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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Board - Minutes - 06/15/1994Draft minutes to be approved by the Board at the July 20, 1994 meeting. TRANSPORTATION BOARD MEETING MINUTES JUNE 15, 1994 5:37-6:55 P.M. FOR REFERENCE: Chair - Colin Gerety 229-2523 Vice Chair - David Lemesany 482-7854 Council Liaison_ - Gina Janett 221-2557 Staff Liaison - Rick Ensdorff 221-6608 Board Secretary - Cindy Scott 221-6608 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Alan Beatty, Mark Egeland, Sara Frazier, Colin Gerety, Elizabeth Hudetz, David Lemesany, and Paul Valentine. BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Dolores Highfield and Sharone Mekelburg STAFF/COUNCIL PRESENT: Eric Bracke and Cindy Scott The meeting was called to order at 5:37 p.m. AGENDA: A. ACTION ITEMS 1. Approval of Minutes B. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Budget - Regional - Local 2. Board Member Reports 3. Meeting Summary/Next Agenda 4. Other Business A.I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES There was a motion, a second, and a unanimous vote to approve the May 18, 1994 Transportation Board minutes as presented. B.1. BUDGET - REGIONAL Bracke stated that in the regional budget, there are really two budgets to be dealt with as an MPO; a planning budget and a capital budget. Last month the Board looked at the proposed Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for FY 1995-97 and in this month's packet, there is a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) that explains how planning dollars will be spent. He apologized for the errors in the spreadsheet on the back page of the Work Program, he made some changes and inadvertently threw all the numbers off. The "real" number should be $576,000 in the planning budget. They will be using several sources of money for that - PL money from FHWA, Surface Transportation Planning money, Section 8 money for Transit and Highway Planning Research (HPR) funds. Most of what the MPO is trying to do is begin the implementation phase of the Regional Transportation Plan. They have approximately $240,000 budgeted for a regionwide Origin and Destination Study (O/D Study). This study will be used for virtually everything for the next five years such as Transportation Demand Management, rideshare/carpool programs, regional rail study, etc. DRCOG is also going to be doing an O/D Study so the MPO is going to coordinate the study with them to get the best information for the entire region. The MPO is going to implement the GIS system, getting a computer and using other entity's software. The MPO is going to establish the goals and objectives in the monitoring system for the Transportation Demand Management program for the region and this is probably the second most significant work that they will be undertaking during 1995. This Work Program begins October 1, 1995. $15,000 has been set aside to begin a regional rail study. The technical staff believed that the study could not begin until 1996 or 1997, and the O/D work is the most critical element of that study. The Upper Front Range Transportation Planning region (Weld, Morgan and Larimer counties), with the exception of our area, was not prepared to put money on the table to do it because the DRCOG, as well as CDOT were not prepared to money on the table in 1995. They won't be ready until 1996. Everyone would like to do it as a regional project, but we were the only ones to commit some money into it now to begin coordinating those efforts, preparing the intergovernmental agreements that are necessary, etc. Valentine commented that the O/D Study should take place in any month other than January or February as it is shown now. He feels that there will not be an accurate study during the winter. Frazier stated that we need to start educating people, changing current mindsets. Bracke stated that this is part of what setting up the TDM program is all about. In the following years in the TIP, a significant amount of the MPOs resources is dedicated to doing things like marketing and education. The TIP has basically been redone this year from previous years. 77% were traditional roadway projects in the past, in this TIP, alternate modes went up 5.5% from last year. It may not seem like a lot, but it is a start. The MPO is spending 88% of their funds on alternate modes. Gerety stated that he would like to see along with the score that the environmental Quality of Life group gave projects, the basis on which the score was given. He would like to see the projects separated out more to look each component separately so the reasons can be better understood. There was a brief discussion about the Harmony Road interchange and Park'n Ride facility as an example of this. BUDGET- LOCAL Bracke stated that in the packets, some program issues forms from some city departments were included. One of the issues that needs to be addressed in 1995 is the citywide Pedestrian Plan and Downtown Parking Plan. It is $125,000 project. There will also be another staff position created to handle neighborhood safety and the Safe Route to School Program. The Transportation Department also needs additional staff to help with the signal maintenance and construction. The bottom line, is