OF THE 2004-05 UPWP
Key
Direction
MPO’s in
However, the lack of reauthorization of TEA-21 makes
it unexpectedly challenging for a two-year UPWP development effort. It was for this reason that CDTC has already
deferred development of the coming year’s Linkage program.
Additionally, the implications of NYSDOT’s
transformation process are emerging slowly.
The transformation effort will result in the separation of NYSDOT into
an operating and an integrating division.
Roles with regard to MPO activity have yet to be defined. Changes to TIP development and approval
triggered by the transformation are also unknowns.
For these reasons, CDTC has developed only a one-year UPWP for 2004-05 and make plans
for another one year UPWP for 2005-06.
The two-year UPWP concept would be revisited for 2006-08 (the next
off-year relative to TIP development).
The coming year’s work effort will emphasize the
following:
Major
technical effort and outreach regarding New Visions 2030 subjects
Completion
of more than a dozen current and yet-to-be-initiated Linkage studies
Participation
in, tracking of, and response to the expected TEA-21 Reauthorization
Continuation
of the development of the NY5 corridor Bus Rapid Transit concept
A
regional Transit Development Program effort
Work with NYSDOT on its
transformation effort and review of MPO roles and responsibilities as a result
of the transformation
Development of the next TIP (2005-10).
New Visions
2030
Up to
seven new technical reports will be produced by CDTC and CDRPC staff. Task Force and/or Working Group effort will
involve Finance, Bike/Ped, Goods Movement, Expressway
Management, Alternative Futures, Big Ticket Items, Local Planning Support,
Operational Planning and other subjects.
Potential
consensus positions will be identified and major policy questions articulated
by 12/04, according to the current schedule.
Outreach and public involvement will be emphasized. Coordination with the Center for Economic
Growth’s significant recent recommendations will be required, along with
continued participation with ARISE, the
Business/Higher Education Roundtable and others. Approval of an interim plan prior to approval
of the next TIP may be required to assure air quality conformity. (See “New Visions 2030 Status” summary from
the December Planning Committee meeting.)
Linkage
Program Year Five
As of January 2004, there are approximately a dozen
Linkage efforts underway or about to begin.
Candidates for a fifth year of the Linkage program will be solicited in
the Spring of 2004; however a budget for the program will be difficult to
establish if the TEA-21 Reauthorization is not completed by that time. (A tentative budget of $200,000 federal is
shown in the UPWP). Major accomplishments for 2003-04 are headed by the number
of Linkage studies completed. (See page vii for a list of completed tasks).
TEA-21
Reauthorization
CDTC has provided information to Congress regarding
needs and potential impacts of TEA-21 Reauthorization. It is not expected that continuing contact
with Congress, AMPO, NYSDOT or others directly involved in the reauthorization
discussions will require much staff time in the coming year. On the other hand, when a new act is passed,
there may be considerable staff, Planning Committee and Policy Board
activity. The new act may trigger
revisions to the current TIP; it will certainly be the occasion for revisiting
CDTC work program and multi-year planning strategy.
NY 5
Implementation
The NY 5 Land Use and Transportation Concept Plan was adopted by CDTC as a revision to the New Visions 2021
plan in October 2001. During 2003-04,
the Bus Rapid Transit / Street Design Committee began serving as the Study
Advisory Committee for a Bus Rapid Transit Conceptual Design Study. CDTC and CDTA are jointly managing the $175,000
consultant effort to help define the BRT alignment, service design, station
location and other elements for the BRT service. The effort has included significant data
collection, which will be complemented by additional data collection as part of
the Transit Development Plan.
Transit
Development Plan
CDTA intends to undertake a significant review of
current service and development of a Transit Development Plan over a 12-18
month period. Service guidelines will be
an integral part of the plan, which will refine TIP initiatives and other
transit elements of the CDTC New Visions plan.
NYSDOT
Transformation
At this writing, much of the NYSDOT Transformation
material is internal in nature. As a
transition to a new organization structure (integrator division and operator
division) takes place, changes in NYSDOT-MPO relationships are expected. CDTC staff and members will work with NYSDOT
to help make the transition as constructive as possible. It is also possible that the Transformation
effort will lead CDTC to revisit its overall Prospectus. The Prospectus has been due for an update for
some time, but there have been few changes to participants’ roles and
responsibilities to necessitate a modification to the Prospectus’
definitions. The Transformation process
may provide the reason for completing the Prospectus update.
