ACTION REQUESTED: Approval
NIRPC staff will present on various influences and trends that may shape the future of Northwestern Indiana. The analysis was used to imagine plausible futures using the NCHRP 750 Foresight Series framework for scenario planning. The presentation will also include results from the summer round of pop-up events.
ACTION REQUESTED: Informational
NIRPC staff will present on the revised programs proposed at the September meeting and conduct a scoring session on programs assigned to this Committee. The scoring will be used to recommend allocations of funding to the Technical Planning Committee.
ACTION REQUESTED: Discussion
NIRPC staff will present on unique scoring criteria for each program for recommendation to the Technical Planning Committee. The criteria will be used to evaluate individual project applications for the 2020 – 2024 Transportation Improvement Program.
ACTION REQUESTED: Discussion
2050 Plan October Pop-up Events
Transportation Performance Measures Update
2018 Household Travel Survey Update
Congestion Management Process (CMP) Update
Surface Transportation Committee Meeting NIRPC Lake Michigan Room
September 4, 2018
Jeff Huet called the meeting to order at 9:07 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and self-introductions. Present were Jeff Huet, Town of Schererville; Dean Button, City of Hammond; Mark O’Dell, Town of Chesterton; David Wright, Gary Public Transportation Corp.; Denny Cobb, First Group Engineering; K- Todd Behling, Primera Engineers; Kendra Johnson, Citizen Advocate; and Lovetta Tindal, Concerned Citizens of Gary.
NIRPC staff present were Trey Wadsworth, Mitch Barloga, Scott Weber, Charles Bradsky, Peter Kimball, Oscar Castillo, Candi Eklund and Mary Thorne.
There was no public comment.
On a motion by Mark O’Dell, seconded by Dean Button, the August 7, 2018 minutes were approved as presented.
Presentation - Scott Weber presented on the draft Performance Based Planning (PbP) Framework for the 2050 Plan. The framework will break down how NIRPC will go beyond federal requirements using the 16 critical paths as outlined in the 2050 Plan matrix to achieve Northwest Indiana’s vision. The Mobility plan focus area as it relates to the vision statements was examined at length for the committee. Staff will be looking at data metrics and measures, and baseline conditions to achieve increased or decreased performance targets by 2035 and 2050. Feedback from the committee included use of parameters for roadways, more in the environmental justice areas, more data on frequency of services for transit, and consideration for roads containing higher vehicle miles traveled, principal routes on in the NHS system as well as assets not in the NHS control.
Presentation - Mitch Barloga presented on the draft Programmatic Investment Approach for the 2050 Plan and 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This enhanced approach will identify investment programs, evaluate the programs and size funding to each program based on regional priority, evaluate projects within all programs and then program the highest scored projects with available funding per program. While the usual approach is more straightforward, the enhanced approach will better utilize the flexibility provided by some funding sources. Benefits will be easier to quantify and demonstrate performance. The best scored projects will come from regionally significant programs. Examples of what the practice might look like were shown and the scoring process for the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was examined. Feedback was solicited from the committee.
Some ITS is transit specific and investment types can be clarified. Roadway preservation can be a missing investment type and there may be new infrastructure types to consider in the future. A two- year plan might be preferred by the LPAs. There was also concern about how scoring of projects would eventually play out. Staff were asked to update the committees with any modifications.
Scott Weber explained the recommendation to the Technical Planning Committee to approve the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Performance Plan which must be submitted to FHWA by October 1st. On a motion by Dena Button and a second by David Wright, the Surface Transportation Committee voted to recommend the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Performance Plan to the Technical Planning Committee.
The letting report was available in the packet.
Scott Weber gave updates as follows:
The 2050 Plan pop up events have been completed.
NIRPC just set 11 of 19 FHWA performance measures. Five transit measures need to be drafted at the Transit Operators Roundtable.
The 2018 Household Travel Survey will be mailed to 45,000 households with an expected target response rate of 2,000.
The air quality post processor model is up and running.
Regarding the congestion management process, we are using the floating car method to collect travel times on 42 corridors.
Peter Kimball said the community data profile PDF is on the website using data from the 2016 American Community Survey. Safety data is being reviewed for the 2050 plan.
The next Surface Transportation Committee meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on October 2, 2018. Hearing no other business, Jeff Huet adjourned the meeting at 11:04 a.m.