MPO Policy Committee

MPO POLICY COMMITTEE AGENDA February 25, 2016 1:30 p.m. Executive Conference Room Farmington City Hall 800 Municipal Drive Farmington, New Mexico  AGENDA FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING February 25, 2016 1:30 PM This meeting will be held in the Executive Conference Room in Farmington City Hall, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, New Mexico. ITEM PAGE 1. Call meeting to order 2. Approve the minutes from the January 28, 2016 Policy Committee meeting. 13 3. Receive a report on the development of a Safety Plan 1 Presented by: Mary Holton 4. Receive a report on the development of a Citizens (Civic) Advisory Committee 3 (CAC) Presented by: Mary Holton 5. Receive a report on the hiring of MPO interns 11 Presented by: Mary Holton 6. Reports from NMDOT a. District 5 (Paul Brasher) b. Planning Division (Robin Elkin) 7. Information Items 12 a. Complete Streets Design Guidelines b. Trainings c. Fran Fillerup d. Other Presented by: Mary Holton 8. Business from Chairman, Members, and Staff 9. Business from the Floor 10. 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: Safety Plan Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: February 16, 2016 BACKGROUND OR PREVIOUS WORK  The MPO needs to develop a Safety Plan for use in evaluating needs and targeting safety related projects throughout the MPO area.  The Safety Plan will be a resource for the entities and NMDOT to use in improving the safety of the transportation system by identifying improvements to be made for all modes of travel and areas of greatest need.  A Safety plan is a tool whereby local projects can be prioritized with the appropriate safety countermeasure(s).  NMDOT recognized MPOs who have developed safety plans when considering Highway Safety Improvement Plans and funding opportunities.  All modes should be considered when developing a safety plan.  MPO Funds will use a combination of PL and 5303 programs by formula to pay for the primary consulting services CURRENT WORK  Establish a steering committee to ascertain regional safety goals and objectives  Create a RFQ/P to attract the appropriate consultant  Integrate historic crash data with the MPOs travel demand model (Bob Shull)  Staff research consistently found the four E’s of safety to be prevalent in safety plans, Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) – Data Driven plan – Goals and Objectives- Safety Counter Measures ANTICIPATED WORK  Work with consultant to outline the planning particulars with clear deadlines.  Collect crash data from UNM and BEBR crash reporting unit.  Provide input to HSIP program at the State level: Data Driven (reactionary) vs Close calls (proactive) ATTACHMENTS  Elements of other safety plans from MPOs and entities. INFORMATION ITEM  This is an informational item requesting feedback from Policy Committee members. 1  Elements of a Safety Plan: Hamilton MT - Maricopa COG – North Florida TPO Hamilton MT  Safety Goals and Objectives  Crash data analysis  Problem areas of concern  Gap analysis  Safety Countermeasures  Implementation Plan Maricopa Association of Governments  Review of Crash Trends and Resources  Goals, Vision and Objectives  Action Areas and Performance Measures  Project Prioritization  Regional Transportation Planning Consistency  Safety Countermeasures-Geo metrics  Safety Countermeasures- ITS and Traffic Operations  Monitoring and reporting and program effectiveness  Implementation Plan North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)  Review of Crash Trends and Resources  Goals, Vision and Objectives  Contributing Factors  Thermal Mapping  Prioritization of intersections and corridors  Safety Countermeasures  Media campaigns involving law enforcement and multiple jurisdictions http://www.caremoreargyle.com/ Farmington MPO Safety Plan Elements (Conceptual)  Review of Crash Trends and Resources  Thermal Mapping  Goals, Vision and Objectives  Project Prioritization Intersections and Corridors: Multi- Modal  Safety Countermeasures  Travel Demand Modeling- Projected crashes (2025-2040)  Implementation Plan  Other??? 2  FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Agenda Item #4 Subject: Development of a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: February 18, 2016 BACKGROUND  At the November 19, 2015 Policy Committee meeting, Staff presented introductory information on Citizens Advisory Committees (CAC) as part of the Public Participation Plan (PPP). The Policy Committee recommended the MPO form a CAC to have broader input on transportation planning issues, and that such input could be a benefit to the MPO and in their work on their respective councils and commissions.  Membership of CAC’s are intended to be representative of the variety of residences of an area with regard to race and ethnicity, age, sex, ability and the many other interests and characteristics of a region.  A CAC is an advisory committee to the Policy Committee, similar to an MPO’s Technical Committee. Development and amendment of the UPWP, MTP, and TIP, along with other studies and reports, are presented to a CAC for their review and recommendation.  MPO Staff will seek final recommendations from the PC at the April 28 meeting.  The Farmington MPO had a Citizen Action Committee during the development of its first MTP in 2005. However, it appears to have been convened on a temporary basis. (It was not a standing “advisory committee”.) CURRENT WORK Common Practices for CAC’s Following is a summary list of research and a review of common practices of Citizen Advisory Committees at other MPO’s.  FHWA published “Public Involvement Techniques for Transportation Decisionmaking” which gives general guidance on many public engagement tools, including CAC’s. An excerpt of the document is attached. It describes CAC’s as including: o Representation from interest groups throughout a region; o Regularly-held meetings; o Recorded comments and points of view of participants; and o Consensus building, but consensus is not required. o An important assigned role in the transportation planning process.  