MPO Policy Committee

POLICY COMMITTEE AGENDA Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization September 18, 2014 1:30 p.m. Council Chambers City of Bloomfield 915 North First Street Bloomfield, New Mexico  AGENDA FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING September 18, 2014 1:30 PM This meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at Bloomfield City Hall, 915 North First Street, Bloomfield, New Mexico. ITEM PAGE 1. Call meeting to order 2. Approve the minutes from the August 21, 2014 Policy Committee meeting. 9 3. Consider approval of Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 Transportation 1 Improvement Program (TIP) and the Self-Certification for Amendment #7. 4. Receive a report from NMDOT a. District 5 (David Quintana) b. Planning Division (Brian Degani) 5. Receive a report on the TAP Program for FFY2016-2017. 7 6. Information Items: 8 a. Cradle to Grave Training b. Freight Workshop c. Other 7. Business from Chairman, Members, and Staff 8. Business from the Floor 9. Adjournment ATTENTION PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the MPO Administrative Aide at the Downtown Center, 100 W Broadway, Farmington, New Mexico or at 505-599-1466 at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the MPO Administrative Aide if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.  FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Agenda Item #3 Subject: FFY2014-2019 TIP Amendment #7 Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: September 11, 2014 BACKGROUND  On August 17, 2014 the Farmington MPO advertised Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).  The Amendment adds two projects to the TIP and amends three other projects.  A public hearing on Amendment #7 was held on August 26, 2014 during the Technical Committee meeting.  The Technical Committee recommended approval of Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 TIP on August 26, 2014. NEWLY ADDED/DELETED TIP PROJECTS • A flashing beacon/advanced warning system will be installed at the intersection of NM371 and N36. The cost will be $100,000 in Capital Outlay funds. • $260,000 will fund a bridge maintenance/preservation project (F100114) at Mile Post 169.5 north of Aztec on US 550. This project was advertised as being over the San Juan River, whereas it should be over the Animas River. • US 64 Phase IV (F100110) can be disregarded as action was previously taken on this project as part of Amendment #6 on August 21 2014. ANTICIPATED WORK  Seek approval of Amendment #7 at the September 18, 2014 Policy Committee meeting.  Include the project revisions in the STIP and forward self-certification and TIP export files to NMDOT. ATTACHMENTS  Public Notice describing the project in Amendment #7.  MPO Self-Certification for Amendment #7. ACTION ITEM  It is recommended that the Policy Committee approve Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 TIP and the MPO Self-Certification for Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 TIP. 1  PUBLIC NOTICE The Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) is the transportation planning forum for the cities of Farmington, Aztec and Bloomfield and the surrounding county area. The FMPO develops a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which is a program of projects reasonably expected to be funded within the next six years. This public comment period meets all of the applicable requirements of the federal transportation bill MAP-21 and the federal transit requirements of Section 5307(c) (1-7). The Farmington MPO is advertising Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 Transportation Improvement Program which adds/amends three projects and adds two new projects as follows: Added/Amended Projects Project Name: US 64 Phase IV Control Number: F100110 Project Description: Widen to 6 Lanes Project Termini: MP 58 to MP 60 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Urban Principal Arterial-Other Classification: Funding Source NHPP, STP Funding Amount: FY2016 decreases NHPP funds by $4,440,034 and STP funds by $2,655,239 for a total FY 2016 funding of $5,559,966 Fiscal Year FFY 2014, FFY 2015 & FFY2016 Total Project Cost: $15,350,000 Project Name: US 64 Phase V Control Number: F100112 Project Description: Widen to 6 Lanes Project Termini: MP 56 to MP 58 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Urban Principal Arterial- Other Classification: Funding Source NHPP Funding Amount: FY2015 increases funding level to $974,000 & changes funding source from NHPP to STPF. FY 2017 no changes to NHPP funds of $4,962,682 FY 2018 no changes to NHPP funds of $11,787,317 Fiscal Year FFY2015, FFY2017, FFY 2018 Total Project Cost: $17,724,000 2 Project Name: East Arterial Project (Phase II) Control Number: F100091 Project Description: Construct new road Project Termini: From Legion Rd to NM173 Lead Agency: City of Aztec Functional Urban Principal Arterial- Other Classification: Funding Source State Severance Tax – STP Small Urban Funding Amount: FY2016 $3,800,000 adds an additional $19,750 to State Severance Tax funds FY2017 $3,500,000 STP Small Urban Fiscal Year FFY2016 & FFY 2017 Total Project Cost: $7,319,750 Project Name: NM 371/N 36 Control Number: F100221 Project Description: Install Intersection Flashing Beacon and Advance Warning System Project Termini: From MP 54 to MP 56 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Minor Arterial Classification: Funding Source Capital Outlay Funding Amount: FY2015 $100,000 *new project in the TIP* Fiscal Year FFY2015 Total Project Cost: $100,000 Project Name: 20th Street Sidewalks Control Number: F100130 Project Description Add pedestrian facilities/ sidewalks on Change: North side of street. Project Termini: From Clayton to Fairview Lead Agency: City of Farmington Functional Minor Arterial Classification: Funding Source TAP- Local Non Match Funding Amount: FY2014 $28,143 Local Non Match- no change FY2015 $220,857 TAP- adds an additional $28,143 (Local Non-Match) for construction. Fiscal Year FFY2014 & FFY2015 Total Project Cost: $277,143 3  Project Name: Bridge Preservation Project US 550 Bridge 9178 & 9179 (San Juan River) Control Number: F100114 Project Description: Bridge preservation/maintenance Project Termini: MP 169.5 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Urban Principal Arterial-Other Classification: Funding Source NHPP Funding Amount: FY2017 NHPP funds of $260,000 *new project in the TIP* Fiscal Year 2017 Total Project Cost: $260,000 As required by federal law and the Farmington MPO Public Participation Plan, the FMPO is holding a 30-day Public Comment period and Public Hearing on Amendment #7. The 30-day comment period is from August 17, 2014 to September 15, 2014. The public may also make comments on the proposed amendment at the following meeting: Public Hearing: During the Farmington MPO Technical Committee meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 26, 2014 in the Commission Chambers at Aztec City Hall, 201 West Chaco Street, Aztec, New Mexico. Written comments may be sent to the Farmington MPO at: Fax: (505) 599-1299 Mail: Farmington MPO, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, New Mexico, 87401 Email: dwakan@fmtn.org The public may view this amendment at www.farmingtonmpo.org. For more information contact Duane Wakan, MPO Associate Planner, at (505) 599-1449. 4  MPO SELF-CERTIFICATION Amendment #7 to the FFY2014-2019 Transportation Improvement Program The Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization hereby certifies that the following amendment is being conducted in accordance with all applicable requirements of 23 CFR 450.218 and 23 CFR 450.324 and the federal transit requirements of Section 5307(c) (1-7). The TIP Amendment was made available to the public via a notice in the local newspaper and on the MPO website. A 30-day public comment period was held from August 17, 2014 through September 15, 2014. The following projects are part of the Amendment as follows: Added/Amended Projects Project Name: US 64 Phase V Control Number: F100112 Project Description: Widen to 6 Lanes Project Termini: MP 56 to MP 58 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Urban Principal Arterial- Other Classification: Funding Source NHPP Funding Amount: FY2015 increases funding level to $974,000 & changes funding source from NHPP to STPF. FY 2017 no changes to NHPP funds of $4,962,682 FY 2018 no changes to NHPP funds of $11,787,317 Fiscal Year FFY2015, FFY2017, FFY 2018 Total Project Cost: $17,724,000 Project Name: East Arterial Project (Phase II) Control Number: F100091 Project Description: Construct new road Project Termini: From Legion Rd to NM173 Lead Agency: City of Aztec Functional Urban Principal Arterial- Other Classification: Funding Source State Severance Tax – STP Small Urban Funding Amount: FY2016 $3,800,000 State Severance Tax adds an additional $19,750 to State Severance Tax funds FY2017 $3,500,000 STP Small Urban Fiscal Year FFY2016 & FFY 2017 Total Project Cost: $7,319,750 5 Project Name: NM 371/N 36 Control Number: F100221 Project Description: Install Intersection Flashing Beacon and Advance Warning System Project Termini: From MP 54 to MP 56 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Minor Arterial Classification: Funding Source Capital Outlay Funding Amount: FY2015 $100,000 *new project in the TIP* Fiscal Year FFY2015 Total Project Cost: $100,000 Project Name: 20th Street Sidewalks Control Number: F100130 Project Description: Add pedestrian facilities/ sidewalks on North side of street. Project Termini: From Clayton to Fairview Lead Agency: City of Farmington Functional Minor Arterial Classification: Funding Source TAP- Local Non Match Funding Amount: FY2014 $28,143 Local Non Match- no change FY2015 $220,857 TAP- add an additional $28,143 (Local Non-Match) for construction Fiscal Year FFY2014 & FFY2015 Total Project Cost: $277,143 Project Name: Bridge Preservation Project US 550 Bridge 9178 & 9179 (Animas River) Control Number: F100114 Project Description: Bridge preservation/maintenance Project Termini: MP 169.5 Lead Agency: NMDOT Functional Urban Principal Arterial-Other Classification: Funding Source NHPP Funding Amount: FY2017 NHPP funds of $260,000 *new project in the TIP* Fiscal Year 2017 Total Project Cost: $260,000 __________________________________ Dan Darnell FMPO Policy Committee Chair _______________________________ Date 6  FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Agenda Item 5 Subject: Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: September 11, 2014 BACKGROUND  MAP-21 created the new Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).  TAP merges Transportation Enhancements (TPE), Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and Scenic Byways. Projects may include pedestrian and bicycle facilities; safe routes to school projects; infrastructure improvements that provide non-drivers better access to transit; environmental mitigation; and, other improvements to the transportation system.  