Technical Planning Committee

January 9, 2018 9:00 a.m.

Lake Michigan Room 6100 Southport Road, Portage

AGENDA

1. Call to Order by Chairman, Opening and Announcements

   1. Pledge of Allegiance; Introductions

   2. Meeting Participation Survey

   3. Action on the minutes of the December 5 TPC meeting (Pages 1-2)

      
      

2. Public Comment on Agenda Items

   
   

3. Implementation Planning

   1. Action on Resolution 18-02, Safety Target Adoption (Pages 3-5) – Stephen Sostaric .

      
      

4. Programming

   1. Action on Resolution 18-01, FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program Amendment #8 for Local Projects (Pages 6-8) – Charles Bradsky

      
      

5. Topical Committee Reports

   1. Environmental Management Policy Committee (EMPC)

   2. Ped, Pedal & Paddle Committee (3PC)

   3. Transit Operators Roundtable

   4. Land Use Committee

   5. Freight Committee

   6. Surface Transportation Committee (STC)

      
      

      

6. Reports from Planning Partners

   1. Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)

   2. South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association

   3. Southwestern Michigan Planning Commission

   4. Federal Highway Administration & Federal Transit Administration

      
      

7. Emerging Trends Presentation – “Epic Sneckdowns” – James Winters

8. Other Business, Staff Announcements and Upcoming Meetings

   1. Other Business

   2. Staff Announcements

   3. NIRPC Meetings/Events

      • The Land Use Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 17 at 10 a.m. in the Dune Room at NIRPC

      • The NIRPC Executive Board/Full Commission will meet on Thursday, January 18 at 9

        a.m. in the Lake Michigan Room at NIRPC

      • The Transportation Resource & Oversight Committee – Lake and Porter Counties will meet on Tuesday, January 30 at 9 a.m. in the Dune Room at NIRPC

      • The Environmental Management Policy Committee will meet on Thursday, February 1 at 9 a.m. in the Lake Michigan Room at NIRPC

      • The Ped, Pedal & Paddle Committee will meet on Thursday, February 1 at 1:30 p.m. in the Lake Michigan Room at NIRPC

      • The Surface Transportation Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 6 at 9 a.m. in the Dune Room at NIRPC

      • The Transportation Resource & Oversight Committee - LaPorte County will meet on Thursday, February 6 at 1:30 pm at the LaPorte Parks Department

The next Technical Planning Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 9 a.m. in the Lake Michigan Room at the NIRPC office.

Requests for alternate formats, please contact Mary Thorne at NIRPC at least 48 hours prior at (219) 763-6060 extension 131 or at mthorne@nirpc.org. Individuals with hearing impairments may contact us

through the Indiana Relay 711 service by calling 711 or (800) 743-3333.

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, parental status, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.

Technical Planning Committee Meeting‌

NIRPC Lake Michigan Room 6100 Southport Road, Portage December 5, 2017‌‌

MINUTES

Chairman Kevin Breitzke called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and self- introductions. Members present included Kevin Breitzke, George Topoll, David Wright, Tom MacLennan, Lyndsay Quist, Mark O’Dell, Bill Emerson, Jr., Kay Nelson, Kelly Wenger, Tim Burkman and Jerry Siska. Others present included Tom Schmitt, Mike Yacullo, Jeff Huet, AJ Monroe, Jake Dammarell, Claudia Taylor, Laurie Keagle, Ismail Attallah, Bruce Spires, Dean Button, Eric Wolverton, Mike Jabo, Karie Koehneke, Frank Rosado, Jr., Steve Summers, Brandon Arnold, Robin Barzoni-Tillman and Andrew Steele. Staff present included Ty Warner, Trey Wadsworth, Mitch Barloga, Charles Bradsky, Scott Weber, Gabrielle Biciunas, James Winters, Eman Ibrahim, Stephen Sostaric and Mary Thorne.

Ty Warner welcomed new staff members Trey Wadsworth, Director of Transportation; Charles Bradsky, Project Manager; Daria Sztaba, Chief Financial Officer and Talaya Jones, Chief Account.

The INDOT participation survey was available at the table in the lobby. The minutes of the October 10, 2017 Technical Planning Committee meeting were approved on a motion by George Topoll and a second by Kay Nelson.

Implementation Planning

Mitch Barloga reported that NIRPC applied for a TIGER grant. The program is offered yearly by the USDOT. Our application is for the 30-mile balance of the 58-mile Marquette Greenway route in an ask amount of $24.2 million along with 74 letters of support from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The total project amount is $33 million. The recipients should be announced early next year. If we do not get an award, we will submit under the second round in the Spring. Ty Warner thanked Mitch for filing the application, adding that the Marquette Greenway vision began in 2009.

