PLANNING
COMMITTEE MEETING
Meeting Minutes
May 7, 2008
Melissa Ashline-Heil, City of Cohoes
Bradley Birge, City of Saratoga Springs
Peter Comenzo, Town of Rotterdam
Kevin Corcoran, Town of Glenville
Steve Feeney, Schenectady County
Rocky
Ferraro, Capital District Regional Planning
Commission
Michael Franchini, Albany County (Chairman)
Robert Hansen, NYS Department of Transportation Region 1
Fred Howard, Rensselaer County
Steve Iachetta, Albany County Airport Authority
George Leveille, Town of Bethlehem
Barbara McHugh, Town of Clifton Park
Marybeth Pettit, City of Rensselaer
John Poorman, Capital District Transportation Committee (Secretary)
Bill Roehr, City of Troy
Dede Rudolph, City of Albany
Phil Serafino, NYS Thruway Authority
Mike Valentine, Saratoga County
Kristina Younger, Capital District Transportation Authority (Vice-Chair)
STAFF AND OTHERS
Anne Benware, Capital District Transportation Committee
Frank Bonafide, NYSDOT Region 1
Wayne Bonesteel, Rensselaer County
Patrick Campbell, Capital District Transportation Authority
Stephen Caruso, City of Schenectady
Jennifer Ceponis, Capital District Transportation Committee
Rob Cherry, NYSDOT Region 1 Planning
R. Mark Dempf, Stantec, Town of New Scotland
James Haggerty, NYSDOT Traffic Safety
Dodou Jammeh, NYS DOT Region 1 Design
Shelly Johnston, Creighton Manning
David Jukins, Capital District Transportation Committee
Fred Mastroianni, Foit Albert Associates
Doug Melnick, City of Albany
Chris Millington, City of Albany
Sandy Misiewicz, Capital District Transportation Committee
Larry Mulvaney, NYS DOT Region 1 Program Management
Sree Nampoothiri, Capital District Transportation Committee
Chris O’Neill, Capital District Transportation Committee
Jason Purvis, Capital District Transportation Committee
Chuck Rappazzo, NYSDOT Public
Transportation Bureau
Paul Reuss, Village
of Menands
Deborah Stacey, Capital
District Transportation Committee
Joe Tanski, NYSDOT Region 1
Matthew Vasilow, NYSDOT
Region 1 Design
Karen Williams, NYSDOT Region
1 Planning
VISITORS ISSUES
Chairman Franchini opened the meeting at approximately 9:35 am. There were no
visitor’s issues.
EAST BERNE LINKAGE PRESENTATION
Nan Stolzenberg attended the meeting to provide a brief
overview of the Berne Linkage Study. The
budget for this Linkage study is the smallest to date, but not the least
contentious. The Study area included Warners Lake and the Hamlet. The
study looked at many characteristics in the town, including zoning, traffic,
building permit data, pedestrian features, etc.
Buildout with existing zoning was estimated to provide a picture of
potential future development under current zoning. Three public meetings were held; about 50-60
people attended each workshop. Although
the community was quite negative at the meetings, new goals and objectives
regarding development in the town were agreed upon. These new goals and objectives will be
incorporated into the work the Comprehensive Plan Update Committee is doing to
update the 1992 Comprehensive Plan.
Action Items
ADMINISTRATION
Approval
of the April 2, 2008 Meeting
Minutes
The meeting minutes from the April 2nd meeting
were approved with one minor correction.
Under Status of Planning Activities, CDRPC asked that “population
projections” in the third paragraph be changed to “employment projections”.
2008-10 UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM
Year End
Budget Revisions
CDTC staff annually takes the necessary steps to close
out the fiscal year as of March 31st subject to Planning Committee approval. Revisions to the 2006-07 and 2007-08 FTA
Section 5303 budgets are required to close out the fiscal year. Members approved the requested revisions. .
Harriman
Linkage Study Resolution
Sandy Misiewicz reported that the resolution was brought to the
committee in September to adopt as part of new visions because the Harriman
campus redevelopment is of regional significance. Action was tabled in September because one of
the major players, the city of Albany was absent.
Since then, presentations on the study findings were given to the
various partners and the city of Albany formally adopted the study on April 7th. The resolution, if approved by the Planning Committee, needs to be presented to the Policy Board for
adoption.
This action is timely, given the recent activity in the
campus area, including a BRT feasibility study, a TMA
feasibility study and a pending RFP for a Master Developer. The Committee
members adopted the resolution.
2007-12 TRANSPORTATION
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Spot
Improvement Program
CDTC staff has prepared a solicitation package for the
Spot Improvement program. However,
NYSDOT has indicated that some issues have arisen with the abbreviated process
that is typically followed for implementing the Spot projects. FHWA is taking a closer look at these projects
and is requiring more detailed environmental/historic preservation/wetland examination.
Right-of-way certifications, if
applicable, are also now required. After
some discussion, it was decided to modify the spot improvement program solicitation
material to request sponsors to identify potential environmental/historic
preservation/wetland issues in their application. In addition, it was recommended that the
screening criteria incorporate a screen that looks at the probability of going
to construction (i.e. absence of environment-tal/historic preservation/wetland
issues) in the programming period.
