GENESEE TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL
QUARTERLY BOARD MEETING
Radisson Hotel
Henrietta, NY
December 8, 2011
GTC BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Jeffrey Adair, Monroe County
Allen G. Casey, City of Rochester At Large
Jerry Davis, Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
Mary Pat Hancock, Genesee County (Chairperson)
James Hoffman, Wayne County (Vice Chairperson)
ALTERNATE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT
Chris Bollin, Monroe County At-Large, representing Daniel Hogan
David Cook, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, representing James Redmond
Angela Ellis, Livingston County, representing James Merrick
Thomas Goodwin, Monroe County, representing Linda A. Faubel
Andrea Guzzetta, Rochester City Council, representing Lovely Warren
Daniel Hallowell, New York State Department of Transportation, representing Joan McDonald
Paul Holahan, City of Rochester, representing Thomas Richards
Donald House, Yates County, representing H. Taylor Fitch
Dorothy Huber, Ontario County, representing Theodore Fafinski
Scott Leathersich, Monroe County At-Large, representing Daniel DeLaus
Edward Muszynski, Empire State Development, representing Kenneth Adams
Thomas E. Pericak, NYS Thruway Authority, representing Thomas J. Ryan
Terrence J. Rice, Monroe County, representing Maggie Brooks
C. Mitchell Rowe, Seneca County, representing Chuck Lafler
GTC BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT AND UNREPRESENTED
A. Douglas Berwanger, Wyoming County
David B. Callard, Orleans County
Anthony Carr, Federal Transit Administration
Joe Martens, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Jonathan McDade, Federal Highway Administration
Ronald Nesbitt, Monroe County Supervisors Association
Steven Urlass, Federal Aviation Administration
David L. Watson, Rochester City Planning Commission
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE
Joseph Bovenzi, GTC staff
Kristen Mark Hughes, Ontario County
Roseann Schmid, Fisher Associates
Richard Perrin, GTC staff
John Polimeni, NYSDOT Region 4
James Stack, GTC staff
John Thomas, City of Rochester
David Zorn, Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
1. Call to Order and Roll Call
Chairperson Hancock called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m.
James Stack, GTC staff, called the roll; a quorum was present.
Chairperson Hancock requested a moment of silence for Marvin Decker, who passed away on November 26. She stated that Marv served as a member of the Genesee Transportation Council from 1989 to 2005, representing both Wayne County (where he was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors) and the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council. He served as Chairman of GTC from 1995 to 2005 and was instrumental in increasing the relevance of GTC to its member agencies by providing additional opportunities for local governments to participate in the transportation planning process.
Chairperson Hancock asked that those present also keep Rudeen Armstrong in their thoughts and prayers. Rudeen is the Business Manager for the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council and was involved in a serious automobile crash the Tuesday before Thanksgiving while on her way to deliver a holiday basket for a needy family. She remains in intensive care.
2. Public Forum
No one from the public spoke during the Public Forum.
3. Approval of Minutes
Paul Holahan moved for approval of the minutes from the September 8, 2011 Quarterly Meeting; Jerry Davis seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
4. Communications and Announcements
Richard Perrin noted the following GTC Board designations:
Rochester Mayor Thomas Richards has designated Allen G. Casey, President of M/E Engineering, P.C., as his At-large member to the GTC Board and John Thomas as Mr. Caseys alternate.
James Redmond, Chairman of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority Board of Commissioners, has designated Bill Carpenter as his alternate to the GTC Board.
Thomas J. Madison, Jr., by his appointment as Acting Executive Director of the New York State Thruway Authority, is now a voting member of the GTC Board.
5. Reports and Action on Old Business
a. Planning Committee Report Kristen Hughes, Chairperson
Kristen Hughes provided the following report:
The Planning Committee met October 13 and November 10 and recommends that the GTC Board:
Accept the submission of reports as evidence of completion of three Unified Planning Work Program tasks; and
Amend Federal Fiscal Years 2012 through 2014 of the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program.
