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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Transportation Advisory Commission - 09/28/2020 1 CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMISSION (TAC) MINUTES Monday, September 28, 2020 I. Call to Order: The City Transportation Advisory Commission (CTAC) convened in a regular virtual meeting on September 28, 2020. TAC Chair, Judy Telge called the Commission to order at 2:30 p.m. II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Roll Call: Commissioners in Attendance: Brandon Herridge, Jeffrey Pollack, Jonathan Aman, Judy Telge, Robert Saldana, and Wilfredo Rivera. Commissioners Absent: Pramit Bhakta, Leo Rios Staff Attendance: Renee Couture, Diego Leyva, Caleb Wong IV. Public Comment: Patty Clark, CEO of Corpus Christi Metro Ministries, located on 1919 Leopard Street. Patty Clark spoke on the lack of accessibility to their organization’s services, the elimination of the bus stop across from Metro Ministries (for the purposes of the Harbor Bridge Project), the comparison of meals before and after closure, and the impacts construction has had on people with mobility issues. Ms. Clark stated she had reached out to the RTA to see if there can be a bus stop closer to their services but had not received a response. Patty Clark asked for a considerable measure of relief for those who rely on their services. V. Reports: 1. City Traffic Engineer – Renee Couture introduced Traffic Engineering’s new Engineering Assistant and presented the project summaries for new City Engineering Street projects. These projects included Lipes Boulevard (Yorktown Boulevard to Sun Wood Drive), Sunnybrook Road Sidewalk Improvements (Ayers Street to Evelyn Street), and Swanter Drive (Indiana Avenue to Texan Trail). Ms. Couture also presented information on virtual community meetings for the Padre/Mustang Island Area Development Plan on October 1st, 2020 at 6:00 PM and the Flour Bluff Area Development Plan on October 7th , 2020 at 6:00 PM. 2. Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) – Captain Sherman was not present at the meeting to discuss the reports included in the packet. 3. TAC/BPC - Jeffrey Pollack, stated that he attended the quarterly meeting of the State’s (TxDOT) Bicycle Advisory Committee. The major update is that they have trying to track ongoing and proposed Bond projects for elements within the bicycle mobility plan to make sure those projects include those elements. VI. Item for Consideration: 1. Avery Oltmans, with City’s Planning Department, presented an ordinance amendment to the transportation map to delete a portion of Civitan Drive between Ayers Street and Crosstown. As the Agent of IDEA Public School, Halff Engineering has requested the deletion of Civitan Drive Ayers Street and Crosstown Expressway (State Highway 286). This request is associated with the future development of a 15.42 ac tract located between Ayers Street and Crosstown Expressway and containing the subject segment of 2 Civitan Drive. The segment of Civitan Drive; whose removal is being requested is categorized as a C1 – Minor Collector. The Collector Street type collects and distributes traffic to and from local streets, other collectors, arterials, and freeway frontage roads. The function of this street type is to “collect” neighborhood traffic and strategically direct the traffic to the arterial grid system. However, the Collector Street system should not create high speed “short cuts” through residential neighborhoods. The ideal collector street intersection spacing between arterials is 0.25 to 0.50 miles apart. On-street parking and direct access to homes from this street type is discouraged. Given the current condition of the Crosstown Expressway at the proposed intersection with Civitan Drive, it is not feasible to make that connection without first constructing an overpass. This portion of the current Urban Transportation Plan has not been modified since the extension of the Crosstown Expressway south of the interchange with South Padre Island Drive. Without a connection to the west side of Crosstown, this new segment of Civitan Drive will not provide meaningful connectivity which would precipitate a C1 roadway. The construction of Civitan Drive as a C1 roadway through the subject property would generate a non-standard intersection at Ayers St. The Existing Civitan Drive and Ayers Street intersection is controlled by a signal. If the Civitan Drive C1 roadway were constructed through the subject property, the existing Civitan Drive local roadway to the west of the intersection would intersect with the proposed C1 roadway too close to the signalized intersection and generate a potentially unsafe situation. The vehicular movement that would be facilitated through the connection, east to west of Civitan Drive across of the Crosstown Expressway is already facilitated by Holly Road, approximately 2,000 feet to the south of the intersection of Ayers Street and Civitan Drive. Afterwards, Wilfredo Rivera had a question about the street’s characteristics, and Avery proceeded to clarify how Civitan Drive makes a turn from Holly Road and Ayers Street. Judy also had some comments regarding traffic counts that exists on that segment, and Avery explained that they do not have traffic data as the roadway has not being built, but traffic will follow current pattern as there are no changes to existing roadways. No further questions or comments were made after this point and a motion was entertained for the approval of the staff recommendation. Jeffrey Pollack motioned, and Robert Saldana seconded the motion. Motion was approved. VII. TAC Member Communication: 1. Judy Telge wanted to circle back to Patty Clark’s concern on the next steps TAC can take on this issue and how to go about the logistics. Renee Couture mentioned that she will provide a briefing on the next meeting. VIII. Adjournment: TAC Chair, Judy Telge adjourned the meeting at 3:30 pm.