meeting in Ontario County.

The TDC will review public input and, if necessary, make a recommendation to the Planning Committee as to any changes to the project list. If changes are made, the revised project list will be made available for 10-day public review.

The Planning Committee will make a recommendation to the GTC Board on a final project list for the 2005-2010 TIP Update at the April 21 meeting.

Kris Hughes thanked NYSDOT for their patience with TDC members throughout the process.

James Fletcher asked about the availability of the score sheets for the individual TIP projects. Rich Perrin responded that they are available at the GTC offices.

Terry Rice complimented the TDC on the development of a good program.

David Cook noted that RGRTA recently met with FTA and were happy to report on how successful the TIP process is here.

Don Higgins thanked the TDC for finding the funds to cover all of the bridge projects that were applied for by Livingston County.

Kris Hughes moved to approve the DRAFT 2005-2010 Transportation Improvement Program Update Public Review Document for a 30-day public review; Joan Dupont seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

b.      Recommendation to the GTC Board concerning Accepting the reports, Auburn Line Rail-to-Trail Feasibility Study, Canandaigua Rail-with-Trail Feasibility Study, Edgerton Neighborhood Trail Connector Study, and South Wedge Neighborhood Trail Connector Study, as evidence of completion of UPWP Task 6510/Proposed Council Resolution 05-1

Kristin Bennett gave a presentation on the three projects. For each of the projects, Kristin noted the key participants, the challenge areas, the goals and recommendations, and the preferred options.

Paul Johnson suggested that costs for the trails be included in the Executive Summary.

Terry Rice suggested that maps be included in the Executive Summary as well.

Terrence Rice moved to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 05-01; George Stam seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

c.       Planning Committee concurrence concerning the Approval of UPWP Project Scope of Work

1. Task 5375 Cluster Development Enhancement Project Feasibility Study (Wayne County)

David Woods introduced Ora Rothfuss of the Wayne County Planning Department who reviewed the scope of work for Task 5375. Ora discussed the study background and study approach. Ora also discussed the local participation.

James Fletcher suggested the study identify opportunities to encourage private sector support of infrastructure costs.

David Zorn moved to approve the UPWP Project Scope of Work Task 5375; Terrence Rice seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

6. Planning Committee Information Items

a.       Rich Perrin reported, per the staffing plan approved by the Executive Committee, two new planners will be starting the week of February 7. Mikaela Engert from Behan Planning Associates will be joining GTC as a Transportation Planner. Kevin Beers from G/FLRPC will be joining GTC as a GIS Planner.

7. New Business

Richard Perrin announced that Kristin Bennett is leaving GTC to accept the position of Senior Transportation Planner for the City of Colorado Springs. On behalf of the Planning Committee, David Woods congratulated Kristin and noted that this seems like a tremendous opportunity.

John Thomas asked if any Planning Committee members had heard any new news concerning Reauthorization. Rich Perrin noted that Randy Kuhl has been appointed to the Transportation Committee.

David Cook noted that Clara Wallace-Douglas has retired from FTA and suggested that GTC replace her name on the list of Planning Committee members. Rich Perrin will contact FTA seeking a replacement.

Joan Dupont announced that Ron Hayes has been named the NYSDOT Integrator for the Western New York region and noted that he may be involved in future GTC meetings.

8. Next Meeting

The next Planning Committee meeting will be held Thursday, February 17 at the Ontario County Municipal Building in Canandaigua.

9. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 11:09 a.m.