GTC PLANNING COMMITTEE
Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority
October 21, 2004
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
James Brady, Wayne County
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
Scott Leathersich, Monroe County At Large
Terrence J. Rice, Monroe County
George Stam, City of Rochester
William Sullivan, Rochester City Council
David Woods, Livingston County
David Zorn, G/FLRPC
ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT
Richard Beers, FHWA, representing Robert Griffith
David Cook, RGRTA, representing Mark Aesch
Harriett Haynes, Seneca County, representing Glenn Cooke
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE
Deborah Elliott, GTC Staff
Erik Frisch, GTC Staff
Marvin Kleinberg, NYSDOT Region 4
Richard Perrin, GTC Staff
Robert Scholl, NYSDOT Region 4
James Stack, GTC Staff
John Thomas, City of Rochester
PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT AND UNREPRESENTED
Jeffrey Adair, Monroe County
Philip Brito, FAA
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, Rochester City Planning Commission
Clara Wallace-Douglas, 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 10:00 a.m. Mark Aesch, Chief Executive Officer of the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, welcomed the Planning Committee.
Members, Alternates, and others present introduced themselves.
2. Public Forum
No one from the public spoke during the Public Forum.
3. Approval of Minutes
David Zorn requested a correction be made to the minutes regarding the second item in the UPWP Projects reported by G/FLRPC. It should state the draft figures for the Regional Development Projections went before the G/FLRPC Planning Coordination Committee.
Richard Garrabrant moved for approval of the minutes from the August 19, 2004 Planning Committee meeting with the correction; William Sullivan 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:
GTC staff has made progress on the GTC Strategic Plan. A meeting was held with the GTC Executive Committee in September to gather feedback. Resumes were received in response to the two positions available and GTC expects to be fully-staffed by mid-November 2004
There is no progress to report on the Rural County Resource Development Initiative
Work has been restarted on the Transportation Safety Information Analysis with identification of Steering Committee members and development of a survey of information users and providers
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
A scope of work for the Greater Rochester Transportation Operations and Management Organization Feasibility Study will be presented later in the meeting
The Regional Rights-Of-Way Preservation Study is progressing, a meeting was held earlier this week to review candidate corridors and classify them as either high or low-threat. Project closeout is anticipated in early 2005
The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Study (NEMS) is complete
Priority Trails Advancement (PTA) has three sub-projects: The Canandaigua Rail-with-Trail final draft report is complete. A draft final report for the Auburn Corridor project is expected shortly, based on incorporating comments from the September 9 public meeting. The City of Rochester Neighborhood Connectors project is complete. All three projects are expected for closeout at the November Planning Committee meeting. An RFP was issued for the three 2004-05 Priority Trails Advancement projects; 39 RFPs were issued. Proposals are due October 29
Work has restarted on the On-Street Bicycle Facilities Opportunities Review with existing data collection completed and a Technical Memo of accepted treatments being developed
GTC staff is continuing work on the Congestion Management System (CMS) focusing on the migration to a new transportation model platform and completing tasks relevant to the Long Range Transportation Plan performance measures
The two components of Transportation Information Resources, Rural ITS and Context Sensitive Design/Solutions have been posted to the GTC website
Draft recommendations have been received from the consultant for the TIP Management Enhancement Study and will be forwarded to the TDC for review prior to their meeting on November 8th
G/FLRPC
David Zorn reported:
The Regional Land Use Monitoring project is complete for 2003
Draft figures for the Regional Development Projections were presented to the G/FLRPC Planning Coordination Committee. Project closeout is anticipated at the November Planning Committee meeting
There is no progress to report on the Preparing Village Main Streets for Planning project
Anticipate presenting a Scope of Work for the Optimizing Transportation Infrastructure through Effective Land Use project later this year
The layout and design have been completed for the Regional Atlas. G/FLRPC is currently seeking sponsors to produce the document. County profiles are available through the G/FLRPC website
Livingston County
David Woods reported:
An RFP for the Horizontal Alignment Safety Study has been issued; 19 RFPs have been requested. Proposals are due October 29
Monroe County
Terry Rice reported:
Data collection for the Monroe County Traffic Count Collection project has resumed and will be completed later this year
The consultant for the Pedestrian Activity Safety Study has completed data collection and is determining priority locations for additional analysis
The consultant for the Ballantyne Road Corridor Study completed the data collection and analysis of existing conditions, and is currently working on the future/projected conditions
Paul Johnson reported:
The Monroe County Land Use Monitoring project is complete for 2003
Seasonal counts for the Monroe County Parking Study are complete. Monroe County staff will be conducting quality control prior to analysis
Ontario County
Kris Hughes reported:
The Route 332 Corridor Management Study is progressing
The consultant for the Canandaigua Regional Transportation Study has decided on the transportation model to be used. The County Board of Supervisors has granted an extension of the contract. The Steering Committee will meet in November