According to the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), Citizen’s Advisory Committees: o Act in an advisory capacity to MPO on public involvement strategies; o Meet regularly to review and develop plans and also assists in organizing and managing public meeting and comments; and 3  o Are comprised of members of the public, often appointed by localities and MPO policy board, who may include representatives of interested parties.  Many MPO’s throughout the country have CAC’s. Some CAC’s have been functioning for decades and in some states it is required and organized under state law. Staff performed research of CAC’s across the country, and contacted several by phone. Attached is a table of 6 such groups at MPO’s.  In New Mexico, only the Mid-Region MPO has a committee similar to a CAC – a Public Involvement Committee, or PIC. This committee convenes on an as-needed basis, does not provide recommendations to their Policy Board, and currently sees very little participation.  Some MPO’s and other regional planning organizations convene citizen and stakeholder groups on a temporary basis. Others call on a collection of workgroups focused on a multitude of disciplines and interests (i.e., active transportation, demographics, environmental, freight, and so on).  Some hold joint meetings with staff from government agencies to increase interaction of stakeholder groups and government.  CAC’s from those surveyed vary in the way voting membership is set up. This is typically set forth in bylaws.  Some CAC’s limit the number of total participants. Others are open-ended and allow any organization or individual to achieve voting status. However, these CAC’s have attendance requirements and can remove members who do not participate.  Some are explicit about having representation from certain groups within a community. For example, at the MPO in Tampa, Florida, seats are designated for a person of Hispanic ethnicity, a person of African-American descent, a woman, a person under age 30, a representative of a neighborhood and a representative of the business community.  CAC’s also vary in the frequency of meetings, but these typically match the frequency of other committees.  The time of day of the meetings is also a factor to be considered. Some hold their meetings during the day and others in the evening. Next Steps Creation of a CAC within the Farmington MPO involves at least the following next steps:  At the direction of the Policy Committee, Staff would prepare amendments of the Bylaws, UPWP, and PPP.  The Bylaws would contain details about the responsibilities, procedures and membership of the CAC. The Policy Committee would decide the composition and means of forming the CAC, plus its procedures and other details.  The UPWP would need to reflect the CAC in tasks relating to administration and public outreach, and note that certain projects would be reviewed by the CAC in addition to the other committees.  The PPP would outline the CAC as a means for public involvement in the MPO’s work.  Based on the amendments to the above documents, Staff would handle the details for forming the CAC.  The Farmington MPO has contact with and active participation from many representatives of stakeholders groups and individual citizens. For example, the MPO maintains a list of contacts with interested groups. Members could come from contacts made during the MTP outreach and from the Complete Streets Advisory Group. General advertisements could also be used to invite groups or individuals to 4  join the CAC. Many MPO’s have success finding participants through referrals and word-of-mouth. ATTACHMENTS  An excerpt from a FHWA publication entitled Public Involvement Techniques for Transportation Decisionmaking (2015 Update) is attached.  A comparison of select MPO Citizens Advisory Committees will be sent as a separate attachment. INFORMATION ITEM  This is an information item and discussion by Technical Committee will be forwarded to the Policy Committee. At the direction of the Policy Committee, more information or amendments to the Bylaws, UPWP and PPP will be presented in the future for recommendation. 5  Public Involvement Techniques for Transportation Decisionmaking 2015 Update Civic Advisory Committees What is a civic advisory committee? A civic advisory committee (CAC) is a representative group of stakeholders that meets regularly to discuss issues of common concern. While these groups are often called citizens' advisory committees, the term civic is used here because citizenship is not a requirement for participation. CACs have been used for many years and are not in themselves innovative, yet they can be used very creatively. For example, a CAC was used in Louisiana to find consensus on environmental issues for input to public agencies. In Florida a CAC provided input on designs for deployment of a traffic information system. It is very useful to have agencies represented on a CAC as a way for local residents to interact with their government. For example, in Portland, ME, a 35-member CAC developed a long- range transportation plan with agency assistance. Because it can be used either alone or in conjunction with other techniques, a CAC is widely used to achieve a basic level of local input for transportation planning and development. A CAC has the following basic features:  Representation from interest groups throughout a State or region.  Regularly-held meetings.  Recorded comments and points of view of participants.  Consensus building, but consensus is not required.  