that there isn't enough money. Egeland found it curious that for the Pedestrian Plan, the city is proposing to spend 50K, but on the Downtown Parking Plan, they want to spend 50% more - the numbers seem out of balance. Bracke responded that he speculates the reason is that the Parking Plan is going to take a considerable amount of public process to implement, where the Pedestrian Plan is simpler. Egeland had comments about Engineering's plan to bring the sidewalks into ADA compliance, $7 million seems really high compared to the Transportation's Pedestrian Plan at $50K; what is the bicycle element in the Safe Route to School program and the neighborhood safety program (he did not expect answers to these questions tonight). He also asked if Shields Street is one of the most pressing issues for Transportation right now in regards to neighborhood safety. Bracke stated that any time there is a development that people are opposed to, there are issues that need to be addressed, so it is not just Shields Street. Valentine commented that it is important to educate people in regards to the neighborhood safety program, break them into small groups and educate them. In the Regional Transportation Plan, Gerety asked if there is money for the TDM and where does that fit into the local projects? Bracke stated that the first element of the TDM will be administered through the MPO. It won't be until next year before we actually see money filtering down, they will decide then what to do with the money. This is not effective in this years budget. Gerety stated that when you get to the point where the monies are in an arrangement in the city budget documents, the Transportation Board ought to see them. Bracke agreed and said that this could be ready for the Board's August meeting. The Board discussed the Transportation Department's lack of staff and heavy workload which continues to increase. Gerety asked if the Board desires to send a message to Council on this particular issue. Lemesany feels it is too early. Egeland stated that it may be a good idea. Valentine asked if the last page of the Transportation budget issues is in a prioritized order, if so, he would switch the last 2 items, and leave the rest as is. After more discussion on how transportation has become one of the biggest issues lately, the Board agreed to make a recommendation to Council that the Transportation department get the staffing they need to make progress on the citywide transportation plan. Chair Gerety will draft a letter to this effect. B.2. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Egeland - The Bikeway focus Group has met for the second time and have a proposed work plan and a schedule if anyone is interested in a copy, let him know. The next meeting is June 23, ,7 p.m. in the CIC. Look for bicycle usage surveys with your utility bill. r i - For the past two weeks she has been boycotting a meeting that she has been invited to that is in the city, but is a long distance. It seems to her that there has to be an easy way of getting some carpooling in the city. She suggests that carpooling locations be designated in various parts of the city. The advertisement for the meeting should be informative about the locations for carpooling and should also have a voucher attached to it - something that could be fastened to your cars antenna so others will know when you pull into the carpool location where or what meeting you are wanting to carpool to. There could four of five different groups gathering, so the vouchers could be color coded so those going to the same destination can identify each other. Education could be done through the utility bills and would be inexpensive. The business sponsoring the meeting could increase the price by about $3 and the person who does the driving could receive a rebate, etc. She purposely boycotted the Transfort/carpooling open house because it was half way to Loveland and it did not supply any carpool info to those who would have liked to. It would have been so easy to state on the invitation that "if you would like to carpool, here are the locations and so on." She stated it is a simple thing to do - just inform people of the locations and include a voucher with the notice of meeting. The Board discussed this concept further and all embraced it. Vice Chair Lemesany suggested that the Board send a letter to carpool with this suggestion. A phone number to call should also be included on the meeting notice. B.3. MEETING SUMMARY/NEXT AGENDA No comment on the summary. Next Agenda: - Transportation Funding Tax and Oversizing issues, staff will ask Alan Krcmarik to speak . - US 287/CO 14 (Budget update will be ready for the August meeting.) Board Members Egeland and Frazier will not be at the next meeting. BA. OTHER BUSINESS Valentine asked the Board Members what should be done to handle guests who wish to address an issue at a Board meeting. There was discussion on when to allow them to speak and whether or not a time limit should be set. After further discussion, it was agreed that there will be a public comment session after the approval of the minutes. This will be added to the agenda with a 5 minute time limit per person. There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. Pe. J Cindy L. cott, Board Secretary