Everett Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

TAC MINUTES October 17, 2013 In attendance: Members Staff Guests Edward Koltonowski Tim Miller, Public Works Bill Barrett, Public Works Robert Strickland Tom Hingson, Everett Transit Michael Brick, Public Works Tom Norcott George Baxter, Everett Transit Grace Kane, Public Works Victor Harris Jeffrey Marks, Public Works Kim Williams, Everett Transit William Weber Ryan Sass, Public Works Sabina Popa, Everett Transit Paul Roberts Sue Strickland Kris Hausmann 8:15 a.m. Edward Koltonowski called the meeting to order.  M/S/P approving the September 2013 meeting minutes. Announcements & Requests to Add Agenda Items  Victor expressed interest in obtaining a copy of the TAC charter. Ryan said that he would get a copy and would send it to all members of the TAC committee. Citizen’s Comments  None Engineering Report  Ryan announced that the negotiations with the Railroad have been concluded. The next step is to send it to City Council to approve, and then back to the Railroad to sign. He did mention that Volunteers of America is getting an independent appraisal on how to handle the impacts the project may create. Despite this, Ryan said the City will continue to push forward for construction to begin in the first quarter of 2014. Once the final issues are resolved, a schedule will be prepared for public notification and outreach.  Kris Hausmann expressed concern that the detour traffic through the construction area was going to be very messy. Ryan felt that she would be surprised, though he was cognizant of northbound traffic for 529 often being heavy.  Paul Roberts said he would bring up the Broadway Bridge project at the next council meeting, in an effort to help assist with the public outreach. He also acknowledged the fragility of I-5, and how that can impact traffic on Broadway. Ryan re-iterated that he would also be providing information to upcoming council meetings to help with public outreach.  Tom expressed appreciation for the work done on the Glenwood overlay project. He said the crews did a great job working through issues and traffic. Tim Miller stated that channelization revisions on Glenwood will be made in response to citizen comments which should help with traffic flow. Ryan also talked briefly about how overlay improvements also take into  consideration the City’s master bike plan and standards, so there are improvements in that area as well.  Ryan announced that it’s time to update the Transportation element of the City’s Comprehensive plan. The last time this was done was in 2006-07. It’s an opportunity for board members to get into the planning process, at the high-level area. This plan will shape the future direction the City takes. In the last update a major revision was made to shift from roadway based plan to an all-modes plan, to include transit, bicycle, pedestrian and rail modes.  Paul Roberts expressed that the Growth Management Act requires transportation updates every 10 years. This current evolution is different from what has come in the past, as it ties together land-use with transportation; it is an integrated system for transportation covering all modes of transportation. The elements of this plan will be formed within the next six months, and so it is the perfect timing for TAC members to get involved.  Tom asked if the TAC committee would see a report. Ryan said yes, and that he would get a link out to all members with the current plan. Tom wondered what the timeframe was for completion, and Paul mentioned it would be 2015.  Victor commented about attending public meetings on transportation related subjects. He wondered how to approach the dilemma of how a TAC member appears at the function – is he/she attending as a private citizen or a member of the TAC committee? Ed said that unless approached as a member of the TAC, members would be considered private citizens when attending such functions.  Grace Kane, Public Works, gave a presentation on the W. Marine View Drive Freight Mobility Corridor improvements. The presentation covered lane changes along the freight route from 41st Street & Colby, to Rucker, to Pacific, and onto W. Marine View Drive. Michael Brick stated that it was important to increase the turning radii in these areas for the larger trucks coming through. Grace presented the financial figures and stated that the work must begin by 2015 or we would lose the grant money. Ryan stated the project also gives the City an opportunity to improve signal timing and other efficiencies.  Bob Strickland encouraged the TAC members to attend more outside meetings and workshops relating to traffic, and asked if email notifications of other meetings could be sent out to members. Victor seconded the request, adding that members should attend any meeting that could have an impact on traffic, even if the meeting itself isn’t specifically about traffic concerns.  Tim Miller gave a presentation on new street signs along the northbound and southbound lanes near the Port of Everett. The signs are blue and white signs that have gone up within the last month. Michael Brick mentioned that the Port has also received approval to put their own signs in certain areas to identify landmarks.  Tim also showed details of new traffic flow cameras being set up throughout the City. The new cameras are installed near the Swift bus stops and they will be using fiber optic communications. There are now 9 live cameras on the Swift corridor. When completed, there will be 22 cameras in operation. The goal is to have all operational within the first quarter 2014. Police Report  None Transit Report  George offered an invitation to the TAC members to attend an upcoming meeting on the parking garage project.  Sabina Popa and Kim Williams of Everett Transit gave a presentation on new and improved bus stop signs. These signs will have a consistent look – providing for better readability. They will establish a standard for the agency. The new signs will also reduce cost of labor and maintenance when it comes to managing the signs. The signs will contain the bus stop ID number, transit phone number, ET logo, and list routes. The signs will start at 7 ½’ from the ground. The cost is a little more expensive than the current signs, but will be more durable and effective. Where other transit systems share the same stop with ET, that agency’s stop numbers will be added to the sign.  Some talk ensued about the “Real-Time Next Bus” program, where citizens can call in on a smartphone and learn when the next bus at a particular stop would be arriving. Sabina explained that right now it’s a voice-operated system. A second phase will be utilizing text services. Sound Transit is developing an app, of which Everett Transit is working to be a part of.  Additional talk centered around the durability of the signs, in case of vandalism. Kimberly went over the sign’s construction, demonstrating its resilience and stability. The timeframe for these new signs being out is 2014, with 610 bus stops. Agenda Item: LED Streetlight Conversion (Tim Miller)  Tim gave a presentation on the upgrading of City-owned street lights from High Pressure Sodium (HPS) to Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting. The change would require the complete removal of the HPS light fixture and installation of new LED fixtures. The results of the changes will be significant: o 30-50% power reduction, reducing electric charge fees o Longer life – 20 years, nearly two to three times longer than current HPS lights o Better color recognition at night o Less overall maintenance.  Tim also talked about the Investment Grade Audit and Energy Services proposal. It documents the improvements and recommended equipment. It also provided a guaranteed maximum project cost and guaranteed minimum cost energy savings.  Converting from HPS to LED street lighting may also result in a 15% PUD rebate.  The City will apply for a Department of Commerce grant of about $500,000.  Very low interest loan packages are available for this type of energy reduction project and it is expected this will also be applied to make the project be at least revenue-neutral.  Tim expressed that if we do not change over to LED lighting, our electric bill will go up 8.7% each year with the continued use of the HPS lights.  Sue Strickland asked if the LEDs would also be used in the decorative lamps. Tim said they would.  Tom asked if the lights would be used at Everett Station. Tim said Facilities and Parks had been approached, but declined to participate. But, since it is City-owned property, it may still be possible to add these in during the implementation.  Victor asked about moving in the direction of solar power. Tim expressed that it is not feasible in current circumstances, as batteries would still be needed, adding to environmental waste. And solar power, at this stage, is still too expensive. Meeting adjourned at 9:45am The Next Scheduled Meeting is Thursday November 21.