N.C.
CAPITAL AREA
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
December 19,
2007
4:00 pm –
6:00 pm
Wake County
Commons
2014 Carya Dr
Raleigh, NC
AGENDA
1. Preliminaries
2. Adjustments to the Agenda
3. Public Comments
This is an opportunity for
comments by those in attendance on items not on the agenda. Please limit comments
to three minutes for each speaker.
4. Approval of Minutes of
the September 19, 2007 TAC Meeting.
The
minutes of the September 19, 2007 TAC meeting, are enclosed as Attachment 4A.
TAC
Action: Approval of the minutes of the September 19,
2007 TAC meeting.
5. Approval of Minutes of the October 31,
2007 Joint Capital Area
MPO/Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO TAC Meeting.
The
minutes of the October31, 2007 Joint Capital Area MPO/Durham-Chapel
Hill-Carrboro MPO TAC meeting, are enclosed as Attachment 5A.
TAC
Action: Approval of the minutes of the Joint Capital
Area MPO/Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO TAC meeting
6. Surface Transportation Program – Direct
Allocation and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Funding Recommendations
At the September 19, 2007 TAC
meeting, an update of the status of the MPO’s Surface Transportation Program –
Direct Allocation (STP-DA) federal funding for FY 2009-2015 was presented. This information indicated a total STP-DA
allocation of $29,156,000. Members were
also provided a table (Attachment 6A)
indicating the current status of the STP-DA funds, as provided by NCDOT, and a
proposal that would fully utilize the unobligated funds to:
(1)
establish a reserve for the MPO to utilize as it sees fit
to fund operational improvements to enhance traffic safety and mitigate traffic
congestion.
(2)
supplement the MPO operational budget to hire additional
staff for the purpose of improving and expanding program services as has been
discussed and agreed upon in principle at recent TAC and TCC strategic planning
retreats.
NCDOT
has informed the Capital Area MPO that a balance of $12,280,000 in unprogrammed Congestion
Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds is available through 2012. NCDOT has not yet determined the amount of
funding actually available beyond the initial years (2006-2012), so they cannot
program projects beyond 2012 at this time.
As there has been no “call” for CMAQ projects by NCDOT at this time,
Capital Area MPO staff created a table (shown as Attachment 6B)
that allocates CMAQ through 2012 for the seven-year TDM Program, and for three
hybrid buses to be purchased by Capital Area Transit (CAT). An equal distribution of $3,070,000 of CMAQ
funds over the fiscal years of 2009 through 2012 will be applied to both
projects. NCDOT has requested that the
Capital Area MPO submit both CMAQ projects for funding through the normal TIP
process. In order to document the air quality benefits and for the
Interagency Partners to approve each project, the requesting agencies (TJCOG
and Capital Area Transit) will submit a completed CMAQ application to NCDOT’s
TIP Unit.
TAC Action: Receive
information on and endorse funding recommendations as presented for the Capital
Area MPO.
7. Eastern Wake Expressway
Meetings
have taken place recently between staff of NCDOT, the Capital Area Metropolitan
Planning Organization, the City of Raleigh, the Town of Garner, and Wake County
concerning the status of the Eastern Wake Expressway (TIP Project R-2829). This is the unfunded, final portion of the
Raleigh Outer Loop. Unlike the Southern
Wake Expressway, this portion of the Outer Loop is not under any form of
corridor protection. Also, the preliminary functional alignment, developed by
NCDOT in the mid-1990’s, may no longer be relevant given the current
environmental restrictions related to wetland protection and Neuse River
riparian buffer impacts.
Until
the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is completed, the final alignment for
this corridor cannot be determined. Completion of the EIS is not anticipated to
occur within the next seven years. Given
the rapid pace of development in this portion of Wake County, which includes
the Randleigh Farm project and two potential Wake County school sites, it is
appropriate for these parties to develop a strategy for this portion of the
County that will allow development to continue while protecting the necessary
right-of-way for this future freeway corridor.
Attachment 7A is a resolution drafted by the Capital Area MPO
staff for consideration by the Transportation Advisory Committee, requesting
that NCDOT initiate corridor protection on an updated preliminary alignment and
expedite the development of the Environmental Impact Statement for this
project.
TAC
Action: Approve the resolution as drafted and
authorize Capital Area MPO staff to work with staff of NCDOT, the City of
Raleigh, the Town of Garner and Wake County on any necessary revisions to the
preliminary corridor design.