City of Rochester
George Stam reported:
The scope of work for the Port of Rochester Transportation Evaluation and Support Study has been approved and the City is working on the scope of services for the RFP
The scope of work for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Concept Design and Implementation Study is under development
John Thomas reported:
The final report for the Highland Park/Canalway Neighborhood Connector Trail Study will be presented later in the meeting
An ignition meeting was held for the Citys portion of the RGRTA/City of Rochester ITS Implementation Plan and the consultant is conducting interviews
RGRTA
David Cook reported:
The consultant for the Security and Safety Plan for Public Transportation is developing a draft Plan for security policies and procedures
There is no progress to report on the RGRTA/City of Rochester ITS Implementation Plan (RGRTA component)
There is no progress to report on the Gates-Chili Transit Study
There is no progress to report on the Area Wide Job Access and Reverse Commute Plan
There is no progress to report on the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation Service to Universities and Colleges
There is no progress to report on the Alternative Fuels Technology Study
Seneca County
Harriett Haynes reported:
The scope of work for the State Route 96/State Route 318 Rural Corridor Study Phase I will be presented later in the meeting
Wayne County
James Brady 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 & Scenic/Historic Resources in Wyoming is planning to complete the project
Yates County
Richard Perrin reported:
There is no progress to report for the Route 14A Corridor Study
Other Agencies
Richard Perrin reported:
The Regional Traffic Count Collection project is a four-county collaborative. Ontario County is progressing their portion of the project in-house. Wayne and Livingston counties will be retaining a single consultant to progress their portions. Monroe County is deferring data collection until 2005
b. Any Other Old Business or Announcements
1. 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 explained that this report had been tabled pending further review. He noted that the City shared a copy of the project report with Monroe County DOT and Parks and Recreation for review and comment. The City has incorporated a qualifying statement to the executive summary to address concerns regarding recommendation that fall under MCDOTs jurisdiction.
Terry Rice requested a copy of the final report. He stated that alternatives included in UPWP studies should be feasible so as not to confuse or mislead the public when projects progress to design and implementation. Terry noted that the qualifying statement is helpful and added that additional work will be needed prior to implementation.
Richard Garrabrant moved to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 04-31; William Sullivan seconded the motion. The motion passed with 3 abstentions.
2. Recommendation to GTC Board concerning Amending the 2003-2008 TIP by increasing the total cost of the Broad Street Tunnel project / Proposed Council Resolution 04-38
Richard Perrin discussed the proposed TIP amendment. He noted the TIP Development Committee was supportive of the project but could not recommend approval due to funding concerns. Since the August Planning Committee meeting, NYSDOT and the City have discussed possible funding solutions. NYSDOT was able to reduce the scope of another project which has made funding available for the Broad Street Tunnel project.
George Stam thanked NYSDOT for their efforts in finding the additional funds needed for this project.
Joan Dupont explained that funds were shifted from a bridge replacement project in Geneva that had changed to a less costly bridge rehabilitation project.
Richard Garrabrant asked if public review was needed for such a large amendment.
Richard Perrin responded that the GTC Planning Committee and GTC Board meetings are open to the public and added that the City has obtained significant public input on the project. Joan Dupont noted that the change in the scope of the Geneva bridge project will not lead to a change in its impact to the community.
George Stam noted that it was a difficult decision but that this project will eliminate significant future maintenance costs. He said it would take an enormous amount of fill and asked committee members to let him know of any sources.
Terry Rice suggested that the City draft a letter to town and county Highway Superintendents to see if there is available fill material.
Kris Hughes asked how the City planned to handle the displacement of the homeless population currently residing in the Tunnel. George Stam replied that analysis indicates that there is adequate room and support services available at existing shelters.
Joan Dupont moved to recommend approval of Proposed Council Resolution 04-38; Kris Hughes seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
Since the last Planning Committee meeting, GTC has received the following appointments:
Monroe County Jeffery Adair appointed as Wayne Zyras Alternate to the GTC Board. Mr. Adair was also appointed to the Planning Committee, representing Monroe County. Jeff Lurie designated as Mr. Adairs Alternate to the Planning Committee
5. Planning Committee Action Items
a. Planning Committee Action concerning Long Range Transportation Plan: 2005-2025 Draft Public Review Document
Richard Perrin discussed the draft recommendations of the LRTP: 2005-2025. He noted that the recommendations are based on public comments, committee input, work by staff, and emerging themes. Richard then reviewed the organization and highlights of the public review document.
Terry Rice complimented the LRTP Development Committee (LDC) work on the LRTP. Joan Dupont added that GTC Staff did a great job as well.
Terry Rice noted that although the LDC decided not to include specific actions, there are still some specifics such as Route 54 in Penn Yan and Route 14 in Geneva. Richard Perrin responded that Staff would consolidate those two actions into a more general goods movement-related action.
