GTC Planning Committee - Minutes

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GTC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING

NYSDOT Region 4 Office, Room 334

February 20, 2003

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT

James Brady, Wayne County Highway Department

Joan Dupont, NYSDOT Region 4

Steve Hendershott, Monroe County Supervisors Association

Paul Johnson, Monroe County Planning Department

Kristen Mark Hughes (Committee Vice-Chairman), Ontario County Planning Department

Terrence J. Rice, Monroe County DOT

George Stam, City of Rochester

William Sullivan, Rochester City Council

Wayne Zyra, Monroe County Legislator

ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT

Doug Benson, representing Larry Stid, City of Rochester

David Cook, representing Don Riley, RGRTA

Mike Garland, representing Kevin Crerand, Monroe County At Large

Don Higgins, representing David Woods, Livingston County

Scott Leathersich, representing Stephen Ferranti, Monroe County At Large

David Thielman, representing Richard Garrabrant, NYS Thruway Authority

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE

Deborah Elliott, GTC Staff

Timothy Frelier, Monroe County DOT

Steve Gleason, GTC Staff

Marvin Kleinberg, NYSDOT Region 4

Brian Lakeman, GTC Staff

Richard Perrin, GTC Staff

Rob Slaver, NYSDOT Region 4

Lisa Smith, GTC Staff

James Stack, GTC Staff

John Thomas, City of Rochester

Robert Traver, NYSDOT Region 4

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT AND UNREPRESENTED

S. William Baker, US EPA

Philip Brito, FAA

Donald Cooley, Orleans County Highway Department

Timothy Hens, Genesee County Highway Department

John T. Hicks, NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation

Jonathan McDade, FHWA

Charles Nesbitt, Jr., Empire State Development Corporation

Mark A. Sawyer, Seneca County Planning Department

Thomas Skoglund, Wyoming County Planning Department

Clara Wallace-Douglas, FTA

David Zorn, G/FLRPC




1. Call to Order

Kristin Mark Hughes called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.

2.                 Public Forum

No public comment was offered.

3.                 Approval of Minutes

James Brady made a motion for approval of the minutes from the January 9, 2003 Planning Committee meeting as submitted. Joan Dupont seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.

4.                 Reports and Action on Old Business

a. Reports on UPWP Projects and Other Activities

Steve Gleason reported on GTC Staff and Committee activities:

        The Transportation Safety Information Analysis project started in January; staff is identifying and collecting information

        G/FLRPC is finalizing the inventory for Ontario, Seneca, and Wayne counties. The inventory is complete for the remaining six counties; priorities are being identified in these counties

        Staff is currently completing fieldwork in Orleans and Wyoming counties for the Regional Rights-Of-Way Preservation Study

        Staff is in the process of scheduling a kick-off meeting for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Study

        Bergmann Associates has been selected as the consultant for the Priority Trails Advancement project and a contract is being finalized

        Staff finished developing the toolbox for the Congestion Management System. Staff is now working on documenting performance measures and identifying preliminary standards for these measures

        An Access Management web page and summaries of Access Management Case Studies has been posted to the GTC website

        Clark Patterson Associates has been selected as the consultant for the Regional Trails Initiative Phase 2 project and a contract is being finalized

        Staff has been devoting significant efforts to finalizing the TIP project list for approval prior to public review and completing the draft of the FY 2003-2004 UPWP

        GTC staff is currently developing an updated Public Participation Plan in conjunction with the Long Range Transportation Plan update. A draft Public Participation Plan will be available later this summer

Monroe County

 

Terry Rice reported:

        Monroe County Department of Environmental Services has completed the pilot project for the MCDOT GIS database. They have determined they need to use a consultant to finish the project. There will be a kick-off meeting February 20th with completion expected in early April

        Staff has elected to discontinue the Multi-Lane Conversion Study on the County roads based on the initial screening phase. Staff has determined that no additional analysis is needed. MCDOT is under discussion with the City of Rochester on whether or not the City wants to continue with the study on the City streets

Paul Johnson reported:

        Surveys were sent out for the Monroe County Land Use Monitoring project. Communities are responding on schedule.

