Below are the minutes for the Regional Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, held on Friday, July 18, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Conference Room East (6A), at the Clark County Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street - Floor 4, Vancouver, Washington. The agenda for this meeting is also available.
I. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes
The meeting of the Regional Transportation Advisory Committee was called to order on Friday, July 18, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. in the Conference Room (6 Floor) at Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street Vancouver, Washington. Dean Lookingbill, Transportation Director, served as Chair for the meeting. Those in attendance follow:
Sam Adams City of Battle Ground Mike Clark WSDOT Derek Chisholm Clark County John Cullerton Metro Lynda David RTC Evan Dust Clark County Mark Harrington RTC Marla Harrison C-TRAN Bob Hart RTC Shinwon Kim RTC Dean Lookingbill RTC Mike Mabrey Clark County Thomas Picco ODOT Ed Pickering C-TRAN Matt Ransom City of Vancouver Sandi Roberts RTC Dale Robins RTC Ellen Rogers Port of Ridgefield Bill Wright Clark County Phil Wuest City of Vancouver Dean Lookingbill, RTC asked for any changes or corrections to the June 20, 2003, Meeting Minutes.
PHIL WUEST, CITY OF VANCOUVER, MOVED FOR APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 20, 2003 MINUTES AND SAM ADAMS, CITY OF BATTLE GROUND, SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
II. 2005-2006 MTIP Project Evaluation and Prioritization, Action
Dale Robins, RTC, presented the 2005-2006 MTIP Project Evaluation and Prioritization. He said the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) identifies and prioritizes federally funded and regionally significant projects across all travel modes and jurisdictions. The MTIP includes a priority list of projects to be carried out in each of the next three years and a financial plan that demonstrates how it can be implemented. The RTC Board of Directors should adopt the 2004-2006 MTIP this October. Project implementation will begin in January 2004. The MTIP project evaluation and prioritization process will be the basis for programming regional federal funds within the 2004-2006 MTIP.
Dale said the purpose of this agenda item is to have RTAC concur with the proposed 2005-06 ranking of federally funded projects based on the evaluation of projects against the regional needs criteria. 2004 projects were selected during the 2002 project evaluation process.
Dale noted the overall MTIP development process approach is founded in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st, Century (TEA-21). The RTC Board of Directors adopted the overall MTIP selection process, including needs criteria, in June 2000. Dale also reviewed the steps for the Project Selection Process.
- Project Screening Projects are reviewed for consistency with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTIP), land use plans, air quality goals, and regional screening criteria.
- Evaluation and Ranking by Needs Criteria Each project is evaluated and ranked against a set of needs criteria, which have been adopted by the RTC Board.
- Project Selection and Programming Projects are programmed for funding utilizing the project information generated by the project evaluation and ranking.
Dale highlighted evaluation and ranking by needs criteria. He said the projects were evaluated per the following regional criteria: Congestion Management, Safety, Multimodal, Economic Development, Financial/Implementation, and Air Quality. Dale said there are several planning/program projects, which were submitted for funding that cannot be adequately evaluated against the needs criteria. Dale reminded RTAC members that an RTAC subcommittee met on Monday, July 14, 2003 and reviewed the evaluation and ranking by needs criteria.
Dale distributed a draft 2005-2006 MTIP Programming Summary that describes the projects proposed for STP-TMA and CMAQ funding showing jurisdiction, project phase, year, federal cost and total cost. He also distributed a summary table showing projects evaluated and scores for the evaluated projects. He reminded RTAC members that, according to RTC policy, if projects are not identified as needed in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan then they are not eligible for programming for federal funding in the MTIP.
Dean pointed out that the region’s receipt of CMAQ funding is related to the air quality status for carbon dioxide and ozone. There has been a recent shift in the federal ozone standard, moving from a 1-hour standard to an 8-hour standard. The region’s air quality maintenance status and the changed ozone standard may have an impact on our region’s eligibility for CMAQ money in the future. The amount of money coming to this region may be reduced. We will know more about this financial impact about a year after reauthorization of the federal Transportation Act and after further discussion with EPA, Washington’s State Department of Ecology (DOE) and Oregon’s Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regarding the region’s air quality status.
Dale said today’s action would be to recommend approval of the project evaluation and ranking. In September 2003, RTC will be seeking a recommendation for approval of the 2004-06 MTIP document. This action in September represents the final step in making regional funds available to local jurisdictions. Dale said money would be available in January 2004 for projects programmed in 2004, 2005 or 2006 on a first come basis. Dale clarified that even though a project may be programmed in 2006 you can move forward in 2004 if ready to do so.
MATT RANSOM, CITY OF VANCOUVER, MADE THE MOTION FOR ADOPTION OF THE 2005-2006 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (MTIP) EVALUATION AND PRIORITIZATION AND MOVE THE PROPOSED PROGRAM FORWARD FOR APPROVAL BY THE RTC BOARD. EVAN DUST SECONDED THE MOTION AND IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
III. GMA Preferred Alternatives and Capital Facilities Plans, Discussion
Evan Dust, Clark County, displayed the “GMA Proposed Comprehensive Plan Map” and pointed out areas of interest to the Committee. Evan said this map is the basis for the proposed land use changes in the comprehensive plan update.