Eligible applicants include local governments, transit agencies, state and federal natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, among others.  Minimum amount an agency can apply for is $75,000.  Maximum amount an agency can apply for is $2 Million.  Total available funding for both years state-wide is $5,889,742.  TAP projects must be consistent with the State Long Range Plan (SLRP) and the MPO’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), as well as with other locally adopted plans.  TAP is a cost reimbursement program and requires a 14.56% local match.  NMDOT has worked with the MPOs/RTPOs to develop guidelines for the project selection process.  TAP Projects will be evaluated by a statewide evaluation committee using the six factors defined in MAP-21: Economic Vitality; Safety and Security; Accessibility and Mobility; Environmental Protection; Efficiency of System Management; and, Transportation System Preservation. CURRENT WORK  A Call for TAP projects was issued by the MPO during the week of September 8.  The MPO will host a TAP workshop on October 6 for eligible applicants in the MPO Planning Area.  All TAP applications must be complete and submitted to the MPO electronically by Thursday, December 11.  The deadline for the MPO to submit applications to NMDOT is February 1, 2015. ANTICIPATED WORK  Provide guidance to eligible applicants.  Collect, review, prioritize, and submit project applications to NMDOT after approvals made by the Policy and Tech Committees in January 2015. RECOMMENDATION  Information only. 7  FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Agenda Item 6 Subject: Information Items Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: September 10, 2014 INFORMATION ITEMS a. Cradle to Grave Training. Cradle to Grave training is scheduled for November 5 and 6 at the Farmington Civic Center. b. NMAPA Statewide Conference. The New Mexico Chapter of the American Planning Association will be hosting the state-wide planning conference in Albuquerque from September 21-24, 2014. c. NMDOT Statewide Plan-Freight Workshop. NMDOT held a Freight Workshop on the Statewide Long Range Multimodal Transportation Plan on September 11, 2014 in Farmington. d. Other. 8  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 MINUTES FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING August 21, 2014 Policy Members Present: Dan Darnell, City of Farmington Scott Eckstein, San Juan County Nate Duckett, City of Farmington Technical Members Absent: Bloomfield representative currently vacant Sherri Sipe, City of Aztec Staff Present: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Fran Fillerup, Acting MPO Planner June Markle, MPO Administrative Aide Duane Wakan, MPO Associate Planner Staff Absent: None Also Present: Greg White, NMDOT Transit & Rail Division Marcy Eppler, NMDOT Transit & Rail Division David Sypher, City of Farmington Larry Hathaway, San Juan County 1. CALL TO ORDER Councilor Darnell called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. 2. APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 19, 2014 POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING Councilor Duckett moved to approve the minutes from the June 19, 2014 Policy Committee meeting. Commission Eckstein seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously. 3. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT #6 TO THE FFY2014-2019 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP) AND THE SELF- CERTIFICATION FOR AMENDMENT #6 Subject: FFY2014-2019 TIP Amendment #6 Prepared by: Duane Wakan, MPO Associate Planner Date: August 12, 2014 9  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 BACKGROUND  On July 20, 2014 the Farmington MPO advertised Amendment #6 to the FFY2014-2019 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).  The Amendment adds four projects and removes one project to the TIP as described in the attached notice.  A public hearing on Amendment #6 was held on July 24, 2014 during the Technical Committee meeting.  The Technical Committee recommended approval of Amendment #6 to the FFY2014-2019 TIP. NEWLY ADDED/DELETED TIP PROJECTS • The previous TIP amendment added Legion Rd to the TIP to be the logical terminus for the East Arterial Phase 1B. Since that time, the City of Aztec was able to secure state funding to complete the terminus therefore eliminating the need to build Legion Rd. • The East Arterial Route Phase II (F100091) is being added to the TIP for a funding total of $7.3M. ACTION ITEM  It is recommended that the Policy Committee approve Amendment #6 to the FFY2014-2019 TIP and the MPO Self-Certification for Amendment #6 to the FFY2014-2019 TIP. DISCUSSION: Mr. Wakan reported that the 30-day notice of Amendment #6 to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) began on July 20. Approval of Amendment #6 was recommended by the Technical Committee at their July 24. A public hearing was held during that meeting and no comments were received. Mr. Wakan reviewed the projects in Amendment #6 shown on Page 2 and 3 of the Agenda: US 64 Phase IV (F100110) – Milepost 58 to 60. In FY2015, the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) funds will be increased by $6,195,273 and $350,000 in construction funds will be moved to right-of-way. In FY2016, the Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds will be reduced by $2,655,239 and NHPP funds by $4,440,034. Mr. Wakan noted that the total cost of this Phase of US 64 was $15,600,000 East Pinon Hills Boulevard (F100100) – The City of Farmington as the lead agency on this project will be adding $300,000 in local funding. In FY2016, there will be $400,000 in STP Small Urban funds added to the project. 