An important assigned role in the transportation planning process. Why is a CAC useful? A CAC is a forum for hearing ideas. It is a place where agencies and groups present goals and proposed programs. It provides a continuing forum for bringing the public’s ideas directly into the planning decisionmaking process. In the San Francisco Bay area, special efforts have been made to include representatives of traditionally underserved populations. A CAC molds participants into a working group. It is democratic and representative of opposing points of view, with equal status for each participant in presenting and deliberating views and in being heard. It is a place for finding out where participants stand on issues. It is a place where people become educated on technical issues, over several meetings if necessary. It gives a better understanding of the effort and milestones of public agency progress. Its 6 members feel freer to ask agencies for assistance, clarification of points, and follow-up on questions. A CAC demonstrates commitment to participation. Its existence demonstrates progress toward involving people in projects and programs. It helps find common ground for consensus about a solution. If consensus cannot be reached, a CAC provides a forum for identifying positions, exploring them in depth and reporting the divergences of opinion to the agencies. A CAC is flexible. It can be part of regional or State planning or part of a single project—either way it garners assistance from the community in anticipating construction and identifying measures to reduce potential disruption. It can be subdivided. In the St. Louis area, three CACs were formed to develop the regional long-range plan. Who participates in a CAC? Representatives of community groups or stakeholders are selected in one of two ways. Either an agency carefully identifies all stakeholders, including the general public, or the public self- selects CAC memberships—those who are interested attend. If membership is not fully representative, an agency should encourage unrepresented groups to attend or seek their input in some other way. The San Francisco County Transit Authority appoints 11 CAC members, drawing upon a pool of self-selected candidates who submit resumes. People who attend meetings are asked if they would like to be considered for CAC membership. The Authority proactively seeks diversity and balance of representation by race, gender, neighborhood activists, business interests, the disability community, bicycle proponents, and others. The Authority uses the CAC as a sounding board on a variety of transportation issues. Though no special training is required, attendees typically have a broad, long-term view in discussing issues within a geographic area—not a specific, single project. In many areas, such as the San Francisco Bay area, agencies make targeted efforts to involve freight interests. People participate by examining and discussing issues with others. Mailings, prior to a meeting, help participants understand issues and form questions. Major points of discussion are typically recorded. On some issues the agency and the public may desire substantial detail. How do agencies use the output? A CAC helps monitor community reactions to agency policy, proposals, and progress. By observing interactions during CAC meetings, agencies become aware of opinions and stances at an early point in the process—often before these opinions become solidified. Working with a CAC, an agency crafts compromise positions through give-and-take over a relatively short period of time. For example, in Pennsylvania a CAC helped determine the extent to which a highway project would affect a rapidly developing area in the Pocono Mountains. 7 Who leads a CAC? A CAC elects its own leader. Dynamic and firm community leadership can enliven a CAC. In Chatham County, GA, which includes Savannah, a charismatic leader strengthened the CAC's role in planning. Typically, CAC members select a leader who interacts with agencies in an open and friendly manner, who is sensitive to group dynamics, and can effectively lead the discussion by drawing opinions and positions from participants. What does a CAC cost? A CAC requires support staff within an agency, and the work can be substantial. Meeting minutes must be taken. Background information, minutes, and agendas must be sent out before meetings. A site for the meeting must be selected. Agency representatives must attend to provide resources for CAC questions and response preparation. A CAC may want to sponsor a special meeting on transportation's role in the community, as was done in Pittsburgh. Additional assistance may be required in some instances. For example, in Washington State a CAC led by a facilitator helped plan a highway bypass on the Olympic peninsula. Material needs are minimal, but a quiet meeting room is essential. Written materials may be needed to supplement meeting notes, and these materials should be distributed before the meeting. In many cases, an agency needs to carefully explain its position or analysis, which may require detailed materials and staff time. How is a CAC organized? Ideally, a CAC will have a limited number of members, to allow for in-depth discussion. However, flexibility is needed. Rigid rules may discourage future participation by excluding people who might be able to provide valuable input. If there is no cap on the number of members of a CAC, a large CAC can be divided into subgroups. However, subgroups may curtail interaction among diverse interests. A CAC and its sponsoring agency should explore how to overcome limitations. For example, CAC members can attend conferences where they can learn about ideas and interests that are not represented on the CAC. A CAC usually has officers, with a chairperson or director, an assistant director to chair meetings in the absence of the chairperson, and a secretary who may be an agency staff person. Elected officers may serve for a year or more. CAC meetings are managed by the elected officers with assistance from agency staff. Formal parliamentary procedures, if oriented toward voting, are less useful than informal rules and consensus- building techniques. Meetings are usually held on a regular basis. Pre-meetings help plan the regular sessions and draft policy goals. CAC officers and agency staff work together to bring substantive issues before the larger group. Subcommittees are established to explore details of issues, with meetings held between the regular sessions of the CAC. 8 A typical CAC agenda will cover the following items:  Introductions, if attendees vary each time.  