David Cook asked if the release of this draft Public Review Document signaled the end of the work of the LDC. Richard Perrin responded that GTC encourages all Planning Committee members to submit additional comments during the public review period.
Richard Garrabrant asked how GTC would prioritize projects in terms of timing in the document. Richard Perrin responded that the document would state that projects will be advanced through the TIP development process, as appropriate.
Kris Hughes moved to recommend approval of the draft recommendations for the Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region: 2005-2025 for public review; William Sullivan seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
b. Planning Committee concurrence concerning the Approval of UPWP Project Scope of Work
1. Task 5620 Greater Rochester Transportation Operations & Management Organization Feasibility Study
Richard Perrin detailed the Project Scope as well as the recent history of the project. David Woods asked if the study would extend beyond Monroe County. Richard responded that this would happen along some corridors.
David Woods suggested that the geographic area should be better defined so as to include areas outside of Monroe County. Kris Hughes seconded the suggestion.
Joan Dupont stated that the current Transportation Management Committee (TMC) works well, but that TDC members pursue their own funding for ITS and Operations projects.
David Woods asked if a possible outcome of the Study would be that the existing set-up is sufficient. Joan Dupont responded that that could be the possible outcome or that there could be middle ground as well.
David Cook asked if allocated funds were enough to find a qualified consultant. Richard Perrin responded that, given adequate staff time allotted to the project, the funds should be sufficient. Joan Dupont agreed that the funds are enough to cover the project.
Terry Rice noted that there could be adjustments to ITS discretionary funds in the upcoming reauthorization of surface transportation legislation and having a more formal coordinated structure could strengthen the regions future position for Federal funding.
Terry Rice added that he feels GTC staff and the TMC could conduct the study without a consultant. John Thomas stated that he felt an outside consultant could add value to the project.
David Cook asked about the status of Federal ITS funding. Richard Perrin replied that an ITS-specific Federal formula fund similar to HBRR for bridges could be included in the reauthorization.
David Woods suggested that if a possible outcome of this study is the formation of a new structure, he would like to see the Scope include ways of expanding to neighboring counties in the future. Kris Hughes agreed with this addition to the Scope.
Kris Hughes moved to postpone consideration of approval of the UPWP Project Scope of Work for Task 5620 until the next Planning Committee meeting; Jim Brady seconded the motion. The motion was defeated.
Richard Perrin stated that GTC staff would revise the Scope to better define the project area, including consideration of areas outside Monroe County in the preferred future organizational structure. Richard Perrin stated that the suggested changes would be forwarded to affected Planning Committee members.
Richard Garrabrant moved to approve the UPWP Project Scope of Work for Task 5620 with the suggested modifications; Joan Dupont seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
2. Task 7550 State Route 96/State Route 318 Rural Corridor Study Phase I
Harriett Haynes of the Seneca County Planning Department discussed the scope of work and its history.
David Zorn asked how the potential recommendations of the Study would be adopted by the corridor towns if they are not equipped to adopt land use regulations. Harriett Haynes responded that Phase 2 of the Study will include ready-to-adopt regulations and added that the communities are becoming more agreeable to zoning and land use regulations given the relative growth they are experiencing.
Kris Hughes moved to approve the UPWP Project Scope of Work for Task 7550; Terry Rice seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
6. Planning Committee Information Items
a. Long Range Transportation Plan Update
Richard Perrin explained the public review process and noted that GTC will again hold six public meetings throughout the region for the LRTP.
b. Air Quality Update
Richard Perrin stated that the New York State MPOs, including GTC, have been involved in all Interagency Consultation Group meetings held since August 3. GTC has gained significant insight into the process by taking part in these meetings.
Richard noted that the region is now eligible for CMAQ funds but is not part of the distribution formula.
David Woods asked what needs to happen for the region to have access to CMAQ funds. Richard Perrin responded that a joint letter from Marvin Decker, GTC Chairman, and Charles Moynihan, NYSDOT-Region 4 Director, requesting such funds would need to be drafted.
Terry Rice moved to recommend that a letter requesting access to CMAQ funds be drafted for signature by Marvin Decker and Charles Moynihan; William Sullivan seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
c. Triennial Joint FHWA/FTA Certification Review
Richard Perrin explained the purpose of the triennial review. He noted that GTC has done a good job of meeting recommendations produced during the last certification review.
David Woods asked if member interviews would be held. Richard Perrin responded that members of the GTC Executive Committee would be invited to participate in interviews.
David Cook asked if FTA would be part of the process. Richard Perrin replied that James Goveia of FTA would be attending. David Cook requested that any questions to be asked by FHWA/FTA be provided in advance of the review. Richard Perrin responded that GTC would make that request.
7. New Business
There was no new business.
8. Next Meeting
The next Planning Committee meeting will be held November 18, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. at the Livingston County Government Center in Geneseo.
9. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.