CAPITAL DISTRICT
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Meeting
Minutes
MEMBERS
ATTENDING
Steve
Bland, Capital District Transportation Authority
Mary
Brizzell, Town of
Willard
Bruce, representing Mayor Gerald Jennings, City of
Ken
DeCerce, representing Mary Ann Johnson, Saratoga County
Steve
Feeney, representing Susan Savage,
Michael
Franchini, representing Michael Breslin,
Charles
Houghtaling,
Terry
Hurley, Albany Port District Commission
Art
Johnson, Town of
Mayor
Marybeth
Pettit, representing Mayor Mark Pratt, City of
Robert
Phillips,
Jill Ross
Schmelz, representing Don Bell, NYS Thruway Authority
Mike
Stammel, Capital District Regional Planning Commission
Linda von
der Heide, representing Kathleen Jimino,
County
Tom
Werner, NYS Department of Transportation Region 1, representing
Commissioner Joe Boardman, Secretary
Carm Basile, CDTA
Elizabeth D’Ettore, interested
citizen
Jeff Lipnicky, Town of
Rodrigo Marion, CDTC staff
Tom Marois, CDTA
Jack Reilly, CDTA
Dave Rettig, NYS Department of
Transportation Region 1
Carey Roessel, CDTA
Cliff Thomas, NYS Department of
Transportation
OPENING
REMARKS
Chairman McDonald opened the Capital District
Transportation Committee meeting at approximately
PRIVILEGE OF
THE FLOOR
Chairman McDonald extended an invitation to guests to
address any items on the day’s agenda. Elizabeth
D’Ettore spoke to members about proposed transit service reductions. She introduced herself as service coordinator
at the Diamond Rock facility, where they have been notified by CDTA that they
will lose scheduled service. She
requested at least two times a week service.
Steve Bland responded that service cuts will be instituted on the coming
Monday, responding to ridership and fare recovery that is only 25% of
comparable services. He stated that CDTA
has been working with the counties for six months to consider options. He offered to explore options further in the
future.
ADMINISTRATION
The minutes of the
Self-Certification
Mr. Poorman walked members through the ten-page
question and answer document providing the background for CDTC’s
self-certification resolution. He
reminded members that CDTC must approve a self-certification statement prior to
adopting the 2005-10 Transportation Improvement Program. Members commented on the favorable statements
in the certification material and approved the self-certification statement
through Resolution 05-02.
PRESENTATION
OF THE FRED FIELD AWARD
Chairman McDonald reminded members that the Fred Field
Award was established
upon Fred’s retirement from public service to recognize when appropriate “the
individual, organization or project in the Capital Region that best reflects
Mr. Field’s principles in the area of transportation and community planning and
implementation.”
The 2005
presentation results from the review of many worthy candidates. There are many individuals, groups and
projects in the Capital District today that reflect Fred’s characteristics. This year, the selection committee chose to
honor the CDTA Saratoga Springs Train Station project as a clear match with the
criteria established for the Fred Field award.
APPROVAL OF THE 2005-10
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Mr. Poorman summarized the activities that had
transpired since the
As
a result of
After further discussion, members approved the revised draft
2005-10 Transportation Improvement Program by means of Resolution 05-03. The resolution authorizes the incorporation
of the first three years of the TIP into the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program which will be submitted to NYSDOT prior to October 1.
STATUS OF TEA-21
REAUTHORIZATION AND STATE BOND PLANS
Mr. Poorman briefly updated members on the continuing conference
committee discussions. House and Senate
conferees have narrowed the range of conflicts, but a date for final passage is
still unclear. Congress passes brief
extensions of TEA-21 as necessary; TEA-21 expired nearly two years ago.
Details of the Transportation Bond before state voters this fall
are still unclear. Work drafting a
Memorandum of Understanding is still ongoing.
Mr. Thomas reported that discussions have been positive so far, with
strong upstate / downstate agreement.
STATUS OF PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
ACTIVITIES
Capital District Transportation Authority
Mr. Bland reported
that CDTA plans this month to adopt policy principles to guide the Transit
Development Plan. CDTA also has a
facilities master plan in development, which will involve relocating some staff
to the
Capital District Regional Planning Commission
Mike Stammel
reported on CDRPC’s work on the inter-municipal Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)
project, additional efforts on the alternative growth scenarios work and involvement
in the Harriman Campus Linkage study.
Jill Schmelz
reported that the Thruway Authority has implemented the toll increase and that the
transition went smoothly. The
construction season is beginning and Interchange 23 is receiving an interim
project.
New York State Department of Transportation
Albany Port District Commission
Terry Hurley
reported that 2005 is proving to be a good year; imports and exports are both
up. The port is expecting that the
Thruway toll increase and gas prices may stimulate more demand.
The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas C. Werner
Secretary