Welcome newcomers.  Discussion of agenda, seeking changes or additions.  Discussion of items on agenda in order, unless a change is requested.  Presentations of information as necessary for clarification.  Determination of whether a consensus on each issue exists. How is a CAC used with other techniques? An established CAC can be a forum to incorporate many public involvement techniques. A CAC leader can use brainstorming to establish consensus on a project. Facilitation by an outside specialist is used within a CAC to establish or resolve a particular or pressing problem. Visioning techniques are used during CAC meetings to establish long-range policy goals. Discussions should consider special issues related to Americans with disabilities. Video techniques can illustrate specific points during CAC meetings. What are the drawbacks of a CAC? A CAC may become inactive if the public perceives that it is being manipulated by a transportation agency. CAC members may feel overwhelmed by technical information if agency staff do not explain essential facts. Transparency can avoid a perception that a CAC is being manipulated by an agency. A CAC is most useful on a project or regional scale. A statewide CAC or one for a very large region can be unwieldy when a large number of people are involved and travel is required of both staff and participants. Effective leadership is essential. A CAC’s success depends on participants feeling that they are being heard and have a stake in decisionmaking, in an efficient and fair manner. A CAC does not encompass all points of view. By virtue of being representative, a CAC is never all- inclusive. A CAC's voice may be skewed if it does not represent all stakeholders and the general public, accordingly it may be difficult to represent minority interests. Opponents may refuse to consider each other's ideas. People who feel they are being controlled or patronized may withdraw. When Agency staff feel that the process is leading nowhere, they may not respond appropriately to questions from participants. 9 Decision and Policy Boards Who serves on MPO decision and policy boards? People who serve on MPO decision and policy boards are drawn from many sources. They include transit representation, State department of transportation, representatives of major modes of transportation, community and business leaders, leaders from special interest groups, and interested individuals. Length of tenure varies, depending on tasks, but is generally one to five years. They represent groups organized around civic, environmental, business, or community interests; specific geographic areas; or they serve as individual experts in a field. They need not be elected officials or agency staff. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) appointed a community committee to develop and recommend alternatives for reconstruction of a large Interstate bridge. These boards are established by statute, regulation, or political decision. Ad hoc committees are set up by legislative acts or executive decision to investigate specific subjects. They may be temporary or permanent. In Portland, OR, a committee of community members works with MPO staff to develop scopes of service for projects and to review and select consultants. For the U.S. 301 corridor study, 10  FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Agenda Item #5 Subject: MPO Interns Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: February 16, 2016 BACKGROUND OR PREVIOUS WORK  The MPO plans to hire two local GIS skilled interns to assist with transportation studies ranging from early spring to September 30, 2016.  Early summer intern position will be subject to approval of the FY 2017 Budget.  PL and 5303 Funds will be used to cover hourly wages and expenses.  The first intern to be hired in early spring will help aggregate Red Apple Transit Ridership data producing maps, and charts as well as gap analysis in relation to bus stops and neighborhood connectivity.  The second intern to be hired in early summer will inventory sidewalk conditions by type (behind curb, buffered, non-existent) as well as bike lanes (sharrow, unmarked and dedicated) throughout the MPO planning area.  These studies will comply with performance measures as outlined in the Federal Transportation Bill. CURRENT WORK  Begin the notification and recruitment process with COF Human Resources for the first intern now, and the second intern in another couple of months.  Work with San Juan College to assist in the recruitment of said GIS interns. ANTICIPATED WORK  Coordinate with Red Apple Transit and COF public works to utilize GIS field data collections tools and hardware. INFORMATION ITEM  This is an informational item requesting feedback from Policy Committee members. 11  FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Agenda Item #7 Subject: Information Items Prepared by: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Date: February 18, 2016 INFORMATION ITEMS a. Complete Streets Design Guidelines. The Technical Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 24, 2016 to review and offer edits to the draft Complete Streets Design Guidelines. This meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the MPO Office. Staff will debrief the discussions and outcomes of that meeting the PC. b. Trainings. Staff will be attending the Fed Aid 101 Training in Albuquerque on Thursday and Friday February 25 and 26. Community Development staff from the COF will be attending Traffic Monitoring System training in Sana Fe on February 22 and 23rd. c. Fran Fillerup. Staff would like to extend an appreciation to Fran Fillerup for his dedicated service and professionalism while working as the MPO Associate Planner. He has accepted a position with San Juan County public works department. d. Other. 12  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 MINUTES FARMINGTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING January 28, 2016 Policy Members Present: Sherri Sipe, City of Aztec Linda Rodgers, City of Farmington Scott Eckstein, San Juan County Paul Brasher, NMDOT District 5 Policy Members Absent: Curtis Lynch, City of Bloomfield Nate Duckett, City of Farmington Staff Present: Duane Wakan, MPO Planner Fran Fillerup, MPO Associate Planner June Markle, MPO Administrative Aide Staff Absent: Mary Holton, MPO Officer Others Present: Brian Degani, NMDOT Planning Robin Elkin, NMDOT Planning Liaison Larry Hathaway, San Juan County David Sypher, City of Farmington Mr. Wakan introduced Mr. Robin Elkin who will be the new Planning Liaison for the MPO. 1. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Sipe called the meeting to order 1:35 p.m. 2. APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 19, 2015 POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING Commissioner Eckstein moved to approve the minutes from the November 19, 2015 Policy Committee meeting. Councilor Rodgers seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously. 3. FFY2015-2016 UPWP AMENDMENT Subject: FFY2015-2016 UPWP Amendment Prepared by: Fran Fillerup, MPO Associate Planner Date: January 18, 2016 13  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 BACKGROUND  The MPO maintains a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) document which sets forth the tasks the MPO will undertake in a fiscal year.  In November, staff presented changes to tasks within the UPWP based on the 2040 MTP and direction from FHWA.  In December, staff presented a summary of carry over requests and new total budget amounts for the FHWA PL grant and the FT 5303 grant.  According to Appendix A of the document, the total MPO budget amount for FFY 2016 is $369,168.97. The previous MPO budget amount for FFY2016 was $302,458. Increases are due to new award letters and requested carryover in the FHWA PL and FTA 5303 grants.  The total estimated expenses are $367,000. Details are also provided in the second table of Appendix A.  The Technical Committee recommended approval on January 13, 2016. ACTION  The Draft Amendment to the FFY 2015-2016 UPWP is presented for consideration and final action by the Policy Committee. DISCUSSION: Mr. Fillerup noted that a copy of the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) showing the proposed changes was sent out with the agenda for the meeting. This document outlines the tasks the MPO Staff will undertake during the FFY2015- 2016. The Technical Committee recommended approval of the UPWP at their January 13 meeting. Mr. Fillerup reviewed some of the changes being proposed in the document: - The UPWP covers the two-year federal fiscal period of 2015-2016; - Additional tasks identified from the MTP (bike/ped inventory, transit studies including the HUB study, corridor/alignment study); - New funding table showing the requested and subsequently approved carry- forward dollars; - Substantial FTA 5303 funding allowed to be carried over: much of it will be allocated to transit studies and projects; - New MPO budget for FFY2016 is approximately $370,000; expenses are estimated at $367,000. ACTION: Commissioner Eckstein moved to approve the amendment to the FFY2015- 2016 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). Councilor Rodgers seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN AMENDMENT Subject: Public Participation Plan Amendment Prepared by: Duane Wakan, MPO Planner Date: January 18, 2016 14  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 BACKGROUND  The current Public Participation Plan (PPP) was adopted on January 19, 2012.  The PPP needs to be reviewed and amended at least every five years.  An overview of amendments are as follows: o The public comment period is proposed to be 15 days instead of 30 days. (See page 14). NMDOT has recommended, and the other MPOs throughout the state have already adopted this change for most documents including TIP amendments. A new TIP adoption would continue to have a 30-day comment period. o At their November 19 meeting, the Policy Committee recommended the use of social media in MPO outreach efforts and this is reflected in this amendment. (See pages 8 and 9). o Representation by NMDOT on the Policy Committee, and by NMDOT and Red Apple Transit on the Technical Committee, are updated. (See page 2.) o Newsletters will be published at least three times per year (previously, four newsletters have been published). (See page 8.) o Planning factors of MAP-21 have been clarified and are included. (These may again be updated as similar federal guidance is provided as part of FAST Act, the new multi-year transportation bill.) (See page 2.) o A series of demographic maps will be produced to help comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights and issues of environmental justice. (See page 7.) o Amendments related to these and other minor changes are shown as track changes in the Draft Amendment of the PPP. o In November, the Policy Committee also recommended developing a Citizens (Civic) Advisory Committee. Staff will present on this topic in February, and several documents may be amended in the future.  The 45-day public noticing requirement for the Public Participation Plan began on November 29, 2015.  