10  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 US 64 Phase VI (F100113) – NMDOT inadvertently requested this project be added to Amendment #6 but it was not required at this time. No approval for this project was being requested of the Policy Committee. The Self-Certification was corrected and this project deleted. East Arterial Project (Phase II) (F100091) – Phase I of this project is funded in the current TIP and STIP. Phase II of this project is now being added. As the lead agency, the City of Aztec was able to secure funding to complete the entire road segment; $3,800,000 in State Severance Tax funds in FY2016 and in FY2017, $3,500,000 in STP Small Urban funds. The total cost for Phase II will now be $7,300,000. Legion Road (F100091) – this project was removed from the TIP. The road was being required by NMDOT and FHWA to provide a logical terminus for Phase I and Phase II of the project. The City of Aztec was able to secure funding for the entire road section and, thus, construction of Legion Road was no longer required. This will save the City of Aztec $510,000. Mr. Wakan noted that the Control Number F100091 previously used for Legion Road will now be used for Phase II of the East Arterial Project and that an additional $19,750 will be added to the FY2016 State Severance Tax funds as part of Amendment #7 to the TIP which would be reviewed at the next PC meeting. ACTION: Commissioner Eckstein moved to approve Amendment #6 to the FFY2014- 2019 TIP with the exclusion of project number F100113 for US 64 Phase VI. Councilor Duckett seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. Councilor Darnell moved to approve the MPO Self-Certification for Amendment #6 to the FFY2014-2019. Councilor Duckett seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. 4. RECEIVE A REPORT FROM NMDOT Neither Mr. David Quintana nor Mr. Brian Degani was in attendance for this meeting. Mr. Wakan reported on some information they had provided to Staff for the meeting. District 5 Engineering Report (D. Quintana) There is a joint meeting with NMDOT and the MPO Technical Committee planned for August 26 in Aztec. Mr. Wakan commented that at the previous joint meeting held in May, the group discussed projects, priorities, and entity concerns regarding communication and maintenance. The August meeting will continue some of those ongoing discussions. NMDOT organized “cradle to grave” training in Farmington on November 5 and 6 at the Civic Center. Mr. Wakan said the training is intended for engineers, project managers, and planning staffs. Ms. Holton said that the term “cradle to grave” referred to project management and all the required timelines and milestones in taking a project from inception to completion. 11  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 District 5 is asked if any MPOs or RTPOs in the District would like to have Digital Speed Display signage posted within their respective jurisdictions (all routes are eligible). The signs would be part of a District-wide HSIP systemic improvement project. Those interested in having this signage would be required to enter into a maintenance agreement with District 5 requiring the entity to maintain and pay for energy source if hard-wired. Solar signs are also available. Mr. Wakan said he would find out if the applications would be developed by the entity or by NMDOT. Ms. Holton added that the MPO has in place its Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture in order to be prepared for this type of signage should funding become available. She noted that this type of signage would be used for safety purposes to alert drivers to road conditions. Councilor Darnell said he had understood from Mr. Steve Krest (now retired) that the ITS system on East Main Street would have the ability to provide this type of display if the City of Farmington chose to implement it. Mr. Sypher said he thought this was accurate, but would need to look into it further. NMDOT Planning Report (B. Degani) NMDOT is working on drafting one boilerplate to be used for the Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) with the MPOs. The MOA between NMDOT and FMPO was entered into on December 23, 2010 and it will terminate on June 30, 2015. MOAs were generally good for five years and it is anticipated that this will remain the same going forward. A freight workshop is planned for September 11 in Farmington for the larger northwest region of the state. All regional stakeholders are invited to attend, but it is important for any Policy or Technical Committee members to be limited to no more than two to avoid a committee quorum. Ms. Holton stated the aim was to be inclusive of all stakeholders such as owners of companies that want to move goods and services, the coal mines, NAPI, 4CED, and others. NMDOT is working with Staff on supporting documentation for routes needing to be reclassified in the functional classification program. Mr. Wakan said there were FMPO discrepancies that will need to be reviewed and corrected by early October. Recreational Trails Program has been moved under NMDOT. This program will follow the TAP process and revisions to the guide and application are being developed. Mr. Claude Morelli has met with all the MPO and RTPO planners to discuss Phase 2 of the public outreach coordination of the State Long Range Plan (SLRP). The next meeting is on Friday, August 29 in Albuquerque that will be attended by Ms. Holton and Mr. Wakan. Discussion at this meeting will include funding and issues. NMDOT is waiting on FHWA New Mexico’s review and approval of the FFY2015 Annual Work Program which includes the FFY2014 MPO work program. NMDOT’s Data Management Bureau is working on its All Roads Network of Linear Referenced Data (ARNOLD). With this program, each road that is eligible for federal funding is accurately delineated and detailed. 