Metropolitan Planning Organization

1 of 48 TOM ROWLAND, CHAIRMAN 190 Church Street, N.E., P.O. Box 1519, Cleveland, TN 37364-1519 Phone (423) 479-1913 fax (423) 559 3373 http://clevelandtn.gov/index.aspx?nid=153 MPO Coordinator Greg Thomas, AICP gthomas@clevelandtn.gov MPO Technical Coordinating Committee WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2015, 10:00 O’CLOCK AM, 2nd FLOOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 190 CHURCH STREET NE, CLEVELAND, TN AGENDA 1. Call TCC meeting to order 2. Approval of meeting minutes— May 6, 2015 p. 3 3. New Business a. Public hearing and adoption of MPO By-laws and Prospectus p.5 b. 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan update c. Proposed 2016-2017 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) p. 7 d. 2016 TAP Grant p. 8 e. Statewide Rail Plan Submittal p. 14 f. Passenger Rail Memorandum of Understanding p. 37 4. Old Business---none 5. Comments by federal, state, local agencies 6. MPO Coordinator/staff comments a. MPO Coordinators Report p. 42  2 of 48 b. Pedestrian and Bicycle grants near Stuart School p. 44 c. CUATS Ridership Report p.45 d. FTA 5307 funding allocation p. 46 7. Public comments 8. The next regular TCC meeting date is Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 10 a.m. 9. Adjourn  3 of 48 TOM ROWLAND, CHAIRMAN 190 Church Street, N.E., P.O. Box 1519, Cleveland, TN 37364-1519 Phone (423) 479-1913 fax (423) 559 3373 http://clevelandtn.gov/index.aspx?nid=153 MPO Coordinator Greg Thomas, AICP gthomas@clevelandtn.gov MPO Technical Coordinating Committee WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2015, 10:00 O’CLOCK AM, 2nd FLOOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 190 CHURCH STREET NE, CLEVELAND, TN MINUTES 1. Call MPO Technical Coordinating Committee to order --- Chairman Tommy Myers called the meeting to order. Other TCC members present included Janice Casteel, Shawn McKay, Brian Beck, Kory Vance (intern) of the City of Cleveland, Stacy Morrison and Joren Dunnavant of TDOT, Tad Bacon and Philip Luce of Cleveland Utilities, Robert Varnell of CUATS, Greg Thomas City of Cleveland/Cleveland MPO. Others in attendance included Joyanna Love (Cleveland Daily Banner). 2. Approval of meeting minutes— March 4, 2015--- Chairman Tommy Myers introduced the item and called for discussion or a motion. Tad Bacon made a motion to approve and it was seconded by Stacy Morrison and approved unanimously. 3. New Business a. MPO Public Participation Plan (PPP)--- Greg Thomas presented a staff report concerning the Public Participation Plan. It was put out for a 45-day comment period. A public hearing was held by the TCC on April 20, 2015. There were comments from TDOT and Federal agencies concerning the PPP and these were addressed. Janice Casteel asked about whether the document had been put on the web site. Robert Varnell made a motion to recommend approval of the PPP by the MPO and there was a second from Brian Beck. Approved unanimously. b. MPO By-laws and Prospectus--- Greg Thomas presented the staff report on this item. He explained that there would need to be a public hearing by the MPO. Tad Bacon was left off of the TCC list and David Sheely’s title needs to be corrected. The By-laws and Prospectus were not properly distributed. So the adoption would need to be postponed to the July meeting.  4 of 48 c. 20th Street and Michigan Avenue Road Improvements Feasibility Study--- Greg Thomas explained that Alan Childers and staff from Cannon & Cannon were in attendance in order to do a presentation and public hearing on the project at the MPO meeting. Alan Childers made a few comments on the study. The major finding was that section 4 of the study area, Michigan Avenue Road from Minnis Road to 20th Street, experienced a high crash rate that could make improvements there a good candidate for transportation safety funding. Robert Varnell said that there should be consideration of transit planning as this project goes forward. Whirlpool has installed a bus shelter as part of its LEED certification. A transit route is would go down Benton Pike to Whirlpool and then down Michigan Avenue Road to 20th Street to Old Tasso Road. Tad Bacon made a motion that the TCC recommend to the MPO that the safety project be pursued based upon the high crash rate; it was seconded by Robert Varnell. Janice Casteel was concerned about the extent of the local match. The motion was approved unanimously. d. 