The Technical Committee recommended approval on January 13, 2016. ACTION ITEM  It is recommended that the Policy Committee consider approval of the proposed changes to the Public Participation Plan. DISCUSSION: Mr. Wakan reviewed the proposed changes to the Public Participation Plan (PPP) that were presented to the Policy Committee in November. The Technical Committee recommended approval of the PPP amendment on January 13, 2016. Mr. Wakan reviewed the proposed changes to the PPP: - Add NMDOT representatives as voting members to the Policy and Technical Committees; add Red Apple Transit representative as voting member to the Technical Committee; - Planning factors and goals updated from SAFTEA-LU to MAP-21. This will have to be updated again with the newest transportation legislation, FAST Act. - The new Project Prioritization Process that will be used in developing the TIP; 15  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 - Title VI ensures that planning is distributed equitably across the region. The MPO will perform environmental justice mapping to show where in the region the area of needs are located; - Newsletter will be published three times per year; - Social media presence (Facebook) will be developed. Have reviewed requirements and guidelines with City of Farmington representative; - Develop new Citizens’ (Civic) Advisory Committee – Staff will research how best to form this committee; MPO will report to the CAC much like the Policy and Technical Committees; - Projects considered for a new TIP will be ranked and scored prior to being added to the TIP; - TIP amendments will now have a 15-day public notice requirement rather than the 30-day used previously. This is to allow more flexibility in reacting to needed changes and aligns the FMPO with the other MPOs in the state. ACTION: Councilor Rodgers moved to approve the revisions to the Public Participation Plan (PPP). Commissioner Eckstein seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously. 5. RED APPLE TRANSIT UPDATE Subject: Red Apple Transit Update Prepared by: Duane Wakan, MPO Planner Date: January 21, 2016 BACKGROUND or PREVIOUS WORK  Staff will need to collect transit data on an ongoing basis to comply with MAP-21 performance measurement requirements.  New ridership collection methods have been in place since March 2015 using tablets which can also collect basic demographic data.  Red Apple Transit recently released a Transit Trip Planner interface which can be accessed on the Red Apple Transit and MPO websites. CURRENT WORK  Several route changes were implemented in August 2015 as a way to: (1) remove non-revenue miles; (2) add service to concentrated areas; (3) get workers into the COF by 8 am; (4) get students to San Juan College by 8 am; and, (5) provide a link with Navajo Transit.  2015 Ridership volumes decreased by 4.54 percent compared to 2014 volumes. Revenue during the same period went up by 9.69 percent*  Farmington routes decreased by -4.08 percent while the regional routes decreased by -7.55 percent. 16  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 INFORMATION ITEM  This is an information report requesting feedback from Policy Committee members. DISCUSSION: Mr. Wakan presented an update on the Red Apple Transit and an overview of how it has performed over the last calendar year. Mr. Wakan referred to the charts on Pages 4 and 5 of the Agenda. Mr. Wakan explained that MAP-21 requires the MPO to establish performance measures and begin tracking all transportation movement where possible. In the past, monthly ridership numbers were provided by Ride Right, but Staff did not have the ability to measure how the buses were being ridden (i.e.: what stops were being used and where riders were boarding and alighting). Modest tracking information was provided by the summer interns hired by the MPO. Ride Right has now issued tablets to their drivers to enable them to capture more accurate ridership data. Additionally, a new trip planner was implemented on the RAT and MPO websites. Using Google transit, riders can plan out their route before leaving home. Mr. Wakan reviewed some of the data shown in the charts on Page 5: - Following substantial route changes made in 2011, annual ridership dropped off in 2012; - Additional modest route changes made in August 2015 resulted in a slight ridership drop off for 2016; - Regional routes have remained steady; Farmington routes down slightly overall; - Many recent industry changes in the region have affected population; - Consider measuring performance based on per capita (population) to better capture ridership numbers. Mr. Wakan noted that volumes had decreased overall by approximately 5%; however, revenues went up during the same period by 9.69%. There was no increase in fares, so Staff will be looking to determine how these numbers were reached. It may be that the technology being used by the drivers is not actually capturing all the ridership as was anticipated. There have been increases in ridership to and from the college. The MPO plans to hire an intern later in the year to help tabulate and analyze the ridership numbers and have them ready when the MPO begins detailing its performance measures to NMDOT and FHWA. Mr. Wakan showed some of the recent MPO website updates and improvements to the Red Apple Transit page. Staff developed an interactive map that shows how close regional residents are to a bus stop. This will assist in finding gaps in routes and service and show how moving a stop may affect ridership. The map shows some of the current coverage gaps in the RAT system. Mr. Wakan also stated that the mapping analysis is tied to the existing street networks and that future studies will consider network changes or proposed changes such as trails or opening dead-end cul-de-sac. Improved connectivity and accessibility will be illustrated using GIS mapping techniques. 17  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 Mr. Wakan showcased the transit trip planner and recommended that the transit trip planner information be added to all the local entity websites. Mr. Wakan reviewed the final three transit HUB sites identified by Huitt-Zollars in their recent study (a copy of this study is available on the MPO website). They studied a host of variables such as minimum land acreage, connectivity, traffic, safety, operation and construction costs, as well as the economic development impact. The final draft from Huitt-Zollars is expected next week. Mr. Brasher asked how bike lanes and trails/paths related to the bus routes. Mr. Wakan replied that Staff does plan to study this and noted that other states have used FTA 5309 funds to help build bike lanes that connect to transit stops. Staff plans to do the analyses of how far from bus stops could bike lanes be built using the FTA 5309 program. He added that with any facility or new bus