CAPITAL DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

Meeting Minutes

March 9, 2005

 

MEMBERS ATTENDING

 

David Bailey, City of Troy

Geoff Bornemann, City of Saratoga Springs (Vice-Chairman)

Judy Breselor, representing Fred Howard, Rensselaer County

Frank Commisso, Albany Port District Commission

Leif Engstrom, representing Rocky Ferraro, CDRPC

Steve Feeney, Schenectady County

Mike Franchini, Albany County (Chairman)

Rob Griffith, Federal Highway Administration

Bruce Hidley, City of Watervliet

Steve Iachetta, Albany County Airport Authority

Barbara McHugh, Town of Clifton Park

Marybeth Pettit, City of Rensselaer

John Poorman, Capital District Transportation Committee (Secretary)

Jack Reilly, Capital District Transportation Authority

David Rettig, NYSDOT Region 1

Jill Ross-Schmelz, New York State Thruway Authority

Bernard Sisson, City of Schenectady

John Stangle, Village of Menands

Mike Valentine, Saratoga County

 

STAFF AND OTHERS

 

Frank Bonafide, NYSDOT Region 1

Tom Connolly, Town of Bethlehem IDA

Kevin Crosier, Town of Berne

Bob Hansen, NYSDOT Region 1

Brian Hannafin, Bethlehem IDA

Shelly Johnston, Creighton Manning Engineering

Shelley Lang, Capital District Transportation Committee

Mary Marsh, CDTA

Fred Mastroianni, Village of Colonie

Patrick McCarroll, New York State Thruway Authority

Sandra Misiewicz, Capital District Transportation Committee

Sree Nampoothiri, Capital District Transportation Committee

Jason Newman, FHWA/CDTC

Chris O’Neill, Capital District Transportation Committee

Jason Purvis, Capital District Transportation Committee

Ann Sutkin, NYSDOT Region 1

 

 

VISITORS ISSUES

 

Chairman Franchini opened the meeting at approximately 9:35 am.  Kevin Crosier , Supervisor of the town of Berne requested to speak to the Committee.  He requested reconsideration of the town of Berne’s modest Linkage funding proposal, noting that the town is trying to put land use plans and regulations in place to handle expected development pressures.  Mr. Crosier’s letter of March 2, 2005 was distributed to members.

 

Action Items

 

ADMINISTRATION

 

Approval of the February 9, 2005 Meeting Minutes

 

John Poorman noted that the minutes omitted the fact that a list of proposed new HBRR projects had been distributed for review at the February 9 meeting.  The minutes of the February 9, 2005 meeting were then approved as corrected.

 

Revised Agenda

 

John Poorman distributed a revised agenda, noting that a TIP amendment for CDTA had not been received when the tentative agenda was mailed out for the meeting.

 

UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM

 

Approval of the Draft UPWP

 

Mr. Poorman reviewed the previously-distributed document, noting that the document now contains completed tables and other minor changes from the previous draft.  He reminded members that continuing the current scale of the planning effort is dependent upon favorable treatment of metropolitan planning in the TEA-21 reauthorization.  He noted that the draft document now includes entries for each of the Linkage studies agreed to at the February meeting.

 

Members discussed Mr. Crosier’s request.  Mr. Poorman acknowledged that the Berne proposal was the next highest ranked request, below those that were approved for funding.  After further discussion, members agreed to add the Berne Linkage study to the UPWP with the federal funds for the project being deducted from staff effort elsewhere.  A revised financial table will be produced for the draft UPWP that goes to the Policy Board.

 

With this modification, members approved the draft 2005-06 UPWP for consideration by the Policy Board on March 24.

 

 

2003-08 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENT

 

Commuter Services Preventative Maintenance Reporting to National Transit Database

 

Mr. Poorman related to members the origins of this project.  NYSDOT has been active in encouraging private operators to report legitimate transit service data to FTA; doing so increases the formula FTA urban funds to New York.  Upstate Transit has begun reporting, and the increased funding to the Capital District enhances CDTA’s resources (which include Upstate Transit responsibilities).

 

The proposed project will create a TIP entry for similar supplemental funds for the Capital District related to Adirondack Trailways’ reporting of its transit data for the Capital District.  CDTA will administer the federal funds which will be used by Adirondack Trailways to maintain its fleet.  A portion of the total project funding will be used by CDTA to cover administrative expenses; another small portion will be used to help integrate the Adirondack Trailways services into the regional transit system (schedule coordination, etc.).

 

Members approved the proposed project.  Due to the nature of the action, this will also be on the March 24 Policy Board agenda.

 

T66, Welfare to Work

 

Jack Reilly noted that the funding for the current year’s Jobs Access / Reverse Commute federal funding is included in the draft 2005-10 TIP.  Because CDTA will be applying for these funds this month, the current TIP also needs to be amended to reflect the $0.495 M amount.  Members approved this request.

 

2005-10 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE

 

Review of Actions to Date and Additional Information

 

Mr. Poorman directed members’ attention to the previously-distributed list of eleven items regarding updated information and corrections from the previous agreements and understandings of projects.  Discussion ensued on each item.

 

One item noted that A290 shows no design phases during the five-year period.  This item was not resolved and will require additional discussion during the public review period.

 

It was noted that CR4 in Hadley should be added to the list of HBRR projects.

 

Another item highlighted federal aid projects on the Thruway system and canal system previously not shown in the 2005-10 TIP document.  Jill Schmelz noted that R247 and S163 should be shown with Thruway funds.

 

Additionally, the draft TIP shows for information purposes Thruway-funded reconstruction projects in the Capital District.  After discussion, members agreed that CDTC will not show linear widening for A458 (Exit 24 to 25) in its air quality conformity assessment because such a widening would appear to be inconsistent with the New Visions plan and CDTC’s Congestion Management System.  A455 (Exit 23 to 24) is somewhat different because any capacity concerns are not related to local traffic.  Jill Schmelz noted that actual scopes of these projects will not be known until the project development and environmental phases progress.

 

Another item highlighted FTA funded TIP listings for CDTA that previously had not received direct attention by the Planning Committee.

 

Additionally, it was noted that the listing for A289 (Lincoln Ave. Grade Crossing) will be maintained as it had shown in the 2003-08 TIP.

 

Another entry related to A342 (Morris-Cordell Grade Crossing).  Mr. Poorman noted that CDTA has requested forgiveness for the payback of $5 M associated with this project.  Members agreed to defer consideration of this request until the 2007-12 TIP update due to the post-2010 construction schedule for the project.

 

Other items on the list directed members’ attention to specific items on the draft TIP not previously discussed by the Planning Committee.  Members reviewed the list of projects from the 2003-08 TIP slated to be dropped from the 2005-10 TIP.  Dave Rettig noted that project A416 (NY 32 Bridge) should be added back in; some obligations are expected in the five year period.

 

Next, Mr. Poorman distributed a supplemental list of items for Planning Committee discussion.  Most were minor, but the list also noted three additional Rensselaer County HBRR projects proposed by NYSDOT.

 

He also described the error in CDTC’s TIP database that showed up in recent days, leading to the e-mail to members after the mailout was distributed.  The net effect is that Planning Committee actions in February were based on an assumption of $13.5 M in remaining availability of CMAQ funds, while the correct number should have been $9.7 M.

 

Members discussed options for addressing the issue, ranging from accepting a degree of overprogramming to identifying projects from the agreed list to remove.  After discussion, members concurred that they would have acted differently in February had the correct funding balance been known at the time.  They further agreed to retain the commitment to the CMAQ candidates from “Option 1” in the February 2, 2005 “NHS and CMAQ Programming Options” summary and to consider programming the balance of $7.4 M to remaining candidates and/or regional set-asides in May, after the public review period.

 

Members also concurred with showing the park-and-ride piece of the US 20 Rensselaer CMAQ project as a drawdown from RG1.

 

Approval of the Draft 2005-10 TIP

 

With the changes and understandings reflected in the previous discussion, members agreed to recommend that the Policy Board release the draft 2005-10 TIP for public review at its March 24 meeting.  Additional adjustments and corrections are expected to the draft in May, before final approval.  The May Planning Committee and Policy Board meetings will also resolve the programming decisions for the remaining $7.4 M in CMAQ funds.

 

 

Discussion Items

 

TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

 

Bids and Lettings

 

Time did not permit a discussion of bids and lettings.  (The summary of this information is attached.)

 

OTHER

 

In the interest of time, discussion of the status of planning activities was deferred.  Ms. Schmelz noted that a public hearing on the Thruway’s toll increase is scheduled for 4-7 pm on April 6 at Siena College.

 

The next Planning Committee meeting was scheduled for May 4, 2005.  An April 4 meeting will be scheduled only if urgent action items necessitate an April meeting.

 

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:55 a.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

John P. Poorman

Secretary