Metropolitan Planning Organization

1 of 20 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 Executive Board WEDNESDAY, November 4, 2015, 11:00 O’CLOCK AM, 2nd FLOOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 190 CHURCH STREET NE, CLEVELAND, TN AGENDA 1. Call MPO Executive Board meeting to order 2. Approval of meeting minutes— September 2, 2015 p.2 3. New Business a. 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan update p.5 b. Grant application for park-ride lot p. 9 c. Multi-modal access grant p.13 4. Old Business---none 5. Comments by federal, state, local agencies 6. MPO Coordinator/staff comments 7. Public comments 8. The next regular MPO meeting date is Wednesday, January 6, 2015 at 11 a.m. 9. Adjourn 2 of 20  3 of 20 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 Executive Board WEDNESDAY, September 2, 2015, 11:00 O’CLOCK AM, 2nd FLOOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 190 CHURCH STREET NE, CLEVELAND, TN MINUTES 1. Call MPO Executive Board meeting to order --- Vice Chairman Mayor D.Gary Davis called the meeting to order and called the roll. The other MPO members in attendance were SETHRA Executive Director Bill Harmon, Cleveland Vice-Mayor George Poe, Assistant City manager Melinda Carroll (proxy for Mayor Tom Rowland), and Joren Dunnavant of TDOT. Others in attendance included Greg Thomas of the City of Cleveland and Cleveland MPO, and Joyanna Love (Cleveland Daily Banner). 2. Approval of meeting minutes— August 5, 2015--- Vice Chairman Davis introduced the item and called for discussion or a motion. D. Gary Davis moved that they be approved and the motion was seconded by Bill Harmon and approved unanimously. 3. New Business a. 2016 TAP Grant --- Vice Chairman Davis introduced the item and Greg Thomas gave a brief staff report. Staff addressed the previous comments of the TCC and evaluation of possible grant application alternatives. Based upon the input received staff proposed a project centered on Gaut Street, specifically from 6th Street near East Street then along 6th Street and then south on Gaut Street and south on Dooley Street to a location in front of the Health Department. The project would consist of curb, gutter, sidewalk, and necessary retaining walls, along with transit stop improvements (e.g. a bus shelter at the Health Department. He further explained the justification for the project, including it service to a low income neighborhood, the fact that children getting off the school bus had to walk in the street or in the ditch, and the consistency with transportation plans. A motion to approve the development of the 2016 TAP grant application as described was made by Bill Harmon and seconded by George Poe and it was approved unanimously.  4 of 20 b. 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan update--- Vice Chairman Davis introduced the item and Greg Thomas gave a brief staff report. He reported that the E+C (existing plus committed projects) network conditions should be ready for review in about 2 weeks. The next major step is an evening public meeting which staff is planning for mid-October. 4. Old Business---none 5. Comments by federal, state, local agencies--- none 6. MPO Coordinator/staff comments--- an update memo was provided by Greg Thomas and included in the packet. 7. Public comments 8. The next regular MPO meeting date is Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 11 a.m. 9. Adjourn  5 of 20 MEMORANDUM TO: MPO Executive Board and TCC FROM: Greg Thomas, AICP, MPO Coordinator DATE: October 30, 2015 SUBJECT: 2040 RTP update MPO staff worked with the consultants to conduct a public meeting on October 15, 2015 at the Museum Center at Five Points. During the meeting the consultant provided an update of findings from the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan process and to gather input from those in attendance. The October 15, 2015 public meeting asked for comments in five (5) categories: SAFETY; ROADWAYS/TRAFFIC; TRANSIT; BICYCLES/PEDESTRIANS; and FREIGHT. The comments received to date are summarized under each of these topical headings. SAFETY Wildwood Avenue and Inman Street intersection is dangerous Widen roadways or safer sidewalks in downtown areas (Blythe Oldfield and SE Cleveland) SCI streetscape improvements Concerns at light on Inman/Edwards Street Narrow Streets---Henderson Avenue Install roundabouts, e.g. 8th and Ocoee (no room for roundabout here?) Log truck traffic on Ocoee and Highway 11 Roundabouts---Peerless Road/Raider Drive, Peerless Road/Norman Chapel Road, Peerless Road/Georgetown Page 1 of 4  6 of 20 Westside Drive/Georgetown Road is intersection without clear signage plus a gas station and a bar Accidents on Central and Parker because of the way stop signs alternate on streets. I think people get confused about which