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MPO TPC/TAC Board Minutes - 07/07/2010�Q WICHITA FALLS METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Technical Advisory Committee Minutes Wednesday, July 7, 2010 Voting Members Present. Lin Barnett — Wichita Falls MPO, MPO Director, TAC Chairperson Allan Moore — TxDOT, Director of Construction Danny Brown — TxDOT, Director of Trans. Planning and Development Davis Powell — City of Wichita Falls, City Engineer James Kelley — TxDOT, Area Engineer Karen Montgomery-Gagne — City of Wichita Falls, Comm. Development Planner III Mark Beauchamp — City of Wichita Falls, Traffic Superintendent Tim Hertel — TxDOT, Director of Operations MPO Staff: Donnie Arbeau —Wichita Falls MPO, Transportation Planner Ii Tammy Marlow — TxDOT, Funding Specialist, North Region Visitors: Andrew Howard — Kimley -Horn and Associates, Inc. Jerrie Sowards — State Rep. David Farabee's Office John Burrus — Director of Aviation, Traffic, and Transportation Mike Beaver — TxDOT, Design /Bridge Engineer Nora Hodges — Stakeholder T.J. Herrell — TxDOT, Engineer Absent: Kevin Hugman — City of Wichita Falls, ACM /Interim Director of Community Development I. Welcome & Introduction Mr. Barnett, the TAC chairperson, called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. and welcomed everyone in attendance. II. Public Comment on Agenda and Non - Agenda Items Mr. Barnett asked for any public comments. There was none. 111. Review and Approval of the April 14, 2010 Technical Advisory Committee's (TAC) Meeting Minutes Mr. Barnett asked for any additions or corrections to the minutes. There was none. He then asked for a motion to approve the minutes as presented. Mr. Beauchamp made the motion to approve and Mr. Brown seconded his motion. The board unanimously approved the minutes. Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 7, 2010 Page 1 of 5 IV. Review and Comment Regarding the May 5, 2010 Transportation Policy Committee's (TPC's) Meeting Minutes - No Action Required Mr. Barnett asked for comments on the May 5, 2010 TPC meeting minutes. There was none. V. Amend the FY 2010 Unified Planning Work Program to Reflect Full- Funding Authorization by the Federal Highway Administration: Review and Recommendation to the Policy Board Mr. Barnett stated that Subtask 5.1 in the FY 2010 UPWP was for the 2010 -2035 MTP update. He stated that in order to bring the budget of $364,182.91 into compliance with the total current authorization, Subtask 5.1 (Special Studies) was reduced by $38,182.59. The reduction left Subtask 5.1 with $37,902, which Mr. Barnett stated would become carry over funds for FY 2011 because the subtask completed earlier in the year. Mr. Barnett informed the committee that Subtasks 5.2 and 5.3 remained unchanged in their funding level. He commented that subtask 5.2 was still in progress but that subtask 5.3 was complete. Amendments to the UPWP must be reviewed by the TAC and approved by the TPC. Mr. Barnett asked for a motion to forward the UPWP amendments to the Policy Board for review and approval at the July 21, 2010 TPC meeting. Mr. Davis made the motion. Mr. Brown seconded the motion. The TAC committee unanimously approved forwarding the amendments to the Policy Board for review and approval. VI. Review and Recommendation of the FY 2011 Unified Planning Work Program Mr. Barnett discussed the new TxDOT Regional Service Centers set up to assist MPO's and their local TxDOT districts with development of plans and programs. Texas is now divided into four quadrants or service centers. Wichita Falls is located in the Northern Regional Service Center. He informed the committee that the Northern Regional Service Center representative, Brenda Stefka, had reviewed and made recommendations to the content of the WFMPO FY 2011 Unified Planning Work Program. Ms. Stefka recommended adding a short paragraph in the Private Sector Involvement (Section D) of the document to highlight MPO involvement with neighborhood associations, bicycle groups, and other citizen advisory groups. Ms. Stefka communicated via email that she was very pleased with the format and information contained in the draft document. Mr. Barnett reviewed the rest of the document for the committee. He commented that Tasks 1 through 4 remained unchanged, as did the budget for each task. However, the budget did change for subtasks under Task 5 (Special Studies). Subtask 5.1 is the West of Kemp Mobility Study; Subtask 5.2 identifies funding mechanisms for completing the pedestrian trail system; Subtask 5.3 is a freight study; Subtask 5.4 will look at the benefits of expanding the MPO boundary; and, Subtask 5.5 will continue