CDTC's adopted 1997-02 TIP, incorporated into the 1997-02 State Transportation Improvement Program, included a conscious over-programming of STP fund sources (STP urban and STP flex were overprogrammed over the five years by about $47M) balanced by a conscious under-programming of NHS and other federal highway fund sources. This reflected the outcome of the open, collaborative state-local planning and programming process and selection of the most important projects in the region. CDTC and NYSDOT Region 1 were able to advance this program because of the wide latitude granted to NYSDOT by federal law (in transferring funds from one source to another) and because of the wide latitude granted to NYSDOT in CDTC's adopted "project selection" guidelines (in shifting individual projects from one fund source to another).

The 1999-04 TIP development process resulted primarily in honoring existing project commitments, to highway projects both on state and non-state highways as well as to transit projects. Very few entirely new candidate projects were added to the TIP as a result. However, funding levels by fund source provided in TEA-21 are markedly different from those in ISTEA assumed in the 1997-02 TIP. The changes between ISTEA and TEA-21 exacerbate the fund source imbalances reflected in the TIP. (STP urban and flex sources are now overprogrammed over the five years by about $51M despite adding no new STP projects in the update.) Therefore, while the total of all federal highway project commitments matches the total of all federal highway funds over the five years, the 1999-04 TIP again counts on NYSDOT's exercise of its broad fund source flexibility responsibilities to match funds by source to CDTC's agreed project list.

In September of 1998, a solicitation letter was sent to every jurisdiction's chief elected official, notifying him or her of the initiation of TIP development. Similar letters went to other agencies that are eligible to sponsor federal-aid transportation projects, such as NYSDOT, the Thruway Authority, the Canal Corporation, private railroads, and other state agencies. These letters included information on project eligibility, submission requirements, a Project Justification Package (Appendix I), and a deadline for reply. This resulted in one hundred forty-one (141) candidate projects, with a total estimated cost of about $450M, submitted from twenty-eight (28) different sponsors. The project selection process for new projects is detailed in Appendix G and the merit evaluation procedure is detailed in Appendix H.

The 1999-04 TIP update was a three-step programming exercise. The first step was to estimate available resources. The second step was to consider existing projects for which changes in cost or scope were being proposed. The third step was to consider new project additions.

Available highway resources were calculated using the Annual Allocation Table from NYSDOT Main Office, which established NYSDOT Region 1 program levels by federal highway fund source, by year. These estimates were then adjusted to reflect the CDTC metropolitan area’s historic percentages of NYSDOT Region 1’s federal-aid resources and adjusted again by NYSDOT Region 1. A total of approximately $467M in federal-aid highway resources was expected to be available to the CDTC metropolitan area during the TIP period.

Available transit funds were obtained from the Federal Register and total about $52M for the five-year TIP programming period.

This update includes the following in the 1999-04 TIP:

• All TIP amendments approved since July 1997.

• A large number of "routine" project progressions reflecting project schedule adjustments and minor funding revisions. These totaled about $30M.

• Several project progressions reflecting project schedule adjustments and large funding revisions for Interstate projects. These totaled about $74M. Most of these changes reflect inclusion of construction phases for the first time within the five-year period.

• Existing TIP Projects considered to be ongoing commitments or set-asides were continued at previous levels.

• Major regional projects were reexamined regarding cost and scope.

• Slingerlands Bypass (A242 & A243): The cost for Phase 2 (extension as two-lane facility) was reduced by $5.0M as a cost update. Construction funding of $9.0M for Phase 3 (widening to four lanes) was added to the program. Therefore, the total TIP funding within the five-year period of the TIP for these two projects combined increases by $4M.

• Balltown Road (SA108 and S96): Phase two of Balltown Road (widening of Balltown Road from River Road to Aqueduct Road in Niskayuna and from Riverview Road to Glenridge Road in Clifton Park) was kept outside the five year period. This keeps the project cost and funding the same as in the 1997-02 TIP.

• Glenridge Road (SA109 and S120): The two-railroad bridge option was chosen, rather than the railroad bridge consolidation option, as the reference alternative for the Glenridge Road project. This eliminates the need for a cost increase for this project while maintaining CDTC commitment to the project within the five-year period. (Note that the project limits are proposed to exclude the NY 50 to Maple Avenue section previously shown in the TIP description.) This keeps the project cost and funding the same as in the 1997-02 TIP.