12  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan Update – Mr. Greg White Mr. White gave a Power Point presentation on the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan Update. In May of 2007, NMDOT began working with the local governments and service providers to develop regional plans based on RTPO boundaries. Federal regulations require that grant requests for certain Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs must be consistent with a locally developed Coordinated Public Transit- Human Services Coordination Plan. Because the RTPOs cover every section of the state and the services affected by the plan are located in the RTPOs, the Plan updates are being conducted at the regional level. Six regional plan updates will be developed by NMDOT. Input from the MPOs is being gathered because their expertise and role are valued. Mr. White stated that if an entity has a coordinated plan with goals and objectives for transit or transportation systems and those are integrated into the MPO’s long range plan as well as the municipality and county long range plans and are also supported by the service organizations, funding requests can be noted as valid and justified by its inclusion in all the local plans. Mr. White encouraged that all plan processes consider how this could be integrated. The input received by the Transit and Rail Division will also be provided to Mr. Claude Morelli for inclusion in the SLRP. Mr. White said that the Plan is updated every seven years which is an average planning window for a longer range plan. He noted that there are changing sources of information including the US Census information. He asked that he be provided with a current copy of the MPOs long range plan to gather information for this Plan update. Mr. White reviewed the following points of information: Plan Update Schedule The schedule for the Plan update was presented. Mr. White said the final Plan Update would likely not be completed until February of 2015 rather than January as shown in the schedule. He said that before the final public review is presented, a second round of meetings with the MPOs and RTPOs will be held in November and December of 2014. Plan Update Structure The Plan Update will contain four chapters: 1. Introduction 2. Assessment of Current Services 3. Needs Assessment 4. Strategies to Address Gaps in Service There is a huge need for transportation services to dialysis facilities in rural areas. Additional areas to be considered when looking at public transportation options are the aging population, rural poverty, and social isolation. Mr. White said it was important to develop strategies to address these needs and urged the group to share the share the information on this Plan with other boards and human services providers. 13  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 Assessment of Current Services This will include an Inventory of Existing Services, Existing and Future Conditions, and Funding and Transit. Needs Assessment Needs will be determined through a variety of sources. Mr. White commented that information changes over time and the 2010 Census data is now available with many changes having occurred since the last Census in 2000. Strategies to Address Unmet Needs This can be general or specific in nature, but Mr. White recommended using language that was used in the last plan as a template and then consider streamlining that language or providing a stronger or more refined guide to the plan. Existing Strategies These are the strategies from the 2007 plan. Mr. White noted that several of them were general in nature and recommended naming organizations, destinations, and/or types of services needed as the plan is developed. Mr. White stated that a plan needs to generate the capacity to be implemented. A good plan needs to be used to find funding options, dedicate where funds will be spent, and show specific results and how goals and objectives are being met. The plan needs to be used as a tool. Mr. White offered assistance from his staff as the MPO and the Northwest RTPO work to strengthen their existing strategies. The 2007 plans are available for review and can be accessed at: http://nmshtd.state.nm.us/main.asp?secid=15245. Mr. White said that service and veteran organizations were large groups in need. The Division was awarded funds to advertise transportation services around the state. They plan to produce electronic, wallet-size cards that will list all the service providers and their contact information for that RTPO region and be made available to numerous call centers, job training programs, American