Connecting Us - Sustaining Progress (CUSP)

CUSP Housing and Transportation Subcommittee Meeting Minutes – January 15, 2020 Chair Stephanie Rose called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm Members Present: Stephanie Rose, Chair; Barbara Dahl, Secretary; Todd DeVries, Rebecca Long Pyper, Anne Johnson, Chad Murdock, Julene Haworth Absent: Amy Place, Lexie French Guest Presentations and Discussion Jeff Forbes, Vice President Idaho Falls Community Pathways, Parks and Rec Commission member: Bike/Ped Accommodation and the COC Plan - A Historical Perspective Challenges - past and present 1) Idaho Falls is a “car centric” community 2) Approximately ¼ of the population of Idaho does not drive. 3) Cycling and walking regarded as optional - recreation vs. transportation. 4) Citizen surveys consistently prioritize bike/ped facilities at top of priorities for planning 5) Connectivity lacking. Historically, pathways and bike lanes developed with little thought to connecting them to actually get places. Non-motorized incorporation in traffic plan- ning largely afterthought. COC addresses these basics in addition to Comp Plan. 6) Bike/ped accommodation, infrastructure improving but still lacking (i.e. missing guide- lines/definitions for bikeways such as maximum speed limit, signage, route finding guides, ) Low priority for code enforcement and pedestrian infrastructure maintenance (blocked sidewalks, crumbling sidewalks). Progress 1) Idaho Falls Community Pathways (IFCP), non-profit formed in 2007 and began promot- ing “events, policy and safety initiatives for pedestrians, cyclists and other people-pow- ered travel in the Idaho Falls area”. Social media: https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yX/r/C78FT9HJ7Wu.png 2) COC Plan adopted in 2014. Ten priority projects to be funded by Transportation Alter- natives Program (TAP) grants (max $500,000 each) and also through contributors like  Rotary Club, the Redevelopment Agency, and others. Usually only a small portion comes from local tax dollars. 3) Chris Canfield (Public Works) is working with PJ Holm (Parks and Rec) on four TAP appli- cations: a. Pancheri bridge north sidewalk widening/rails improvements b. S. Yellowstone Sidewalk west side from Pancheri to Sunnyside. Anne Johnson mentioned she is writing letter of support, as many people from the Haven are impacted by lack of sidewalk here. c. Westside path connections which will connect the Skyline/Eagle Rock/Ethel Boyes schools across Broadway to areas north - neighborhoods, soccer complex. d. Meppen Canal pathway - NE part of town. 4) Idaho Canal Trail coming. Construction to start in the fall of 2020 - 3 phases. Will provide a main North South bike/ped off-street connector. 5) Many improvements and more to come with COC and changing mindsets from seeing accommodation as too difficult (former Holmes and Yellowstone area) to problem solv- ing and pre-planning. Slide Presentation: Bike/Ped Accommodation and the COC Plan - A Historical Perspective https://drive.google.com/open?id=17cyU9gHzSTLGyNfhDR3DTsA-fyCTYuE5 Michelle Ziel-Dingman, IF City Council Member, TRPTA Board Director: Idaho Falls Transit Up- date Issues with current Transit: 1) The Dissolution of Targhee Regional Public Transportation Authority (TRPTA), May to July 2019 included: a. numerous unresolved government sanctions which resulted in fractured, or non- existent, relationships with regulatory agencies b. fiscal mismanagement including lack of funding from participating communities and untapped federal funds as well as significant outstanding debts c. passive board of directors oversight as well as nearly 100% resignation of board membership 2) Interventions: a. repairing and developing relationships with the Idaho Transportation Depart- ment (ITD) and the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) b. resolving significant debt. Board member Dave Radford, and current Bonneville County Commissioner, worked extensively to negotiate, barter, and reconcile outstanding bills to 1/2 of the outstanding balance  c. Michelle Ziel Dingman negotiated payment in full for former TRPTA employees, including paid leave, etc. and continued to work to negotiate and pay off debt d. buses were sold for nominal value to repay the FTA. They were not considered to be an asset for future transportation services e. hired a bankruptcy firm 3) Remedies: a. file bankruptcy and pay off remaining debt b. restructure the board of directors c. sell the TRPTA building (offers within four days of listing from developers who plan to level the existing structure due to usability issues) for TRPTA “break even” d. rename the new Public Transit Authority under a DBA as PTA is a required title of the population e. ITD believes we have a public transit need in Idaho Falls and can sustain a fixed route system. 4) Moving Forward: a. Finalize the sale of the building. b. Work with ITD and Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) to de- velop a new fixed route system for IF. Misc Business: Todd Devries offered to develop a shared resource list which he will continue to manage with updates. Minutes, presentations and articles will be available. Stephanie Rose will attend the second Steering Committee meeting on Feb 12, the second Wednesday of the month. There will be two Transportation and Housing meetings in February (02/05 and 02/19). Minutes from the January 8, 2020 meeting reviewed and amended The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm.