MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE A/GFTC TAC April 14, 2010
Attendees Agency
Members
Stu Baker Town of Queensbury
Mike Fiorillo Village of Hudson Falls DPW
Willy Grimmke Washington County DPW
Preston Jenkins Town of Moreau
Bob Hansen NYSDOT-Region 1
William Lamy Warren County DPW
Jim Lindsay Town of Kingsbury
Scott Sopczyk Greater Glens Falls Transit
Mike Valentine Saratoga County Planning Department
Others
Mary Anne Mariotti NYSDOT-Region 1
Peter Faith GPI
Jeff Tennyson Warren County DPW
John Wheatley EDC of Warren County
Staff
Aaron Frankenfeld A/GFTC
Sarah Gebbie-Measeck A/GFTC
Minutes of the Meeting
1. Welcome and Introductions – TAC Chair Willy Grimmke brought the meeting to order
at 10:05 AM.
2. Visitor Issues – None
3. Administrative Items
A. Self –Certification – Aaron – the draft Self-Certification was made available for
committee review on the A/GFTC website. It is required as part of the TIP process. A
motion was made to approve the Self-Certification for Policy Committee
consideration.
MOVED BY: Mike Valentine SECONDED BY: Scott Sopczyk MOTION CARRIED
B. Long Range Plan – Aaron – A/GFTC received FTA and FHWA approval on the LRP’s
conformity designation. The LRP is now officially completed and approved.
4. UPWP
A. Consultant / Staff Activities
1) Travel Demand Modeling – Aaron – A RFP was put out to upgrade and provide
a more user friendly modeling program for the office. Warner Transportation
Consulting was chosen as the consultant. There is a possibility that the office will
migrate away from VISUM and to TransCAD. Bob Hansen asked if TransCAD data
can easily be input into VISUM. It is assumed that the data can be interchanged.
2) GIS Services / Website updates – Sarah – Fountain Spatial has created a TIP
Project Viewer that is now available on the website under the Projects tab. It will
be updated as the TIP is updated. A similar Google Map-based application will be
created for our Traffic Counts data. Fountain Spatial also created a Transit
Adirondack / GlensFallsTransportationCouncil
11 South Street, Suite 203
Glens Falls, NY 12801
p: (518) 223 – 0086 f: (518) 223 – 0584
info@agftc.org
www.agftc.org
April 14, 2010
TAC Minutes
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Ridership Application that we are testing the last bugs out of now. This will also
evolve into a Pavement Scoring Application that the staff will use for local roads in
the Federal Aid Eligible road network. There is potential to score other roads as
requested. A/GFTC also recently revamped its current website, which includes
hosting the Greater Glens Falls Transit website. It is hoped this will give GGFT
more visibility and ability to post updated schedules and data as needed.
3) iPoolNorth – Sarah – iPoolNorth will have its one year anniversary on Earth
Day, April 22
nd. We will be challenging current iPoolNorth users to make one
transportation difference during the week of Earth Day and pushing the message
of iPoolNorth and the challenge to the public through the media. Mike Valentine
suggested we take this message to the school districts and let children take the
message home to their parents as well.
4) Local Traffic Engineering Assistance Program
a. Lake George Gateway Corridor – Aaron – the two school studies in
Glens Falls are done. There is currently a solicitation out for the Lake
George Gateway Corridor Plan. Responses are due today.
b. Solicitation – Aaron – Discussion ensued regarding taking on projects
first come/first serve or soliciting for projects and then ranking them
against each other. Aaron was concerned since the limit was raised to
$20,000 and local match was no longer required that we would be
overwhelmed with projects, but the Lake George Gateway Corridor is the
only one we’ve received so far. It was decided to stay with the first
come/first serve idea.
B. Transit
1) GGFT Update – Scott – A few of the TDP recommendations have been
implemented, including adding a midday run on Route 2 and extending Route 19
to the Village of Lake George more frequently. Will wait to implement other TDP
recommendations until the State budget finalizes. The ARRA projects are proving
difficult and tedious given the amount of money received. The smaller projects are
taking longer than anticipated.
2) JARC and New Freedom solicitation – Aaron – DOT issued a solicitation for
JARC (Job Access Reverse Commute) and New Freedom funds. If there are no
proposals received from small urban areas, DOT will open up the solicitation to
rural areas. Mike Valentine asked for an explanation of the programs. A/GFTC had
awarded the full JARC allocation to GGFT in 2009. GGFT opted to not pursue the
reimbursement award due to the administrative requirements attached to the
funding and not being able to meet those requirements while also undertaking
ARRA requirements.
