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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Transportation Advisory Commission - 08/24/2009 Pv-TTIVED Transportation Advisory Committee r t_L 1('":1 Meeting Minutes Monday, August 24, 2009 SECRETARY'S OFFICE Call Meeting to Order - Mr. Bill Green, Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 2:36 p.m. II. Approval of Minutes - Mr. Green entertains a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Edd Price moves to approve the minutes from July 27, 2009. Mr. Daniel Carrizales seconds that motion. Motion passes. III. Presentations and Discussions - a. Monthly Traffic Fatality Report: Sgt. Pena reports one fatality in August on the 2400 block of Cimarron Boulevard. Speed was a factor in this one car accident and the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. b. Discussion on NAS representation on the committee with possible action to be taken: Mr. Cardenas updates the TAC on the efforts to contact the base commander. A correspondence letter was sent out to Commanding Officer Captain Randolph F. Pierson and Executive Officer Commander Bruce 0. Lankford, and no response has been received yet. Mrs. Karen Beard questions the date these letters were sent out. Mr. Cardenas responds that the letters were sent about two weeks after the July TAC meeting, giving the N.A.S. about two weeks so far to respond. Mr. Cardenas informs that the letter stated that it is not a requirement for the N.A.S. to be on the committee; however it is traditional to have an incumbent member of the Naval Security representative on the committee. Mr. Green encourages the committee to consider giving the N.A.S. some more time to respond. Mr. Glenn Jones states that he will gladly give them until the September TAC meeting, but if there has not been a response by then, he will make a motion to remove the N.A.S. representative position from the Transportation Advisory Committee. c. "Metropolitan Transportation Plan Selected Projects" presented by Tom Niskala, MPO Transportation Planning Director: Tom Niskala begins with a brief explanation that the MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) is a federally funding agency responsible for making sure that there is comprehensive, coordinated and continuing transportation planning in the Nueces and San Patricio counties. Mr. Niskala begins with Holly Road. Holly Road is improved from Roddfield Road to the new Crosstown Freeway extension, and the MPO would like to see the existing two lane cross section on Holly Road, between Greenwood Drive and Crosstown improved as well. It is considered a critical connector and is estimated to cost nine (9) million dollars. SCANNED Page 1 of 6 Mr. Niskala moves on to Roddfield Road, from Saratoga to Yorktown. From S.P.I.D. to Saratoga, Roddfield has a five (5) lane cross section and the MPO would like to see the same cross section developed from Saratoga Boulevard to Yorktown Boulevard to accommodate the new development growing in that area. Mr. Niskala informs the committee that this project has a cost estimate of nine (9) million dollars. Williams Drive, from Staples Street to Airline Road, is the next project Mr. Niskala discusses. In the Bond 2008 project, there are improvements to Williams Drive, from Roddfield Road to Airline Road, but the section from Staples to Airline is not included. The MPO feels that this is a critical connector in that area of the internal distribution of that portion on the south side of town. Mr. Niskala informs the committee that this project has a cost estimate of five (5) million dollars. Mr. Niskala then moves to Yorktown Boulevard. Yorktown Boulevard, from Staples Street to Cimarron Boulevard, is on the Bond 2008 project but it does not include the section from Cimarron Boulevard to Roddfield Road. The MPO feels that this section must be included in the Bond 2008 plan for Yorktown Boulevard to complete the whole network on that south side of town. Another project is Staples Street from Oso Parkway to Highway 286. There is currently a cross section that narrows down to a two lane street with no shoulders. There is two ways to approach this. First there is a build out, which would include a median carried all the way to Highway 286. The other approach is to carry the existing•cross section on Staples Street at Oso Parkway up to County Road 41, then narrowing down to a two lane cross section with shoulders. Mr. Niskala then mentions Weber Road, from the Oso Bridge to Highway 286, and recommends carrying the same five (5) lane cross section all the way to Highway 286 with two lanes in each direction. This will include a wide median initially, leaving the ability to have three lanes in each direction in the future. The last project is Buddy Ganem in Portland, between US 181 to Wildcat Road (FM 2986). This is a growing area commercially and a vast amount of school traffic goes through here. It is relatively inexpensive to do, at approximately five (5) million dollars for this project. Mr. Niskala states that these cost estimates do not include right of way purchases, if needed. These are the projects the MPO are looking at as priority projects in a long range plan, but as there are short range plans developed, the MPO wants the long range plans incorporated. Page 2 of 6 r e Mr. Green questions if this list will be presented to the MPO Policy Committee on September 3, 2009. Mr.. Niskala responds that as of now it is a discussion item at the meeting. The MPO timeline for this list is to have a long range plan adopted in December. One of the difficulties the MPO has is the plan must be fiscally constrained and has to be based on anticipated revenue. So the MPO is waiting for a projection of revenues from TXDOT. For a variety of reasons, those projections have not been released, hence the reason this list discusses `priorities'. The MPO has the first two years already planned but does not have cost projection numbers for the 2012- 2013 year. Mr. Green questions if these projects have been forwarded to TXDOT for any stimulus funding. Mr. Niskala addresses this in explaining that the projects have not been part of a stimulus request. He states that the MPO was fortunate to get three projects funded through the.ARRA funds, which included the completion of the Joe Fulton corridor. In addition, Mr. Niskala states that they have two projects that are developing medians on Saratoga Boulevard, from Staples Street to Roddfield Road, and on Staples Street from Saratoga Boulevard to Oso Parkway. These projects are in final design now and should be under construction in 2010. In addition, the Port has two projects looking at stimulus funds, one being a rail improvement project, and the other is the La Quinta