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Transportation Technical Committee

Date:
Time:
Place:

Friday, March 13, 2020
8:30 AM

COG Sequoia Conference Room
2035 Tulare St., Suite 201, Fresno, CA



Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations
The Fresno COG offices and restrooms are ADA accessible. Representatives or individuals with disabilities should contact Fresno COG at (559) 233-4148, at least 3 days in advance, to request auxiliary aids and/or translation services necessary to participate in the public meeting / public hearing. If Fresno COG is unable to accommodate an auxiliary aid or translation request for a public hearing, after receiving proper notice, the hearing will be continued on a specified date when accommodations are available.

 Out of an abundance of caution regarding the COVID-19 virus and given Governor Newsom's recent Executive Order, tomorrow's, March 13, 2020, scheduled Transportation Technical Committee (TTC) meeting at 8:30 a.m. will be held via teleconference. 

Call-in information :

 
Teleconference Phone Number: (888) 398-2342
Participant Code:  740166

TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

The Transportation Technical Committee will consider all items on the agenda.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.

TTC agenda and annotated agenda in PDF format - ALL EXHIBITS ARE AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE

I.TRANSPORTATION CONSENT ITEMS

About Consent Items:

All items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and non-controversial by COG staff and will be approved by one motion if no member of the Committee or public wishes to comment or ask questions.  If comment or discussion is desired by anyone, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered in the listed sequence with an opportunity for any member of the public to address the Committee concerning the item before action is taken.

A.
Executive Minutes of February 14, 2020 [APPROVE]
B.
Second Quarterly Work Element and Financial Report (Les Beshears) [APPROVE]
C.
City of Fowler Transportation Development Act Claim (Les Beshears) [APPROVE]

Approve Resolution 2020-09 adopting the City of Fowler's 2019-20 Transportation Development Act claims for $596,876.

D.
Fiscal Year 2019 Transit Productivity Evaluation Report (Jeff Long) [ACCEPT]

A productivity evaluation is conducted annually to assess transit operators who receive State Transportation Development Act funds and to recommend potential productivity improvements.  The California Public Utilities Code 99244 requires that “Each transportation planning agency shall annually identify, analyze, and recommend potential productivity improvements which could lower the operational costs of transit operators who operate at least 50 percent of their vehicle service miles within the area under its jurisdiction.”  If the responsible entity determines that the operator has not made a reasonable effort to implement the recommended improvements, then local transportation funds allocated to that operator cannot exceed the appropriation from the prior year.

The FY 2019 Productivity Evaluation assesses the following transit agencies:

1. Fresno Area Express and Handy Ride

2. Clovis Stageline and Roundup

3. Fresno County Rural Transit Agency

4. Consolidated Transportation Services Agencies for the Metropolitan and Rural Areas.

The FY 2019 Transit Productivity Report was reviewed and accepted by the Social Service Transportation Advisory Council (SSTAC) on January 22, 2020.

Action:  Accept the Fiscal Year 2019 Transit Productivity Evaluation Report.

E,
Circuit Planner and Engineer - Update on Current Tasks (Braden Duran) [INFORMATION]

Summary: This is an update on those tasks underway through Fresno COG's Circuit Planner and Engineer Program, which provides technical assistance to the small cities in Fresno County. Such assistance may include, but is not limited to: planning studies, delivering projects, grant applications, environmental documents, engineering services, etc.

Circuit Planning & Engineering

  • Reedley Manning/Buttonwillow Master Plan Assistance – Rincon and VSCE met with the City of Reedley staff to develop the site plan for the project. Staff discussed City needs and opportunities with the project site, including incorporating the Reedley Trail through the project site, which supports Blueprint principals to improve active transportation. Rincon and VSCE are developing draft concepts for discussion with City staff.
  • Consultants will be reaching out to additional cities on potential projects previously identified.

