Appendix K Public Outreach

Transcription

1 Appendix K Public Outreach TCAG 2014 Regional Transportation Plan

2 Outreach Meetings The following is a list of the primary outreach meetings that occurred (and are scheduled) during the RTP update process. As a general rule, TCAG will go to any organization that is willing to have a presentation. For agency presentations, public notice is provided so individual members of the public may attend. Date Event Date Event 1/16/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 9/11/13 Tulare County Fair 1/17/13 Technical Adv. Committee 9/12/13 Tulare County Fair 1/22/13 TCAG Board 9/12/13 Technical Adv. Committee 2/10/13 Citizens Oversight Comm. 9/12/13 Calvans Board 2/12/13 Technical Adv. Committee 9/13/13 Tulare County Fair 2/19/13 TCAG Board 9/14/13 Tulare County Fair 2/20/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 9/16/13 TCAG Board 3/14/13 Technical Adv. Committee 9/18/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 3/18/13 TCAG Board 9/24/13 RTP Workshop Strathmore 3/20/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 9/25/13 RTP Workshop Orosi 3/28/13 Calvans TAC 9/26/13 RTP Workshop Pixley 4/11/13 Technical Adv. Committee 9/26/13 Calvans Board 4/15/13 TCAG Board 10/1/13 RTP Workshop Visalia 4/17/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 10/2/13 RTP Workshop Dinuba 5/9/13 Rail Committee 10/3/13 RTP Workshop Porterville 5/9/13 Calvans Board 10/10/13 Calvans Board 5/12/13 Citizens Oversight Comm. 10/16/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 5/15/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 10/17/13 Technical Adv. Committee 5/16/13 Technical Adv. Committee 10/17/13 RHNA Methodology Committee 5/20/13 TCAG Board 10/21/13 TCAG Board 5/23/13 Bicycle Advisory Committee 10/23/13 Bicycle Advisory Committee 5/28/13 SS Technical Adv. Comm. 11/4/13 RTP Workshop Three Rivers 6/12/13 Transit Forum 11/10/13 Citizens Oversight Committee 6/13/13 Calvans Board 11/14/13 RHNA Methodology Committee 6/13/13 Technical Adv. Committee 11/20/13 County Ag Advisory Committee 6/17/13 TCAG Board 11/20/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 6/19/13 Bicycle Advisory Committee 11/21/13 Technical Adv. Committee 7/17/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 11/25/13 TCAG Board 7/18/13 Technical Adv. Committee 12/5/13 Technical Adv. Committee 7/22/13 TCAG Board 12/9/13 TCAG Board 7/25/13 Bicycle Advisory Committee 12/11/13 Bicycle Advisory Committee 8/11/13 Citizens Oversight Comm. 12/11/13 County Planning Commission 8/21/13 RHNA Methodology Comm. 1/9/14 Calvans Board 8/22/13 Calvans Board 1/16/14 Transit Forum 9/4/13 RTP/SCS Roundtable 1/16/14 Technical Adv. Committee K - 1

3 Date Event 1/28/14 SS Technical Adv. Comm. 2/9/14 Citizens Oversight Comm. 2/13/14 Technical Adv. Committee 2/17/14 TCAG Board 2/27/14 Calvans Board 3/13/14 Begin Public Comment Period 3/13/14 Calvans Board 3/13/14 Mitigation Banking Comm. 3/13/14 Technical Adv. Committee 3/13/14 City Manager s Meeting 3/17/14 TCAG Board 3/27/14 Calvans Board 4/7/14 Visalia City Council 4/8/14 Lindsay City Council 4/8/14 RTP/SCS Roundtable 4/14/14 Woodlake City Council 4/14/14 Farmersville City Council 4/15/14 Porterville City Council 4/15/14 Tulare City Council 4/17/14 Technical Adv. Committee 4/21/14 Public Hearing Farmersville 4/21/14 TCAG Board 4/22/14 RTP/SCS Roundtable 4/22/14 Exeter City Council 4/22/14 Board of Supervisors 5/5/14 Public Hearing Porterville (Pending) Dinuba City Council (Pending) Tulare River Tribal Council 5/14/14 Close Comment Period 5/21/14 RTP/SCS Roundtable 6/26/14 Technical Adv. Committee 6/30/14 TCAG Board Resource and other Public Agencies The development of the RTP, FTIP and Air Quality Conformity has been done in coordination with the San Joaquin Valley Interagency Consultation Group (IAC). The IAC is comprised of the eight San Joaquin Valley Councils of Government, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (ARB), San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) and Caltrans. TCAG s RTP/SCS Roundtable has been consulted during the RTP development process. The Roundtable is composed of representatives from the eight incorporated cities in Tulare County, Tulare County Resource Management Agency, Tulare County Local Agency Formation K - 2