Programming

• Stephen Sostaric reported that the 7-day public comment period for amendments 5, 6 and 7 to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program ends today. As of this morning, no comments were received. The amendments were vetted through the inter-agency consultation group as well as the Transportation Resource & Oversight Committee. The changes listed in the amendments are minor and recommendation is being sought today, pending no adverse comments being received.

• Charles Bradsky described Resolution 17-23, Amendment #5 to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program for local agencies. On a motion by George Topoll and a second by Mark O’Dell, the Technical Planning Committee voted to recommend Amendment #5 to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program to the NIRPC Board for adoption.

• Charles Bradsky presented Resolution 17-24, Amendment #6 to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program for INDOT projects. On a motion by Kay Nelson and a second by George Topoll, the Technical Planning Committee voted to recommend Amendment #6 to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program to the NIRPC Board for adoption.

• James Winters presented Resolution 17-25, Amendment #7 to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program which corrects an omission oversight for a NICTD project putting it back into the TIP. On a motion by Kelly Wenger and a second by David Wright, the Technical Planning

  Committee voted to recommend Amendment #7 to the 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program to the NIRPC Board for adoption.

  
  

  Topical Committee Reports:

• Mitch Barloga said the Ped, Pedal & Paddle Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 7 at 1:30 p.m. and will see a presentation on bike tourism. The Committee has changed it’s meeting date to the first Thursday of the month beginning in January 2018.

• James Winters said the Transit Operators will meet immediately following the TPC meeting on a new project selection process. This has been a banner year for transit with the South Shore double tracking and Westlake Corridor, GPTC’s Broadway Rapid Transit and the Transit Triangle in LaPorte County. All transit grants were awarded and two studies were completed with Portage and Hobart. We will be looking at expanding South Lake County Community Services into Hobart and we are working with GPTC and several communities along the Lake Shore South route. David Wright added that thanks to funding support from the Lake County Commission, the Lake County Council and the City of Hammond, GPTC is announcing that service to the Lake Shore South will be returning with all day service next year. An announcement on the Broadway Metro Express launch date will take place next Wednesday at the Metro Center at 3:30 p.m. as well as details on mobile ticketing.

• Eman Ibrahim said the Land Use Committee will meet on January 17 at 10 a.m.

• Scott Weber said the Surface Transportation Committee met this morning and adopted an amendment to the committee’s bylaws and adopted guidelines for pavement condition ratings. The next meeting is February 6 at 9 a.m. at NIRPC. Committee Chair Tom Schmitt thanked Scott for his work and added that at the meeting the committee heard about the Community Crossings Grant Program intended uses and an update on the Household Travel Survey.

  
  

  Emerging Trends: Mitch Barloga showed a brief video on the possibilities for trail use titled, “Edmonton Freezeway.”

  Announcements and Events:

• Kay Nelson said she has been appointed by Governor Holcomb to the VW Trust Fund Board. IDEM will be scoring the applications for the Board’s final decisions. For more information on the mitigation trust program go to http://www.in.gov/idem/airquality/2712.htm.

• Kay Nelson said IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott will attend the joint Forum-EMPC meeting on January 4.

• Kay and Kathy Luther are happy about the excitement being generated on brownfield redevelopment and the energy grant has been spent down and Kathy has submitted a new grant application.

• Kelly said the double tracking and the West Lake Corridor projects were submitted to FTA on September 8 and should have an answer in February. Construction is expected to begin in 2018 for the double tracking, opening in 2020 and West Lake would begin in 2020 with opening in 2022.

• Kevin Breitzke read the list of upcoming meetings.

  The next Technical Planning Committee meeting is January 9 at 9 a.m. at NIRPC. Hearing no other business, Kevin Breitzke adjourned the meeting at 9:50 a.m.

  A Digital MP3 of this meeting is filed. Contact Mary Thorne at the phone number or email below should you wish to receive a copy or a portion of it.

  
  

  RESOLUTION 18-02

  
  

  A RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPTING SAFETY PERFORMANCE

  MEASURE TARGETS FOR 2018

  January 18, 2018

  
  

  WHEREAS, Northwest Indiana’s citizens require a safe, efficient, effective, resource- conserving regional transportation system that maintains and enhances regional mobility and contributes to improving the quality of life in Northwest Indiana; and

  
  

  WHEREAS, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, hereafter referred to as “the Commission”, being designated the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Lake, Porter and LaPorte County area, has established a regional, comprehensive, cooperative, and continuing (3-C) transportation planning process to develop the unified planning work program, a transportation plan, and a transportation improvement program to facilitate federal funding for communities, counties, and transit operators, and to provide technical assistance and expertise to regional transportation interests; and

