Place: tri-county regional planning commission

PPUATS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

PEORIA/PEKIN URBANIZED AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
DATE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

TIME: 9:00 a.m.

PLACE: TRI-COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

211 FULTON STREET, SUITE 207

PEORIA IL 61602




1. Call to Order:

Chair Wuellner called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

2. Roll Call: Present  Not Present 

PPUATS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
 Eric Therkildsen, IDOT  Charles Hanson, Creve Coeur

 Thomas McFarland, Peoria County  *Alicia Hermann, Creve Coeur

 Amy Benecke McLaren, Peoria County  Ric Semonski, East Peoria

 Jeff Gilles, Peoria County  *Patrick Meyer, East Peoria

 John Anderson, Tazewell County  Joseph Wuellner, Pekin

 Dan Parr, Tazewell County  *Michael Guerra, Pekin

 Robert Wraight, Morton  Jeff Smith, Peoria

 Patrick Meyer, Bartonville  Nick Stoffer, Peoria

 Jeff Hermann, Peoria Heights  Henry Strube, Jr., West Peoria

 Ken Newman, Washington  *Alicia Hermann, West Peoria

 *Jon Oliphant, Washington  D Bachman, Woodford County

 Rick Tieken for John Stokowski, GPMTD  Mary DeVries, GPAA

 *Joe Alexander, GPMTD  Steve Jaeger, HOI Port District**

 Terry Kohlbuss, TCRPC  *Maureen McNamara, HOI Port District**

Voting Member *Alternate **Non-Voting
Others Present: Tom Kelso-IDOT, Office of Planning & Programming

Jon Paul Koehler, Federal Highway Administration

Derek Parish, Tony Sassine-IDOT, Local Roads

Cindy Loos-Hanson Engineers

Teri Bibo, Peoria Journal Star

Maggie Martino, Eric Miller, Lindsay Wallace-TCRPC

3. 
   Approval of Minutes:
   

Mr. McFarland moved to approve the minutes of the August 19, 2009, PPUATS Technical Committee meeting. Seconded by Mr. Bachman and passed unanimously.
4. Planning Report and Billings for August:

Mr. Kohlbuss reported that the Commission financial records for August show a negative $6,247, but the FY 2010 budget amendment has determined that the Commission will end FY 2010 with a positive balance.

Mr. Meyer moved to recommend that the PPUATS Policy Committee approve the Planning Report and Billings for August. Seconded by Mr. Anderson and passed unanimously.

5. 
   Greater Peoria Mass Transit District Cooperative Agreement for FY 2010:
   

GPMTD provides $3,800 in FTA 5307 federal transportation planning funds annually in order to continue the comprehensive transportation planning process with PPUATS. This amount is included in the total of federal PL and FTA 5303 funds that is matched by the PPUATS members. An agreement is presently annually to continue this partnership.
Mr. Semonski moved to recommend that the PPUATS Policy Committee approve the annual agreement with GPMTD to provide $3,800 towards the continuing transportation planning process. Seconded by Ms. Benecke-McLaren and passed unanimously.

5. 
   FY 2010-2013 Transportation Improvement Program Amendments for Safe Routes to School Projects:
   

Ms. Martino reported that the State of Illinois did not release the awards for the Safe Routes to School projects until after the FY 2010-2013 TIP was approved. Also the Peoria Park District Enhancement project was left out of the TIP inadvertently. Therefore amendments need to be approved to include the following in the TIP:

1. 
   Morton School District 709 $3,500 to organize a bicycle rodeo or training course to teach on-bike skills all for Blessed Sacrament, Bethel Lutheran and Grundy School.
   
2. 
   Morton School District 710 $237,000 to construct, replace or repair sidewalks, $8,600 million to install, enhance or repair sidewalks, and $4,500 to install new or improved signage all by Blessed Sacrament, Bethel Lutheran and Grundy School.
   
3. 
   Children’s Hospital of Illinois $25,000 to train the trainer mini-grant program, $5,500 to promote safe routes to school in the community, $19,500 to train school and community audiences about safe routes to school.
   
4. 
   Peoria Park District $3,323,000 to extend the Rock Island Pimiteoui Trail for bikeway, fencing, utility adjustment, land acquisition, PE Phase II, construction/engineering on Pioneer Parkway to Sommer Street to Candletree Drive to Harvard Avenue to Princeton Avenue.
   

Mr. Sassine reported that recissions may reduce the amounts of these awards.

Mr. McFarland moved to recommend that the PPUATS Policy Committee approve the four FY 2010-2013 T.I.P. Amendments as presented. Seconded by Mr. Anderson and passed unanimously.

5. 
   American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Projects Update:
   

Ms. Wallace reported that all projects remain on track for their approved letting dates. The PPUATS Policy Committee agreed to let the Northmoor Road project in January.