8. 2035 Long-Range
Transportation Plan
The Capital Area MPO develops an updated Long-Range
Transportation Plan (LRTP) every four years, as required by Federal law. Each LRTP must account for projected revenues
and costs over a 20-year minimum period, be multi-modal in its approach to
solving transportation problems and, the emissions estimates for this plan must
conform to Federal and state standards for air quality.
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) will be preparing the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) during
the upcoming calendar year. One of the
major challenges of the 2035 LRTP is development of a transportation system
that provides enhanced mobility while preserving the existing infrastructure.
The 2035 LRTP should also support regional and local land use goals and work
toward the region's attainment of national air quality standards. The primary goal of the transportation plan
remains to improve upon the safety and efficiency of the existing system. The
attached draft goals were prepared by the Technical Coordinating Committee
using the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan goals as a baseline. Attachment 8A
is a copy of the draft goals and objectives for the 2035 LRTP update.
A
30-day public comment period should now be opened to allow the public time to
review and provide comment on the draft goals and objectives, and a public
hearing to receive comment should be scheduled for the February 20, 2008 TAC
meeting.
TAC Action: (1) Review the draft goals and objectives for
the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan, (2) provide guidance on items
requiring additional review, and (3) release the draft goals and objectives for
public and review and comment for a minimum 30-day period.
9. Granville
County Comprehensive Transportation Plan
North
Carolina General Statute, GS 136-66.2, 2001, expanded transportation planning
in N.C. to include consideration of all modes. It also placed responsibility
for development and maintenance of a Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) on
the MPO. This CTP is a multi-modal 30-50
year plan for the entire MPO planning area.
The plan is expected to be a living document that provides for
inter-jurisdictional cooperation and planning and replaces the previously used
thoroughfare plans. This Statute also
established the MPO CTP as the only transportation plan recognized and endorsed
by NCDOT.
Over the past year and a half, Capital Area MPO
staff has worked with representatives of Granville County, municipalities
within Granville County, and staff of the Kerr-Tar Rural Planning Organization
to develop the Granville County CTP.
During that time, a Granville County Transportation Committee was formed
with representatives from throughout the county, meetings were held to
determine growth forecasts, problem area identification, and enhancement
opportunities or desires. A process for
update of this document was also identified.
Public meetings were held throughout the County and presentations were
made to local planning boards and Town/City Councils or Commissions as well as
to the Granville County Board of Commissioners. Following presentation to each
board, commission, or council, the plan was adopted or endorsed as
appropriate. Attachment 9A
is a copy of the adopted Granville County CTP.
Granville County received the National Association
of Development Organizations 2007 Award for Planning Excellence for the process
used in creating the Granville County CTP.
The NC Board of Transportation will be considering
adoption of the Granville County CTP at their January Meeting. MPO staff is requesting at this time that the
TAC Adopt the Granville County CTP as endorsed/adopted by Granville County as
the first component of the Capital Area MPO CTP. Additional Counties/MPO planning areas will
be brought forth for adoption as they are completed.
TAC Action: Receive
information on and adopt Granville County CTP for transmission to the NC Board
of Transportation.
10. Special Transit Advisory Commission
The
Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) has continued to meet in order to
complete the charge given it by the TACs of the two MPOs. An update on the STAC will be provided at the
meeting.
TAC Action: Receive update on STAC for action as
appropriate.
11. Reports from the TCC Chair
Chip Russell, TCC Chair
12. MPO
Staff Reports
Ed Johnson, MPO Director
13. NCDOT
Reports
Scott Walston/Rupal Desai –
Transportation Planning Branch
Richard Greene - Division 4
Wally
Bowman/Joey Hopkins - Division 5
Terry Gibson
- Division 6
14. Other Business and Pending Items
Adjourn
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
PENDING ITEMS
Item #01 – Comprehensive Transportation Plan (Spring/Summer 2008)
UPCOMING MEETINGS
January 3, 2008 -
Capital Area MPO TCC Meeting
Room
809 - One Exchange Plaza, Raleigh, NC
10:00
am – Noon
January 16, 2008-
Capital Area MPO TAC Meeting
Wake
County Commons
4012
Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC
4:00
pm – 6:00 pm
Wishing you a Safe and Happy Holiday Season
Your Capital Area MPO Staff
Ed, Kenneth, Diane, JJ, Robert and Kyle
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.