Project that will be discussed at the September policy meeting. d. Signals on Corn Products Road and Leopard: Mr. Cardenas informs the committeethat this item was asked to be on the agenda this month to discuss the movement of the signals at these intersections. There have been some accidents at this intersection previously. The most recent was a person who ran a red light, where the driver claimed that the signal was not visible. The wind is a factor that is involved with this intersection, where the signals sway back and forth. This signalized intersection is a span wire and to do an upgrade on this signal would cost the city about two hundred thousand (200,000) dollars. Mr. Cardenas informs the committee that there are already guide wires present and that no traffic counts have been done in that area since the crash. e. House Bill 55: Cell phone use prohibited in school zones: Mr. Cardenas informs the committee that this law will take into effect September 1, 2009, prohibiting a person from using a cell phone or wireless device while driving through an active school zone. Mr. Cardenas presents the TAC with an exhibit of the actual sign that will be placed below the school zone flasher. The cost of each of these signs will cost one hundred and twenty five (125) dollars for the aluminum plate sign with sheeting, lettering and labor included. The city does have an in-house sign shop that fabricates these signs at the cost mentioned. The City of Corpus Christi needs about Page 3 of 6 • one thousand (1000) signs. This number includes the city and its surrounding areas. Ms. Karen Beard informs the committee of a TXDOT, Texas Municipal Policemen's Association Conference she attended where this bill was a hot topic. There is a glitch in the bill that states "motor vehicle within a school crossing zone". The lawyers from the State Attorney General's office and judges at the meeting say the "school crossing zone" pertains only to those ten (10) feet or so of that crosswalk. It is not in a school zone, but is only in the crosswalk area. Ms. Beard still thinks it is a good idea to put the cell phone signs up, but as far as taking it to a judge or for enforcement, catching someone within those ten (10) feet will be difficult. Mr. Glenn Jones questions whether the legislatures are going to readdress this issue. Ms. Beard says the legislature did not catch this mistake and that it will not be addressed until two years later. Mr. Green questions whether the state requires the city to effect enabling legislation in the absence of these specific criteria. Veronica Ocanas, from city legal, responds that the law as it is written does not require an ordinance for the city to enforce it, but the sign does have to be up. Mr. Cardenas clarifies to the committee that a funding source for these signs can be found and that the installation of these signs will be prioritized since they cannot all go up at once. He continues on the different approaches to prioritize these signs. One approach is to begin with school zones that have a higher traffic demand and the other would be to begin with either the elementary schools or high schools. Ms. Veronica Ocanas informs the committee that if this state law language does not change and continues to read as "within a school crossing zone," the city can pass an ordinance that states "within a school zone." f. House Bill 537 a Senate Bill 61: Seatbelts £t Child Restraints: Mr. Cardenas begins the discussion on Texas House Bill 537 requires anyone of any age to wear a seatbelt, no matter whether the passenger is in the front seat or back seats. Ms. Beard informs the committee of Texas Senate Bill 61, which requires any child up to age eight (8) and under four (4) feet and nine (9) inches tall to be in a proper restraint. The law says that they must be properly restrained, according to manufacturer's guidelines. Ms. Beard clarifies that if a vehicle's manufacturing guideline suggests that no child under a certain age ride in the front seat, then those guidelines must be followed in that particular vehicle. Ms. Beard explains that from September 1, 2009 to June 1, 2009, only warnings will be given out if stopped because a child is not in a proper restraint seat. Starting June 1, 2010, the ticket is a twenty-five (25) dollar Page 4 of 6 moving violation per child. After the first offense, the fine increases to fifty (50) dollars per child. Mr. Karen states for the record from the Valley up to San Antonio, law enforcement are trained as technicians and are nationally certified through a course that certifies them to check child restraint seats, except for in the City of Corpus Christi. Apparently the police and fire departments in Corpus Christi think that they do not need this training, but in almost all the surrounding cities, any citizen can stop at a fire station to get child restraint seats checked. Ms. Beard states that she did make phone calls to the fire and police departments on this issue and was told that there is huge liability involved with inspecting child restraint seats. IV. Staff Recommendations requiring Committee Review for Recommendations/Actions - a. Appointments for any vacancies to. the Bicycle a Pedestrian Subcommittee: Ms. Karen Beard moves to nominate Gloria Smith from RTA for the Bicycle & Pedestrian Subcommittee. Daniel Carrizales seconds. Motion passed. b. Motion to direct staff to draft an amendment to remove the incumbent security officer at the Naval Air Station as a member of the Transportation Advisory Committee: Item tabled until next month. c. School Zone on Park Road 22 near Seashore Middle School: Mr. Cardenas presents the committee with an attachment that shows the location of the proposed speed limit reduction from fifty-five (55) miles per hour to thirty- • five (35) miles per hour in,front of the Seashore Middle School on Park Road 22. This drop in speed limit is to slow down the traffic in front of the school for the safety of the students. Mr. Bill Green entertains a motion for acceptance of the speed zone change. Mr. Edd Price moves to accept the speed zone change on Park Road 22. Ms. Beard seconds. Motion passes. V. Identify items to be placed on a future agenda -. • Cimarron speed study from Wooldridge Road to Yorktown Boulevard VI. Public Comment - • Israel Ibarra at 2830 Panay Drive: Mr. Ibarra states that hands-free cell phones should also be excluded from being used in an active school zone and that no price for signage is too much for the safety of children. Mr. Ibarra comments that the city should do away with the name of S.P.I.D. Page 5 of 6 and use the correct name of Highway-358 to do away with all the confusion to out of town visitors. VII. Adjournment - Meeting adjourned at 3:42 p.m. Page 6 of 6