N.C. CAPITAL AREA
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
February 16, 2005 – 4:00 PM
2nd Floor City Council Chambers, Raleigh Municipal Bldg.
Avery C. Upchurch Governmental Complex
222 West Hargett Street
Raleigh, North Carolina
Special Note: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations will be provided for persons requiring assistance in order to participate in the N.C. Capital Area MPO’s meetings. If such assistance is needed or to request this document in an alternative format, please contact the MPO’s office at 919-807-8511 (voice), 919-807-8517 (fax), or 919-890-3107 (TTY located at City of Raleigh Public Affairs Dept.) at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting.
AGENDA
1. Preliminaries
2. Adjustments to the Agenda
3. Public Comments
This is an opportunity for comments by those in attendance. Please limit comments to three minutes for each speaker.
4. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the January 26, 2005 TAC meeting are enclosed as Attachment 4 .
TAC Action: Approval.
5. Public Hearing: Capital Area MPO Planning Processes
Attachment 5 is the agenda for the Federal Certification Review scheduled for February 16-17, 2005. The review meetings are being conducted by FHWA and FTA staff and held in the Capital Area MPO offices. Since this certification review will not be completed until February 17, a complete report of the review findings and recommendations will be made at a future meeting.
A Public Hearing is scheduled and has been advertised for this meeting for the fedral certification review team to receive comments from interested persons on any issue pertaining to MPO process. Mr. Joe Stevens of FHWA will provide a brief presentation of the review process and with the TAC’s permission conduct the public hearing.
TAC Action: (1) Authorize FHWA to conduct public hearing on MPO process; and (2) receive information.
6. Public Hearing: Triangle Region 2005 Air Quality Conformity Determination Process
The Air Quality Conformity Analysis and Determination Report applies to the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan. An acceptable Conformity Determination finding allows transportation projects within the Capital Area MPO to continue to receive funding for construction. Mr. John Hodges-Copple of the Triangle J Council of Governments has been leading this coordination effort involving three MPOs, three RPOs, FHWA, FTA, and USEPA, NCDOT and NCDNER-DAQ. Attachment 6 is the current version of the Air Quality Conformity Report. The complete report can also be found at http://www.triangleair.org/topics.htm#transconf.
A 50-day public comment period began on January 20, 2005 and is to close on March 11, 2005. A public hearing is scheduled and has been advertised for this meeting for the TAC to receive comments on any issue pertaining to the report and the conformity determination. TAC action to approve the Air Quality Conformity Analysis and Determination Report and make the Conformity Determination is scheduled for the next TAC meeting on March 16, 2005. The TAC may wish to hold this public hearing open until the following meeting to received additional comments prior to final approval action being considered.
TAC Action: (1) Conduct public hearing; and (2) Receive Information.
7. Status Report on State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for FY 2006-2012
On January 6, 2005, NCDOT indicated that the upcoming draft STIP for FY 2006-2012 was being adjusted to rebalance funding levels between the state’s 14 highway divisions to bring expenditures since 1999 back into compliance with the equity formula originally established by the Highway Trust Fund Act of 1989 as subsequently modified in 1999 to require precise funding compliance within each Highway division. NCDOT indicated that this rebalancing would require removing $326 million of proposed funding from Division Five over the next seven years of the TIP. At the time of the announcement, high priority highway projects in Wake County proposed to be delayed beyond 2012 included; I-40 from US 1/64 to Wade Avenue, I-440 from I-40 to Wade Avenue, and US 401 from Rolesville to Louisburg.
On February 6, 2005, it was reported by the Raleigh News and Observer, that inadequate cash balances may require NCDOT to delay projects lettings later this year, such as the US 70 Clayton Bypass.
An updated status report with further information will be made at the meeting. NCDOT senior staff have been invited to attend brief the TAC as well.
The TAC may wish to express concern to NCDOT and/or others about the consequences of this proposed action further reducing already inadequate state and federal funding to help address this region’s steadily growing traffic congestion problems.
TAC Action: Receive information for discussion and action as appropriate.
8. Planning Area Agreement with the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO
Attachment 8 includes a letter drafted by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO that will serve to fulfill federal requirements relative to the planning for that portion of the Durham Urbanized Area (UZA) that lies within the Capital Area MPO MAB and likewise that portion of the Raleigh UZA that lies within the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MAB.
TAC Action: Receive information for discussion and action as appropriate.
9. Capital Area MPO February 10, 2005 Strategic Planning Retreat & TAC Follow-up
The Capital Area MPO Technical Coordinating Committee’s Strategic Planning Retreat was to be held on Thursday, February 10, 2005 at Lake Wheeler Park, facilitated by Mr. Warren Miller of Fountainworks, with the attendance of over 50 people representing the TCC as well as senior professional staff from throughout the current and expanded area of the Capital Area MPO. Attachment 9 is the Strategic Planning Retreat agenda, which outlines the Retreat’s overall goal of determining how the Capital Area MPO should organize and operate in the future. A brief report of the TCC retreat’s preliminary findings will be made at this meeting.
As discussed at the TAC’s last meeting on January 26, 2005, to follow up on initiating the process of expanding the TAC to include interim representation from the MPO’s newly added governments from four counties (Franklin, Granville, Harnett, and Johnston) and six towns (Angier, Bunn, Clayton, Creedmoor, Franklinton, and Youngsville), the consensus of those in attendance was to have a TAC meeting in March or April to which the new members would be invited, perhaps also including dinner, to facilitate current and new members becoming acquainted with each other and having the opportunity to begin understanding each other’s current issues and concerns.
TAC Action: Determine preferred meeting date(s), time(s), and type(s) to invite new members to begin informally participating in the TAC’s deliberations prior to officially becoming formal members of the MPO. Also, determine how TAC would prefer to continue and conclude MPO’s strategic planning process.
10. Tribute to Mr. George Chapman
The Capital Area MPO wishes to recognize the services of Mr. George Chapman for the Capital Area MPO and for the State of North Carolina. Mr. Chapman has serve as the City of Raleigh’s Planning Director for 25 years, and within that time has served as an active member of the Capital Area MPO TCC, including serfving as the TCC Chair for the last 10 years. Attachment 10 is a resolution recognizing the outstanding public service and planning impact that Mr. Chapman has provided to the citizens of Wake County, the Triangle Region, and the State of North Carolina
TAC Action: Approval.
11. Triangle Regional Model Executive Committee
It is recommended that Mr. Ed Johnson, Capital Area MPO Director, be approved by the TAC to assume the role of serving as the Capital Area MPO’s representative on the Triangle Regional Model Executive Committee, replacing Mr. George Chapman.
TAC Action: Approval.
STAFF REPORTS
11. Reports from the Chair
Chip Russell, TCC Chair
12. MPO Staff Reports
Ed Johnson, MPO Director
13. NCDOT Reports
Scott Walston / Sarah M. Smith – Transportation Planning Branch
Jon Nance / Wally Bowman - Division 5
14. Other Business and Pending Items
15. Adjourn