Additionally, the Planning Committee took the following action:
Approved the Draft Revised 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program Project List for Public Review.
b. GTC Staff Report Richard Perrin, Executive Director
Richard Perrin provided the following report:
GTC staff has completed the draft of its core budget for the next fiscal year (FY) which begins April 1, 2012. The GTC core budget provides for those activities necessary to maintain the federally-required metropolitan planning process to qualify for the receipt of Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration funding. Revenues for the FY 2012-2013 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) are anticipated to be the same as in the current year (FY 2011-2012) approximately $1.78 million.
After accounting for GTC core requirements and adding balances from FY 2010-2011 and completed studies, there is $1,068,325 for programming to proposals received in response to the call for projects that was issued on September 16. Twenty four proposals requesting $1,437,650 in federal transportation planning funds were received by the October 21 deadline of the FY 2012-2013 UPWP Call for Projects.
The 24 proposals were evaluated by GTC staff based on the information contained in the applications and the scores were provided to the UPWP Development Committee (UDC). The UDC met November 10, November 30, and December 5 to review the applications and discuss additional factors based on their professional judgment.
The Committee is in final deliberations to develop the draft FY 2012-2013 UPWP for presentation to the Planning Committee at its January 5, 2012 meeting. Based on any changes made at that meeting, an initial draft program will be approved for 30-day public review and a final draft program for Board adoption will be recommended by the Planning Committee at its February 9, 2012 meeting. The Board will consider the final draft FY 2012-2013 UPWP at its March 8, 2012 meeting and the adopted UPWP will take effect April 1, 2012.
With significant involvement from member agencies and private sector interests, staff is continuing to advance the development of the regional freight plan. Two public meetings were held Monday, September 26 and a Steering Committee meeting was held November 17 to gather input. The needs assessment based on the previously-completed economic and freight profile of the region has been finalized along with the associated criteria for evaluating alternatives to identify the final recommendations that will be included in the plan.
The commuter choice program website that will provide information on potential carpool matches, link to public transportation trip planning tools, and present preferred bicycling routes has been finalized. The programs success will depend on making the public aware of its availability. Accordingly, staff is now devoting a large amount of effort to developing an informational campaign to be commenced in early-2012. We had intended to rollout the program in November but want to make sure that there is widespread knowledge of its availability. To this end, staff has worked with our consultant to develop materials for distribution by businesses, member agencies, and other community partners.
Staff has also been progressing the household travel survey for the Rochester Transportation Management Area, which includes all of Monroe County and the surrounding areas to the south and east in Livingston, Ontario, and Wayne counties. The survey was distributed to 48,000 households and its results will be used to update the GTC Travel Demand Model. The model allows for the forecasting of future traffic volumes and speeds, which is integral to infrastructure design and service planning. The model is also used to conduct regional emissions analyses that are required by the Clean Air Act to ensure the uninterrupted receipt of federal funds for highway, bridge, and transit projects. A presentation on the results of the survey will be made at the March 8, 2012 GTC Board meeting.
c. Old Business
1. Federal Transportation Funding Update
Chairperson Hancock suggested moving this item to the end of the agenda so that the Action Items could be handled first; no Member or Alternate objected.
6. Action Items
a. Accepting the submission of reports as evidence of completion of various UPWP tasks / Proposed Resolutions 11-133 through 11-135.
Chairperson Hancock suggested that proposed Resolutions 11-133 through 11-135 be considered as a single action; no Member or Alternate objected.
Richard Perrin stated that the Planning Committee reviewed and recommended the Boards acceptance of these reports as evidence of completion of Unified Planning Work Program tasks at its October 13, 2011 and November 10, 2011 meetings.
(1) Accepting the Cluster Development Enhancement Feasibility Study as evidence of completion of UPWP Task 5375 / Proposed Resolution 11-133.
Richard Perrin stated that Wayne County conducted the Cluster Development Enhancement Feasibility Study to evaluate the potential uses of residential cluster subdivision projects. Cluster development can protect farmland, preserve open space, and maximize infrastructure use. One key issue that the study addresses is the lack of understanding of cluster subdivision techniques by local landowners who may be interested in developing their properties. The study recommends establishing a Residential Cluster Development Agency to provide support to landowners and local governments in developing cluster subdivisions. The study was overseen by a Project Advisory Committee consisting of the Wayne County Planning Department, the Towns of Macedon, Ontario, and Walworth, and Genesee Transportation Council staff.
