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MPO TPC/TAC Board Minutes - 07/21/20106P 14 TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE (TPC) MEETING WICHITA FALLS METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION July 21, 2010 Present: Glenn Barham, City of Wichita Falls, Mayor, Chairperson ♦ Members Dennis Wilde, NORTEX, Executive Director Russell Schreiber, P.E., City of Wichita Falls, Director of Public Works Larry Tegtmeyer, TxDOT, District Engineer Michael Smith, City of Wichita Falls, City Council Representative Steven Halloway, Lakeside City, Mayor Donnie Arbeau, WFMPO, Transportation Planner II ♦ Staff Lin Barnett, WFMPO, Transportation Planning Director James Kelley, TxDOT, Area Engineer Tammy Marlow, TxDOT, Funding Administrator Madison Andrus, WFMPO, Transportation Intern Jerrie Sowards, Rep. David Farabee's Office ♦ Ex- officio Joe Gambill, NORTEX, Economic Development ♦ Guests John Burrus, City of Wichita Falls, Director of Aviation, Traffic and Trans. Jeff Watts, Pleasant Valley, Representative ♦ Absent Tim Ingle, City of Wichita Falls, City Council Representative Woody (Woodrow) Gossom, Wichita County, Judge, Vice - Chairperson I. Welcome & Introduction Mayor Barham called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Introductions and role call were completed. II. Public Comment on Agenda and Non - Agenda Items Mayor Barham asked if there were any comments from the public on any of the agenda and non - agenda items. There were none. III. Review and Approval of the Transportation Policy Committee's (TPC's) May 5, 2010 Meeting Minutes Mayor Barham asked for comments or corrections to the May 5, 2010 TPC minutes. There were none. Mr. Wilde motioned to approve the minutes as presented. Mayor Halloway seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. IV. Review and Comment Regarding the Technical Advisory Committee's (TAC's) July 7, WICHITA FALLS MPO TPC MEETING July 21, 2010 PAGE 1 2010 Meeting Minutes - No Action Required Mr. Barnett informed the Policy Board that the TAC committee worked primarily on the West of Kemp Mobility Study at the July 7, 2010 meeting. The emphasis centered on providing LAN with guidance and direction on the next phases of the study. There were no additional comments. V. Review and Approve Amendment to the FY 2010 Unified Planning Work Program to Reflect Full- Funding Authorization by the Federal Highway Administration Mr. Barnett informed the Policy Board of a TOOT notification which states the WFMPO received its full funding authorization of $364,182.91 for FY 2010. Mr. Barnett mentioned that $76,085 carried over for FY 2009 for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update. The MTP Update was completed in January 2010. Mr. Barnett indicated he reduced the budget by $38,182.59, which left $37,902.41 remaining. As a result of the budget reduction, Mr. Barnett brought it before the Policy Board for an amendment approval. Mayor Barham asked for a motion to approve the amendment. Mayor Holloway motioned to approve the amendment as presented; Councilor Smith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. VI. Review and Approve the FY 2011 Unified Planning Work Program Mr. Barnett began by notifying the TPC that the 2011 UPWP must be submitted to Tammy Marlow by August 6th with four signed copies by Mayor Barham and Mr. Tegtmeyer. He then reviewed the document while noting there was minimal change between the 2010 and 2011 document. None of the budgets changed in Tasks 1 through 4. The "Previous Work" sections of each Task were updated to reflect work done by the MPO in 2009/2010. He stated that Task 5 - Special Studies changed considerably to reflect new objectives of the MPO. He commented that the West of Kemp Mobility Study would carry over from the FY 2010 UPWP into the FY 2011 UPWP. Mr. Barnett stated Task 5.2 outlines an initiative to identify funding mechanisms to complete sections of the Hike and Bike Trail along Barnett Road and Lake Shore Drive going north to the Kell Freeway intersection. Task 5.3 will develop a future freight study. Task 5.4 will study the possibility of extending the WFMPO's area boundary, which could target surrounding municipalities like Iowa Park and Burkburnett. Mr. Arbeau, Ms. Marlow, and Mr. Barnett attended the recent TxDOT Transportation Planning Conference (in Bastrop, TX) where it was revealed the Census Bureau predicts Wichita Falls population growth will be stagnant or lose population in the 2010 Census. Furthermore, new MPO's will be created in Texas and around the country, which affects overall funding