Safe
Routes to School
Jason Purvis reviewed the Safe Routes to School program, stating
that 17 applications were received, eleven from the CDTC planning area. A project evaluation committee consisting of
two people from NYSDOT Region 1, two people from CDTC and one person from
A/GFTC met several times to discuss and rank the projects. The group placed the projects into three
groups. The evaluation team recommends
that all five projects listed in the first group be funded. If those projects are funded, there is about
$74,000 left to partially fund an additional project. The evaluation team recommends that any of
the projects in group two be partially funded.
Peter Comenzo offered to increase the town of Rotterdam’s local match to make it possible to fund the entire Rotterdam project. Bob
Hansen indicated that NYSDOT Region 1 is leaning toward funding the Town of Warrensburg and Town of Greenville projects instead.
The Committee members objected to funding the Greenville project from group 3 but were reminded that this is a
state program and the region takes the Planning Committee recommendations into consideration when selecting Safe
Routes to School projects for funding, but can make final decisions that
contradict Planning Committee direction, if so desired. The Planning Committee made a motion to approve the five projects in group one
for funding and stated a desire to approve either the Town of Rotterdam or the Warrensburg Projects for partial funding. The motion was approved with NYSDOT
abstaining.
Non-State
Safety/Local Traffic Signal ITS/Roundabout/Bike-Ped Set-Aside Screening
Members received a set of tables in their meeting
material that provide information about the projects submitted under each set
aside and their eligibility under each set-aside. In addition, tables showing the initial
screening process were also distributed. One project, the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Trail Watervliet
Study did not pass screen because design studies alone are ineligible for CMAQ
funding. The two traffic signal projects
submitted by the Town of Niskayuna fall into a “grey area” for eligibility and will have
to be looked at more closely. Staff is
moving on detailed evaluations and will present the evaluations to the members
at the July Planning Committee meeting. Because
these projects are applying for set-aside monies, they do not need Policy Board
approval. The Planning Committee endorsed the proposed approach that CDTC staff laid
out. Staff will identify projects that
can be funded under more than one set-aside category.
Diesel
Retrofit Set-Aside
Deb Stacey reviewed the solicitation guidelines for members. Four projects were received in response to
the diesel retrofit solicitation. The
City of Watervliet, City of Schenectady, Schenectady County and the Town of
Glenville submitted applications to retrofit a total of 58 vehicles (5
off-road), one light tower and one diesel generator that are used in
construction projects. Priority was to
be given to off road retrofit projects.
The retrofit of this equipment will cost $207,525 which leaves a total
of $292,475 on the table. The committee
was reminded that the set-aside was for non-CDTA vehicles. However, CDTA is under an unfunded state
mandate to retrofit 74 buses this year.
In anticipation that the Diesel retrofit solicitation would not garner
enough interest to spend the entire $500,000, CDTA submitted an application. It is estimated that CDTA can retrofit 25
buses with the remaining $292,475. If members
agree to fund all four applications received, there are three remaining options:
1.
approve CDTA for partial
funding to retrofit about 25 of the 74 buses (up to a total of $292,475)
2.
add $292,475 to next year’s
solicitation (municipalities will likely face an unfunded mandate in the near
future)
3.
resolicit for non-diesel
retrofit projects costing a total of $292,475 this year
Members approved the four retrofit projects applications
for funding and chose Option 1 to retrofit up to 25 CDTA buses.
RG 28: ITS
Implementation Set-Aside: CDTA Off-Board Fare Collection System
If approved, this set-aside will fund ticket vending
machines to be placed at the BRT Stations along Central Avenue and at other major bus stops. A total of fifty machines would be funded
with this grant. CDTA is funding a
$100,000 design study this year. The
project application is phased over three years.
A motion to fund the first year at $750,000 was made. Members approved the motion. This project
will show up in the 2007-12 TIP as Facility Improvements/Fare Collection
Equipment.
Discussion
Items
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM
STIP
Discussion
Bob Hansen requested this addition to the agenda. Bob indicated
that an issue has arisen regarding project rollovers on the TIP. CDTC’s policy has been to automatically roll
projects over into the next year of the TIP if they are not completed in the
year that they were programmed. FHWA has
told NYSDOT that the STIP is 1.5 billion over-programmed and that offsets are
required. About $50 million is
over-programmed in Region 1. Much of the
over-programming has to do with the local program. The region’s “quick fix” idea is to move the
4th year of the local projects to the 5th year, so the
local projects programmed in the first and second years can keep moving
forward. NYSDOT staff is contacting
local sponsors to verify the status of their projects.
2008-2013 Program
Update
The NYSDOT Main Office has asked CDTC to abide by an accelerated
schedule for developing the 2008-2013 Transportation Improvement Program. The Main Office has requested a draft TIP by
late Fall 2008. There are 62 projects
that were programmed in the 1999-2004 Transportation Improvement Program that
are still resident in the current TIP.
The information NYSDOT Region 1 is collecting to reconcile the STIP will
help CDTC staff deal with these 62 projects.
TIP
Amendment/Public Review Process
Legislation requires a 30 day public review period for
any major change to the Transportation Improvement Program. CDTC currently flags major changes which go
to the Policy Board for review. This
process will now include a 30 day review period.
STATUS OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES
The status was skipped in interest of ending this
meeting by noon.
OTHER
There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned
at 12:10 p.m. There is a
Policy Board meeting scheduled for June 5th. The July Planning Committee meeting will be
held on July 2nd.
Respectfully submitted,
John P. Poorman
Secretary