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan Update—Greg Thomas explained what was in the attached memo related to the meeting of the 2040 RTP Steering Committee, and the things discussed by the Steering Committee like the allocation of jobs and population and changes in the traffic network like the new interchange on APD-40, transit needs in the expanded MPA, etc. 4. Old Business---none 5. Comments by federal, state, local agencies--- Stacy Morrison said that there was no update on the S.R. 60 project. He introduced Joren Dunnavant the new Community Planner at TDOT. 6. MPO Coordinator/staff comments— Greg Thomas directed the attention of the TCC to the MPO Coordinators Report included in the packet. 7. Public comments 8. The next regular MPO meeting date is Wednesday, July 8, 2015 at 10 a.m. 9. Adjourn  5 of 48 PUBLIC HEARING on Update of MPO Prospectus and By-laws July 8, 2015 Today’s meeting includes a Public Hearing to hear public comments on the proposed updates to the MPO Prospectus and By-laws. I declare the public hearing to be open. Is there anyone here who would like to offer any comments on this item? ….Receive Comments Is there anyone else here who would like to speak on this item? Seeing none, I declare the public hearing to be closed  6 of 48 TOM ROWLAND, CHAIRMAN 190 Church Street, N.E., P.O. Box 1519, Cleveland, TN 37364-1519 Phone (423) 479-1913 fax (423) 559 3373 http://clevelandtn.gov/index.aspx?nid=153 MPO Coordinator Greg Thomas, AICP gthomas@clevelandtn.gov A RESOLUTION OF THE CLEVELAND URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION WHEREAS, the MPO develops and adopts it By-laws and Prospectus; and WHEREAS, the MPO has recently undergone an expansion of it Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA), and for other reasons, the MPO has undertaken the process of amending its By-laws and Prospectus; and WHEREAS, the MPO has developed draft revisions to the By-laws and Prospectus and has followed the amendment process, including a public comment period and public hearing, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the MPO hereby approves the amended By-laws and Prospectus Approved, this 8th day of July, 2015: _______________________________ Mayor Tom Rowland, MPO Chairman  7 of 48 MEMORANDUM TO: MPO Executive Board and TCC FROM: Greg Thomas, AICP, MPO Coordinator DATE: June 30, 2015 SUBJECT: 2016-2017 UPWP Staff has addressed State and Federal comments concerning the draft 2016-2017 UPWP and is awaiting a reply from FHWA. The TCC needs to recommend the draft UPWP to the MPO subject to clearance of the FHWA/FTA comments. The UPWP will need to be adopted at the next MPO meeting August 5, 2015 after a public hearing. After we get clearance from FHWA we will distribute the draft UPWP for public review at least 14 days prior to the August 5, 2015 MPO meeting. Page 1 of 1  8 of 48 FY2016 TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES APPLICATION Downtown Improvement Project Dyersburg, Dyer County Example of eligible Activity One (1): Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Deadline for 2016 submittals: November 3, 2015 @ 3:00PM (Central) Submit applications electronically via tdot.enhancements@tn.gov TDOT - Transportation Alternatives Office Suite 600 James K. Polk Building, 505 Deaderick Street Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0341 Phone: 615-741-5314 Fax: 615-741-9673 1  9 of 48 2016 Transportation Alternatives Updates  2016 TAP funding must be authorized for construction on or before July 1, 2019 or the funds will be automatically withdrawn by FHWA. No contract extensions can be provided by TDOT to secure the funding.  All applications must include both an appropriate indoor and outdoor location for award announcement if the project is selected for funding.  All TAP projects, regardless of scope or complexity, must be designed per TDOT Standards for Roadway Design and Bridge Construction and be submitted in the required TDOT format.  All bicycle and pedestrian facilities must be hard-surfaced, ADA compliant and provide adequate linear connectivity to existing facilities. Funding may not be used for spot improvements, repairs or maintenance and all new construction for multi-modal (shared use) facilities must be a minimum of 10-feet wide.  All local governmental agencies, including those within the Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville MPO/TPO’s, may submit an application to the State Competitive Program. Please contact your MPO/TPO for additional information and specific guidelines regarding their regional competitive program schedule.  