corridor signal optimization throughout the MPO area. Mr. Barnett noted that Subtasks 5.2 through 5.5 are all in -house studies. He added that Subtask 5.4 is a pressing issue for the WFMPO due to limited transportation funding, stagnate area growth (as preliminarily projected in the 2010 Census for Wichita County), and the incredible rate of growth of other major metropolitan areas in Texas. Mr. Brown discussed the possible effects on the funding formulas for urban /rural areas and how their benefits should be considered. Mr. Barnett then discussed the UPWP Budget Summary and explained the funding Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 7, 2010 Page 2 of 5 levels for each of the Tasks 1 through 5. He paid particular attention to the Task 5 Funding Summary, detailing how the funds will be used and tracked in- house. Regarding Appendix A, TAC and TPC membership, the Technical Advisory Committee determined that adding a Sheppard Air Force Base representative in an ex- officio capacity to the TAC committee would help strengthen communication ties between the MPO and the base. U.S. Air Force rules prohibit base representatives from serving in a voting capacity on any local government agency boards and committees. However, the Ex- Officio position offers the base representative a more permanent position on the TAC committee. Consideration will also be given to adding an ex- officio position for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Mr. Barnett stated the BPAC measure would require some research of the MPO's By -Laws. Mr. Barnett commented on the rest of the Appendix and concluded his review of the document. Mr. Barnett asked for a motion to forward the 2011 UPWP, with noted revisions, to the Policy Board for review and approval at the July 21, 2010 TPC meeting. Mr. Hertel made the motion. Mr. Kelley seconded the motion. The TAC committee unanimously approved forwarding the 2011 UPWP, with revisions, to the Policy Board for review and approval. VII. Review and Recommendation of Updates to the 2010 -2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Project Lists A copy of the updated project list was included in the meeting agenda packet that was sent out to all the TAC board members. Mr. Arbeau presented the project list update for the 2010 -2035 MTP. Handouts on the Unified Transportation Plan (UTP) and the TxDOT project selection process were also shared and quickly reviewed with everyone. The basis of the MTP update originated from the recent TOOT UTP update released in May of 2010. Projects in the UTP were compared, adjusted, and added to the MTP to reflect current cost and letting dates in the UTP. To ensure MTP fiscal constraint, MPO and TXDOT District staff will also review project letting dates against anticipated transportation funded and make necessary changes. After this step, the document will be finalized for presentation at the next TPC meeting on July 21, 2010 Mr. Brown made a motion to forward the 2010 -2035 MTP Project List amendments, with revisions, to the Policy Board for their review and approval. Mr. Hertel seconded his motion. The motion carried unanimously. VIII. Progress Report on West Kemp Mobility Study A project map, scoring matrix, and VISSIM videos of the Callfield /Lawrence /Rhea intersection were prepared by the project consultant Lockwood, Andrews, and Newnam, Inc. or LAN. Weeks prior to the meeting, VISSIM videos showing traffic progression /movement through the intersection with various configurations were available on the project extranet site for download. Staff reviewed the simulations with the City of Wichita Falls, Traffic Division. As a result, Mark Beauchamp prepared SYNCHRO 7 simulations to compare to LAN's VISSIM models. His results verified LAN's findings and lent confidence to the project (process and results shown in the prepared videos). The Director conveyed this to the committee. The committee reviewed the VISSIM models, narrowed the alternatives to viable options, and developed a recommendation for LAN's next phase of the study (Step 3.3). The TAC recommendation is as follows: compare alternative E1 (Beverly Dr., Cedar Ave., Seymour Rd, and Lebanon Rd.) to alternative B3 (Arrowhead Dr., Pawhuska Dr., and Lebanon rd.) for a north /south connector. For the Callfield /Rhea/Lawrence intersection, compare the realignment of Rhea and Lawrence Rd. (alternative Al) with the by -pass option along Callfield Rd. Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 7, 2010 Page 3 of 5 cm (alternative A4). Cost estimates will be prepared by LAN for review and discussion at the next TAC meeting /workshop. LAN and MPO staff will present the side by side comparisons of the selected alternatives to the Policy Board at a future TPC meeting sometime in the fall of 2010. The TAC /POC committee will review all materials and recommendations prior to that meeting to ensure the final product is of good quality. The TAC /POC is responsible for guiding the mobility study process. Mr. Barnett indicated he would forward the recommendations made by the TAC /POC to LAN. No action was required at this time. He then moved on to Other Business. IX. Other Business: A. Discussion & Overview of Progress on Local Transportation Projects — City and TxDOT staff (Quarterly Review) City of Wichita Falls Report: Mr. Powell began his report with the Faith Village Drainage Phase II & III project stating it is 80% complete. He stated the project is nearing completion. The Rhea Road Trail Connector is about 56% complete. Upper Plum Creek Drainage is 87% complete. The 2010 Drainage Improvements program affecting Richmond Road, Ditto Lane, Deer Creek Road, and Stone Lake Dr., is underway and will affect some street closures around town. The 2010 Alley Project and the 2010 Street Rehab Project are both commencing towards kick -off. These will be done at various locations around Wichita Falls. In a tangential question, Mr. Brown inquired as to the timetable for maintenance and rehab of the Maplewood Avenue corridor. With construction on Kemp St. rerouting traffic, increased volume on the corridor is having a noticeable affect on the facility. Mr. Powell stated it is expected to be listed in next year's Rehab Program. The last project, a downtown intersection enhancement project at 8th & Lamar /8th & Scott/8th & Indiana, should be let in September 2010. That concluded Mr. Powell's update on City projects for the TAC. TxDOT Report: Mr. Kelley reported on TxDOT projects. He stated the contractor is finishing up on vegetative status on the Kell West Main Lanes. Once completed, pending final inspection, the project will be completed. He stated that various seal coat projects have been completed. The Hike and Bike Trail, Phase 3 construction of retaining walls and so forth has not begun yet. However, the project is still on schedule. Bridge maintenance and repair work is underway. This should bring up the scoring for those facilities. A major upgrade illumination project for the main interchange at SP 325 and IH 44 has a pre- construction meeting pending; work has not yet begun. The US 82 railroad crossing project on the Kell Freeway service road has not yet begun. That concluded Mr. Kelley's report. B. MPO Quarterly Financial Report (2nd Quarter FY 2010 — January, February, March) Mr. Barnett provided a brief financial report update for the 2nd quarter of 2010. As of the end of the quarter, the MPO had spent 28.74% ($72,890.17) of its total FY 2010 transportation planning funds. A large portion had been directed to the mobility study. There were no questions or comments. Mr. Barnett concluded his report. C. Other items Mr. Barnett took a moment to touch on the recent Texas Transportation Conference and the changing objectives of the WFMPO. Many factors are in play. For example, most of the major Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 7, 2010 Page 4 of 5 reports and plans (MTP, TIP, etc.) for the WFMPO are complete. Preliminary reports on the upcoming 2010 U.S. Census indicate Wichita County has lost population. Furthermore, a number of new MPO's will be established in the state of Texas because of major population growth in the state. Mr. Barnett stated the rapid growth of the state over the last ten years has increased the need for more transportation dollars to complete infrastructure projects. This, coupled with the fact that revenue from the state's fuel tax has declined, or remained flat, in recent years (because of ever increasing vehicle fuel efficiencies plus the reduction of vehicle miles traveled or VMT) contributes to the competition between MPO/TxDOT districts for shrinking transportation funds. Smaller MPO's have few funding sources to draw upon because transportation funding is at such a low point. Due to these factors, Mr. Barnett is working with the City of Wichita Fall's Human Resources Department to create an entry level transportation planner position to aid the MPO Director in the day to day operations of the MPO thus allowing the Director to pursue more grants and revenue streams to fund local transportation projects important to the MPO area. X. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 12:20 p.m. �2 7 Irvan F. "Lin" Barnett Jr. MPO Transportation Plannin irector Wichita Falls MPO Wichita Falls MPO TAC Meeting July 7, 2010 Page 5 of 5