CAPITAL
DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
PLANNING
COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
October 5, 2005
Geoff
Bornemann, City of Saratoga Springs (Vice-Chairman)
Judy Breselor, representing Fred Howard, Rensselaer County
Frank Commisso, Albany Port District Commission
Steve Feeney, Schenectady County
Rocky Ferraro, Capital District Regional Planning Commission
Mike Franchini, Albany County (Chairman)
Bob Hansen, representing Dave Rettig, NYSDOT Region 1
Steve Iachetta, Albany County Airport Authority
Tom Kearney, FHWA
George Leveille, Town of Bethlehem
Barbara McHugh, Town of Clifton Park
Phil Pearson, Town of Colonie
Marybeth Pettit, City of Rensselaer
John
Poorman, Capital District
Transportation Committee (Secretary)
Jill Ross-Schmelz, NYS Thruway
Authority
Dede Rudolph, City of Albany
Bernard Sisson, City of Schenectady
John Stangle, Village
of Menands
Erin Thomas, City of Cohoes
Mike Valentine, Saratoga County
Kristina
Younger, Capital District
Transportation Authority
STAFF AND OTHERS
Frank Bonafide, NYSDOT Region 1
Jon Dawes, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation
Dave Jukins, Capital District
Transportation Committee
Jack Kelley, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation
Sandra Misiewicz, Capital
District Transportation Committee
Jon Montey, SEDC/ CT Male
Associates
Mark Nadolny, Creighton
Manning Engineering
Glenn
Posca, Capital District
Transportation Committee
Jason
Purvis, Capital District
Transportation Committee
Steve Szanto, Creighton
Manning Engineering
John Tozzi, Creighton Manning
Engineering
Monique Wahba, City of Albany
VISITORS ISSUES
Chairman Franchini opened the meeting at approximately 9:35 am. He welcomed
members and guests who introduced themselves.
Action Items
ADMINISTRATION
Approval
of the September
7, 2005 Meeting Minutes
Kristina Younger offered a correction to the discussion of CDTA status –
discussions with Montgomery County should be shown as ongoing. Bob Hansen noted that the phrase “outside New York City” should be deleted from the discussion of the bridge
and road work that would be funded by the upcoming Bond. Mike Franchini noted that the reference to
the web sites in the Bond discussion should be correctly listed in the
following paragraph on SAFETEA-LU. The
minutes of the September 7, 2005 meeting were then approved as corrected.
NEW YORK TRANSPORTATION BOND
John Poorman led members through a summary of the details of the
upcoming Bond referendum. The Bond will
support a portion of the five-year statewide transportation program, and a
similar portion of the CDTC TIP. All
highway and bridge projects funded by the Bond in the Capital District are
already shown on the TIP.
Members also reviewed a previously-distributed draft
resolution regarding the Bond, and recommended adoption of the resolution by
the Policy Board at its October 20 meeting. Bob Hansen and Jill Ross abstained on the
vote.
2005-10 TRANSPORTATION
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENTS
Commercial
Access Improvements, Malta
John Tozzi of Creighton Manning and Jack Kelley of the
Saratoga County Economic Development Corporation provided a brief overview of
the transportation considerations in the Luther Technology Park GEIS in Malta. Congressman
Sweeney secured a Congressional “High Priority Project” earmarked for
commercial access improvements (essentially intersection or link improvements
between US 9, NY 67 and the campus and/or improvements to Cold Spring Rd.)
The requested TIP action is to place the scoping,
preliminary engineering, right-of-way and design phases of the earmarked project
onto the TIP. An approximate $5.1 M
balance in the earmark will be considered for programming at a later date after
project limits and scopes are defined.
Members approved the request, which due to its nature will require Policy Board concurrence on October 20.
S177, Erie
Boulevard Reconstruction
Bernie Sisson informed members that another “High Priority Project”
in SAFETEA-LU is a $2 M entry for the Erie Boulevard project. The
requested TIP amendment would add these funds to the existing budget and allow the
possibility for earlier design than currently shown. Mr. Poorman noted that it is possible that
the extra budget may allow the city to consider extending the project limits
north to Union
Street. If this is desired and feasible, a separate
TIP action would be required at a latter date.
Members then approved the amendment.
Discussion Items
NEW VISIONS 2030
Mr. Poorman referred to the previously-distributed
summary of the New Visions status. At
this point in the process, the best course of action appears to be to generate
a summary document to generate public discussion. The document will use the alternative growth
scenarios and “big idea, big ticket” initiatives to reaffirm current policies and
focus new attention on planning for the region’s future.
STATUS OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES
CDTC Staff
Mr. Poorman reported on the availability of the national
“Colloquy” products. A link to the Volpe
web site is included on CDTC’s web page.
He also reported on the wide range of Linkage studies underway.
CDRPC
Rocky Ferraro reported favorably about the working relationship
between CDTC and CDRPC. A meeting is set
with CEG for October 18 to initiate the broader follow-up study to the Working
Group A document on alternative growth scenarios. He noted the Census Bureau has estimated a
net in-migration to the region for the third year in a row; 1,100 in 2003. CDRPC is also working on two special studies
with CDTA.
CDTA
Kristina Younger reported that the Upstate Chapter of the ITE has honored
CDTA for the Troy queue jumper project.
CDTA has also received an APTA advertising award for the campaign
related to CDTA’s Simpler Fare system.
Additionally, work on fleet replacement and TDM discussions with OGS are
continuing.
NYSDOT
Bob Hansen reported that NYSDOT is in an interim organizational
structure; further changes are not expected in the near future. He also reported that the I-787 ramp
emergency has led to a focus on evaluating bridge needs. Coordination of the TMC with statewide corridor
operations is under discussion. Release
of the statewide master plan is expected shortly. Also, the region is looking at grade
crossings on the high speed corridor and considering interim actions. A PAC meeting on the Exit 3 project is set
for October 17. Further, the region will
be advancing the Exit 5 bridge project on I-87 separate from the Exit 6
project; the Exit 6 project design concept should be chosen soon. Finally, cash flow may require difficult
choices for scheduling the approximate $110 M in local projects in the TIP; the
region will try to avoid undesirable letting delays.
NYSTA
Jill Ross-Schmelz reported that the Thruway Authority
board is expected to act on its seven-year capital program soon. The program shows few changes from what is on
the TIP.
Albany County Airport Authority
Steve Iachetta reported steady passenger growth at the airport. Cargo has experienced a small dip. Project A343 has been completed, at $600 K
below budget. Planning is underway for a
doubling of the cargo terminal; there is interest in high tech manufacturing
shipment. The $20 M runway 19 project is
60% completed. Parking work on surface
and garage expansion is underway.
Albany
Port District Commission
Frank Commisso reported that cargo growth continues. The port’s biggest problem is
warehousing. The port is purchasing an
adjacent 25 acres.
Linkage
Studies
Phil Pearson commented on the successful completion of the Route 7
Linkage Study.
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM
Bids and
Lettings
Bob Hansen distributed a summary of August/September lettings and
scheduled October/November bids.
Post-Katrina unit costs are beginning to demonstrate higher unit prices.
OTHER
The next Planning
Committee meeting was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on November 2, 2005, if the agenda is sufficient to warrant a meeting.
There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned
at approximately 11:30
a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
John P. Poorman
Secretary