Applicants with an outstanding uncommitted STP balance are advised to utilize such funds in lieu of submitting a TA application through the competitive program.  Per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Other Federal laws which affect the design, construction, alteration, and operation of federally- funded facilities include the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA), and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Newly constructed and altered facilities covered by Titles II and III of the ADA, including all Transportation Alternatives-type projects, must be readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities per the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).  The 20% non-federal construction share of the proposed project must be provided as a hard cash match, and all preliminary engineering (PE), design and right-of-way expenditures are solely the responsibility of the local governmental agency.  Prior to submitting a 2016 application, all applicants must hold a design public involvement meeting to notify the local community of the intended project scope. You must include the date(s) and time(s) of public meetings that were held as well as the sign-in sheet, the record of all public comments received and the disposition of said comments with the completed application.  Costs associated with application preparation and design public involvement meeting are not eligible for federal reimbursement.  All line items listed in the application budget are subject to TDOT review and eligibility verification. Ineligible items will be excluded from federal reimbursement but may be included at the local agency’s expense.  If the proposed application is selected for project funding, only the specific description and approved budget items will be eligible for construction. The Transportation Alternatives (TA) funding will not be transferable nor will the project be eligible for major project scope changes. All remaining federal funds will revert to TDOT for re-distribution in the next funding cycle.  Applications and proposed design plans selected for award have not been fully vetted, reviewed or approved by TDOT and may require further modification. Please access www.tdot.state.tn.us/local/documents/localgovernmentguidelines.pdf for The Local Government Guidelines for the Management of Federal and State Funded Transportation Projects manual which provides State and Local Governmental Agencies with the procedures that are required by law, regulation, rule, policy and standards for the use of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) transportation projects. 2  10 of 48 FOR TDOT USE ONLY FY2016 Do Not Write In This Box TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES APPLICATION Eligible Applicant: ___ Yes ___ No Check box if this application is a re-submittal of a previously non-awarded Eligible Project: ___ Yes ___ No application. Provide the year of last submission: _____________ Adequate Scope: ___ Yes ___ No Project Title: Adequate Map: ___ Yes ___ No Adequate Funding: ___ Yes ___ No Priority Ranking (If multiple applications submitted by applicant): TDOT Budget Template: ___ Yes ___ No Project County: TDOT Line Item Nos.: ___ Yes ___ No Public Involvement: ___ Yes ___ No Physical Project Address including 9-digit zip (not the address of applicant): Signed Application: ___ Yes ___ No Current Applicant Population: Applicant DUNS Number: ____________________ _____________ TDOT Approval Date 1. Total Construction Costs (100%): $________________________________ (excluding preliminary engineering/design and right-of-way expenses) 2. FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION FUNDS REQUESTED: $________________________________ (Maximum 80% of number 1) 3. Local Cash Match of Construction Funds: $ ________________________________ (Minimum 20% of number 1) If the application is ultimately selected for funding, please provide both an appropriate outdoor and indoor location from which to formally announce and award the project. These locations must have a physical address and provide suitable parking and accessibility for the public. Outdoor Location Name & Address:_________________________________________________________________________ Indoor Location Name & Address: __________________________________________________________________________ Name of City/County or State Agency Applicant: Address: Local Government Contact Name, Title, Phone Number and E-mail Address: Other Applicable Contact Name, Title, Company, Phone Number and E-mail Address: I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the