  
  

  WHEREAS, the Commission performs the above activities to satisfy requirements of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 (PL 114-94), applicable portions of all prior federal transportation program authorizing legislation, as well as other federal, state, and local laws mandating or authorizing transportation planning activities; and

  
  

  WHEREAS, the FAST Act of 2015 requires the implementation of performance-based planning, starting with the setting of annual safety targets by state departments of transportation for the performance measures of number of fatalities, rate of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled, number of serious injuries, rate of serious injuries per 100 million miles traveled, and number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries; and

  
  

  WHEREAS, the FAST Act of 2015 requires metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to annually adopt the targets of the state department of transportation or develop their own; and

  WHEREAS, the Technical Policy Committee (TPC) has recommended that the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission adopt these safety targets for the year 2018;

  
  

  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission hereby adopts the safety targets chosen by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and will support these targets by planning and programming projects so that they contribute to the attainment of the targets for the performance measures as shown on the attachment to this resolution.

  
  

  Duly adopted by the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission this eighteenth day of January, 2018.

  
  

  Signed:

  
  

  Printed:

  Chairperson

  
  

  ATTEST:

  
  

  Signed:

  
  

  Printed:

  Secretary

  The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 requires the annual development and adoption of safety target performance measures by state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations. The targets are required to be set for the following performance measures:

  • Number of fatalities

  • Rate of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled

  • Number of serious injuries

  • Rate of serious injuries per 100 million miles traveled

  • Number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries

    The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has adopted its safety target based on five-year rolling averages and reported these targets as required to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. These targets are:

  • Number of fatalities – 814.9

  • Rate of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled – 1.036

  • Number of serious injuries – 3,479.8

  • Rate of serious injuries per 100 million miles traveled – 4.347

  • Number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries – 417.0

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission has chosen to plan and program projects in support of attaining these targets.

RESOLUTION 18-01

A RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AMENDING THE

FY 2018-2021 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR LAKE, PORTER, AND LAPORTE COUNTIES, INDIANA

AMENDMENT NO. 8

January 18, 2018

WHEREAS, Northwest Indiana’s citizens require a safe, efficient, effective, resource- conserving regional transportation system that maintains and enhances regional mobility and contributes to improving the quality of life in Northwest Indiana; and

WHEREAS, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, hereafter referred to as “the Commission”, being designated the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Lake, Porter and LaPorte County area, has established a regional, comprehensive, cooperative, and continuing (3-C) transportation planning process to develop the unified planning work program, a transportation plan, and a transportation improvement program to facilitate federal funding for communities, counties, and transit operators, and to provide technical assistance and expertise to regional transportation interests; and

WHEREAS, the Commission performs the above activities to satisfy requirements of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 (PL 114-94), applicable portions of all prior federal transportation program authorizing legislation, as well as other federal, state, and local laws mandating or authorizing transportation planning activities; and

WHEREAS, the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program is a product of a multi-modal, 3-C transportation planning process, compatible with regional goals and objectives and socio-economic and demographic factors used to form the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan (CRP), as amended; and

WHEREAS, the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program is an implementation of the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan (CRP), as amended; is fiscally constrained, and is consistent with the State Implementation Plan for Air Quality; and

WHEREAS, the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program is developed by the Commission in coordination and cooperation with local elected and appointed highway and transit officials, special interest and service organizations, including users of public transit, the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Federal Transit Administration, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency; and

WHEREAS, the changes to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program brought about by this amendment were reviewed by the Air Quality Conformity Task Force’s Interagency Consultation Group (ICG); and

WHEREAS, the changes to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program brought about by this amendment were subjected to public comment in the manner prescribed by the 2014 Public Participation Plan with no comments received; and

WHEREAS, the Technical Policy Committee (TPC) has recommended that the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission make these changes to the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission hereby amends the FY 2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program by adding the new projects and making other changes as shown on the attachment to this resolution.

Duly adopted by the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission this eighteenth day of January, 2018.

Signed:

Printed:

Chairperson

ATTEST:

Signed:

Printed:

Secretary

2018-2021 Transportation Improvement Program for Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties, Indiana‌

Resolution 18-01; Amendment #08 January 2018

Local Projects/Project Phases Amendment

Modification

DES Sponsor Project Description/Location TIP Action Fund

Type

Phase Year Total Cost Federal Non-Federal

Phase was previosly removed in A2 of FY 2016-2019 TIP (Feb 2015)

Aministrative Modification; Project is moving from FY 18 to FY 19; Regionally Significant & Non Exempt

Aministrative Modification; Project is moving from FY 18 to FY 19; Regionally Significant & Non Exempt

8