Place: one technology plaza

PPUATS POLICY COMMITTEE MAY 4, 2011

PEORIA/PEKIN URBANIZED AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY POLICY COMMITTEE
DATE: MAY 4, 2011

TIME: 9:00 a.m.

PLACE: ONE TECHNOLOGY PLAZA

211 FULTON STREET

SUITE 207

PEORIA IL 61602

1. Call to Order:

Chair O’Neill called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

2. Roll Call: Present Not Present 

PPUATS POLICY COMMITTEE

 Maureen Addis, IDOT  Wayne Baker, Creve Coeur

 *Open, IDOT  *Eugene Talbot, Creve Coeur

 Phil Salzer, Peoria County  Rusty Dunn, Pekin

 Tom O’Neill, Peoria Co.  *Dennis Kief, Pekin

 Brad Harding, Peoria County  James Ardis, Peoria

 Greg Sinn, Tazewell County  David Barber, Peoria

 Mel Stanford, Tazewell County  Mark Allen, Peoria Heights

 *Russ Crawford, Tazewell County  *Matt Fick, Peoria Heights

 Norm Durflinger, Morton  James Dillon, West Peoria

 *Ginger Herman, Morton  *John Carlson, West Peoria

 Rhonda Wolfe, Bartonville  Gary Manier, Washington

 *Open, Bartonville  *Robert Morris, Washington

 David Mingus, East Peoria  Sharon McBride, GPMTD/CityLink

 *Ty Livingston, East Peoria  *Tom Lucek, GPMTD/CityLink

 Tom Evans, Woodford County

Voting Member *Alternate
Others Present: John Stokowski, GPMTD/CityLink

Tom Caldwell, IDOT-Office of Planning and Programming

Wendy Ferrill, Village of Morton

Maggie Martino, Eric Miller, Lindsay Wallace, Jim Webb, Ryan Granata-TCRPC

3. 
   Approval of Minutes:
   

Mr. Stanford moved to approve the minutes of the April 6, 2011, PPUATS Policy Committee meeting. Seconded by Ms. McBride and passed unanimously.

3. 
   Planning Reports and Billings for February:
   

Mr. Kohlbuss reported that the Commission financial statements for March were positive with YTD revenue over expenditures of $11,583.
Mr. Salzer moved to receive and file the Planning Reports and Billings for February. Seconded by Mr. Livingston and passed unanimously.

5. 
   PPUATS Joint Funding Agreement & CityLink Agreement:
   

Mr. Kohlbuss stated that the PPUATS Joint Funding Agreement outlines the local match for the transportation planning grants: PL ($423,791), Federal Transit Administration 5303 ($132,029), CityLink FTA 5307 funds ($3,800), and Clean Air Action grant match ($12,500). Each member’s contribution is based on a formula using Motor Fuel Tax collected in 2010. Mr. Kief asked if the 2010 census figures could alter the match amounts. Mr. Kohlbuss stated that they could if the population of a municipality is used to calculate the MFT distributed in a calendar year. Mr. Kohlbuss stated that IDOT-OP&P has notified him that there may be additional transportation planning funds for FY 2012. This may cause the match amounts to be recalculated. If the total grant amount changes before July 1, an amendment to the Joint Funding Agreement will be brought to PPUATS.
Mr. Lucek stated that GPMTD received $185,000 for a location study for an additional transit center, which was matched by GPMTD. Possible locations are Northwoods Mall, ICC North, Shoppes of Grand Prairie, or the new library. Costs for a new transit center may be inserted into the capital program.
Mr. Kief moved to recommend that the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission approve the FY 2012 PPUATS Joint Funding Agreement and CityLink Agreement. Seconded by Mr. Stanford and passed unanimously.