information submitted with this application is accurate, all rules & regulations contained in TDOT’s Local Government Guidelines for the Management of Federal and State Funded Transportation Projects will be followed & that ALL funds, including the required 20% local cash match, are now available for the completion of the project as described herein. Signature: _____________________________________________________________ Date ________________ City or County Mayor or State Agency Head Printed Name and Title of elected official: _____________________________________________________________ THE HIGHEST ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY MUST SIGN THIS APPLICATION 3  11 of 48 SECTION 1: TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES ACTIVITIES Check only those that apply. Explanations of each activity can be found on page 4 of the instruction booklet. Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Historic Preservation & Rehab of Historic Transportation Facilities All facilities must be hard-surfaced, ADA compliant and provide adequate linear connectivity. Multi-modal facilities Preservation of buildings and facades in historical districts; must be a minimum of 10-feet wide. TA funds can be used for restoration of historic buildings for transportation-related sidewalks, walkways or curb ramps; bike lane striping, wide purposes; access improvements to historic sites. Restoration paved shoulders, bike parking and bus racks; pedestrian of railroad depots, bus stations and lighthouses; rehabilitation safety/traffic calming; off-road trails; bike and pedestrian of rail trestles, tunnels, bridges and canals bridges and underpasses and ADA compliance. Funding may not be used for spot improvements, repairs or maintenance All applications are subject to State Historic Preservation Office review and approval Safe Routes for Non-Drivers Vegetation Management Access and accommodation for children, older adults and Improvement of roadway safety; prevention of invasive individuals with disabilities species; providing erosion control Conversion of Abandoned Railway Corridors Archaeological Activities to Trails Projects related to impacts from implementation of current Acquisition of railroad rights-of-way; planning, design and highway construction projects construction of multi-use hard-surfaced, ADA accessible trails and rail-with-trail projects Scenic Turnouts and Overlooks Stormwater Mitigation Construction of scenic turnouts, overlooks and viewing areas Pollution prevention and abatement activities to address stormwater management; water pollution prevention related to highway construction or due to highway runoff Outdoor Advertising Management Wildlife Management Billboard inventories and removal of illegal and nonconforming Reduction of vehicle-caused wildlife mortality; restoration and billboards. Inventory control may include, but not be limited to, maintenance of connectivity among terrestrial and aquatic data collection, acquisition and maintenance of digital aerial habitats photography, video logging, scanning and imaging of data, developing and maintain an inventory and control database and hiring of outside legal counsel SECTION 2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION INCLUDING PURPOSE AND NEED PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Include project name, project location, and scope of work. The project location should run from west to east or south to north and must include local road names. You must include a color coded map that clearly delineates the project (with road names, a north arrow and the project location highlighted) and any photographs, plans, drawings and applicable preliminary sketches. You must also provide a photograph of the beginning and ending termini if you are submitting for an Activity 1 project. Please do not submit any documents larger than 11” x 17”. Federal regulations require that a project must have a surface transportation link to be eligible. Please refer to http://trade.railstotrails.org/relate_stp for more information pertaining to surface transportation links. If this is a continuation of an existing project, include the projects applicable Project Identification Number (PIN) project description, current status and estimated completion date. If this is a pedestrian facility, you must provide distinct and connecting termini at each end of the proposed project. For example, “The Volunteer State Greenway is a 10’ wide asphalt trail which will be constructed parallel to State Route 147, beginning at a trailhead on Neal