CORPUS CHRISTI METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE MINUTES

JANUARY 9, 2014

1. CALL TO ORDER AND QUORUM DETERMINATION:

Judge Simpson called the meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers. Ms. Chapa, Mayor Martinez, Mayor Krebs, & Mr. Hennings were present.

2. INTRODUCTION OF VISITING AGENCY OFFICIALS:

The Committee welcomed Mrs. Sara Garza from TxDOT Regional Representative-Laredo District, Ms. Vangie Chapa, RTA Chairman, Mr. John Valls, RTA Former Chairman, Ms. Sylvia Ramirez from Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa’s office, Ms. Gaye White from Representative Todd Hunter’s office, members of the community, the Technical Advisory Committee Members, TxDOT and City Staff. The TPC recognized Mr. Valls and Mr. Carrell for their years of service on the board. The Committee presented Mr. Valls with a resolution of appreciation.

3. APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 7, 2013 TPC MEETING MINUTES:

Judge Simpson called for approval of the minutes of the regular TPC meeting of November 7, 2013. A motion was made by Mayor Martinez and seconded by Mayor Krebs. Motion was passed to approve the minutes as presented.

4. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION.

A. Discussion and action to elect officers of the Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) for 2014.

The MPO By-laws require that the TPC elect a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the voting members. The election shall be by a majority vote of the voting membership. It is indicated that the election shall take place on the first meeting of the TPC in the new calendar year. A motion to keep the current slate of officers was made by Mayor Martinez and was seconded by Mayor Krebs. Judge Simpson asked if there were any other nominations. There were none. Motion passed unanimously.

B. Update on Harbor Bridge.

TxDOT will provide an update on the Harbor Bridge project.

Mr. Chris Caron, Deputy District Engineer for Corpus Christi-District TxDOT, gave a brief update regarding the publication of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which identified the red route for the new Harbor Bridge and calendar of public hearings and comment periods. He encouraged everyone to attend the public hearing that will be held at the Solomon Ortiz Center on February 18th at 5:00 p.m. with the formal hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m. Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) will be next steps for a final recommendation. RFQ and RFPs will follow for a design build project. Preliminary construction expectations are a 2015 start date that will take 3 to 4 years to build. Judge Simpson asked for public comments. There were none.

C. Discussion and action to authorize possible amendments to the 2014 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) with an opportunity for public comment.

The amendment of the 2014 UPWP will be discussed to reallocate funding for special studies that have been recently identified as being a priority. At the November 7th meeting, the Committee discussed the changes to the TIP and the UPWP resulting from funding changes from TxDOT. Special studies ($240,000) involves the area impacted by the relocation for the Harbor Bridge and the second is a Pedestrian/Bike bridge across the Oso between the University’s Main and Momentum campus. No public comments were received. An item resulting from concerns by our member agencies, there is ongoing work with local architects and engineers to get a design charrette together that will occur around April. Under the direction of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a program they call the regional and urban design assistance teams (RUDAT) will provide a design vision for the area impacted by the Harbor Bridge relocation. The MPO would like to provide local support from the MPO local fund for the design charrette. We would set aside an amount not to exceed $5,000 and anything that is not required will be returned to the local fund. A motion was made by Judge Simpson to assign $5,000 out of the local fund to accommodate RUDAT needs that would not be federally eligible and to include the amendment of the UPWP, seconded by Mayor Martinez. Motion passed unanimously.

D. Discussion concerning the 2015-2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).

The MPO is required to update the MTP every five years. Work has begun that includes demographic projects, travel demand forecasts, agency outreach and public involvement. We will be asking the TPC for guidance on policy statements and performance measure as part of the plan development. The long range plan is a responsibility of the MPO and is a 25 year look at the transportation network in our area. It is important that we identify projects that require transportation resources. Priorities identified were economic development, safety, congestion and connectivity. Judge Simpson stated the need for expanding our boundaries to the North.

Mayor Martinez stated that economic development and quality of life are connected in a community. Mr. Hennings commented regarding Up River Road. He stated the MTP should address the future needs of Up River Road which serves the major employers in the region. Mr. Niskala stated the county is exploring possible use of the additional allocation coming from TxDOT to enhance the life cycle of Up River Road. Judge Simpson asked for additional comments. There were none.

5. TPC MEMBER’S COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. Judge Simpson asked if there were any Member comments. Mayor Martinez suggested a discussion on the Turnback Program on the next TPC agenda.

6. STAFF REPORT: A. TxDOT Transportation Forum and TEMPO meeting update.

Side discussions included the Turnback program, an update on I-69, and information on the state’s freight report.

B. Bicycle and Transit Map update.

The MPO is working with the City of Corpus Christi in updating regional bicycle maps. It is incorporating some of the transit changes that are taking place. The interactive map will provide information related to bicycle facilities and will be available on the MPO website.

C. February 6th TPC meeting. The TPC meeting will be held on February 6th. There may be a presentation by the American Institute of Architects on their RUDAT application submittal. Mayor Martinez invited everyone to attend the State of the City on February 6th at the American Bank Center at 11:30 a.m.

7. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS.

Judge Simpson asked for public comments. There were none.

8. ADJORN:

There being no further business, Judge Simpson adjourned the TPC meeting at 2:05 p.m.