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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOUTBoard minutes 051910 Approved 9/15/10 1 MINUTES 1 ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING 2 MAY 19, 2010 3 4 5 MEMBERS PRESENT: Sam Lasris, Cedar Grove Township; Nancy Cole Baker, Pedestrian Access Safety Advocate; 6 Julian (Randy) Marshall, Bingham Township; Bryn Smith, CFE Representative; Jeff Charles, Bicycle Advocate; 7 Amy Cole, Transit Advocate; Alice Gordon, Board of County Commissioners Liaison; Mary Bobbitt-Cooke, Planning 8 Board Liaison; Al Terry, Transportation Services Board Representative; 9 10 11 MEMBERS ABSENT: Paul Guthrie, Chapel Hill Township; Leo Allison, Cheeks Township; Eric Tillman, Hillsborough 12 Township Representative; Little River Township-Vacant; Economic Development Commission-Vacant; Eno Township 13 Representative-Vacant; 14 15 16 STAFF PRESENT: Craig Benedict, Planning and Inspections Director, Karen Lincoln, Transportation Planner; 17 Mila Vega, Land Use/Transportation Planner; Tina Love, Administrative Assistant II 18 19 20 OTHERS PRESENT: Felix Nwoko, City of Durham Transportation, Lead Planning Agency for DCHC MPO 21 22 23 I. Call to order 24 25 26 II. Consideration of additions to the agenda 27 28 Jeff Charles requested the Board discuss the proposed bicycle law that has been introduced. 29 30 Nancy Baker requested the Board discuss the parking at the Justice Facility. 31 32 33 III. Approval of Minutes 34 35 The OUTBoard approved the minutes from April 21, 2010 by affirmation. 36 37 38 IV. Orange County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) 39 40 Karen Lincoln introduced Mila Vega to the Board. She advised that NCDOT will be collecting data over the summer 41 and will develop a deficiency analysis of highways. It should be ready in September or October. The CTP 42 Committee should start meeting again when the deficiency analysis has been completed to select alternatives 43 scenarios for highway, bike, and transit plans and schedule the public workshops. She advised the public workshop 44 will probably be scheduled towards the end of the year or in January. Karen advised she will have a schedule for 45 completing the CTP at the next OUTBoard meeting. She noted the OUTBoard and other boards will have input and 46 the data projections and deficiency ananlysis and alternatives will go to the BOCC for endorsement and comment. 47 She noted that CTP Committee would then develop a draft recommended Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) 48 and there would be another public work shop to present it for comments. The recommended draft CTP will also be 49 presented to the advisory board and to the BOCC for comments. All those comments will be used to prepare a final 50 CTP. Karen anticipated development of the recommended CTP in the spring 2011, with the second public workshop 51 in late spring. The final plan would be developed over the summer for public hearing and BOCC 52 consideration/approval in the fall. 53 54 Approved 9/15/10 2 Karen Lincoln also advised that the recommendations made by the CTP committee and endorsed by the OUTBoard, 55 are on the BOCC agenda for their June 1 meeting. 56 57 58 V. Orange County Unified Development Ordinance 59 60 Sam Lasris commented that it would be better to err on the side of being too strict as it is easier to take back than to 61 add. The Board discussed how parking can drive types of use for development. One response was the need of a 62 definition of mixed use district. Sam Lasris noted that there may need to include something regarding parks. The 63 Board discussed the idea of regulations based on nodes and other rural areas. 64 65 Jeff Charles added that parking facilities for bicycles should be addressed. 66 67 Sam Lasris reminded everyone that the UDO draft is available in electronic format for comments to be inserted and 68 sent to planning. 69 70 Craig Benedict advised that there is another week in order to do so and then it will be wrapped up by early June. 71 Craig advised that based on the OUTBoard’s comments, staff will work on getting some graphics of standards for 72 downtown, regional, highway, and community. 73 74 Mary Bobbitt-Cooke suggested that a representative from the OUTBoard advise the Planning Board on its thoughts 75 on bicycling and other transportation related issues. 76 77 78 VI. Proposed Merger of Transportation Services Board and the Orange County Unified Transportation 79 Board 80 81 Craig Benedict advised the Board that as of July 1, 2010 the planning department includes Orange Public 82 Transportation. The decision was made due to some upcoming activity occurring on a regional basis concerning 83 public transit and it would be a good fit. 84 85 Al Terry noted that on the comparative function analysis the duties of each Board are shown. He advised that the 86 Transportation Services Board (TSB) is comprised of basically human service agency representatives, such as the 87 Department of Social Services, Health Department, Orange Enterprise, representing the disabled population, elderly 88 population, low income, etc. He advised NCDOT requires representation of those populations on the advisory board 89 to the transportation services but representatives do not have to be human service department employees. If there is 90 someone on the OUTBoard who is 60 years old and is also disabled or of low income, they can represent the elderly 91 as well as the disabled or low income populations. There can be duel roles. He noted there may need to be some 92 restructuring of the OUTBoard to meet those requirements. Al noted that currently the Transportation Services Board 93 meets every other month but in the past have met quarterly. 94 95 Al Terry gave a review of the grants and funds that have to run through the advisory board before going to the 96 Commissioners. Al noted that the recommendation presented would be that the Transportation Services Board 97 would become a subset of the OUTBoard, and would meet as needed. 