Capital District Transportation Committee
Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force
Record of Meeting on
Attendance: James Levy (WSA/Niskayuna
Resident), Raj Malhotra (NYSDOT Region 1 Planning), Elaine Troy (NYSDOH),
1.0 New Business
1.1 Transportation
Enhancement Program Status of Program – CDTC review committee sent a
-Awards have not been announced but are antici
- CDTC region should receive approximately $4-5 million if funding levels are similar to previous rounds.
- The group inquired about the criteria NYSDOT used to evaluate the projects and how the Task Force or NYBC could play an advocacy role in changing the TEP Program criteria.
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- R. Mahaltra informed the group that comments regarding the TEP program and evaluation process can be submitted in writing to Wilson Moore.
1.2 Spot-Improvement Program- Projects approved by Planning Committee for Funding/Discussion – Six of thirteen submitted projects were approved for funding. The funding will be spread over three years on the TIP. Letters to the project sponsors will go out on November 19.
1.3 Local Project Updates
1.3.1
1.3.2 Albany Linkage- A series of meetings are scheduled the first week of December with the Study Advisory Committee, UAlbany Planning Studio students, and the Albany Bicycling Coalition. The first public meeting will be scheduled for late February but date not yet known.
1.4 GPS Trail Inventory – CDTC interns collected GPS data and photos, throughout the summer, of signed on-road portions of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Hike Trail (MHBHT). The photos have been hot-linked to points along the trail. All comments regarding the trail (i.e. sign covered by brush, trail contradicts other signs), have been organized. Additional trails will be GPS’d as more resources are made available. Currently T. Lasalle has all available data for trails within .25 - .50 miles of the MHBHT. Municipalities can send additional data in any form possibly to T. Lasalle, however digital files are preferred.
- D. Haller suggested getting in touch with Google Maps photographers to collect trail photos and apply them to current mapping data.
- M. Valentine suggested CDTC coordinate with OPRHP to acquire snowmobile trail data.
- www.bikely.com and www.mapmyride.com were two sites suggested for additional data.
1.5 ITE Webinar Pedestrian Crosswalk Policies: New Tools and Treatments Summary – J. Purvis distributed copies of the Powerpoint presentation and supplement to all Task Force members that did not attend the webinar. Additional copies can be distributed by email.
1.6 Summary
of Statewide DOT/MPO Bike/Ped Coordinators’ Meeting – The NYSDOT
Commissioner’s statewide bike/ped advisory committee has been revived and names
have been submitted for recommendation. MPO’s
will be represented on the Committee. At
the meeting, the coordinators attempted to craft a statewide policy using the
Region 5 Policy as a framework.
1.7 They
just don’t get it – In following up on last month’s incident at Colonie
Center Mall, K. Mateja spoke to the Colonie Police Department about installing
bicycle racks.
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1.8 Other New Business –
1.8.1 D. Haller is looking for
guidance or ideas to get Amtrak to allow bicycles on trains. This could enhance tourism in the Capital
Region, as well as in
1.8.2 2009 Meeting Dates – January 13, February 10, March 10, April 21, May 12, June 19.
1.8.3 Any ideas or suggestions for new agenda items should be forwarded to J. Purvis.
1.8.4 Change in
meeting time?
1.8.5 R. Mahaltra informed the group that SR-9J will be reconstructed to include wide shoulders, which will improve the roadway for cycling.
2.0 Upcoming
Events
The next CDTC Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force meeting is scheduled for December 9, 2008 @ 4:30 PM.