 

Ontario County

 

Kris Hughes reported:

        Route 332 Corridor Management Study is progressing; G/FLRPC has made significant progress on the build-out analysis

        FRA Engineering has been selected as the consultant for the Routes 5 & 20 Corridor Study, and a contract is being finalized

        A report on the Ontario CATS Bus System Plan is expected at the April Planning Committee meeting

        Ontario County has finished the second round of proposals for the Canandaigua Regional Transportation Study. A consultant will be selected by the end of February

Wyoming County

 

Steve Gleason reported:

        Baseline information collection for the Transportation & Scenic / Historic Resources in the Wyoming County project is underway. The next meeting of the Steering Committee will be held on March 10th

Yates County

 

Steve Gleason reported:

        GTC staff will be working with Yates County and Lu Engineers to smooth the transition in the Route 14A Corridor Study since the departure of John Czamanske. A draft needs assessment is under review by GTC and NYSDOT - Region 6

 

City of Rochester

 

George Stam reported:

        The Street Condition Rating Update Study is progressing with results expected in late March

        The High Volume Bus Stop Pavement Management Study has been delayed due to consultant staffing issues

 

G/FLRPC

 

No report

RGRTA

David Cook reported:

        The Strategic Plan for Public Transportation in Wayne County has been adopted by RGRTA and will be presented to the Planning Committee in April

        The Strategic Plan for Public Transportation in Wyoming County will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in April

        A draft of a companion study to the Route Analysis Information System has been received for review

        A Scope of Work for the Alternate Fuels Technology Study is on the agenda for approval later in the meeting

Other Agencies

Steve Gleason reported:

        The Final Report for the Route 14 Truck Study in Geneva is being finalized; Staff is targeting the April Planning Committee meeting for close-out

        Sear Brown has been selected as the consultant for the Monroe Avenue / I-590 Interchange Study. A Public Information meeting is scheduled for March 4th

        The Steering Committee for the Lexington Avenue Extension Study met on February 14th. Significant progress has been made on data collection, planned development review, traffic analysis, and potential alignments

b. Any Other Old Business or Announcements

Jim Stack announced Seneca Countys appointment of Mark A. Sawyer as a member and Harriet Haynes as an alternate to the GTC Planning Committee by Robert N. Favreau on February 4, 2003.

5.                 Planning Committee Action Items

a. Recommendation to GTC Board concerning Adopting the FY 2003-2004 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) / Proposed Council Resolution 03-1

Steve Gleason discussed the UPWP and reviewed the written comments that were submitted. He also noted changes will be made to the draft prior to publication to reflect the latest estimates of project balances for rollover.

Terry Rice commented on the Route 441 study proposal needing clarification and suggested GTC provide feedback to the Town of Penfield.

Terry Rice motioned to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 03-1. George Stam seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

b.      Recommendation to GTC Board concerning Approving the adjusted urban area boundaries within the Rochester Transportation Management Area / Proposed Council Resolution 03-2

Steve Gleason explained that pursuant to the January 9th Planning Committee meeting, GTC Staff completed the revisions to the Federal-aid urban area boundaries. The revisions were submitted to NYSDOT by the January 30th deadline. NYSDOT has given preliminary verbal approval. The GTC Board must formally adopt the revisions.

Wayne Zyra motioned to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 03-2. David Cook seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

c.       Recommendation to GTC Board concerning several TIP Amendments requests.

Kris Hughes suggested that the following six TIP Amendments be considered under one motion.

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by increasing the Detailed Design cost, the Right-of-Way Acquisition cost, and the Construction & Inspection cost for the Lehigh Valley Multi-Use Trail project / Proposed Council Resolution 03-3

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by adding the Canalway Trail Long Pond Rd. to Lock E-32 (Clover St.) project / Proposed Council Resolution 03-4

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by adding the FFY 2003-2004 Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 Program project / Proposed Council Resolution 03-5

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by adding the Greenleaf Road Railroad Crossing project / Proposed Council Resolution 03-6

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by adding the Pixley Road Railroad Crossing project, the Route 36 Railroad Crossing project, and the Routes 15 & 20A Railroad Crossing project / Proposed Council Resolution 03-7

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by adding the Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway: French and Indian War 250th Anniversary Interpretation project and the Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway: Event Development, Seed Funds project / Proposed Council Resolution 03-8

Kris asked if there were any questions about any of the TIP Amendment requests.