stop, the required amenities would need to be included. ACTION: The report was received 6. NMDOT REPORTS District 5 Update – Paul Brasher Mr. Brasher reported that District 5 is working on 12 projects in the MPO area. He stated that a lot of NMDOT’s work is focused on the widening of US 64. US 64 is 2300 mile long, originating in North Carolina and ending just across the Arizona border. Additionally, there are projects to enhance safety along the corridor that include improving intersections and lighting. Mr. Brasher said that the bridge replacement project on NM 574 in La Plata scheduled for this year is complicated by the limited right-of-way. Because of this, a new bridge cannot be constructed next to the existing bridge and to close NM 574 during the construction process would require a 30 mile detour. NMDOT does not want to close the roadway and is looking at potential design options this year with construction taking place next year. Mr. Brasher also stated that the bridge is in a FEMA-designated flood hazard zone and a residence upstream of the bridge sits below the flood zone. NMDOT is working to ensure the final design will allow water to pass under the bridge and not create back-ups to the residences. Mr. Brasher did not update any of the projects but noted the ongoing projects in the MPO area: - Intersection of CR 350 and CR 390; - Bloomfield San Juan River Trail; - 20th Street sidewalks in Farmington; - Southside River trail; - Pinon Hills Boulevard extension; - NM 574 bridge; - Street lighting improvements along US 64 between milepost 20 and 22; - Two intersection improvement projects along US 64 in Shiprock; - Safety improvements at N36 and NM 371. 18  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 Commissioner Eckstein commented on the numbers of potholes along US 550. Mr. Brasher said that snow removal in District 5 has involved more pass lane miles this winter than any other district. After snow removal, the maintenance group handles guard rail replacement, some re-striping, and pothole repairs. Commissioner Sipe also mentioned a number of recent potholes along NM 516 near the intersection with US 550 (near Safeway). She noted that this corridor was recently resurfaced and wanted to alert NMDOT to the pothole issues before they worsened and further deteriorated the new surfacing. Commissioner Sipe also asked if the safety project on NM 173 was still scheduled for 2017. Mr. Brasher said that it was. Mr. Wakan said Staff had added the new TIP to the MPO website and that it could be downloaded for easy reference. Mr. Brasher said it was very helpful and provided some great information. Mr. Wakan stated that Staff will eventually be adding a storyboard that will provide a picture with each link. Planning Division Update – Brian Degani Mr. Degani provided the following written Planning Division update, but also attended in person and provided additional comments and highlights shown below: Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act Transportation Bill Both the U.S. House and Senate passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which is five- year legislation for improving the Nation’s surface transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transit systems, and rail transportation network. The bill is intended to provide the following: reform and strengthen transportation programs, refocuses on national priorities, provide long- term certainty and more flexibility for states and local governments, streamline the project approval processes, and maintain a strong commitment to safety. The bill, once signed into law by President Obama, will be the first long-term transportation authorization legislation (1,300 pages) in the United States to be passed in a decade since SAFETEA-LU in 2005. More information on the FAST Act can be found on-line. It is anticipated that the roll- out of the proposed regulations would occur in early 2016. MPO Workshop on Performance Measures occurred on 12/16/15 in Las Cruces. The Required Performance Measures (Final Rule May 23, 2016) on the NHS Pavement Condition, NHS Bridge Condition and Safety were discussed. Overviews were provided by FHWA-NM and NMDOT on coordinated performance measures and data requirements. A framework for future discussions on coordination, data and modeling, plan consistency integration, project selection/evaluation criteria/methodology and on-going discussions and topics were presented. More information will be discussed by FMPO staff at the TC meeting. T/LPA Project Updates Please provide Tribal Local Planning (TLPA) project updates at each meeting on the status of your local projects to the FMPO staff so they can continually update the 19  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 spreadsheet so local entities, NMDOT District 5, TLPA Coordinator, and the NMDOT Planner Liaison can work in a concerted effort towards keeping all of the projects on-track. The NMDOT FY2015-FY2016 Statewide Work Program Amendment No.4 was submitted to FHWA for review and task/project approvals. The Farmington MPO Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) adjustment to carry forward FY15 remaining funds to the FY16 UPWP (CN P515110) was approved. Red Apple FTA Transfer – FTA Transfers are currently on hold until the new FTA TrAMS is launched probably sometime in February or March. FTA is in the process of updating their TEAM grants management system to TrAMS and they are not able to accept funds transfers or transfer funds to FHWA. Upcoming Meetings/Trainings/Timelines National Highway Institute Trainings • Federal-Aid Highways 101 – three two-day sessions scheduled week of 2/22/16 and 2/29/16 in Las Cruces, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. This class is mandatory for all MPO and RTPO Planners/Planning Program Managers. • Highway Program Financing –Sessions are scheduled for 3/15/16-3/16/16 in Santa Fe, 3/29/16-3/30/16 in Albuquerque and 4/5/16-4/6/16 in Las Cruces. If you already registered, please contact Cecilia Romero, Continuing Education/Workforce