RECORD OF MEETING
FREIGHT TASK FORCE
DATE/TIME/PLACE: Monday, May 22, 1995; 2 PM; CDTC
Offices, Colonie
ATTENDANCE: Dick Corp (NYSTA), Ted Thompson (NYSDOT
Region One), Tom Magliocca (Port), Carl Belke (CP Rail Systems), Steve Iachetta
(Albany County Airport), Kristina Younger (CDTC)
DISCUSSION SUMMARY:
Status Reports:
* Roundtable results were mailed after Planning Committee
approval in early May.
* Advance preparation for the release of the Transit Futures
Task Force findings was given.
* The status of the abandonment of the Voorheesville Running
Track was reviewed. Current consensus
among affected stakeholders is for preservation of right-of-way, not
necessarily for continued rail use.
* The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute will be doing a
site visit for their case study of CDTC on June 6 and 7. Various task force members may be contacted
for interviews.
Outline of Final
Report: It was requested that supplemental
performance measures include pavement and geometric conditions on the major
surface access routes to intermodal terminals, particularly the Airport and the
Port. It was noted that the Commercial
Transport Division has completed an updated Grade Crossing Inventory that
should be reviewed and incorporated as appropriate.
Revised Vision
Statement: Minor clarifications to the bullets in the
remove/reduce barriers sections were made.
Revised Vision Statement was endorsed by those present.
Core Performance
Measure Chapter: Kristina handed out this 25-page document and
walked through its major findings and conclusions. Discussion was lively, particularly as
regards the impact of congestion (especially incidents), the economic costs of
the highway system, and the land use interactions of goods movement. A section on noise impacts -- both of the
highway system and from the airport -- should be added. Additional land use interactions include the
potential to use rail facilities to develop commercial activity in appropriate
areas, the "neighborhood splitting" aspects of both highways and
railroads, the proximity of low-income residential development in the vicinity
of the Port. In general, both the
quality of life and economic impacts sections can be expanded and made more
comprehensive. See action items.
ACTION ITEMS:
* NEXT
MEETING: Monday, June 19, 1995, 2 - 4:30
PM, CDTC Offices. Agenda to
include: Actions/strategies discussion,
revised performance measures, plan for ongoing industry involvement
* Task
force members to transmit comments on core performance measures chapter to
Kristina by June 15. Kristina to
mail draft report to all those not present.
* Kristina to
acknowledge Mary Phillips' new position at Conrail and extend the task force's
best wishes for success in her new endeavors.
* Kristina to
draft actions/strategies based on previous discussions. Plan for ongoing involvement includes
creation of Advisiory Committee that will meet quarterly (minimum) and sponsor
Roundtables annually or as needed. NO
MEETINGS IN JULY AND AUGUST. SEPTEMBER
MEETING WILL REVIEW COMPLETE DRAFT FINAL REPORT. OCTOBER IS MAJOR CONFERENCE AND BEGINNING OF
PHASE 3 OUTREACH. TASK FORCE WILL
DISSOLVE, AS OUR TASK WILL BE COMPLETED.
A FREIGHT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE CDTC IS PROPOSED TO BE FORMED TO
PROVIDE FOR ONGOING INPUT. THIS ADVISORY
COMMITTEE WOULD MEET QUARTERLY STARTING IN 1996.