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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9.20.16 TTAC Minutes APPROVED MPOJC TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 -10:30 AM EMMA HARVAT HALL, IOWA CITY, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Coralville: Dan Holderness, Vicki Robrock, Kelly Hayworth Iowa City: Mark Rummel, Chris O’Brien, Jason Havel, Geoff Fruin Johnson County: Tom Brase, Greg Parker North Liberty: Dean Wheatley Tiffin: None University Heights: Wally Heitman University of Iowa: None RTBC: Terry Dahms Iowa DOT: None ECICOG: None FHWA: None STAFF PRESENT: Kent Ralston, Brad Neumann, Darian Nagle-Gamm, Emily Bothell, Sarah Walz OTHERS PRESENT: Dotti Maher (University Heights City Council) 1. CALL TO ORDER; RECOGNIZE ALTERNATES; CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES There were no alternates at this meeting. Brase motioned to approve the meeting minutes. Wheatley seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 2. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA None. 3. CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE URBANIZED AREA POLICY BOARD REGARDING AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY17-20 MPOJC TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP) – REGARDING REPURPOSED FUNDING FOR CORALVILLE CLEAR CREEK TRAIL PHASES 6 & 7 Neumann explained that the city of Coralville requested this amendment for the FY17-20 TIP. Coralville would like to repurpose these funds under the Deer Creek/I-380 Phase 6 & 7 trail projects that are currently in the TIP. Neumann explained that there would be a public hearing for this at the next MPO Board meeting. 2 Dahms asked if the money already funded was enough to complete the entire project. Hayworth responded that there would be enough money to complete the project. Holderness also informed the group they were still working with the DOT to obtain specific permits for the two separate bridges involved in the project. Wheatley motioned to approve. Dahms seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 4. CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE URBANIZED AREA POLICY BOARD REGARDING FEDERAL FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION CHANGES FOR MPOJC URBANIZED AREA ROADWAYS Bothell explained that the MPO had been working with the Iowa DOT to update the Federal Functional Classification System Map for the Iowa City Urbanized area that identifies which roads are federal aid routes. Only 35% of the roadways in the Iowa City area can be listed in the Federal Functional Classification system, and currently the urbanized area is approximately 17 miles under the 35% threshold. MPOJC staff solicited for roadways to be added to the Federal Functional Classification system and received approximately 28 miles of roadways for consideration. Of the 28 miles of roadways requested, only 15.51 were ‘pre-approved’ by the Iowa DOT. Ralston informed the group that the Iowa DOT has confirmed that having a project in a community’s CIP does in fact demonstrate commitment to that project, although the Iowa DOT would still need to review and approve those projects for eligibility. Staff asked for a recommendation on the proposed Federal Functional Classification revisions to the Policy Board. Holderness motioned to approve. Fruin seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. 5. DISCUSSION REGARDING SCORING CRITERIA FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT (STBG) AND TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM (TAP) FUNDS ALLOCATED BY MPOJC Ralston informed the group that grant applications for FY2020-2022 MPOJC Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program (formerly known as the Surface Transportation Program), and Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding will be available this winter. As such, Staff wanted to provide the committee with the opportunity to review the current STBG and TAP scoring criteria and provide comments. Ralston explained that this year’s review of the scoring criteria is different than pervious reviews in that the board adopted new scoring criteria for the Long Range Transportation Plan in March 2016. The scoring criterion makes the connection between the guiding principles that are shaping the plan and the scoring process encouraged by the Iowa DOT and Federal Highway Administration. The approved scoring criteria used to rank the LRTP projects were largely based on the existing STBG and TAP scoring criteria, although there are several key differences. The Long Range Transportation Plan scoring criteria awarded more points to maintain or improve existing facilities, but in the STBG and TAP funding criteria, new road/trail alignment projects are awarded more points. The adopted Long Range Plan scoring criteria awards points in low income neighborhoods, but does not award points for reductions in vehicle delay in intersections as does the current STBG scoring. 3 MPOJC staff suggests using the Long Range Transportation Plan scoring criteria as a basis to revise the scoring criteria for the STBG and TAP funding since the two will have many similarities. Ralston clarified that these scoring criteria are not all that different from the current criteria for Long Range Plan, thus could be used for both. The criteria are merely a tool to help guide the scoring process and are not set in stone. Some objection occurred regarding the basis of scoring criteria, and many suggested specifying transportation in each scoring criteria as some criteria appeared too broad. As recommended by the committee, Ralston agreed to take a couple of projects that were already approved and apply the Long Range Transportation Plan scoring criteria to them to see how they would change. Wheatley objected to using the same criteria for both the Long Range Plan and the STBG and TAP program funding. 6. UPDATE ON THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN REVISION PROCESS AND DISCUSSION OF DRAFT MATERIALS Nagle-Gamm updated the group on current activity from the Long Range Plan. MPOJC completed the first phase of the planning process which involved a needs assessment and facilitating public input and moved on to the second phase, which is writing the plan. Nagle-Gamm mentioned that MPOJC will soon be developing a picture of growth for the surrounding communities for use in the traffic model. This model update will also include a new transit component that is expected to be helpful. The updated Long Range Plan will also include an updated arterial streets map. A few updates include an extension on Forevergreen Road from 12th Avenue to Dubuque Street and the new urban design of North Liberty Road north of Dubuque Street. MPOJC is working with the DOT to determine what performance measures should be included in the plan. Nagle-Gamm mentioned developing a baseline target and goals. Nagle-Gamm provided the Financial Planning and Passenger Transportation chapters for review. Holderness suggested that adding a map of all of the projects that have been funded would add to the effectiveness of the plan. 7. UPDATE ON RECENT ACTIVITIES Neumann indicated that there was an update of activities list in the packet. There were no questions or comments regarding the recent activities update. 8. OTHER BUSINESS Parker updated the group on the status of the Hwy 965 bridge work. Repairs should be finished by mid-November. Brase provided an update regarding North Liberty’s new fixed route transit system. SEATS will be providing the service for North Liberty to beg in in October. 9. ADJOURNMENT Parker moved to adjourn; Heitman seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 11:37.