Circuit Planning

  • Kingsburg – Collins & Schoettler made a presentation to City Council on the Alley Design Guidelines
  • Coalinga – Rincon completed draft RFP for Coalinga Trails CEQA/NEPA analysis.
  • Sanger zoning review – Collins & Schoettler are preparing Sanger’s zoning review, a draft of which is expected by early March.

Circuit Engineering

  • Fowler – VSCE is developing a plan for conducting Active Transportation (bike/ped) counts
  • Mendota - VSCE is developing a plan for conducting Active Transportation (bike/ped) counts
  • Firebaugh – VSCE continues to coordinate with staff on potential projects.

Action: Information. This Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

F.
California Air Resources Board Approval of AB617 South Central Fresno Community Emissions Reduction Plan (Braden Duran) [INFORMATION]

Summary: The California Air Resources Board has approved the South Central Fresno Community Emissions Reduction Program (CERP) under Assembly Bill 617. AB 617-selected communities are heavily impacted by air pollution. AB 617 requires community-driven action to identify, monitor and reduce air pollutants of specific concern to each location.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) convened a community steering committee comprising residents, local businesses, air district representatives, and other stakeholders to develop the specific emission-reduction strategies. The Fresno steering committee met regularly between December 2018 and January 2020 to craft the programs that focus on reducing exposure to fine particulate matter, toxic air contaminants, and smog-forming chemicals.  

Reduction strategies for South Fresno target emissions from a variety of sources including:

  • Passenger cars
  • Residential energy use
  • Urban sources
  • Heavy-duty trucks
  • Industrial and agricultural sources including pesticides
  • Oil and gas operations
  • Fugitive dust

Successfully deploying many of the strategies will require focused coordination among multiple public agencies. Those include CARB, the SJVAPCD and other state and local agencies. The CARB Board committed to a follow-up meeting in Fresno later this year to review recommended actions and additional elements as communities move into the implementation phase.

To address the requirements of AB 617 (C. Garcia, 2017), CARB developed the Office of Community Air Protection (OCAP). Its role is to coordinate the overall process and to provide input, training and the equipment to monitor and report on air pollutants.

All approved documents related to South Central Fresno can be found at this link: http://community.valleyair.org/selected-communities/south-central-fresno/

Fresno COG staff participated in the steering committee process and will continue to update this Committee as needed.

Action: Information. The Committee may provide further direction at its discretion.

G.
Regional Transportation Plan Committee Applications and Community Outreach Mini Grant Application (Brenda Veenendaal) [INFORMATION]

.

The following Regional Transportation Plan-related applications were recently released and are posted to fresnocog.org.

1.
Fresno COG’s Community Outreach Mini-Grant Program – Application released

Summary:  Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) is seeking assistance from community organizations, schools, agencies and businesses to solicit ongoing public input into key activities associated with the 2022 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and the Sustainable Communities Strategy scenarios within it. To ensure diverse and extensive input on the 2022 RTP from people and populations throughout the region, Fresno COG is requesting help to expand community outreach that garners significant public input.

Fresno COG will provide mini-grants ranging from $1,500 – $2,500 each to organizations with existing community contacts. Successful applicants will reach out to residents of the Fresno County region, include them in the RTP and SCS transportation planning process via workshop and online participation, and obtain defined input regarding their perceived community transportation needs. This program is designed to ensure that interested members of the public have ample opportunity to understand and provide meaningful input on these plans during the planning process. Completed applications are due to Fresno COG by noon, March 26, 2020.

Community Mini-Grant Program Application Packet

Action: Information. The Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

2.
RTP Roundtable Participant Application

Summary:  The RTP Roundtable will support Fresno COG staff and the COG's standing committees and Policy Board as the 2022 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) are developed. Roundtable members will provide expertise and generate consensus on RTP issues, acting in an advisory capacity to the Fresno COG Policy Board.

The RTP Roundtable application is available on fresnocog.org under "Get Involved."

Action: Information. The Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

3.
Environmental Justice Subcommittee Participant Application

Summary:  The Environmental Justice (EJ) Subcommittee serves Fresno COG’s Transportation Technical Committee (TTC) by assisting Fresno COG staff in setting thresholds for environmental justice populations for the RTP's Environmental Justice Report. The EJ Subcommittee will appoint one member to sit on the RTP Roundtable for the duration of the RTP update.

The EJ Subcommittee application is available on fresnocog.org under "Get Involved."

Action: Information. The Committee may provide further direction at its discretion.

II.TRANSPORTATION ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS

A.
Fresno County Regional Transit On-Board Survey (Santosh Bhattarai) [APPROVE]

Summary: Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) in partnership with Fresno Area Express (FAX), Clovis Transit, and Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA), requested proposals from consultants to develop the first countywide origin-destination transit on-board survey for the Fresno County. The survey will represent all the fixed transit routes within the county, operated by three transit providers.

Along with service-related questions, the survey will include transit trips' origins and destinations, transfers, rider demographics, customer trip/travel characteristics, customer satisfaction, customer preferences for receiving communications and other transit trip information. The survey will be used to assist transit agencies in planning future service improvements, and will also provide valuable data to help improve the transit ridership forecast capability for COG's activity-based model (ABM).

Staff received three proposals for this project. On February 19, 2020, a scoring committee representing Fresno COG, FAX, Clovis Transit, and FCRTA interviewed the consultants, and unanimously recommended Moore & Associates to conduct the survey.

Moore & Associates has focused solely on public transportation and transit for nearly 30 years, crafting community-based transit solutions throughout the nation. Besides multiple successful transit on-board surveys both in and outside of California, Moore & Associates has conducted three consecutive rounds of customer and community surveys, along with marketing and advertising services for Golden Empire Transit District in Bakersfield. This experience provides the firm with sound knowledge of demographics, travel patterns, and transit ridership.  

ActionStaff requests that TTC/PAC recommend the Fresno COG Policy Board approve Moore & Associates for the Fresno County Regional Transit On-Board Survey project and authorize the Executive Director to enter into a contract with Moore & Associates for an amount not to exceed $202,441.89.

B.
Regional Transportation Plan Public Opinion Survey Consultant Selection (Brenda Veenendaal) [APPROVE]

Summary:  Fresno Council of Governments (Fresno COG) released a request for proposals (RFP) on February 1, 2020, seeking a qualified consultant with substantial experience in designing and conducting opinion surveys whose participants are reflective of the county’s demographics, including the non-English speaking populations. The consultant will be responsible for ranking the Fresno County community's defined values and transportation funding priorities, with a budget not to exceed $50,000.

Staff received four proposal from the following firms:

  • Rea & Parker Research
  • Nichols Research
  • Probolsky Research
  • Think Now

A scoring committee comprising Fresno COG staff members reviewed and scored the applications, holding phone interviews with each consultant on Thursday, March 5, 2020. The scoring committee's recommendation will be presented to the TTC/PAC at their meeting. 

Action:  Staff requests that TTC/PAC recommend that the Fresno COG Policy Board approve the scoring committee's consulting firm recommendation for completion of the Fresno COG Regional Transportation Plan Public Opinion Survey, and the authorization of Fresno COG's Executive Director to enter into a contract for an amount not to exceed $50,000.

C.
Fresno COG Public Participation Plan Update Released for 45-day Review and Comment Period (Brenda Veenendaal) [INFORMATION]

Summary:  Fresno Council of Governments' (Fresno COG) staff released its draft 2020 Public Participation Plan (PPP) for 45-day public review and comment on March 3, 2020. The public comment period closes at 5 p.m. on April 17, 2020.

The PPP is a plan intended to give the Fresno COG Policy Board and staff guidance in providing for public involvement and interagency consultation early and often during the regional planning process. It contains policies, guidelines, processes and procedures to which Fresno COG commits while seeking and fostering open public involvement during the decision-making process, regarding all matters within discretion. The PPP also identifies opportunities for involvement in the metropolitan transportation planning process.