George Stam asked about the Canalway Trail project. The City requested that NYSDOT and the NYS Canal Corporation pave a section of the trail several years ago but was told that funds were not available. The City paved the section and would like to be reimbursed from the proposed TIP Amendment.

George made a motion to amend the request to reimburse the City $117,000 for the work completed by the City.

Terry Rice asked if that is possible because the work has already been done.

Joan Dupont commented that there is no mechanism to reimburse project sponsors with federal funds if the work has already been done.

George Stam motioned to amend his motion to fund $250,000 from the Bicycle Pedestrian set-aside to enhance the canal trail from Genesee Valley Park to the Court Street dam. William Sullivan seconded.

Paul Johnson questioned what part is included or excluded.

Kris recommended that the Planning Committee defer action on Proposed Council Resolution 03-4 until the April Planning Committee meeting to allow for further research. This was agreeable to NYS Canal Corporation and the City.

Steve Hendershott motioned to group the Proposed Council Resolutions 03-3, 03-5, 03-6, 03-7, and 03-8 and recommend approval. Terry Rice seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

Two TIP Amendment requests were submitted for Planning Committee consideration:

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by advancing the Detailed Design phase of the Janes Road project / Proposed Planning Committee Resolution 03-1

        Amending the 2001-2006 Transportation Improvement Program by advancing the Scoping & Preliminary Engineering phase and the Construction & Inspection phase of the Armstrong Road Railroad Crossing project / Proposed Planning Committee Resolution 03-2

Steve Hendershott motioned to approve Proposed Planning Committee Resolutions 03-1 and 03-2. Mike Garland seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

d.     Approval of Preliminary DRAFT 2003-2008 Transportation Improvement Program Project Lists for Public Review

At Joan Duponts request, Kris Hughes turned the meeting over to her before introducing this agenda item.

Joan discussed a letter sent by Chuck Moynihan to GTC Board Members expressing NYSDOTs request to adopt a three-year TIP instead of a five-year TIP.

Joan Dupont noted that the current federal transportation bill runs out in September and New York, particularly as a donee state for Highway Trust Fund monies, is facing a possible significant reduction in funding. The outcome of reauthorization efforts wont be known until the fall. Joan also pointed out that the proposed state budget includes a reduction in the amount of funding for highway and bridge projects. Finally, Joan noted that NYSDOT is looking at different ways to address transportation issues in New York State in the wake of September 11th, NAFTA, and other significant challenges. Based on these considerations, NYSDOT is asking GTC to only create a three-year TIP.

Joan added that the federal requirement is only for a three-year program and stated that if we keep the last three years of the existing TIP and use these as the first three years of the new TIP, we would need only update the cost of the existing TIP program in this update.

Joan emphasized that her Planning Committee presentation of this request is for informational purposes only and any action on the request would need to be made by the GTC Board.

George Stam noted that the magnitude and scope of many TIP projects are often well beyond a three-year horizon. He stated that we need more than three years to put such project in the pipeline, making it very difficult to advance large, long-term projects.

Terry Rice noted that the uncertainty with respect to federal funding is an issue we always face and is not new or cause for shortening the TIP from five years to three. Discussion ensued about New York States existing and likely share of future federal transportation funds.

The Planning Committee then reviewed the TIP Development Committee recommendation on this matter. Steve Gleason distributed the draft Board Resolution that the TDC considered and an excerpt of the February 6th TDC meeting summary related to the TIP update issue.

The TDC recommended maintaining a five-year TIP and adding explicit language to the GTC Board Resolution adopting the TIP which acknowledges that if funding levels or investment priorities change the TIP will need to be amended accordingly.