Development
of the 2005-10 TIP
CDTC is scheduled for the next TIP development effort
in 2004-05. This will include initiation
in the summer of 2004, leading to distribution of a draft TIP about March 2005
and adoption in May of 2005. In addition
to dealing with typical TIP update issues, this effort will also be the STIP
development to occur in the context of a “transformed” NYSDOT. Extra lead time will be required to sort out
schedules, responsibilities, and funding allocations. The TIP update will also be affected by the
TEA-21 Reauthorization status.
Safety
Initiative
The schedule for this work remains uncertain, due to
continue difficulties with timely access to crash data. CDTC staff has focused on fatal crash
analysis for crash records from 1995 to 2000 while awaiting completion of the
NYSDOT-NYSDMV collaborative data transfer effort.
Through a TIP amendment in December 2003, NYSDOT and
the Thruway Authority will be taking speed detection, system monitoring and
traveler information to the next level.
Statewide ITS integration discussions will resume, incorporating elements
of the established regional architecture.
The CDTC staff effort to analyze frequency, duration
and cost of freeway incidents by type and relate this information to traffic
volumes was again delayed due to other activities and will be picked up in
2004-05. This will provide a
locally-calibrated, advanced algorithm for use in CDTC's
STEP model.
Future expressway ITS plans will be explored also by a
Working Group under the New Visions 2030 effort.
STEP Model
Upgrade
To date, staff has developed and calibrated a
TMODEL2-equivalent version of VISUM and is currently expanding the zonal system
to the new 900-zone system established for the 2000 Census. This phase is nearing completion, with the
vendor (ITC) working to develop a postprocessor module for VISUM that
replicates CDTC’s previous postprocessor.
CDTC’s experience with the micro-simulation tool, VISSIM,
advanced dramatically in 2003-04 with ITC’s coding of the NY 5 corridor for the
TIP project A341 and through staff training.
Advanced VISSIM applications by staff will begin in 2004-05.
Congressional
I-87 Corridor Study Earmark
This major effort is expected to finish its first
phase in early 2004, with a handful of subjects receiving follow-up study. CDTC staff and members will remain involved..
Thruway
Capacity Study
CDTC staff is contributing technical assistance to the
consultant study for the Thruway Authority of 20-year capacity issues in the
Capital District. The study will be
completed in early 2004-05.
Other
Contractual Elements
In 2004-05, CDTC will continue to host the statewide
MPO association staff contract at $100,000. CDTC also holds the $125,000
contract for a statewide effort to seek to educate stakeholders and demonstrate
methods of integrating community design and transportation system design. This effort is underway and may be completed
by early 2004-05. A second phase
providing statewide training will be initiated at its completion. Additionally, approximately $600,000 in
statewide resources are in reserve for joint efforts
between the MPOs and NYSDOT.
TDM, Access Transit Support: CDTC
staff will continue to assist CDTA in both expanding the regional TDM / transit
pass program and in developing the Access Transit system. The NYSDEC TDM pilot has successfully moved
to a phase 2 combining transit subsidies in exchange for giving up parking
privileges and access to occasional parking.
The internet-based Commuter Register program will continue.
Pavement Inventory: 2004 survey will include the
every-fourth-year survey of non-federal aid roads and examination of trends and
a 100% sample of
Other: Major effort will continue to be devoted to
data collection, support to
SUMMARY OF
RESOURCE AVAILABILITY
The 2004-05 UPWP involves a significant commitment of financial
resources for activities by NYSDOT, CDRPC, CDTA, and the CDTC Staff .
Fund Source Federal State Local Total
FHWA % Metropolitan Planning (PL) $2,103,932 419,272 33,000 2,550,204
STP Project Development tasks in UPWP 100,000 25,000 - 125,000
CMAQ 484,800 60,600 60,600 606,000
2003-04
FTA Section 5303 40,000 7,500 2,500 50,000
2004-05- FTA Section 5303 225,705 42,320 14,107 282,132
New FTA Section 5307 640,000 80,000 80,000 800000
Town of
Municipal Linkage Funding 174,125 174,125
Federal Aviation Administration 9,000 3,000 12,000
Total Contract Value $3,603,437 634,692 432,332 4,664,461
Total Effort $3,620,044
Notes
County
contributions and local contract work account for local match on PL and FTA grants. PL work serves as match on Greenway and USDOE
work.