Street, proceeding in a northerly direction and terminating at Highland Elementary School located at Highland Avenue for a total distance of 4,670 linear feet.” Pedestrians cannot utilize bike lanes and all pedestrian facilities must provide adequate separation from vehicular traffic, typically accomplished with the installation of a 6-inch non-mountable curb. Pedestrian facility projects must provide distinct termini or link to an existing eligible accessible pedestrian facility. Eligible termini include: governmental offices, historic sites, schools, post office, public library, trailhead, etc. Note that sidewalks must connect to existing sidewalks, bikeways must connect to existing bikeways, greenways must connect to existing greenways or each facility must connect to an approved trailhead with adequate ADA parking or an eligible destination point. Future pedestrian facility connectors are not eligible termini. All bicycle and pedestrian facilities must be ADA compliant and provide adequate linear connectivity to existing accessible facilities. 4  12 of 48 Funding may not be used for spot improvements, repairs or maintenance and all new construction for multi-modal (shared use) facilities must be a minimum of 10-feet wide. Address any questions concerning connectivity to the Transportation Alternatives Office at TDOT.Enhancements@tn.gov. PURPOSE AND NEED: Briefly specify the underlying purpose and need to which the applicant is responding in proposing the alternatives including the proposed action. FHWA requires a clear statement of identified objectives that the proposed project is intended to achieve for improving transportation conditions. The objectives should be derived from needs and may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1: Achieving a transportation objective; 2: Supporting land use, economic development or growth objectives established in applicable Federal, State, local plans. The items listed below may not be applicable to every project, but those that are should be discussed, as appropriate, to help explain and justify the project’s purpose and need. For those which do not apply, simply answer “NA”. Project Status: Provide a brief project history, including all actions taken, other state and federal agencies involved, and project schedule. List any existing transportation plans or other relevant studies which include the project. System Linkage: Is the project a needed connecting link in a transportation system? How does the project fit into both the current and future transportation system? Explain how the proposed improvement would address the needs of the community and the transportation system. Social or Economic Conditions: Explain how the benefits and adverse impacts to interest groups in the project area were considered during the planning process. Land Use: Describe projected changes in land use that spur the need for improving the area’s transportation capacity. Reference the local area’s land use plan and describe how it was considered in the transportation planning process. Explain how the project may impact major existing or planned development. Safety: Is the project needed to correct an existing safety hazard? SECTION 3: PROJECT BUDGET Pending applications will not be selected for funding until the fall of the following year with most projects not proceeding to construction for an additional two or three years: please adjust your budget accordingly and verify your calculations. The source of the matching funds that will be provided by the Local Government cannot be from another FHWA surface transportation source. ALL COST OVERRUNS IN EXCESS OF THE AWARDED FUNDING AMOUNT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. The 20% non-federal construction share of the proposed project must be provided as a hard cash match, and all preliminary engineering (PE), design and right-of-way expenditures are solely the responsibility of the local governmental agency. No add alternates or deductions will be allowed in the final construction cost estimate or bid documents. Standardized budget templates are located at http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/local/docs/BudgetTemplates.xlsx. Line items can be added or deleted as needed for any stage utilizing TDOT line item numbers when available; however, this is the required format in which all budgets must be submitted. Note: structural template tab is for Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation of Historic Transportation Facilities only. Access TDOT Line Item Numbers at https://www.tdot.tn.gov/APPLICATIONS/RoadwayItems SECTION 4: INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS The project being developed must be maintained by the applicant and remain open to the public for a sufficient time based upon the federal investment as shown below: Federal Amount Lease $1.00 - $199,999 5 years from Federal close-out date >$200,000 - $499,999 10 years from Federal close-out date >$500,000 - $1,000,000 20 years from Federal close-out date Projects over $1,000,000 carry a minimum 25 year lease and will be subject to individual review. 5  13 of 48 SECTION 5: SUPPORT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Include the local, statewide, and legislative support for the proposed project and attach any federal, state or local government mandates or resolutions for the project. Please provide the legislative districts that correspond to the proposed project location, NOT the address of the applicant: Senate District No. House District No. U.S. Congressional Representative District No. Prior to submitting an application, all applicants must hold a design public involvement meeting to notify the local community of the intended project scope. In addition, correspondence must be sent to the appropriate Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) / Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) or Rural Planning Organization (RPO) describing the proposed activity and inviting input regarding the project. You must include the date(s) and time(s) of public meetings that were held as well as the sign-in sheet, the record of all public comments received and the disposition of said comments with the completed application METROPOLITAN AREAS Are you in a Metropolitan Area over 50,000 population? yes no If yes, please provide the MPO/TPO name: _________________________________________________________ NOTE: If the project is selected for funding you must have MPO/TPO project endorsement and amendment into the applicable Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) SECTION 6: RIGHT-OF-WAY IMPACT Is all land necessary for the project publically owned or leased? yes no Is any part of the project to be constructed inside State or Federal highway right-of-way? yes no Is the project along or adjacent to a State or Federal Highway? yes no Will the project impact an existing or eligible National Register Historic Site or District? yes no Does the project include a pedestrian/bike bridge or tunnel or impact an existing TDOT structure? yes no Will any part of your project (including parallel pedestrian facilities) impact a rail or trolley line? yes no TDOT will accept applications electronically via tdot.enhancements@tn.gov. The electronic submission must still include the scanned signature of the applicable Mayor or State Agency Head as well as all necessary detailed maps, photographs, preliminary sketches, plans and support letters. Please note that only Word, PDF and JPG documents will be accepted for electronic submissions and limit only one application per e-mail. All applications must include the County, Applicant and Project Title in the subject line. Limit one application per e-mail. If more than one e-mail is necessary per application submittal, you must label each e-mail accordingly, e.g. County, Applicant, Title of Project, Part 1 of 2. NOTE: TDOT’s mailbox limit is 15MB per e-mail. If you choose not to submit electronically, you must submit one (1) CD containing the complete application. All CD’s must be labeled County, Applicant and Title of Project. Submissions are to be made to: TDOT - Transportation Alternatives Office Suite 600 James K. Polk Building, 505 Deaderick Street Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0341 Phone: 615-741-5314 Fax: 615-741-9673 6 14 of 48 15 of 48  16 of 48 Gregory Thomas From: Gregory Thomas Sent: Monday, June 22, 2015 12:55 PM To: Liza Joffrion Subject: Statewide Rail Plan-Response to letter of June 3, 2015 Attachments: Transloading facility.pdf; Rail Crossing Safety Improvements.pdf; Interstate Passenger Rail proposal.pdf; Light Rail proposal.pdf; Third Street SR 40 flyover rail crossing.pdf; attachments for Cleveland 2015 Rail Plan Update submittal.pdf Importance: High June 22, 2015 Liza Joffrion, Director TDOT Division of Multimodal Transportation Resources Suite 1800, James K. Polk Building 505 Deaderick Street Nashville, TN 37243‐0349 Dear Ms. Joffrion: Please accept the attached in response to your June 3, 2015 letter seeking input regarding the statewide rail plan. I have provided some information concerning what are essentially five