MPO TPC/TAC Board Minutes - 07/11/2019Technical Advisory Committee
Minutes
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Voting Members Present.
Lin Barnett, Wichita Falls MPO, MPO Director, TAC Chairperson
Allan Moore, TxDOT, Director of Construction
Blaine Boswell, City of Wichita Falls, City Engineer
David Rohmer, TxDOT, Area Engineer
Glenn Allbritton, TxDOT, Director of Operations
Karen Montgomery -Gagne, City of Wichita Falls, Planning Administrator
Visitors:
Samantha Mayfield, Wichita Falls Public Health District
Will Carter, Wichita Falls Public Health District
John Burrus, Director, AT&T
Mark McBurnett, SAFE
Mpo staff..
jaimie Lee, Wichita Falls MPO, Transportation Planner 11
Absent.
Larry Wilkinson, City of Wichita Falls, Traffic Superintendent
Scot Reaves, TxDOT, Interim Director of TP&D
I. Welcome & Introduction
Ms. Lee, the acting TAC chairperson, called the meeting to order at 9:31 a.m. and
welcomed everyone in attendance.
11. Public Comment on Agenda and Non -Agenda Items
Ms. Lee asked for any public comments on agenda and non -agenda items. There were no
public comments on agenda and non -agenda items.
Ill. Review and Approval of the April 11, 2019 Technical Advisory Committee's (TAC)
Meeting Minutes
Ms. Lee asked for any comments or corrections to the April 11, 2019 TAC meeting
minutes. Receiving none, she asked for a motion to approve the minutes. Ms.
Montgomery -Gagne made the motion to approve. Mr. Rohmer seconded the motion,
which passed unanimously.
Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 11, 2019 1
IV. Review and Comment Regarding the April 24, 2019 Transportation Policy
Committee's (TPC's) Meeting Minutes - No Action Required
Ms. Lee asked for comments on the April 24, 2019 TPC meeting minutes. Receiving none,
the committee moved on to the next agenda item.
V. Review and Discussion to Incorporate Two New FAST Act Planning Factors into
Existing Ranking Criteria Definitions Found in the Annual Prioritized Project List
Ranking Process
Ms. Lee directed the committee's attention to page 13 of the meeting packet. Mr. Barnett
stated our 2020-2045 MTP consultant, Alliance Transportation Group (ATG), reviewed
the WFMPO project prioritization process and associated scoring criteria in reference to
the federal guidance on the Metropolitan Transportation Planning process for
development and content of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). He stated with
regards to the FAST Act requirements that ATG made the following recommendations to
add two new FAST Act planning factors: (1) Improve the resiliency and reliability of the
transportation system and reduce or mitigate storm water impacts of surface
transportation; and (2) Enhance travel and tourism. Mr. Barnett stated the additional
FAST Act planning factors came out after WFMPO submitted the 2015-2040 Metropolitan
Transportation Plan update to the Policy Board for approval in January 2015. He stated
that by adding the FAST Act planning factors to the MTP/PPL prioritized project list
process, and to the upcoming 2020-2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan update, this
will bring WFMPO into compliance with Federal regulations.
The TAC board agreed, by consensus, that WFMPO planning staff should include the
additional FAST Act planning factors into the Prioritized Project List ranking process. The
additional planning factors will also appear in the updated 2020-2045 Metropolitan
Transportation Plan (MTP) update.
Mr. Barnett asked for any further comments or questions regarding the new FAST Act
planning factors. Receiving none, the committee moved on to the next agenda item,
VI. Review and Discussion to Add Three New Ranking Criteria to Reflect New FAST Act
Planning Factors (Discussed in Item V) into the Annual Prioritized Project List
Ranking Process.
Ms. Lee directed the committee's attention to page 15 of the meeting packet. Mr. Barnett
pivoted off the discussion in Agenda Item V, stating ATG staff recommended two options
for including the FAST Act planning factors into the Prioritized Project List ranking
process. The two options are as follows:
1. Incorporate the two new planning factors into existing ranking criteria
definitions; or
2. Add three new ranking criteria to reflect the two additional planning factors.
Mr. Barnett presented to the TAC Board Members the additional language recommended
by ATG that would modify existing Ranking Criterion Numbers 3,4,6,7, and 17. He stated
the new language would bring the WFMPO ranking process into compliance with the
FAST Act regulations.
Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 11, 2019 2
After discussing the merits of modifying the existing PPL Ranking Definitions, Mr. Barnett
presented ATG's recommendation to add three new additional PPL Ranking Criterion to
the existing 27 criterions. Mr. Barnett noted that adding the new criterions would bring
the total up to 30 criterions per project.
After examining the merits of each option, the TAC board members reached the
consensus that incorporating new language into Ranking Criterion Numbers 3,4, 6,7, and
17 would best serve WFMPO's purposes of FAST Act compliance when planning and
prioritizing new and existing projects.
Mr. Barnett asked for any further comments or questions regarding the ATG
recommendations for bringing WFMPO's Project Prioritization List (PPL) process into
FAST Act compliance. At a later date, sometime in 2020, the TAC committee
recommended eliminating and/or combining some of the criterions to account for
redundancy in the Prioritized Project List process. There were no other comments or
questions. The committee moved on to the next agenda item.
Vil. TxDOT Bridge Replacement Project Amendment to the 2015-2040 Metropolitan
Transportation Plan (MTP) Project List.
Ms. Lee directed the committee's attention to the enclosed 2015-2040 Metropolitan
Transportation Plan project list on page 18 of the meeting packet. She explained that
TxDOT wanted to accelerate a bridge project from FY 2024 to FY 2020, which resulted in
one amendment to the MTP project list. Ms. Lee asked for any comments or questions to
the MTP plan amendment. Receiving none, she asked for a motion to forward the
document to the Policy Board for review and approval. Mr. Moore made the motion to
forward the document. Mr. Rohmer seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
VIII. TxDOT Bridge Replacement Project Amendment to the 2019-2022 Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP)
Ms. Lee directed the committee's attention to page 21 of the meeting packet. She stated
there was one TIP amendment needing review and recommendation to forward to the
Policy Board for approval. Mr. Barnett discussed the bridge replacement project (stated
in Agenda item V11), which applied to the FY 2020-2021 TIP year. The programmed
amount for the bridge project totals $1,,049,824, which brings the total for the TIP FY
2019-2022 to $6,482,354. Ms. Lee asked for a motion to forward the amendment to the
Policy Board for review and approval. Mr. Allbritton made the motion to forward the
document. Mr. Moore seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
IX. 2020-2045 MTP Project List: Call for Projects
Ms. Lee directed the committee's attention to page 30 of the meeting packet. Mr. Barnett
stated WFMPO will work with our 2020.2045 MTP consultant, Alliance Transportation
Group to kick off our Annual Prioritized Project list gathering and ranking process. MPO
will issue an open 'Call for Projects' beginning on July 11th and ending on August 16th.
WFMPO will request that area planning partners and stakeholders identify needed
transportation projects that do not extend beyond the MPO boundary.
X. Other Business:
a. Discussion & Overview of Progress on Local Transportation Projects - City and
TxDOT staff (Quarterly Review)
Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 11, 2019 3 1
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b. MPO Quarterly Financial Report (2nd Quarter ITY 2019 - January, February,
March)
Ms. Lee reported on the 2nd quarter expenses for the MPO. She stated that the MPO
had spent approximately 26.33% of its total allocation for FY 2019. Ms. Lee asked for
any comments or questions on the second quarter financial report. She received none
c. Grouped TxDOT CSJ Projects Report
Ms. Lee reported on the 2nd quarter grouped CS) projects report. Ms. Lee discussed
minor changes to the projects over the quarter.
d. Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) Application Update
Mr. Barnett stated WFMPO, along with other city departments, have been working
together to complete the application for the Bicycle Friendly Community Bronze
Level designation. He stated the departments have assembled all available
information for input into the application. Mr. Barnett stated the due date for the
application is August 8, 2019.
e. Transportation Alternatives Set -Aside (TASA) Application Update
Mr. Barnett stated if the Texas Transportation Commission awards the projects
requested funding, the City of Wichita Falls can build the final section of the Circle
Trail System between Larry's Marina and Barnett road along Lake Shore Drive. City
Engineering has put together all of the main documents, drawings, and design
elements for this application. He stated the application date deadline had changed
from October 30, 2019 to August 15, 2019.
f Other Items
No other items for business
XI. Meeting Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 10:47 a.m.
Irvan F. "Lin" Barnett Jr.
MPO Transportation Planning Director
Wichita Falls MPO
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