Legions, tribes, churches, etc. Mr. White can be reached at greg.white@state.nm.us. Ms. Marcy Eppler will likely be the Transit & Rail Division representative to present the Plan Update in November and she can be contacted at: marsha.eppler@state.nm.us. Councilor Darnell asked how this plan was different from the Red Apple Transit (RAT) plan already in place and would that plan provide the information Mr. White was seeking. Mr. Wakan responded that the MPO was currently working on their long range plan update which will tie into the state’s SLRP. Councilor Darnell added that all the areas discussed by Mr. White in his presentation were addressed in the RAT plan. He added that there were some areas that still needed to be addressed such as how the local transit plan connected to the RTPO’s plan and also how it might potentially connect to a Colorado systems plan. Ms. Holton asked if Councilor Darnell was referring to the transit study conducted by LSC several years ago. He agreed that this was the plan he was referencing. Ms. Holton said this study along with any needed updates could be provided to Mr. White. She noted additionally there was an element within the major transportation plan currently 14  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 being updated that can be provided along with the comprehensive plans from the local entities. Mr. White said he thought there were two different types of plans – a service plan that said what would be done and where it would be done. The long-range policy or needs plan is what Mr. White needs. This plan would detail the goals and objectives as well as funding needs. Ms. Holton added that the transit element in the MTP is not as comprehensive as that provided by LSC with the Red Apple Transit study. Councilor Darnell explained that transportation issues were not on the City of Farmington’s City Council’s list due to competing priorities such as pressing water and sewer infrastructure needs. He thought it would require all the communities getting together and saying they saw a pressing need to update the current transportation system. Mr. Wakan said he noticed that the ridership numbers from the RTPO were double that of the Red Apple Transit. According to the RTPO planner that Mr. Wakan spoke with, these rural routes have not been changed in years, but noted that they do use the Google map-trip planner to help market the system. Mr. White said that Ms. Eppler’s group at NMDOT does collect this data and it is all available on line. Ms. Eppler stated that they reach out to human services providers of the 5310 Program which provides service to the disabled and elderly. She noted that most of the capital funding is granted to non-profits with an 80/20 match. Ms. Eppler said this year the first non-profit to receive funding was Presbyterian Medical Services (PMS) in Farmington. With these funds they planned to purchase three vehicles in FY2014 and two more in FY2015. She encouraged getting the non-profit human services organizations on board. Ms. Eppler added that the Gallup Express transit system also offered some free service for several months during the past year while they transitioned through several fiscal agencies. Councilor Darnell said that during the RAT study, these organizations were included as stakeholders and he thought there had been good representation and input from the local groups. He noted that the community agrees that these are the groups that need to be included and reached out to. Mr. White thanked the Policy Committee for allowing him time to make the presentation and again offered his assistance should it be needed. 5. RECEIVE A REPORT ON COMPLETE STREETS Subject: Complete Streets Prepared by: Duane Wakan, MPO Associate Planner Date: August 14, 2014 BACKGROUND or PREVIOUS WORK  Complete Streets is a means of designing a roadway so that it accommodates all modes of travel, including driving, walking, biking, and transit. 15  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014  Staff has worked with the Advisory Group on development of land use context areas (LUCAs) and road typology (RTs) overlays.  The Land Use Context Areas and Road Typologies drive the design guidelines.  The Advisory Group held its latest meeting on July 16. CURRENT WORK  The design guidelines and Road Typologies were scaled back from a possible 72 combinations to 25 (5 RTs and 5 LUCAs).These 25 combinations set the stage for the cross-section diagrams visualized as part of the design guidelines.  MPO Staff will create the descriptions and intended application of each RT and LUCA.  The Advisory Group advised staff to create the cross-section drawings based on the LUCAs and RTs to gain a reaction from the group. INFORMATION ITEM  This is an informational presentation only. DISCUSSION: Mr. Wakan reviewed some of the recent work completed by the Complete Streets Advisory Group. At the July meeting, the Advisory Group refined the list of road typologies and land use context areas to a 5x5 matrix as shown on Page 8 of the Agenda. From this matrix the Advisory Group will provide a menu of options (example shown on Page 9 of the Agenda) for use by the entities when they develop their own specific guidelines. Mr. Wakan said the three images on Page 9 were of a downtown/urban area that intersected with a boulevard. These design guidelines that the Advisory Group is working on will illustrate appropriate combinations of land use context areas and road typologies to provide a menu of options for use by each entity. These design guidelines will be kept simple with no actual measurements and will hopefully allow each entity the needed flexibility. Mr. Wakan reviewed the three options on Page 9 and noted that these were initial illustrations developed by Staff: Option A shows angled parking and designated bike lanes; Option B shows angled parking and a sharrow which is a shared lane by both vehicles and bicycles; Option C illustrates a designated bike lane in one direction (another road would take the bike lane in the opposite direction. Mr. Wakan added that the Advisory Group would continue to refine and approve each design guideline combination and range of options at upcoming meetings. 