CAPITAL
DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
PLANNING
COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
February 1, 2006
Geoff
Bornemann, City of Saratoga Springs (Vice-Chairman)
Peter Comenzo, Town of Rotterdam
Steve Feeney, Schenectady County
Rocky Ferraro, Capital District Regional Planning
Commission
Mike Franchini, Albany County (Chairman)
Fred Howard, Rensselaer County
Stephen Iachetta, Albany County Airport Authority
Heather Malozzi, Town of Malta
Barb McHugh, Town of Clifton Park
Phil Pearson, Town of Colonie
Marybeth Pettit, City of Rensselaer
John
Poorman, Capital District
Transportation Committee (Secretary)
Jill Ross, NYS Thruway
Authority
Deirdre Rudolph, City of Albany
Bernard Sisson, City of Schenectady
Erin Thomas, City of Cohoes
Kristina
Younger, Capital District
Transportation Authority
STAFF AND OTHERS
Mike Alba, Capital District
Transportation Committee
Frank
Bonafide, NYSDOT Region 1
William Gilbert, Town of Hadley
Jeff Lipnicky, Town of Bethlehem
Sandra Misiewicz, Capital
District Transportation Committee
Kevin
Novak, NYSDOT Region 1
Jason Planck, Advocate for
Persons with Disability
Jason
Purvis, Capital District
Transportation Committee
Bill Roehr, City of Troy
Bill Springnether, Synthesis
VISITORS ISSUES
Chairman Franchini opened the meeting at approximately 9:35 am. He welcomed
members and guests who introduced themselves.
Jason Planck, a resident of Schenectady, spoke to members about the issue of compliance with ADA requirements under Title II, Civic Access. He cited the US Department of Justice’s
efforts to enforce compliance through a number of investigations and municipal
agreements. He distributed DOJ
literature as well as copies of ADA tools from Cornell University. He reported
that he is working with the cities of Schenectady and Albany on curb cut projects and suggested their consideration
of applications to CDTC under the Spot program this year. He also encouraged members to consider
restoring a regional set-aside for curb cut compliance during the TIP update.
HADLEY LINKAGE PRESENTATION
Bill Springnether from Synthesis provided a brief
presentation of the completed Hadley main street study funded through the
Linkage program. The main street
initiative relates to the Scenic Train project and plans for a competitive
white water rafting venue in Hadley.
Action Items
ADMINISTRATION
Approval
of the January
11, 2006 Meeting Minutes
The minutes of the January 11, 2006 meeting were then approved as written.
2006-08 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK
PROGRAM
John Poorman reviewed the previously-distributed draft document for
the 2006-08 UPWP. The current draft includes
financial tables for all parties and is complete with the exception of some
“grayed out” summary tables in the text.
Members agreed to recommend approval by the Policy Board at its February 16, 2006 meeting to provide federal agencies with a month review
period prior to the beginning of the fiscal year on April 1. Members acknowledged that the draft UPWP will
be modified by any action taken on the Linkage program later in the agenda.
2005-10 TRANSPORTATION
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENTS
S167, Oak Street over CSX Bridge Replacement
Frank Bonafide explained that the schedule for
this project must be deferred. The
bridge is not currently eligible for HBRR funding as had been anticipated at
the time of TIP adoption. Members
approved the deferral of engineering phases to 2008-09 and construction to
2009-10. Action is required because the
project is being removed from the three-year STIP portion of the TIP.
A474, Rehabilitation
of the Wharf, Port of Albany
Members approved the programming of a new project for the
use of an additional federal earmark of $650,000 ($0.813 M including match) for
wharf rehabilitation and dredging at the Port of Albany.
[Secretary’s note: the approval
took the form of the addition of a new project, but should have been an
amendment to existing project A471. This
error will be addressed at the next Planning Committee meeting.]
South Rensselaer Port Connector
Mr. Bonafide described this proposal, which was received
too late to be included in the mailed material.
This is an earmarked allocation for the Rensselaer Port, providing alternative access for
truck and emergency vehicles. It will
involve consolidating and eliminating several rail crossings on the high speed
line between Rensselaer and New York.
The total cost is $6.200 M with initial engineering phases in the
current year. Members concurred with
this action. Due to the nature of the
action, the amendment requires action by the Policy Board at its February 16
meeting.