Evan’s presentation and Committee discussion focused on:
- Boundary expansion
- Urban reserves
- Household and employment forecast approved by County Commissioners
- GMA allocation, process, schedule, and issues of 20-year or build-out allocation.
- MTP land use allocation that is required to be a 20-year forecast and implications
- Household size coordination/population/household size/household size/households relationship
- Land use control total coordination with Oregon
Matt Ransom, City of Vancouver, voiced concerns regarding the regional demographic forecast and what this would mean to the forecast of cross-river traffic. Evan said County staff was directed to prepare a future for this county that changes the dynamics fundamentally with regards to river crossings. One of the objectives is to reduce the volume of interstate traffic in the A.M. going south and the P.M. going north. Dean cautioned that there should be close attention paid to the relationship between jobs and housing. Dean added that if job growth was forecast to be at or close to build-out levels but residential growth was at a lower level then this could create an artificial scenario.
Dean asked what transportation networks would be used in the analysis of the ‘Proposed’ Comprehensive Plan update. Dean said the adopted MTP lists interstate, state, and a series of local arterial improvements that have identified needs given a certain amount of growth. Dean asked whether this MTP network would be used as the network to push against the ‘Proposed’ land use plan. Dean said it is important to get a sense of where the transportation needs are. Evan said Clark County would meet with jurisdictions and agencies, like WSDOT, that have control over the facilities and get them to commit, on paper, to projects they forecast will be funded within the next 20 years. Dean said that there should be coordination with the MTP.
Dean said he would like to know how close the allocation from this process is to Alternative 2. After the traffic assignments are complete and analysis done, the small cities will have a uniform set of information from which they can develop their Capital Facilities Plans (CFPs). Evan said the county is planning to develop a 20-year fiscally constrained CFP. Derek Chisholm, Clark County, reported on work on the Capital Facilities Plan update. There was a brief discussion on Level of Service (LOS) and its relevance to the CFPs. Dean said it is the role of the RTPO to work with WSDOT, cities, counties and transit agencies to develop LOS standards. RTC would convene a meeting on Level of Service to discuss how LOS will be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan and MTP updates. John Cullerton, Metro, asked if the County is coordinating with Metro. Evan said the county is participating in the Metroscope TAZ allocation process. Dean, RTC, said RTC is coordinating with County and cities on TAZ allocation that is to be used in the regional travel forecast model.
IV. C-TRAN 20-Year Plan – Alternatives Discussion
Marla Harrison, C-TRAN, presented the C-TRAN 20-year Plan Alternatives. She said in 1999, C-TRAN’s annual funding was cut by 40% with the voter-approved passage of Initiative-695. Since the passage of I-695, C-TRAN has maintained service levels by drawing upon its reserve funds. At the current rate of spending, C-TRAN will exhaust its reserves by mid 2005. Money was saved in reserve accounts to pay cash for major capital expenditures such as buses and park and ride facilities. C-TRAN is now turning to the community to determine how it will operate in the future.
Marla reviewed the (6) Alternative Concepts:
Alternative Concept #1
No Sales Tax Increase: Reduce Services to Balance the Budget
Alternative Concept #2
3/10ths of 1% Sales Tax Increase: Provide Service to Current Service Area
Alternative Concept #3
3/10ths of 1% Tax Increase: Concentrate Services in Urban Areas
Alternative Concept #4
3/10ths of 1% Tax Increase: Serve Light Rail in Downtown Vancouver
Alternative Concept #5
6/10ths of 1% Sales Tax Increase: Serve “Full Loop” Light Rail
Alternative Concept #6
6/10ths of 1% Sales Tax Increase: High-Capacity Bus Service
Marla said C-TRAN will have a Technical Advisory meeting July 23rd, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at ESD 112.
V. Other Business
Dean Lookingbill, RTC, said that RTC would set up a sub-Committee of RTAC to discuss Level of Service requirements relating to the Comprehensive Growth Management Plan update.
Dean said that at a future RTAC meeting the federal New Start Process would be discussed.
A. RTAC Members
John Cullerton, Metro, said he had been talking to Phil Selinger from Tri-Met regarding modeling for Delta Park/Lombard and wants to work with C-TRAN and RTC to come up with reasonable assumptions for transit service in the I-5 Corridor.
B. RTC Staff
- 2002 Congestion Management Report now available
- TIB Workshop – Monday, June 23, 2003 in Woodland from 10:00 to Noon
- TIP funding applications due Friday, June 27, 2003
The meeting was adjourned July 18, 2003 at 11:18 a.m. The next meeting will be Friday, August 15, 2003.
For More Information Contact:
Regional Transportation Council
1300 Franklin Street, Floor 4
Vancouver, Washington 98660Tel: 360-397-6067
Fax: 360-397-6132
E-mail: info@rtc.wa.govServed by C-TRAN Route 3.
If you have special needs, please contact RTC.
       
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