Greater Morgantown

Metropolitan Planning Organization

180 Hart Field Road

Morgantown, WV 26508

www.plantogether.org




Technical Advisory Committee

September 12, 2006

Morgantown Municipal Airport

2nd Floor Conference Room

1:30 – 3:30pm



MINUTES:


  1. Attendance:


The meeting began at 1:30 in the 2nd floor conference room of the Morgantown Municipal Airport. Those in attendance were Asel Kennedy, Chet Parsons, Jeff Blanton, Donald Bailey, Keith Johnson, Ann Ogoreuc, Bill Troe, Ed Sneckenberger, Donald Williams, Terry Hough, Chris Fletcher, Ron Kyle, Mark O’Brien, and Citizens Advisory Committee member Bill Wyant.


  1. General Announcements:


There were no announcements at this time.


  1. Long Range Transportation Plan:


The Transportation Improvement Plan has been divided into two sections: Cost Constrained List which is limited to the 233 million dollar funding allotment and the Illustrative Plan which identifies needs within the region but is outside of the funding constraints. The items in the Illustrative Plan are alternatives that need to be moved into the next transportation plan or find additional funding for. The process for removing some of the other projects were based on the scoring results, but also based on cost relative to benefit. The idea was to achieve the most transportation services benefit for the region.


Currently, two concepts are being considered the most. The first, Concept 8A includes the expansion of the Beechurst Corridor to a five lane. The second, Concept 8B removes the expansion of Beechurst which allows a positive funding balance of approximately 37 million dollars which already assumes approximately 10 million dollars in Transportation System Management (TSM) projects along Beechurst Avenue. URS also suggests taking out 6.5 million dollars for additional transit projects within the region and also 2.5 million dollars for bike/ped projects within the region. That leaves a balance of around 27 million dollars. It is then up to the members to take some of the projects out of the Illustrative Listed and put them into the Cost Constrained (Funded) List. Don Williams wonders where the public perception is concerning Beechurst. He proposes to the group that instead of 10 million dollars being earmarked for Beechurst TSM’s that it be increased to 25 million dollars. He believes the public will respond better to having more funds being allocated to it. Chet Parsons believes that one approach is to go with Concept 8B for now and then get a corridor study done as quick as possible on the benefits of widening Beechurst.


As for the Non-Motorized System Funding, the project improvement list totals about 41.5 million dollars. Divided out over the next 25 years, that equals about 1.7 million dollars per year for the Non-Motorized Funding. The current annual allocation averages about $350,000 per year. In the Regional Plan, URS would like to increase the annual allocation by $100,000 totaling $450,000 per year for the Non-Motorized System Funding.


Improvements to the Transit System will consist of an additional $300,000 per year over the next 20 years. Dave Bruffy provided the group with a spreadsheet consisting of types of system improvements based on additional funding. He developed six different levels that spanned from a “Rural Service” which is the current service all the way to a “Good Service” which provides 15 minute headways as needed plus full service – 7 days per week from 6:00am to 11:00pm.


Ideas were generated as to the outline of the Public Meeting. Consideration was given to having an open house and then midway through provide the public with a presentation showing the steps in the planning process and what outcomes have been produced. Chet Parsons thought that providing a time line from the start until now would be helpful. The members were in agreement.


IV. Next Meeting:

There will be a Public Meeting on October 4, 2006 at 6:30pm in the Ericson Alumni Center.


V. Adjournment:


The meeting adjourned at 3:34pm.