RECORD OF MEETING

FREIGHT TASK FORCE

 

DATE/TIME/PLACE:  Monday, September 18, 1995; 2 PM; CDTC Offices, Colonie

ATTENDANCE:  Dick Corp (NYSTA), Ted Thompson (NYSDOT Region One), Steve Iachetta (Albany County Airport), Pat McLaughlin (UPS), Daniel McCormack & Marty Carson (NYSMTA), Chungchin Chen (CDRPC), John Lemmerman (NYSDOT Freight Transport), John Denison (CP Rail Systems), Richard Wolff (Williamsburg Transport, Inc.), Kristina Younger (CDTC)

 

DISCUSSION SUMMARY:

 

Status Reports:

*          The availability of other New Visions Task Force reports was noted.  Reports will be distributed by request only. 

*          A major public workshop on New Visions will occur on Tuesday, December 12, starting at 1 PM at the Omni Hotel in downtown Albany.  Task Force members are strongly encouraged to attend.

*          Steve Iachetta gave an update on the Albany County Airport cargo facility.  AFCO has been awarded the contract and efforts are on schedule for construction groundbreaking this fall.  A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) environmental document is on track:  wetlands issues have been resolved.  The question of rents in the new facility was raised by UPS.  Rents will reflect "the market" and be determined by AFCO, with the Airport Authority, as landlord, assuring their "reasonableness".

*          Ted Thompson reported that the CP Rail Systems/Capital District (GE turbine) clearance project is "on track".  City objections to specific aspects of the proposal have been dropped.  Both the Colonie and the Thatcher Street at-grade crossings will be closed, and two others will be enhanced.  Full vertical and horizontal clearance will be able to be provided.

*          Dick Corp reported on the implementation of the EZPass system of electronic toll collection on the Thruway.  Opening to commercial accounts will occur soon, and system-wide implementation is anticipated by the end of 1996.

*          John Lemmerman briefly reported on organizational changes in the NYSDOT Main Office.  The Commercial Transport Division is now Freight Transportation.  The Aviation Division was eliminated/combined with Passenger Transportation.  Safety and Inspections are the third division under the Intermodal Transportation Bureau.  When a new organization chart is available, it will be distributed to task force members.

 

Review of Draft Report:  Length and density of report were noted up front.  After discussion, it was determined that a different type of Executive Summary was warranted -- a 5 to 10 page substantive summary of the main points.  The idea is that a busy person could read it and refer to the larger report for details if desired.  See action items.

 

Other discussion points/comments included:

 

*          The Roundtable Chapter can be significantly shortened by deleting the detail of the table-by-table analysis.  Either put that into an appendix or delete it altogether.

 

*          Congestion measures are "esoteric" and "academic".  Relevance to "real world" is not getting through.  Need to make the point "time is money" to truckers clearer and more up front.

 

*          Infrastructure constraints are well-addressed.

 

*          Discussion of certain major trucking industry issues is lacking or weak.  NYSMTA will provide specific comments on regulation, taxing, and other rules to be incorporated as appropriate.

 

*          There was a long discussion of the appropriate level of actions for an MPO and the appropriate focus for the actions (internal Capital District goods movement vs. intercity, mode-by-mode vs. more general).  An overall policy of pointing out state-wide or national issues for reference to those other levels of government will be consistently taken.  An acknowledgement of the "bigger than us" aspect of many of these issues will be explicitly taken.

 

*          Action #4:  Support Freight Rail was significantly re-worked.  It will now read "Support Intermodal Freight Transportation" and include a discussion of tax relief issues for all modes.  Section on truck size and weight limits will be deleted.

 

*          Mention of the nation-wide shortage of qualified truck drivers is missing and should be incorporated.

 

*          The lack of a Saratoga highway connection to the west (Rte 29 and 67 are not sufficient) was mentioned.

 

*          Previous emphasis on access to and enhancement of EXISTING facilities was confirmed.  The Capital Region is blessed in the range, if not the density of existing facilities, and we should play to our strengths.  New intermodal facilities are not a public sector decision.

 

ACTION ITEMS:

 

*    Additional comments on Task Force Review Draft due by September 30 to Kristina.  Everything from catching spelling errors to major substantive comments are welcome.  Kristina to incorporate comments as appropriate, write a new Executive Summary, and solicit feedback from other appropriate parties.

*    NEXT MEETING:  Monday, October 23, 1995, 2 - 4 PM, CDTC Offices.  Agenda to include:  Review of new Executive Summary and revised actions.

*    PUBLIC WORKSHOP:  Tuesday, December 12, 1 - 6 PM (including reception), Omni Hotel, downtown Albany.  Overall New Visions conference.