5. 
   Approval of the Draft FY 2012 Overall Work Program:
   

Ms. Martino stated that the Overall Work Program outlines the Commission’s tasks for Fiscal Year 2012, July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, including the Unified Work Program, which are the transportation planning grants. Mr. Kohlbuss stated that the Draft FY 2012 budget currently shows zero revenue over expenditures, because the spending process of the HUD grant has not yet been determined and other grants and contracts have not been approved. Mr. Crawford asked for an asterisk beside those grants that are not finalized.
Mr. Stanford moved to recommend that the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission approve the Draft Overall Work Program for FY 2012. Seconded by Mr. Carlson and passed unanimously.

5. 
   Draft FY 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Program:
   

Ms. Wallace stated that she distributed the Draft TIP to the PPUATS Technical Committee and has already incorporated several changes. Ms. Addis reported that IDOT was asked to cut $150 million from the six year cycle. The Allen Road project and the I-74/I-155 intersection reconstruction in Morton were not cut. All areas both urban and rural were cut uniformly. Projects in the IL Jobs Now projects were not cut. This includes resurfacing on I-155 and 34 projects to the west. The Route 98 between Morton and Pekin resurfacing was saved since it was determined to be an alternate route when the Morton intersection project begins.
Mr. Lucek stated that the State has been paying the Mass Transit Operations invoices. CityLink received 21 new buses and should start getting one a day. There are five more on order for October. They submitted a “State of Good Repair” grant with Secretary LaHood’s approval, but that funding may be cut from the federal budget. The State mass transit operating funding may be cut 10% in the next budget year. Mr. Kohlbuss stated he is working with CityLink, East Peoria and West Peoria to install more bus shelters.
Mr. Carlson moved to approve the Draft FY 2012-2015 T.I.P. Seconded by Mr. Stanford and passed unanimously.

5. 
   Meeting Packet Distribution-electronic only
   

Ms. Wallace reported that the U.S. Postal Service raised the rates on flat large envelopes and suggested only sending the PPUATS Policy Committee packet electronically to those that have email and placing it on the Commission’s website. No one objected.
Mr. Crawford moved to allow staff to send the PPUATS Policy Committee packets electronically to those members who have email access but still mail them to those members that do not. Seconded by Mr. Kief and passed unanimously.

5. 
   Updates:
   

a. ciCarpool

Mr. Granata reported Adams Outdoor Advertising has post a billboard at Knoxville and Hickory Grove. Radio advertisements have been running on WMBD and WMAX-FM 102.3 during the weather every hour. There was a booth at the Business Showcase April 27 and at Earth Day at the Forest Park Nature Center April 30, and will be one at several riverfront market. There will be a session on ciCarpool at the APWA Conference on Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. The next step is to work with employers with the assistance of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce. Staff will be applying for another Jobs Access Reverse Commute, which funds ciCarpool, in June. 249 people have signed up on the ciCarpool website with an 80% match rate.

2. 
   Air Quality
   

Ms. Martino stated that ciCarpool is one of the tools being used to lower the ozone standards. The Commission signed a contract with a marketing consultant to put together a branding strategy for all the air quality issues. Hanson Engineers has begun the signal optimization study on University Street between Forrest Hill and Glen. Staff will be discussing non-idling policies with those municipalities that do not currently have this policy. Mr. Crawford stated that the PPUATS Policy Committee should review the policy before it is presented to the municipalities.

2. 
   Passenger Rail
   

Mr. Kohlbuss stated that approximately 30 letters of support for a passenger rail corridor between Peoria and Bloomington/Normal have been sent to IDOT. The study on a possible location for a terminal in East Peoria has begun. He is checking with IDOT on the current state of the rejected Florida high speed rail funding. Senator Koehler has requested Project amounts for a passenger rail line between Peoria and Bloomington/Normal in case he is able to place a request for these funds in the capital program. The passenger rail line would be on the Norfolk and Southern line that parallels I-74. There is no funding for this project in the current capital program, but it is next in line to be funded.

5. 
   Other:
   

None.
11. Adjournment:

Ms. McBride moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:46 a.m. Seconded by Mr. Kief and passed unanimously.

Respectfully submitted:

Terry Kohlbuss

Executive Director