On March 26, 2020, Fresno COG Policy Board will conduct a public hearing on the PPP during its normal monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Sequoia Conference Room, 2035 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA 93721. The meeting is accessible to the disabled.  Individuals with disabilities may call Fresno COG (with three working days advance notice) to request auxiliary aids necessary to participate in the public hearing.  Translation services are available (with three-day advance notice) to participants speaking any language with available professional translation services. Public comments are welcomed at the public hearing or they may be submitted in writing via mail or email to the following person:

Brenda Veenendaal, Fresno COG Administrative Services Manager

Mailing Address:  2035 Tulare Street, Suite 201, Fresno, CA 93721

Email:  brendav@fresnocog.org

After addressing all submitted comments, staff will request the Board adopt the 2020 Public Participation Plan  by resolution on May 28, 2020, during its regularly scheduled meeting. All documents are available for review or download on the Fresno COG website at www.fresnocog.org or in hard copy at the Fresno COG offices.

Action: Information. The Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

D.
Senate Bill 743 Implementation Update (Kristine Cai) [INFORMATION]

Summary: Senate Bill 743 (SB 743), passed in 2013, and incorporated in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines in December 2018, will take effect on July 1, 2020. It requires Level of Service (LOS) be replaced with Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric for transportation impact analyses in the CEQA process. SB 743 is going to have profound changes to how local land use development projects and transportation capacity projects are approved. It will serve the State's overall climate change goals by encouraging infill development and discouraging greenfield development, supporting green projects such as transit and active transportation projects and minimizing capacity increasing projects.

Fresno COG has been working with the local governments and a consultant team in developing regional guidance and recommendations for SB 743 implementation in the Fresno region. A threshold of 13 percent reduction has been recommended by Fresno COG's process based on the new GHG reduction targets set by the California Air Resources Board for the Fresno region, compared to the statewide 15 percent reduction target recommended by the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR).

Fresno COG's process has resulted in a series of screening criteria to help local jurisdictions screen out projects that have less-than-significant VMT impacts. Fresno COG has also distributed draft VMT maps for each jurisdiction, which is one of the screening criteria. Fresno COG staff and the consultant team are working on developing an online VMT calculation tool for projects, and a list of mitigation measures that will work for the region.

Based on the work so far, the SB 743 process will have more impacts on projects in the fringe areas than the urban core, and it will add more of a cost/burden to small cities for growth than to the metropolitan areas. It is consistent with the State's goal of reducing travel-related GHG by concentrating growth in the urban areas, where travel is relatively shorter, than small communities where people tend to travel longer distances for different purposes.

As part of the CEQA process, projects sponsors will need to mitigate the impact to a less-than-significant level to avoid an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). If the impact can't be mitigated, a Statement of Overriding Considerations can be provided through an EIR process, which might potentially be more risky.

There hasn't been any clear guidance from the State on how mitigation measures can be quantified. OPR seems to think on-site mitigation on a project-by-project basis is less effective than coordinated regional efforts, such as a regional mitigation bank or exchange, which is brand new in the VMT arena.

Fresno COG's recommendation will be advisory. The cities and the County will need to make their own judgement on what will work best based on individual growth policies and other considerations, such as economic development.  Local government staff is strongly encouraged to stay involved in the process with Fresno COG.

Action: Information. The Committee may provide additional direction at its discretion.

III.OTHER ITEMS

A.
Items from Staff

B.
Items from Members

IV.PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

A.
Public Presentations

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Committee on items within its jurisdiction but not on this agenda.  Note:  Prior to action by the Committee on any item on this agenda, the public may comment on that item.  Unscheduled comments may be limited to 3 minutes.

JOINT Transportation Technical/Policy Advisory Committee

A.
Caltrans Report (Caltrans) [INFORMATION]