Terry Rice asked if the NYSDOT request will be on the March 13th GTC Board Agenda. Joan responded that NYSDOT has not decided if they will request that this be included. They will decide after they receive responses to Chuck Moynihans letter from GTC Board Members.

After a brief discussion, the Planning Committee concurred with the TDC recommendation and will continue the TIP Development process on a five-year basis.

Steve presented the 2003-2008 TIP list of projects for public review as developed and recommended by the TDC for Planning Committee action. Steve described the TIP Development process to date. Both he and Joan emphasized that the proposed list of projects is considered fundable but may actually be as much as five percent over funding projections. This will make it difficult to add altogether new projects during the public review process without specific tradeoffs.

David Cook requested the attention of the Committee to discuss TIP funding opportunities for the Rochester Central Station project. David noted the importance of the RCS project to the region and expressed RGRTAs desire to have additional funds allocated to RCS beyond that which is normally allocated to transit projects.

Because the strategy for bringing these additional funds to the RCS has not been finalized, David requested the Planning Committee defer action on this agenda item and allow RGRTA additional time to complete the strategy. He suggested the possibility of using the alternate TIP Development schedule discussed at the February 6th TDC meeting, which would require scheduling a Special Planning Committee meeting on March 6th, preceded by a TDC meeting (subsequently scheduled for March 3rd).

Steve Hendershott agreed with the request for the alternate schedule, citing his concerns about the impact of cost overruns in existing TIP projects on the ability to program altogether new projects.

A general discussion ensued about the magnitude and causes of these cost increases. Terry Rice suggested that perhaps a UPWP study is warranted to address project development and delivery issues as they relate to the TIP. John Thomas agreed that this would be a good use of UPWP funds.

David Cook motioned to defer action on the Project Lists for Public Review until March 6, 2003 to permit discussion of funding for Rochester Central Station project. Steve Hendershott seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

It was agreed that a Special Planning Committee would be held Thursday March 6, 2003 at Henrietta Town Hall to address this Agenda item. It was also agreed that a TDC meeting would be held prior to the Planning Committee meeting (subsequently scheduled for March 3rd).

Steve Hendershott reiterated his concerns about the impact of existing cost increases on the TIP.

Steve Hendershott made a motion that the TDC review the existing projects to minimize the impact of cost increases on the TIP. Wayne Zyra seconded.

There was a general discussion concerning whether the time remaining in the TIP development process permitted revisiting this issue.

The motion passed 10 in favor, 3 opposed.

e.     Approval of UPWP Project Scopes of Work

        Task # 8550 Alternate Fuels Technology Study

David Cook described the proposed Scope of Work for the Alternate Fuels Technology Study

David Cook motioned to recommend approval of Task # 8550. William Sullivan seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

        Task # 5290 Air Quality Planning and Outreach

Rich Perrin described the proposed Scope of Work for the Air Quality Planning and Outreach project. Steve Gleason noted that the project will not begin until April, but securing Planning Committee approval of the scope now allows GTC to engage a consultant early in the fiscal year.

James Brady motioned to recommend approval of Task # 5290. Terry Rice seconded. The motion passed unopposed.

6.                 Planning Committee Information Items

George Stam questioned the length of term for the Planning Committee Chairperson as defined in the GTC bylaws. Jim Stack responded by reading the relevant section of the bylaws. The bylaws state that the Planning Committee Chairperson serves at the pleasure of the GTC Board Chair; there is no defined length of term. George commented this might affect someones desire to take the position. Kris Hughes asked if George would like to lead a sub-committee to review this section of the bylaws and make a recommendation for the Planning Committee to consider. George agreed. Steve Gleason noted that any change in the bylaws would require Board action.

7. New Business

No new business was reported.

8.                 Next Meeting

The next Planning Committee meeting will be held on March 6, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. at the Henrietta Town Hall. This will be a special meeting to approve the DRAFT 2003-2008 TIP Project Lists for Public Review

9.                 Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 11:47 a.m.