levels for existing MPO's. Adding additional census designated places like Iowa Park and Burkburnett would increase our Metropolitan Area Boundary (MAB) total population, which is tied directly to distribution funding levels. In essence, it could make the WFMPO more viable, regionally significant, and competitive for future funding. Mr. Arbeau added that some MPO's in Texas were much bigger than their defined urbanized area boundaries and utilized county boundaries. Despite the proximity of neighboring communities, the current WFMPO MAB does not extend very far beyond Wichita Falls, Pleasant Valley, and Lakeside City. Mr. Tegtmeyer added that total mileage is also involved in the formula breakdown. Mr. Barnett was asked if he would consider adding Holliday as well. He replied affirmatively. Mr. Barnett covered the funding summary for sub -tasks under Task 5. He stated all of the subtasks were considered "in- house" task except for subtask 5.1, which was currently under WICHITA FALLS MPO TPC MEETING July 21, 2010 PAGE 2 way with the aid of an outside consulting firm. Mr. Barnett stated he will have about $33,000 less to spend in FY 2011 compared to FY 2010. He indicated the FTA Section 5303 planning fund amount of $46,099 is a solid number, while the FHWA PL -112 carry over of $109,339 is an estimate. In Appendix A, membership information was updated to reflect the roster changes. There were no changes for the Technical Advisory Committee. The next section (Appendix B) shows the MPO boundary which includes Pleasant Valley, Lakeside City and Wichita Falls. This will be reviewed as part of sub -task 5.4. Appendix F addresses non - attainment. Appendix G is a break down of the Federal Transit Administration 5303 Section 8 planning funds. All the funds combine together to pay salaries, studies, and operating expenses at the MPO. Appendix H outlines estimated travel expenses. Mr. Barnett stated he did not expect travel expenses to increase significantly. Mr. Wilde asked for clarification on the non - attainment area boundary for NCTCOG and where it begins in respect to our region. Mr. Arbeau made arrangements to follow -up with Mr. Wilde after the meeting. Mayor Barham asked for a motion to approve the FY 2011 Unified Planning and Work Program. Mr. Tegtmeyer motioned to approve the UPWP as presented; Mr. Wilde seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. VII. Review and Approve Amendments to the 2010 -2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Project List In April 2010, TxDOT released the Unified Transportation Plan for Texas, which covers all statewide transportation projects for the current year, plus 10 additional years. As a result, projects in the WFMPO's 2010 -2035 MTP were updated to reflect current information in the UTP. Mr. Arbeau presented various handouts on the UTP and an outline on the transportation development process used at TxDOT. The DCIS website, which is managed by TxDOT, was utilized to verify project information during the MTP update process. This system tracks all the projects costs and timelines. Over the next ten years, $62 million worth of projects is projected for our area; however, the majority of funding for those projects is not confirmed. Mr. Arbeau explained how if a project is added to the UTP it is not programmed for actual construction, but preliminary engineering and planning work. He finished with explaining how all the projects were verified and the MTP is now current. Mayor Barham asked for a motion to approve the amendments to the 2010 -2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan project list, Mr. Wilde motioned to approve the amendments as presented; Mr. Tegtmeyer seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. VIII. Progress Report on West of Kemp Mobility Study Mr. Barnett explained that work is progressing well on the West of Kemp Mobility Study. Handouts showing project alternatives and a decision matrix were shared for informational purposes only. LAN (Lockwood, Andrews, & Newnam, Inc.) produced simulation videos for the Lawrence Road intersection and three estimates based on the alternatives. These were reviewed and used to narrow down to two main alternatives for both the Lawrence Road intersection and the north /south travel corridor. LAN is two - thirds of the way through the mobility study. Mr. Barnett stated there would be a workshop in September with the TAC committee to finalize the study. After that workshop, LAN will present the final product to the TPC at the October 20, 2010 Policy Board meeting. Project study recommendations could