Development Coordinator, Northern NM College, by email at cromero@nnmc.edu or phone at (575) 581-4117, to change or confirm your registration. This class is mandatory for all MPO and RTPO Planners/Planning Program Managers. Mr. Degani stated that NMDOT is waiting for the rollout of the proposed regulations for the new transportation bill, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. This rollout will hopefully happen in March or April. The regulations will spell out the activities, eligibility and the other information that provides guidance to NMDOT and the MPOs. The MPO workshop on performance measures was held in December as part of the MPO Quarterly. FHWA requires that NMDOT establish performance measures on categories of National Highway Protection Plan (NHPP), NHS, pavement preservation, safety, and bridges that go through the MPO boundary areas. NMDOT will be working closely with each of the MPOs to assist them in collecting and analyzing their data and then providing that information to NMDOT. A framework for future discussions on coordination, data and modeling, plan consistency integration, project selection/evaluation criteria/methodology and on-going topics were also presented. Mr. Degani said that Tribal Local Planning (TLPA) project updates need to be presented at each Technical Committee meeting to MPO Staff can continually update the spreadsheet to allow local entities, District 5, TLPA Coordinator, and the Planning Liaison can work together to keep all the projects on track. It is important to keep the projects moving forward so they do not get moved to an inactive list for lack of progress. 20  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 NMDOT submitted Amendment 4 to their FY2015-2016 Statewide Work Program to FHWA for review and approval. Part of this Amendment was the request for FMPO to carry forward FY15 remaining funds ($5,855) to FY16 and this was approved. Mr. Degani reported that FTA transfers are currently on hold until the new FTA TrAMS is launched in a couple of months. Until this is completed, the transfer of Red Apple Transit administration from FHWA to FTA will be on hold. Several trainings are scheduled for February and March and are mandatory for all MPO and RTOP Planners:  Federal Aid Highways 101  Highway Program Financing 7. INFORMATION ITEMS Subject: Information Items Prepared by: Fran Fillerup, MPO Associate Planner Date: January 18, 2016 INFORMATION ITEMS a. Complete Streets Design Guidelines. The Complete Streets draft edits are now available for review on the MPO website. The Technical Committee will review the document and hold a meeting specifically about the Design Guidelines during February (date to be determined). b. TIP Call for Projects. Staff sent out a Call for Projects for the FFY 2016- 2021 TIP Amendment cycle. c. Transportation Acronym List. The MPO has an acronym list on its website under the heading of MPO Documents. (See www.farmingtonmpo.org.) Please note other terms which may need to be added. d. MPO/NMDOT Meeting on Performance Measures. On December 16, 2015, staff of FHWA, NMDOT and MPOs throughout the state met in Las Cruces to coordinate performance measurement in the state’s NM Transportation Plan and MPO MTP’s. e. Transportation Research Board Conference. Mr. Wakan attended the Transportation Research Board Annual Conference the week of January 10. f. Other DISCUSSION: a. The Complete Streets Design Guidelines document is available for review on the MPO website. The Technical Committee will hold a meeting in February specifically to review the Design Guidelines. 21  PC Draft Meeting Minutes January 28, 2016 b. Staff sent out a Call for Projects for the FFY2016-2021 TIP Amendment cycle, but no projects were brought forward. c. Staff has updated the Transportation Acronym List and copies were distributed to the Policy Committee members. The list is also available on the MPO website under the heading “MPO Documents”. d. The MPOs and NMDOT discussed Performance Measures at the MPO Quarterly in December. FHWA requires that federal funds spent on the transportation system meet performance targets. This discussion is ongoing on what the specific measures will be and who will be counting and analyzing the data collected. e. Mr. Wakan attended the Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference in Washington, DC the week of January 100. Mr. Wakan reported that this is an academic conference highlighting research projects on modeling, pavement preservation, transit, multi-modal transportation trends, roundabouts, safety design, travel demand models and more. Mr. Brasher asked what Mr. Wakan saw as the latest trends. Mr. Wakan replied that there was a lot of conversation on collecting data, tracking how people move through an area, and how to then use this information in calibrating a travel demand model. Additional discussion focused on the millennial generation, where they are migrating to; the changing way they use transportation, and the need for communities to adapt to this changing environment by looking a demand-based transportation and building more sidewalks and bike lanes to match the changing preferences. 8. BUSINESS FROM THE CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS AND STAFF Mr. Brasher asked about scenario planning and the linking of transportation to land used in the region and if areas in the FMPO area did not have zoning. Commissioner Eckstein replied that the County does not have zoning currently and it is not planned for the near future. There was a plan on growth management that was recently considered and tabled indefinitely. A business license registration plan was just passed, but the public outcry made even this difficult. 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 Rodgers moved to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Eckstein seconded the motion. Commissioner Sipe adjourned the meeting at 2:30 p.m. ___________________________ _____________________________ Commissioner Sipe, Chair June Markle, MPO Administrative Aide 22