5. 
   Update on Surface Transportation Urban Criteria Review/Project Selection:
   

Ms. Wallace reported that the STU Committee met and finalized the three project applications. There are now separate applications for roadway, new roadway, and non-roadway projects. There will be a call for FY 2015-2016 projects in October. Ms. Martino stated that there were few changes to the original applications and they now conform to the requirements of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). They did not include the use of the Travel Demand Model (TDM) in the project selection process, as it is not yet ready. They did, however, run the LRTP projects through the models as a test. Mr. Kohlbuss stated that eventually because of the certification review findings, the TDM will be used to determine Congestion Management issues in the selection of the STU project funding.
Mr. Miller reported that the TDM was delivered last week and staff has begun training. No decision was made on how to assign points on the applications on the basis of the TDM. The STU Criteria Committee will continue to review the applications as the situation requires.
Mr. Kohlbuss reported that Congress may make approximately $8.9 billion in rescissions to the SAFETEA-LU Act. It is not clear yet what this may mean to those projects already programmed by PPUATS. Mr. Koehler stated that $288 million will be rescinded from Illinois. The obligated funding will not be impacted just the attributable funds. If the funding is already in the T.I.P. it will not be impacted, just that funding beyond the years of the T.I.P. There is a possibility that SAFETEA-LU will be extended. The President would like an 18 month extension, but Chairman Oberstar want it to be shorter. The FHWA will know more about the rescissions next month.
Mr. Bachman moved to recommend that the PPUATS Policy Committee approve the three project applications as presented. Seconded by Ms. Hermann and passed unanimously.

5. 
   Update-Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant:
   

Mr. Kohlbuss reported that the $78.5 million TIGER grant was submitted on September 15. Through this exercise staff received a better understanding of the needs that will have to be addressed to create a passenger rail line from Peoria to Bloomington/Normal. The Commission authorized him to hire R.L. Banks, the consultant who wrote the study in 2000 to establish a passenger rail line between Peoria and Bloomington/Normal) to help with updating cost estimates, owner/operator issues, the environmental process, station location, and railroad operations issues. The terminal would be set in East Peoria to avoid the expense of a river crossing. He has heard that the Chicago CREATE is submitting for the entire $300 million allotted for Illinois.
Mr. Jaeger reported that Heart of Illinois TransPort also submitted a $31.4 million TIGER application for infrastructure at Mapleton. This funding would accommodate a barge dock and easements on Caterpillar property for the terminals. Fulton County submitted a $20 million TIGER grant application for freight rail extension into a private facility. The City of Peoria decided not to submit an application for Pioneer Parkway extension.

5. 
   Update on Clean Air Action:
   

Mr. Chambers distributed a chart which compared the ozone levels between the two monitors in the Cities of Peoria and Peoria Heights and the EPA Standard. From April 1 to September 16, none of the readings have exceeded the EPA Standard of 75 parts per billion. This is due to the mild weather and efforts by individuals, businesses and local government. The City of Peoria’s no idle policy has resulted in a 7.5% drop in fuel consumption.
Mr. Tieken stated that CityLink ridership is up and they have ordered new fixed route buses that are 2010 emission compliant. CityLink submitted a TIGGER grant for hybrid energy efficiency buses.

Staff will continue to educate the individual units of government on the Clean Air Action Campaign in anticipation of the lowering of the EPA standard. The Commission will receive a grant from IDOT for $30,000 with a PPUATS match of $10,000 for this purpose.

5. 
   Update on Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP):
   

Ms. Wallace reported that the update of the LRTP continues with the development of goals and objectives: Environmental Stewardship, Balanced Growth, Public Infrastructure, and Economic Development. Mr. Chambers stated a draft LRTP will be available on September 30.

5. 
   Other:
   

Ms. Hermann introduced Charles Hanson who is a trustee in Creve Coeur and is their new representative on the PPUATS Technical Committee.
Mr. Kohlbuss stated that he became aware of a Department of Energy grant available to cities that allows them to request up to $200,000 to prepare a plan for a disaster that would destroy the electrical grid. He has shared this information with the City of Peoria ESDA Director and the City of Peoria Fire Chief. If successful, this grant could be modified for other cities in the tri-county area. He has discussed this plan with Ameren/CILCO, who is willing to assist the Commission with the “smart grid” information. There is $10.5 million available nationwide and the DOE plans to award 50 grants. The deadline is October 8. This study would also benefit the Public Works Mutual Aid network recently established in Illinois.
Ms. Benecke-McLaren asked for input from the PPUATS Technical Committee members on topics and speakers for the annual meeting of the American Public Works Association which will be held in Peoria in May.
Mr. Wuellner asked if there were any public comments. There were none.
12. Adjournment:

Mr. McFarland moved to adjourn the PPUATS Technical Committee meeting at 9:54 a.m. Seconded by Mr. Anderson and passed unanimously.

Respectfully submitted,

Terry Kohlbuss

Executive Director

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