(2) Accepting the Route 104 Corridor Trail Feasibility Study as evidence of completion of a component of UPWP Task 6510 / Proposed Resolution 11-134.
Richard Perrin stated that the Route 104 Corridor Trail Feasibility Study was completed by the Town of Williamson for a 17.4 mile-long multi-use trail that will run along NYS Route 104 from Webster to Sodus. The consultants developed two possible alternative routes for the trail: the first is parallel to NYS Route 104 and the second follows the railroad tracks that run through the study area. Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) owns the track right-of-way and Ontario-Midland Railroad Corporation leases the tracks from RG&E. Developing the trail on this alignment may require expanding the railroad right-of-way in certain locations. The sections of the trail can be built individually in each town and linked together in the future. The town supervisors in the study area support the study, and will begin implementation when funds are available.
(3) Accepting the Genesee County Central Corridor Plan as evidence of completion of UPWP Task 7572 / Proposed Resolution 11-135.
Richard Perrin stated that the Genesee County Central Corridor Plan was developed jointly by the City of Batavia, the Town of Batavia, and Genesee County. It provides a transportation plan for the central part of the county that will guide sustainable growth and transportation investments in that area over the next 20 years. There are growing traffic issues in and around the City of Batavia due to the confluence of several major roads in the heart of downtown. The plan includes recommendations for street improvements, bicycle and pedestrian safety and access, and the designation of a partial outer loop on the northwest side of the city aimed at relieving delay and providing safer and more efficient access to rapidly developing properties in that area. In addition, a variety of alternative financing strategies that can be used to pay for infrastructure improvements were identified.
Dorothy Huber moved to approve Resolutions 11-133 through 11-135; Daniel Hallowell seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
b. Amending Federal Fiscal Years 2012 through 2014 of the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program / Proposed Resolution 11-136.
Richard Perrin provided the following report:
As discussed at the September 8 GTC Board meeting, new planning targets of reasonably-expected federal funds have been developed for the remainder of the time period covered by the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). These revised planning targets replace those provided in December 2009 that were used to develop the 2011-2014 TIP, which was adopted on June 18, 2010. At that time, it was fully anticipated that a new federal surface transportation authorization would be enacted by Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2012 and would include increases similar to those between previous and successive authorizations. A new authorization has not been enacted and, based on discussions in Congress about associated funding levels, it does not appear that increases in funding consistent with the recent past are likely.
GTC staff worked with the TIP Development Committee and Planning Committee to reprogram FFYs 2012 through 2014 within the limits of the reduced anticipated funding. The major steps were to:
1. Concur on revised inflation factors to ensure all projects are presented in year of expenditure dollars.
2. Contact project sponsors about voluntary deferral and removal of projects.
3. Produce the list of projects to be considered.
4. Develop an Initial Draft Program for TIP Development Committee consideration.
5. Develop a Revised Draft Program for Planning Committee consideration and approval for public review.
6. Conduct a public review and consider comments received.
7. Develop a Recommended Draft program for Board consideration.
The amended program of projects that has been provided to you reflects the continued commitment to selecting the highest-ranked projects based on the agreed upon, quantitative evaluation criteria that place an emphasis on cost-effective preservation of the existing highway and bridge network (via preventive and corrective maintenance) with strategic expansions of the public transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian networks.
Because this is not a new TIP, GTC was not required to provide public review opportunities beyond those typically conducted for other TIP amendments, which includes posting to the GTC website upon recommendation to the Board by the Planning Committee. However, given the significant reduction in reasonably-expected funds and the necessary deferral of projects to FFY 2015 and beyond, GTC staff proposed and the Board agreed that it is in the best interest of the community to conduct a public review similar to that done for the development of a new TIP.
Accordingly, a 30-day public review beginning October 14 and running through November 15 was conducted. The public review period was advertised via a media release to TV, radio, and print outlets, a legal notice in the Democrat & Chronicle, a direct notice that was sent to organizations that serve minority and low-income persons, and the GTC website. Four public meetings were held. The draft program was available at the GTC office, the offices of the county planning departments in the seven-county TIP area, the NYSDOT-Region 4 office, and the central repository libraries in Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, and Wayne counties. Minimal public comments were received and those have been provided to the Board in the meeting packages with supporting documentation from the commenters provided on the GTC website.
The Planning Committee reviewed and recommended Board approval of amending FFYs 2012 through 2014 of the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program at its November 10, 2011 meeting.
Chairperson Hancock commented that she forwarded an article on one TIP project to Richard. She noted that she is comfortable that her constituents had good opportunities to share their comments with GTC.
Terrence Rice moved to approve Resolution 11-136; Jeffrey Adair seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
Chairperson Hancock requested the Board add two new TIP amendments to the agenda; no Member or Alternate objected.
c. Amending the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program to increase funding to the FTA Section 5310 Blocked Program and add the RGRTA Boiler Replacement, Unit Heater Efficiency, HVAC Controls, and Pavement Ice Controller project / Proposed Resolutions 11-137 and 11-138.
Richard Perrin distributed Resolutions 11-137 and 11-138. He commented that both of these resolutions will amend the TIP to include public transportation projects that were selected by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), respectively. The selections were made by NYSDOT and USDOT after the November 10 Planning Committee but GTC staff did provide them to the TIP Development Committee for its consideration, and the TIP Development Committee concurred with amending the TIP to include them. They both represent altogether new funds to the region. The descriptions of the two resolutions are:
Proposed Resolution 11-137 amends the 2011-2014 TIP to increase funding to the FTA Section 5310 Blocked Program. These are FTA funds administered by NYSDOT-Main Office to provide not-for-profit organizations with funding to purchase vehicles to transport seniors. GTC is involved in evaluating the proposals that are received by NYSDOT-Main Office. Our region did exceptionally well, receiving over 15 percent of the funding that was awarded statewide.
Proposed Resolution 11-138 amends the 2011-2014 TIP by adding the RGRTA Boiler Replacement, Unit Heater Efficiency, HVAC Controls, and Pavement Ice Controller project. These are funds that have been awarded by the Secretary of USDOT for projects that improve air quality or reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while providing a return on investment. RGRTA was one of 46 awardees and the program was highly competitive with 266 project applications requesting more than $1 billion received and only $112 million available.
Jeffrey Adair moved to approve Resolution 11-136; David Cook seconded the motion. The motion passed unopposed.
Chairperson Hancock stated that the Board would return to Item 5.c.
5.c. Old Business
Richard Perrin discussed the current status of federal transportation funding legislation. He described the appropriations made via a mini-bus bill as opposed to the traditional omnibus bills used to allocate funding to programs.
Richard delivered a presentation on the Senate-proposed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) bill. He reviewed the highlights of the bills proposed changes including program consolidation, performance measurement, accelerated project delivery, and innovative financing. He also discussed the anticipated impacts on GTC, including potentially reduced funding for highway and bridge needs and changes to the GTC boundaries.
Chairperson Hancock asked Richard about what would happen to MPOs with a population less than 200,000. Richard replied that they could be dissolved, re-designated as an MPO provided they met certain technical requirements, or consolidated with a larger MPO. If they are dissolved, the state department of transportation would be responsible for MPO functions in those areas.
Dorothy Huber requested that GTC send out copies of the presentation to the board members. Richard responded he would provide the presentation as well as a memo that would provide greater detail about the issues discussed.
Terrence Rice noted that it is important for local decision-makers to understand the impacts of the consolidation of programs; specifically, that many bridges will now have to compete with highway projects, which could limit overall funding to projects not on the National Highway System.
David Cook asked if New York State will benefit or be hurt by the proposed changes in MAP-21. Richard replied that the initial indications are that the new funding levels will be proportional to current ones but that no specific figures are available and there is not enough information to be certain.
7. New Business
Chairperson Hancock stated that the 2012 GTC Board meeting schedule is available in the meeting packet.
8. Next Meeting
The next GTC Board meeting will be held Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 175 Jefferson Road, in Henrietta.
9. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:38 a.m.