3) NX Connector – Aaron – A/GFTC staff surveyed NX riders for feasibility of
connecting the NX and GGFT Route 5 trips. A minimum number of positive
responses were identified that would make the connection worthwhile. Discussion
ensued about NX and transit services on the Northway.
5. TIP
A. Project Updates
1) Warren County – Jeff – Corinth Rd. is underway and the detour had to be
implemented earlier than anticipated. Woolen Mill bridge will be demolished next
week. The area near Tannery Rd bridge has been cleared for a temporary bridge.
Bids have been received on the Alder Brook bridge. Contracts are being finalized
on the Stimulus 1R paving projects (Glenwood Avenue and Corinth Road west of
the Northway). Beach Rd is still in design and held up by DEC’s indecision on the
cost sharing agreement. DEC owns approximately 39% of the roadway and
therefore 39% of the project costs. If DEC backs out of the project that portion of
the project will not get done and therefore the project cost will decrease. Jeff
asked if that funding will stay in the MPO or not – Aaron responded that that 39%
was not necessarily programmed into the current TIP.
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2) Washington County – Willy – The 1Rs went to bid and were awarded. The
major drainage on the Whitehall bridges have been done. The Clinton Street
bridge has been demolished. County Route 61 will have a design report in June or
July. Working on incorporating the Lower Turnpike bridge into the project design
report for County Route 12. Trying to get the demolition for Dewey’s Bridge
funded. County Route 10 is waiting for DOT’s response on the project scope.
3) Saratoga County – Preston – The safety project at Route 9 and Spier Falls Rd
is planned for a December completion. The lights were changed at the Route 9
and 197 intersection allowing for protected SB left turn phase. Traffic tickets have
been issued and the population is starting to adjust their behavior, therefore
making a safer intersection.
4) NYSDOT – Bob – The Department is on a week-to-week budget. All projects
except the Crown Point bridge have been pushed to a April 29
th letting date.
Crown Point bridge is scheduled to be led on 4/15/10. DOT is paying ARRA and
CHIPs bills, but holding payment on all other bills.
B. Amendments and Modifications – Aaron – no new TIP amendments, but gave a list of
the amendments that have been added since 1/1/10.
• I-87 resurfacing was extended to exit 24
• South Street earmark added
• Funds were added to the Alder Brook project
• Right of Way was added to Beach Rd project
C. Draft 2010-2015 TIP
1) Draft Roster of Projects – Aaron – although this our smallest program since
2003, this draft program prepared in conjunction with Region 1 staff and based
upon the results of our Project Prioritization meeting addresses a number of
substantial transportation needs.
a. Review / Questions – Scott asked if JARC and New Freedom needed to be
on the TIP. Aaron will look into that. Jeff pointed out that there was an
oversight with not carrying over a previous project into this TIP.
Middleton bridge was on the last TIP. It needs to be relocated on a trout
stream, which is expensive and requires adhering to DEC regulations.
There is a fair amount of funding flexibility that we will be able to put it
on this TIP. Aaron will need the schedule from Warren County ASAP to
put it on this TIP. Discussion about Harrington Rd bridge also came up.
It was in the last TIP but not on this TIP. Aaron was under the
impression that Warren County was going to obligate that during this
TIP period. Warren County will get federal authorization by October 1
st in
order to finish it during this TIP period. Mike asked if $1 million is
enough for the bike/ped set aside. Aaron pointed out that we are
moving from $500,000 to $1 million over a five year period by changing
from two solicitations of $250,000 to annual solicitations of $200,000.
b. Illustrative Projects – Aaron noted that we can identify program needs in
the TIP narrative, such as Exit 20 and functionally obsolete structures.
We should also add in the TIP narrative the projects that were submitted
for this TIP but were not able to be accommodated due to lack of
funding.
c. Approval for Public Comment – Aaron hopes that this document will lend
itself to public review more so than previous formats. Discussion ensued
regarding the adequacy of time following the comment period to
meaningfully address any public comment.
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TAC Minutes
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d. Schedule – Aaron – TIP needs to be in Main Office by May 29
th. There is
discussion that NYMTC will be unable to meet that deadline, so if we are
a few days late (for example, if public comment generates the need for
significant revisions) we won’t be holding up the STIP. A motion was
made to accept the 2010-2015 TIP with changes made as discussed.
MOVED BY: Jim Lindsay SECONDED BY: Bob Hansen MOTION CARRIED
6. Other Items – None
7. Next meeting schedule and adjourn – Aaron – Next TAC meeting will be planned for
late June. A motion was made to adjourn the meeting.
MOVED BY: Jim Lindsay SECONDED BY: Stu Baker MOTION CARRIED