2006-07 LINKAGE PROGRAM
SUBMISSIONS
Sandy Misiewicz described the previously e-mailed Linkage evaluation
material for the fifteen submissions for 2006-07 funding. Submissions are from the Albany Housing
Authority, town of Ballston, town of Bethlehem, city of Cohoes, town of East
Greenbush, town of Guilderland, a joint submission from the town of Guilderland
and the town of Princetown, the town of Malta, city of Rensselaer, town of
Rotterdam, city of Saratoga Springs, city of Schenectady, village of Scotia,
city of Troy and village of Voorheesville.
The total federal share requested is $423,500; the UPWP has reserved
$200,000 for consultant work and $100,000 for staff effort.
Discussion took place regarding the two primary options
provided by the staff and the evaluation team.
Members focused on option 2; agreement was reached to program option 2,
with the refinement the Bethlehem proposal would be included with partial funding from
2006-07 and the balance from the 2007-08 Linkage program. Members’ concurrence
with this option results in a modification to the draft 2006-08 UPWP to be
distributed to the Policy Board for action on February 16.
NYSDOT DRAFT STATEWIDE
TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN
Mr. Poorman noted that no agenda item was included for
this discussion, but suggested that CDTC should include a presentation on the
subject at the February 16 Policy Board meeting. The comment period is set to end on February
24. He raised the question whether CDTC
should submit formal comments and suggested a letter submittal rather than a
formal resolution. He noted that the
major points of a CDTC comment would focus on support for the master plan
effort, indicate that cooperative effort is needed, cite funding concerns, and
press for renewed partnerships. Members
agreed to request Mr. Poorman to prepare and distribute a draft letter for
consideration at the February 16 meeting.
STATUS OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES
CDTC
Mr. Poorman noted his recent presentations on the
Colloquy at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting and on CDTC’s
practices to the World Bank and World Resources Institute. He also reported on his ongoing contact with
the NYSDOT Main Office encouraging an early decision on the schedule and
process for the next TIP/STIP development.
CDRPC
Rocky Ferraro reported that the contract has been signed
for the joint CEG-CDRPC-CDTC-SUNYA effort on fiscal impacts of the alternative
growth scenarios from New Visions 2030.
He noted that age cohort projections are on CDRPC’s web site and
reported on the new contract for the Foreign Trade Zone marketing. He encouraged communities to report
residential building activity for 2010 Census preparation.
CDTA
Kristina Younger reported that the APWA has named the Saratoga Springs station the “Project of the Year.” CDTA is currently reviewing proposals for its
major bus procurement from Gillig, New Flyer and Orion. The TDP element for Saratoga Springs is close to being ready for public review; Schenectady will be next. CDTA
is also progressing the first phase of the Schenectady station project with initial work on access issues and
scoping for the larger project. CDTA has
received BRT earmarks for four years and will be looking to amend the TIP
accordingly.
Mr. Poorman noted that FTA’s recent guidance on the new
“Small Starts” program includes definitions that would be broad enough to cover
the NY5 BRT project, if it made sense for the Capital District to pursue these
funds.
NYSDOT
Mr. Bonafide reported that Region 1 is progressing a
programming exercise to respond to budget changes from SAFETEA-LU and the
passage of the state bond. He also
reported on recent organizational changes; the regions are now considered part
of a “Delivery Division.”
New York State Thruway Authority
Jill Ross noted that the Thruway has released the draft
EIS for the Interchange 23 to 24 project and plans a public meeting / hearing
on the project in mid-March.
Albany County Airport Authority
Steve Iachetta reported on progress on six airport
improvement projects including terminal security checkpoint improvements,
drainage, operations & maintenance, and the planned completion of the
runway 19 extension this summer. He
noted that the noise compatibility program with the town of Colonie is considered a national model. The airport is also heavily involved with
Clean Community initiatives and the use of best available technology for
protection of water sources. The authority
has named David Lang as its new chairman.
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM
Bids and
Lettings
Mr. Rettig reported that there were no bid openings
scheduled for February. Upcoming is a
traffic signal regional project.
OTHER
The next Planning
Committee meeting was tentatively scheduled
for 9:30 a.m. on March 1, 2006. Mr. Poorman reminded members that the new
meeting schedule will begin in April, with Planning Committee meetings in April and May and a Policy Board meeting
the first week of June. There being no other business, the meeting was
adjourned at approximately 11:40 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
John P. Poorman
Secretary