• All 100% State Dedicated Fund (SDF) projects are included as submitted by NYSDOT. These projects are not funded with federal-aid. Therefore, they show on the TIP for information only and are not subject to CDTC project evaluations.

• All 100% Thruway and Canal Corporation funded projects are included as submitted by the Thruway Authority. These projects are not funded with federal-aid. Therefore, they show on the TIP for information only and are not subject to CDTC project evaluations.

• Recent TIP's included adjustments for inflation in the project cost estimates. However, NYSDOT determined that construction inflation has decreased to the point where it can be ignored. Therefore, adjustments to the cost estimates to anticipate inflation have been removed from this TIP. This is not intended to result in decreases in project funding, but to reapply actual cost estimates and assume there will be no construction inflation in the TIP programming period.

The sum total of CDTC's existing commitments, including cost increases and scope changes, and removal of artificial construction inflation adjustments as outlined above is $455M in matched federal-aid from Federal Highway Administration fund sources. Thus, the total programming capacity for new transit and highway projects using federal highway fund sources in the 1999-04 TIP update was about $12M.

From the $12M available for programming, about $6M was needed for the HBRR program for non-state bridges, leaving $6M for other programming. The HBRR projects that were added are as follows:

1. A393, Dunbar Hollow over Hannacrois Creek. Total cost is $0.825M.

 

2. R202, 56 Road over Poestenkill. Total cost is $0.670M.

 

3. R203 County Route 40 (Plank Road) over Poestenkill. Total cost is $0.670M.

 

4. R204, County Route 3 (South Schodack Road) over Conrail. Total cost is $1.650M.

 

5. SA166, Hans Creek Road over Hans Creek (BIN 3304270). Total cost is $0.700M.

 

6. SA167, Hans Creek Road over Hans Creek (BIN's 2202800 and 2202810). Total cost is $1.270M.

 

7. S149, Coal Road Bridge over the Normanskill: Bridge Reconstruction. Total cost is $0.730M.

CDTC set aside $2M for New Visions improvements for existing projects as project RG82 and another $1M for high priority enhancement projects that do not get funded through the enhancement program as project RG83.

Since CMAQ funds were underprogrammed, the balance of the funds ($3M) was used to fund new CMAQ projects. The projects were selected for inclusion in the 1999-04 TIP based on the selection process used in CDTC's previous TIP update, cooperatively developed by the CDTC Staff, NYSDOT, CDTA, other members of CDTC's Planning Committee and other interested parties. CDTC's solicitation for projects resulted in 13 CMAQ project submissions.

New candidate projects in the 1999-04 TIP were evaluated for merit in the following three steps. These steps are detailed in Appendix G (CDTC's Project Selection Process for New Projects) and Appendix H (the Merit Evaluation Procedure).

1. Screen: Minimum requirements were established that each project was required to meet. These "screening" criteria insured that every project considered for programming was consistent with New Visions and local land use plans, had a funding plan, could be constructed by September 30, 2004, and was eligible for CMAQ funds. All candidates for CMAQ funds met the screening criteria.

 

2. Evaluate Merit: The merits of every project that met the minimum requirements were fairly evaluated and summarized on a one-page fact sheet. A blank fact sheet is included for reference on page *. The merit evaluation procedure used the best available information from CDTC's models, from corridor studies, and from the project sponsor.

 

3. Choose Projects: CDTC then chose projects that were extensions of existing projects.

The CMAQ projects added to the TIP were:

1. Replacement of Three Upstate Transit Buses in Saratoga County. This action adds $1.2M to the fifth year of project SA134.

 

2. ITS Operating Costs. This action distributes an additional $1M over several years of project RG37 for on-going operating costs, including service patrols.

 

3. ITS: Local Traffic Signal Set-Aside. This action distributes an additional $0.8M over several years of project RG39.

The rest of the candidate projects, including non-CMAQ projects, could not be accommodated in the 1999-04 TIP. These are summarized in Appendix E.