possibly be considered for inclusion into the MTP. IX. Other Business: A. Discussion & Overview of Progress on Local Transportation Projects — City and TxDOT staff (Quarterly Review) WICHITA FALLS MPO TPC MEETING July 21, 2010 PAGE 3 City Report: Mr. Schreiber informed the Policy Board about various City projects. The Faith Village project on Kemp Street is about 80% complete. The Rhea Road connector project, connecting the trail that runs up over the Lake Wichita dam, is underway. The Upper Creek drainage project is about 87% complete. The 2010 drainage project at Stone Lake Drive, Deer Creek, and Ditto Lane, is on schedule. The next alley project had not begun yet. The next rehab project will feature a downtown intersection enhancement project, at the intersection of Scott/81h and Indiana/81h and Lamar /8th. A star in the middle of the intersection will make it more pedestrian friendly and visually appealing. TxDOT Report: Mr. Kelley began with project ID 1 which is for finishing the Kell West Main Lanes project. ID numbers two, three, four, five, and six, were all complete. Number eight is the Holliday Creek Hike and Bike trail, where significant sidewalk work has been completed. Number nine is a bridge maintenance repair project. ID ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen are all one project to redo the illumination at the 325/144/287 interchange. Number fourteen is left over ARRA money for the railroad crossing at the Kell frontage road (westbound). B. MPO Quarterly Financial Report (2 "d Quarter FY 2010 — Jan, Feb, Mar) Mr. Barnett stated the MPO spent $78,890 during the second quarter. The majority was spent on the mobility study. He commented that $31,974 had been paid to LAN up to that point. Mr. Barnett explained that $30,000 to $40,000 thousand dollars will carry over into FY 2011. C. Sheppard Air Force Base Ex- Off icio Position on TAC Committee Mr. Barnett explained to the policy board that Mark McBurnett, a civil engineer at Sheppard AFB, was previously invited to be a member on the TAC. Due to Air Force regulations, he could not accept the position, but he still attends occasionally. Taling this into consideration, Mr. Barnett developed a recommendation for the policy board to designate Mr. McBurnett as an Ex- Officio position. Of course this would apply to his eventual successor, whoever that may be. The TPC endorsed the recommendation. Councilor Smith made a motion to approve the appointment; Mr. Tegtmeyer seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. D. TxDOT Traffic Saturation Count: Upcoming Urban Saturation Court Surveys in August Mr. Barnett explained that TxDOT hired a private company to do traffic counts beginning August 30th of this year. This will take about 7 weeks. The traffic count information will be used to develop the next cycle of the Travel Demand Model. The Director took the opportunity to inform the TPC that the current TDM model, currently under review by the Texas Transportation Institute, should be approved by the end of the year. E. Briefing Book: "The Transportation Planning Process Key Issues" 2010 Publication Mr. Barnett provided the Policy Board with copies of The Transportation Planning Process Key Issues. He explained how the briefing book is an excellent teaching aid on WICHITA FALLS MPO TPC MEETING July 21, 2010 PAGE 4 the different plans and programs the MPO is responsible for, such as the UTWP, UTP, TIP, MTP and STIR He commented that the briefing book was a great source of information on the transportation planning process, in general. F. Other Items One item mentioned was an open house on August 5th at 4:00 PM at the Wichita Falls TxDOT District office training center. This meeting will give citizens and stakeholders an opportunity to review and comment on the TxDOT Statewide Transportation Plan. The meetings are set up to discuss regional transportation needs. Another item was the striping of Kell Freeway (eastbound) going up onto the overhead; the project is tied to a raise pavement marker project. It should start in about a month. Mr. Arbeau informed the policy board that the MTP project list that was updated, now serves as the master project list for tracking all the projects in the MPO. Lastly, Mr. Arbeau mentioned he was almost complete with his Travel Demand Model training. He will begin looking at the various scenarios and alternatives developed in the Mobility Study and how each affects the system. X. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 9:43 a.m. Honorable Glenn Barham Mayor Wichita Falls WICHITA FALLS MPO TPC MEETING July 21, 2010 PAGE 5