16  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 Road Typologies (RTs) Land Use Context Areas (LUCAs) C Previous Road Types Newly Combined Previous Land Use Newly Combined Categories Categories Categories Categories 1. Bypass 1. Lane (8) 1. Rural Agricultural (RA) 1. Rural (1) 2. Principal Arterial 2. Street (7) 2. Heavy Industrial (HI) 2. Neighborhood (5,6) 3. Service Way 3. Avenue (5,6) 3. Regional Commercial/ 3. Downtown/Urban Area Light Industrial (RCLI) (8) 4. Community Arterial 4. BLVD (3,4) 4. City Commercial (CC) 4. Commercial (3,4,7) 5. Commercial 5. Parkway (1,2) 5. Suburban Collector 5. Industrial (2/3) Neighborhood 6. Neighborhood Collector 6. Traditional Neighborhood (TN) 7. Neighborhood Local 8. Rural Local 6. Local Neighborhood Commercial (LN-C) 9. Trail Way 8. Central Business District (CBD) New 5 x 5 Matrices Down Town A Rural Neighborhood /Urban Area Commercial Industrial Lane Street Avenue Boulevard X Parkway Down Town B Rural Neighborhood /Urban Area Commercial Industrial Lane Street Avenue Boulevard X Parkway Down Town C Rural Neighborhood /Urban Area Commercial Industrial Lane Street Avenue Boulevard X Parkway 17  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 DOWNTOWN/URBAN AREA: BOULEVARD OPTION A DOWNTOWN/URBAN AREA: BOULEVARD OPTION B DOWNTOWN/URBAN AREA: BOULEVARD OPTION C 18  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 Mr. Wakan said that the initial focus of the downtown/urban area setting for the design guidelines was to provide the City of Farmington’s MRA Commission with sufficient design guidelines to move forward with some plans and funding they already have for the downtown area. Ms. Holton reported that the MRA Commission is working with the Public Works Department on a safety application for funding for a traffic study along Main Street. The Council did appropriate funding for the traffic study but the hope is to obtain alternative funding from NMDOT. Ms. Holton said that before an RFP can be written, a draft guideline for a consultant to work from was required. The Advisory Group agreed to fast track this particular design guideline to provide the City of Farmington something to work from to meet the RFP requirements. Councilor Darnell asked about the decision to not include measurements in the design guideline document. Ms. Holton explained that the purpose of the traffic study would be to see how Main Street would function as a complete street without actually making any changes. Additionally, the MPO Complete Streets work is to purpose a document that would then be recommended to the Technical Committee by the Advisory Group and then be presented to the Policy Committee. If approved, the document would become a resource for the entities throughout the region to use. How each entity uses the document would be left up to them and their decision makers. Ms. Holton said the document would be presented as guidelines and not standards. The design guidelines will present a menu of options for city staff to share with developers, but how the concepts are implemented would be based on funding and, thus, left up to each individual council and commission. Mr. Wakan said the cross-section drawings will change as each possible combination of road typology and land use context area is considered by the Advisory Group. He said he thought the illustrations would help the public understand the concept of Complete Streets as well as the city engineers. Commission Eckstein said the development planned for Bloomfield along the river that would create a true downtown area for the city was still in the works. The City of Bloomfield is currently moving forward and working with the Army Corps of Engineers on this development. They were 90% sure that 75% of the properties were able to be developed. The City of Bloomfield had sought letters of support from elected officials and they had already received one from Senator Tom Udall as well as local legislators. ACTION: The report was received. 6. RECEIVE A REPORT ON THE 2040 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN (MTP) Subject: 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Prepared by: Fran Fillerup, Acting MPO Planner Date: August 21, 2014 19  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 BACKGROUND OR PREVIOUS WORK  The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) is the long range planning document that addresses transportation needs for the next twenty-five years.  The MPO’s MTP is updated every five years and the 2035 MTP was adopted in 2010.  Development of the 2040 MTP began in November 2013 and is expected to be adopted in April 2015.  