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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Transportation Advisory Commission - 01/25/2021 1 CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMISSION (TAC) MINUTES Monday, January 25, 2021 I. Call to Order: The City Transportation Advisory Commission (CTAC) convened in a regular virtual meeting on January 25, 2021. TAC Chair, Judy Telge called the Commission to order at 2:35 p.m. II. Pledge of Allegiance III. Roll Call: Commissioners in Attendance: Brandon Herridge, Jeffrey Pollack, Judy Telge, Robert Saldana, Wilfredo Rivera, Pramit Bhakta, and Jonathan Aman Commissioners Absent: Staff Attendance: Renee Couture, Diego Leyva IV. Public Comment: There was no public comment received this month, nor any given by anyone on the call. V. Reports: 1. Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) – No specific accident report from CCPD for this meeting, but any data from this past month will be covered for the upcoming meeting. 2. City Traffic Engineer – Renee Couture brought the attention to rule changes that City council passed in 2020. Also, Renee Couture mentioned the status of different bond projects. Noting that on February 1, Everhart Road between Corona Dr and SPID will be entering into the last 2 phases. Airline Road will be moving to the second phase of construction. Rodd Field Road is set to be finished later on this year. Parkway 22 project has started. Swantner Drive is currently on construction, and the Staples projects is waiting on the traffic control plan which could take some weeks. 3. TAC/BPC - Jeffrey Pollack stated no new comments other than some comments regarding the Northwest Boulevard Corridor Plan. VI. Item for Consideration: 1. “Draft” Northwest Boulevard (FM 624) Corridor Plan – Presented by Daniel McGinn, Director of Planning and ESI, alongside with Project lead Avery Oltman, and Matt Ruffo with Asakura Robinson. The City of Corpus Christi worked Northwest Boulevard (FM 624) Corridor Plan, an element of the City of Corpus Christi Comprehensive Plan. The nearly three-mile study area comprises a 500-foot buffer to the north and south of Northwest Boulevard from Interstate 69 to Wright Moravek Road (County Road 73). The draft plan includes amendments to the Future Land Use Map and the Strategic Plan for Active Mobility, Phase 1: Bicycle Mobility in Mobility CC. The Northwest Boulevard Corridor Plan is an element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, designed to provide guidance and direction for future development and public investments in the study area. The purpose of this planning effort was to identify strategies for improving the safety of the corridor for all users (motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, and those with limited mobility), improving the attractiveness of the corridor, and fostering a thriving economic climate. The plan includes, a community-based vision statement and goals, strategies and actions to achieve the vision and goals including conceptual drawings and examples of 2 suggested improvements, an Implementation Plan summarizing the strategies and actions including time frames, rough cost estimates, potential funding sources, responsible parties, and an appendix containing the Assessment of Opportunities Report and summaries of surveys and meetings. Community input was used to create the plan. An Advisory Committee was formed, and the committee met three times. A total of two online public meetings were held and two online public surveys were conducted – a Vision Survey and a Concepts Survey. Several individual stakeholders were also consulted. Some of the more prominent findings expressed through the survey were a desire for traffic flow improvement, more family-oriented business availability, landscaping enhancements, and improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, except for mixed results regarding housing. However, there were more concerns on reducing traffic congestion. Reduce congestion at the I-69, first of all by studying alternatives to existing design and identify preferred design to allocate/identify funding for design and construction. Improve intersections for safety and mobility by incorporating traffic-calming and pedestrian facilities into designs for prominent intersections. Build active infrastructure along roadways such as side paths along Northwest Blvd, installing buffered bike lanes and shared-lane markings and signage along recommended roadways. Coordinate with ISD to manage traffic demand and review signal timings, and produce a traffic management plan for special events, and organize a walking school bus program and other activities to encourage walking and biking to school. The following strategies for Land use, zoning, and businesses were presented: adopt future land use map amendment, relaxing zoning and other city restrictions for businesses adapting to the affects of Covid-19, and when funding becomes available, provide small business programs that target long-term impacts of Covid-19. Lastly, the strategies for streetscape were the following: reduce lane widths to discourage speeding while preserving traffic flow capacity and creating more room for pedestrians, enhance panting areas and install street trees, expand plant medians with limited landscaping, design and install signage and banners consistent with the identity of CISD, and install public art. The next step for this project is City Council Hearing for Adoption. Presenter, Matt Ruffo, asked if there was any questions. Jonathan Aman shared a concern for golf car possibly sharing the side path with pedestrians and bicyclist. Jeffrey Pollack explained that it is more commonly on the island, but it is a matter that can be addressed through the proper design and signage. Jeffrey Pollack mentioned that it will be good to maintain a consistency in the representations of changes with the symbology already in use in the exiting plan. Also, proposed buffer bike lanes should be noted that they are not to be considered built with current road and pavement dimension. Another question brought up was about how the proposed new commercial signage regulations would affect already existing business. The answer to this question was that typically is only for new signage permitting and previous signage will be grandfather. Another question was the reason for the projects ending at County Rd 73 when there is still a lot more development beyond that point and what would happen to the existing drainage ditches. The reason for the current project limits is because that is where the city limit ends. Regarding the ditches, although there was not a lot of community support in favor of the ditches, but both the ditch and pedestrian right of way expansion can be provided. Renee Couture asked a question in relation to FM 624 3 being a TxDOT corridor and how does the project align with the City’s goals. The answer to this question was that if the project is attractive to the community then it will align with TxDOT goals as well. Currently, this plan provides a solution for current concerns on lacking improvements such as sidewalks, underground drainage, modern crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals, and ADA accessibility. Judy Telge was concerned for the lack of representation from the lower household income groups in the survey. Matt Ruffo responded that is a valid point, however in this case the results of the survey can be attributed to the pandemics’ social restriction and so people ability to access online services, but if there is going to be further engagement down the line, those groups should be targeted more intensively. Lastly, another comment was to consider that local residents refer to the area as “Five Points” and probably can be used in relation to only using “Northwest Corridor”. A motion was entertained for recommendation for approval for the Draft for Northwest Boulevard Corridor Plan, and Jeff Pollack made the motion contingent on updates to the bicycle mobility piece to better align with the City’s existing active mobility plan. Wilfredo Rivera seconded the motion. The motion was carried, and the plan will be recommended. 2. Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC) Annual Report - The City’s Code of Ordinances requires that all boards, commissions, and committees prepare a report of their goals and objectives for each calendar year and the goals for the upcoming year. In March 2020, the City Council revised their policy regarding City boards and commissions. The new policy changed how the annual reports are prepared and submitted. Now, the board chair conducts the annual review of board activities and prepares the annual report using the template provided by the City Secretary’s Office. VII. TAC Member Communication: 1. Judy inquired about Ex Officio member Rob McDonald and how many other Ex Officio member there are. VIII. Adjournment: TAC Chair, Judy Telge adjourned the meeting at 4:40 pm.