Regional Technical Committee

10:00am, February 9, 2016

Note: Coffee will be available at 9:30 a.m. and a light lunch will be served following the meeting.

Commission Office
The ACP Building - 8th Floor
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA

For directions Call (215) 592-1800
Please Use Sixth Street Entrance

1. Call to Order – Chairman’s Comments

2. Deputy Executive Director’s Report

3. Public Comments on Agenda and Non-Agenda Items

ACTION ITEMS

4. Highlights of the Meeting of January 12, 2016

5. DVRPC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Actions

The dynamic nature of funding transportation improvements and the need to remain within financial constraint require amendments or modifications to the TIP. The following projects requires formal TIP Amendments or Modifications this month for the FY 2015 TIP for PA and the FY 2016 for NJ.

1. PA15-71: I-95 & Aramingo Ave., Adams Ave. Connector (MPMS #17782), City of Philadelphia – Advance Construction
2. PA15-72: Plank Road/Otts Road/Meyers Road/Seitz Road Intersection Improvements (MPMS #57851), Montgomery County – Advance Construction
3. PA15-73: Adams Avenue Bridge over Tacony Creek (MPMS #17622), City of Philadelphia – Advance Construction
4. PA15-74: US 30 Sinkhole (MPMS #104335), Chester County – Add Proposed Project to the TIP
5. PA15-75: SEPTA Bus Purchase Program (MPMS #90512), SEPTA – Increase Cost
6. NJ16-005: Mercer County Signal Project, CR 533, (DB #D0702), Mercer County– Add Project Back into TIP

6. Recommendation for Adoption of Addendum to the Conformity Determination of the FY 2015–2018 TIP for Pennsylvania

In December 2015, PennDOT proposed to change the construction schedule of two regionally significant and air quality non-exempt projects in the FY 2015 TIP for Pennsylvania. These projects are MPMS number 57851 “Plank Road Improvements” and MPMS number 17782 “Adams Avenue Connector”. These changes necessitate an addendum to the 2020 Conformity analysis. A public comment period was opened on January 13, 2016 and will close on February 16, 2016. Staff will present the results of the Addendum to the Transportation Conformity Determination and request that the RTC recommend that the DVRPC Board adopt the findings at the February Board meeting, pending resolution of any public comments.

PRESENTATION ITEM

7. Pennsylvania Traffic Signal Retiming Initiative

Traffic signal retiming helps mitigate congestion, improves mobility and safety, and contributes environmental benefits. In 2015, DVRPC continued to move forward with the Regional Signal Retiming Initiative Program. Various agencies and entities have worked in close partnership on this project: DVRPC, PennDOT Central Office, PennDOT District 6-0, the PA County Planning Commissions in DVRPC’s Region, and consultants working on behalf of PennDOT. Several key corridors in the region have undergone retiming and have shown great improvement, including PA 611. PennDOT District 6-0 will present and update to this project.

8. Calculating Regional Transportation Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Staff will present an overview of progress and findings on a tool being developed by DVRPC for FHWA. This tool will allow regions and states to estimate energy use and emissions changes associated with various levels of electric and natural gas vehicle penetration. Staff will present on preliminary findings for the DVRPC region and discuss plans to make the tool widely applicable with readily available data.

INFORMATION ITEMS

9. FY 17/18 Transportation Management Association Assistance Grant and Mobility Alternatives Program Work Scopes Comment Period

Each year, the TMAs submit their TMA Assistance Grant and MAP work scopes for review by DVRPC staff, members of the TMA Policy Committee, and PennDOT. Accordingly, any interested RTC members are given the opportunity to comment. New this year is that the funding request will be for two years, to bring these contracts into alignment with current PennDOT policy. Staff will present the programs and open the comment period.

10. Update on development of DVRPC’s Activity Based Travel Model

Staff will give a brief update on the status of TIM 3.0 – DVRPC’s next generation activity-based travel model. This state of the art model will be able to provide answers to a larger set of planning and policy questions than previous models.

11. One Minute Reports

RTC Members and guests will be invited to provide updates on the activities of their agencies

12. Old Business and New Business

13. Meeting Adjournment

The next scheduled meeting of the RTC is Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

Attachments:

1. Highlights of the January 12, 2016 RTC Meeting
2. TIP Actions, February 2016
3. Board highlights – January 2016