separate projects: 1) a bulk transloading facility; 2) rail safety crossing improvements as enumerated in the Cleveland Freight Study along with similar improvements in the McMinn County portion of the recently expanded Cleveland MPA; 3) inclusion of Cleveland in the planning and eventual extension of passenger rail from locations in KY or VA through Chattanooga and on toward Atlanta, likely through Amtrak; 4) consideration of the inclusion of a Cleveland extension in the Chattanooga light rail study; and 5) consideration of a Third Street SR40 flyover across the Norfolk Southern Railway in downtown Cleveland. Thanks! Greg Thomas, AICP Cleveland MPO Coordinator 423‐479‐1913 gthomas@clevelandtn.gov 1 17 of 48 18 of 48 19 of 48 20 of 48 21 of 48 22 of 48 23 of 48 24 of 48 25 of 48 26 of 48 27 of 48 28 of 48 29 of 48 30 of 48 31 of 48 32 of 48 33 of 48 34 of 48 35 of 48 36 of 48  37 of 48 MEMORANDUM TO: MPO Executive Board and TCC FROM: Greg Thomas, AICP, MPO Coordinator DATE: June 30, 2015 SUBJECT: Passenger Rail Memorandum of Understanding The MPO has the opportunity to consider a Memorandum of Understanding for the extension of passenger rail service throughout portions of four states, from Louisville, KY to Atlanta, GA via Chattanooga. The route would naturally come in or near Cleveland. The MPO may wish to recommend to its local governments that they become signatories of this document which is attached for your review. Page 1 of 1 38 of 48 39 of 48 40 of 48 41 of 48  42 of 48 MEMORANDUM TO: MPO Board and TCC FROM: Greg Thomas, AICP, MPO Coordinator DATE: June 30, 2015 SUBJECT: MPO Coordinator’s Report 1. On May 6, 2015 staff presented information and carried out other administrative duties for the TCC meeting and the MPO meeting 2. On May 19, 2015 staff (Transportation Projects Manager David Sheely) attended a Northwest Cleveland Neighborhood Association meeting at Stuart School. A major topic was transportation issues, especially bicycle and pedestrian. The neighborhood association conducted a survey of those present regarding these issues. 3. On May 27, 2016 staff attended a Corridor K Progress meeting at TDOT Region 2. Deputy Commissioners Paul Degges and Toks Omashakin led in the presentation of the tunnel option based upon similar construction near Seoul, South Korea. A cost has not been identified for this option but it does have the advantage of addressing most, if not all, of the environmental concerns raised with the more conventional open cut options. 4. On June 1, 2015 staff collaborated with RPO staff and a representative of the Dayton Airport in evaluating FTA 5310 applications from our area and these were submitted to TDOT Multi-modal Division. 5. On June 2, 2015 staff completed revisions to the 2016-2017 UPWP pursuant to TDOT comments and submitted the revised document to TDOT. TDOT has approved the response to their comments. TDOT then submitted the document for review by FHWA/FTA and their response was received June 29, 2015. Staff responded to FHWA/FTA comments and submitted a revised UPWP draft on July 1, 2015. Staff will need to respond separately to FHWA/FTA comments regarding the FHWA review of the MPO website. Page 1 of 2  43 of 48 6. On June 3, 2015 staff attended the State Route 60 Corridor management Committee meeting and heard a presentation of the DRAFT Access Management Planning Study for State Route 60 in Bradley County, Tennessee by Mareike Ortmann of the UT Center for Transportation Research. The Committee will be evaluating the study and its recommendations and considering the next steps in a meeting to be scheduled in fall 2015. 7. On June 4, 2015 staff met with other City of Cleveland representatives and Museum at Five Points staff to work on plans for an interactive public display that would include space for learning about and commenting upon possible MPO transportation planning. 8. On June 9, 2015 Staff met with consultants Parsons Brinkerhoff in Nashville to work on the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. 9. On June 9-12, 2015, staff attended the annual MPO conference held in Kingsport, Tennessee. Staff presents the SR60 study progress in a session along with presenters from the Nashville Area MPO concerning the SR 109 Corridor management project. 10. On June 15, 2015 staff completed an internal review for updates to the MPO website in preparation for the review by the Federal Highway Administration. 