intersections use four-way stops and which ones do not Left turn at intersection of Hwy 11 and Hwy 163/Bowater Road. Hwy 11 and Hwy 163/Bowater Road pedestrian and bicycle concerns. Safety would improve by having sidewalks put in on Hwy 11 and on Hwy 163/Bowater Road. Highway 163 has an underpass underneath the railroad tracks. This underpass is very narrow. Recently some repair work had to be done due to the gravel falling onto the roadway underneath. The underpass needs to be widened. ROADWAYS/TRAFFIC Would like serious consideration for roundabouts Traffic delays; too many cars; heavy pedestrian traffic and car traffic at Lee University I-75 interchanges at Bancroft Road and Hooper Gap Road. Wildwood Avenue SR311 widening. Sunset Drive Corridor. 25ht Street improvements (convert roadscapes to widening) Georgetown Road/Peerless intersection to Keith Street Decreasing Inman Street from 4 to 2 lanes. Incorporate wider sidewalks, streetscape, bike lanes Additional lanes for I-75 Exit 25 to Exit 27, future Exit 11 to Exit 20 and Exit 20 to Exit 25 Four lane Peerless Road. Five lane Old Tasso Road Encourage private turnpike commissions (toll roads) for north Chattanooga bypass (I-75 to I-59) and in GA from I-75 to I-59 for south bypass of Chattanooga Toll road commission for US 64/74 from Ocoee to I-40 through or around both National Forests Street lights (traffic lights?) on 25th Street/Exit 25. Too many lights and too much traffic to be adequately moved with the present system. Calhoun Hwy 11 and Hwy 163/Bowater Road more traffic when Hiwassee River Park is finished Businesses moving to northbound (east) side of Hwy 11. TRANSIT One of the biggest needs is shelters and/or benches at key stops Page 2 of 4  7 of 20 Signs indicating routes---color of route was a suggestion Like idea of mass transit opportunity to Chattanooga –what is current volume from Cleveland to Enterprise South? Implement complete streets Need route from Ocoee to Cleveland on US 64/74 No public transit opportunities along 25th Street/Georgetown Road/Candies Creek. This area is expected to be a high growth area. No public transit options to manufacturing places of employment along APD-40 and Old Tasso Road Efficient cost effective public transportation is pivotal in easing congestion on our streets. It must also be marketed well to encourage use. Need met? No---partially because the routes are obscure unless you do research. Public transportation routes should be marked clearly with signs and stop times posted at route stops. Currently these are no visible stop/pick-up locations. This would increase use of public transit. Cleveland-Chattanooga could be great for business professionals going to work. Cleveland, Ooltewah etc. to downtown Chattanooga Need carpool, bus, or train transportation into Cleveland and Chattanooga BICYCLES/PEDESTRIANS Greenway expansion needs to reach Old Woolen Mill and old Whirlpool (once redeveloped) Bike lanes could be greatly improved Sidewalk on King Edward Avenue plus a cut-through on 12th Street SE and 13th Street SE Greenway connection across Inman to south side along creek. Greeway drawn in blue on map along Candies (Creek) Sidewalk that connects from Northview Drive to the present end of the Greenway that is north of Paul Huff Parkway Bike Lanes !!! Page 3 of 4  8 of 20 Need to focus on adding sidewalks to our main Road corridors, e.g. Paul Huff, Georgetown Road, Keith Street Expansion of the Greenway is the most effective use of dollars going forward, but we also need connecting sidewalks that link the Greenway to residential areas and shopping areas Change Inman Street to 2 lanes; increase sidewalks, add trees, build for pedestrians and bicycles. Funnel through traffic to 3rd Street (from Hwy 64) Sidewalks and Safety. SIDEWALKS need to be improved and made more accessible to handicapped and to families walking to businesses and public areas We have quite a few pedestrians that walk on major roads. We are also starting to get joggers, Sidewalks and bicycle lanes are both needed on Hwy 11 and Hwy 163 FREIGHT Around 9th Street SE and King Edward Ave SE and Wildwood Ave all needs widening/improvement Crossing railroad tracks---we desperately need a better solution Re-routing of freight off of Inman so that Inman could have on-street parking 3rd Street re-vamp to accommodate traffic Continued concern with log truck traffic on Ocoee and Hwy 11 Railroads need study. Railroad access to Exit 20 area industrial park. Pipeline corridors(also power and communications corridors)---need study between industrial parks and Charleston, Calhoun, Etowah, and Chattanooga More freight on Hwy 11 and Hwy 163/Bowater Road---more rail use would be a good possibility Page 4 of 4 9 of 20 10 of 20 11 of 20 12 of 20 13 of 20 14 of 20 15 of 20 16 of 20 17 of 20 18 of 20 19 of 20 20 of 20