98 99 Alice Gordon advised that the Commissioners are trying to get advisory board input and they are working on attaining 100 better efficiency in using citizen advisory committees and boards, perhaps merging a few. She noted that the BOCC 101 is meeting in June to determine what should be done with all the boards and commissions. 102 103 Craig Benedict summarized the options and the members asked staff about workings of the TSB and how it fit in the 104 purview of the OUTBoard. He stated there were three scenarios to consider: 105 1. A board of staff members from agencies representing the populations North Carolina requires to be 106 represented on transit advisory boards and a citizens transportation advisory board (the OUTBoard). The staff 107 board would report directly to the BOCC, and keep the OUTBoard apprised of Orange Public Transit business. 108 Approved 9/15/10 3 2. A board of staff members from agencies (Department of Social Services, Department of Health, Mental Health, 109 and the Department of Aging) that represent populations North Carolina requires to be represented on transit 110 advisory boards and a citizens transportation advisory board (the OUTBoard). The staff board would 111 recommend business of Orange Public Transportation to the OUTBoard, which would then make a 112 recommendation to the BOCC. 113 3. Some hybrid of the two boards, with the Transportation Services Board as a subgroup of the OUTBoard. 114 115 Motion: Randy Marshall made a motion that the OUTBoard not support merger at this time, given there seems to be 116 a consensus that the Boards have two different functions and a specific plan is not available regarding how the 117 merged Board would operate. He also noted there would be no cost savings in merging the two boards. 118 119 Seconded by Mary Bobbitt-Cooke. 120 121 Jeff Charles cast the only dissenting vote, stating the Board’s action did not recommend one of the three scenarios 122 proposed by staff, two of which he thought the board could support. The action just means that the board will have 123 to reconsider this again after receiving additional guidance from the BOCC. 124 125 Vote: Passed 6-1(Charles opposed) (Al Terry abstains) 126 127 128 VII. Board Comments/Updates 129 130 Amy Cole gave an update on Walkable Hillsborough Day where there will be a public workshop/input session for 131 Orange County’s Safe Routes to School. A community walk from CW Stanford to Cameron Park Elementary School 132 will follow a potential route students could use if certain amenities could be added for safety. Safe Routes to School 133 plan will outline specific projects to eliminate barriers to walking and bicycling from area neighborhoods to three 134 schools. There will also be a public session for citizens to review aerial maps and give their thoughts about what 135 they consider to be safe areas for walking to the three schools. Amy advised there will also be a bike rodeo for 136 children. The Carolina Tarwheels will sponsor a bicycle ride that morning. She noted the police department along 137 with some volunteers from Tarwheels will be helping with the bike rodeo. 138 139 Nancy Baker noted that during the public session Karen Lincoln and NCDOT will be there. 140 141 Jeff Charles advised the Board of the pending legislation regarding house bill 1686 operation of bicycles on streets 142 and highways. “Bicycles riding upon a street or highway shall not ride more than 2 abreast except on paths or parts 143 of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast shall not impede the normal and 144 reasonable movement of traffic and on a laned roadway shall ride within a single lane. Persons riding two abreast 145 shall move into a single file formation as quickly as practicable when being overtaken from the rear by a faster 146 moving vehicle.” Jeff noted that it is actually the worst thing to do for the safety of the cyclist and the cars because if 147 there is a well contained bunch of cyclist it may be easier on a straightaway, and quicker, than it being elongated. It 148 also takes away the right the bicyclist currently has to the full lane. It raises the issue about the status for accidents. 149 Jeff advised he believe this is the wrong way to handle the problem. 150 151 Craig Benedict noted it could be brought to the advisory board and it could be funneled through Karen Lincoln for 152 presentation to the BOCC. 153 154 Jeff Charles noted that there may be a need for the law but it is poorly written and mean-spirited. 155 156 Karen Lincoln advised the Board that the BOCC is still reviewing the board and commissions and has put out a call to 157 try to get volunteers to apply. One change being considered is any of the commissioners could come to any of the 158 boards rather than having a liaison designated. There will be a template to inform the Commissioners of the past 159 yearly activity of the advisory boards and the boards must develop a work plan each year that incorporates the goals 160 of the BOCC. 161 162 Approved 9/15/10 4 (Alice Gordon left meeting) 163 164 Craig Benedict noted that OPT and planning, Chapel Hill Transit, and Triangle Transit are meeting. He noted that the 165 legislation regarding the half-cent sales tax for next year says the counties decide on putting it forward for 166 referendum and decides what the transit plan is for the county. It is moving towards a combined effort to develop an 167 Orange County Transit Plan, which will have cross county activity with Triangle Transit and have more integration 168 between Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro. 169 170 171 Bryn Smith advised the Board that she was resigning from the OUTBoard and also the Commission for the 172 Environment and this would be her last meeting. 173 174 The Board thanked her for her service. 175 176 177 VIII. Adjournment 178 179 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. 180 181 182 ___________________________________ Sam Lasris, Chair