11. On June 19, 2015 Staff met with Chattanooga TPO staff to view their Green Trips program and to determine if this might present a good opportunity for Cleveland MPO area residents to benefit from a CMAQ-funded transportation program through opportunities for ridesharing, etc. 12. The Notice to Proceed with the design phase for the 2013 Multi-Modal Access Grant has been delayed. TDOT has determined that there are additional environmental requirements beyond what we were first advised. TDOT estimated that they would need another two months to reach the environmental clearance once the additional information was submitted by our engineers Miller-McCoy. That would put the Notice to Proceed off until at least the end of summer. This project will complete the sidewalk connection down Wildwood Avenue and Dalton Pike, and construct two bus shelters and some sidewalks in the 9th Street and Blythe Avenue area. 13. Staff has been working with TDOT and others on study design and data collection for the 25th Street and Georgetown Road Corridor Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Study. City Public Works personnel will be collecting additional camera-based bicycle and pedestrian counts to supplement information from Cleveland Utilities collected in 2013. The Tennessee Division of the Federal Highway Administration has released through TDOT the Tennessee Bicycle and Pedestrian Assessment tool which should guide the conduct of pedestrian safety studies in areas such as Georgetown Road. Page 2 of 2  44 of 48 MEMORANDUM TO: MPO Executive Board and TCC FROM: Greg Thomas, AICP, MPO Coordinator DATE: June 30, 2015 SUBJECT: Pedestrian and Bicycle Grants near Stuart School The MPO applied for two grants for pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the area near Stuart School. A June 5, 2015 letter from Jessica Wilson at TDOT advised that our 2014 Multi-modal Access Grant application was not funded. This grant would have constructed sidewalk from 25th Street down Peerless Road down to the school and the Handipark and it would have provided a crossing to the Greenway at 20th Street. Staff will discuss with TDOT how the application might be improved for a possible future re- submittal. An application is still pending for an application through the Eastern Federal Lands Access Program. Though near Stuart School, this application centers on the Keith Street Post Office (federal land). It would provide a right turn lane into the Post Office and sidewalks on 17th Street, 20th Street, and Georgetown Road, along with a roundabout at Georgetown Road and 20th Street. Based upon correspondence from FHWA, an answer on this grant is expected as early as August 1, 2015. Page 1 of 1  45 of 48 CUATS Ridership Report July 8, 2015 Demand Response Month Fiscal Yr Fiscal Yr Fiscal Yr Fiscal Yr (11/12) (12/13) (13/14) (14/15) July 1951 2131 1930 2268 August 2191 2285 1907 2206 September 2211 2012 1883 2268 October 2152 2248 2120 2405 November 1775 1521 1785 1992 December 1751 1402 2,090 1514 January 1947 1683 1930 2140 February 1877 1753 1860 1694 March 2124 1795 2,260 2283 April 1969 1921 2317 2,059 May 2060 2020 2161 1,961 June 2028 1683 2335 Total For Fiscal Year 24036 22454 24578 22790 Ridership for June is not available at this time. Fixed Route Fiscal Month Fiscal Yr Fiscal Yr Fiscal Yr Year (11/12) (12/13) (13/14) (14/15) July 6411 6539 7986 8184 August 8133 8454 8364 9091 September 7405 6919 7513 9643 October 6867 7847 9500 11,587 November 6475 7614 7876 7779 December 6313 6908 8073 8885 January 6500 7712 6969 8116 February 6704 7588 7433 6458 March 7760 7998 8,806 7,998 April 6913 9044 8686 7,945 May 7178 8909 8965 7,845 June 6305 7340 8229 8756 Total 82964 92,872 98400 102287  46 of 48 MEMORANDUM TO: MPO Executive Board and TCC FROM: Greg Thomas, AICP, MPO Coordinator DATE: June 30, 2015 SUBJECT: Small Urban Area 5307 funding Attached is a May 29, 2015 letter from the TDOT Multi-modal division addressing FTA 5307 funding for transit operating and capital expenses. The letter makes two points: first, only 8/12ths of the annual funding is currently available for obligation; second, that funding formula has been revised and the transition period to the new formula has ended. The old formula was based upon numbers of vehicles operated. The new formula (awaiting an answer from TDOT) we think is 50% based upon 2010 UZA population, 20% unlinked passenger trips, 20% vehicle revenue miles, and 10% local contribution. The net result is that the 5307 allocation for CUATS has gone down. Staff suggests working with TDOT and our consultants to determine what actions might be taken to preserve as much 5307 funding for the Cleveland MPO as possible. Page 1 of 1 47 of 48 48 of 48