Overview presentations have been given to the Technical and Policy Committees, entity Councils and Commissions, and other organizations. CURRENT WORK  Together with consultant Sites Southwest, staff has scheduled public meetings in six locations throughout the MPO area.  The MPO will also host focus group meetings during the day on August 20, 21, 27 and 28.  A survey has been created to receive input and can be taken online or on paper. It is designed to help people think about transportation in the places they travel (home, work, school), as well as being open ended to allow them to think about other locations in the area. It is also designed to get people to share ideas about the various modes of travel. The survey allows individuals to map out their comments to a specific place and includes questions about their personal priorities.  The online survey is available now at: http://www.metrotransportationplan.com/ INFORMATION ITEM  This item is for information only; no action is requested. DISCUSSION: Mr. Wakan reported that Mr. Fillerup was managing the MTP update. The consultant, Sites Southwest, is in town this week facilitating seven public meetings throughout the area. Mr. Wakan stated that the online survey is available. The intent of this survey was to get some innovative ideas on collecting survey data. He noted that the survey was very interactive and after survey takers had identified where they lived, the could then begin to draw on the map where they would like to see improvements made with roadway connectivity, bike lanes, sidewalks, transit, and even rail service. Mr. Wakan showed the map of where responses have come from. To date there have been approximately 250 online responses with an additional 40-50 paper surveys completed. He said the MPO is hoping to get about 500 responses. In addition to the survey, there are numerous upcoming public meetings that everyone is invited to attend (community meeting flyer attached as Page 11 of the Agenda). 20  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 Councilor Darnell said he had taken the survey and, although it was a little confusing on how to first get started, he found it very interesting. Councilor Duckett said he would add the survey link to his Facebook page. Mr. Wakan said that once all the survey data has been collected, the consultant will compile the information and provide a summarization of the results. ACTION: The report was received. 21  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 7. INFORMATION ITEMS Subject: Information Items Prepared by: Fran Fillerup, Acting MPO Planner Date: August 14, 2014 INFORMATION ITEMS a. NM Transportation Commission Meeting. On July 24, the NM Transportation Commission held its meeting in Farmington. The City of Aztec and Chairman Darnell both presented during the meeting. b. Technical Committee Meeting. The August Technical Committee meeting scheduled for August 28 was changed to Tuesday, August 26, 2014. NMDOT representatives are expected to participate in this joint meeting. This is a follow up to the joint meeting held with NMDOT and the Technical Committee in May. These meetings are being planned quarterly. c. Other. DISCUSSION: The New Mexico Transportation Commission Meeting was held in Farmington on July 24. Mr. Wakan said it was a good meeting and thanked Councilor Darnell for his presentation on current MPO projects. The City of Aztec also made a presentation on the East Arterial project. The August Technical Committee meeting was moved from August 28 to Tuesday, August 26 to better accommodate NMDOT schedules. This meeting will follow-up on discussions from the joint meeting held in May. Mr. Wakan said he would be out of town for the next Policy Committee meeting on September 18. Ms. Holton will lead the meeting in Mr. Wakan’s absence. One of the items scheduled for that meeting will be Amendment #7 to address additional revisions from NMDOT to the FFY2014-2019 TIP. Ms. Holton reported that Mr. Fillerup would be returning to the Community Development office effective September 1. Mr. Wakan will be appointed as Acting MPO Planner. Ms. Holton also said that the new Long Range Planner will be starting on August 25 and the new Associate Planner is expected to begin in mid-September. 8. BUSINESS FROM THE CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS AND STAFF Councilor Duckett said that serious repairs needed to be made to La Plata Highway as drivers crossed over into New Mexico. He asked who was charged with making those repairs and when could something be done. Ms. Holton said MPO Staff would pose that question to NMDOT at the Technical Committee meeting next week. The group then discussed the significant archeological issues involved with making road improvements 22  PC Draft Meeting Minutes August 21, 2014 to La Plata Highway. Ms. Holton thought that this concern was an item to also have included on the survey as an area that was needing improvement. Ms. Holton announced that Mr. Wakan would be making a presentation on behalf of the City of Farmington and the Red Apple Transit at the National Transportation Research Board conference in Washington, DC in September. There was no additional business from the Chairman, Members or Staff. 9. BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR There was no business from the floor. 10. ADJOURNMENT Councilor Darnell adjourned the meeting at 2:52 pm __________________________ ________________________________ Dan Darnell, Chair June Markle, MPO Administrative Aide 23