4 Commission, Public Transportation, Agriculture, Environmental Advocacy, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy, Healthcare, Goods Movement, Disabled Access, the San Joaquin Valley Air District, Caltrans, Tribal Governments, Building and Development Industry, Environmental Justice Community, Affordable Housing Advocacy, Economic Development, and two at large members. The Tule River Indian Tribe is the only federally recognized tribe in Tulare County. TCAG staff met with Tribal staff early in the RTP development process. The Tribe was represented on the Roundtable and on TCAG s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). They also received special notice of important meetings. The Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the 2014 RTP s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was distributed to numerous resource agencies, other public agencies and private companies and groups. Copies of the draft RTP or a notice of its availability (and website location where it can be downloaded) were also widely distributed. Listed below are many of the agencies, organizations and companies that have received mailings regarding the EIR and RTP: Federal FHWA, FTA, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Railroad Administration, Fish & Wildlife Service, EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, Dept. of Energy, National Park Service, Dept. of Health & Human Services, Dept. of Agriculture, Center for Disease Control State Caltrans (Programming, Aeronautics, Scenic Highway Program, District 6), California Transportation Commission (CTC), Dept. of Fish & Game, California Highway Patrol, Dept. of Water Resources, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Energy Commission, Native American Heritage Commission, ARB, Integrated Waste Management Board, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Health Services, Dept. of General Services, Dept. of Business, Transportation & Housing, Dept. of Parks & Recreation, California Archaeological Inventory Regional SJVAPCD, Kern COG, Kings COG, Fresno COG, San Joaquin COG, StanCOG, Merced COG, Madera Transportation Commission, Inyo Transportation Commission Local Tule River Indian Tribe, Tulare County (Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC), Resource Management Agency (RMA), Library, Clerk), Fresno County, Kings County, Kern County, Cities of Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Dinuba, Farmersville, Lindsay, Exeter, Woodlake, Kingsburg, Reedley, Corcoran and Delano, Tulare Irrigation District, College of the Sequoias, Kaweah Delta District Hospital, Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District Organizations HBA of Tulare-Kings Counties, Visalia Association of Realtors, Visalia Chamber of Commerce, Farm Bureau, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Citizens for a Healthy Environment, California Trucking Association K - 3

5 Companies Union Pacific, Genesee and Wyoming, BNSF, San Joaquin Valley Railroad, AT&T, So. California Edison, So. California Gas, PG&E In addition to direct correspondence, the RTP and associated documents were highlighted in TCAG s On the Move newsletter and regular blasts both of which have a wide circulation to public agencies and to private companies, organizations and individuals. Public Notice The public comment period for the RTP, EIR and Air Quality Conformity began on March 20, Public comment on the FTIP and Conformity ended April 21, 2014 and on May 14, 2014 for the RTP/SCS. Notice was posted in four major newspapers in Tulare County: the Visalia Times-Delta, Tulare Advance Register, Dinuba Sentinel and Porterville Recorder. A press release was also circulated to all other known media contacts in Tulare County. All documents were posted on TCAG s website: All public noticing and outreach was conducted in compliance with federal and state regulations and TCAG s adopted Public Participation Plan. K - 4

6 Transportation Survey Results TCAG has a booth every year at the Tulare County Fair. The RTP update was the point of emphasis for the 2013 Fair. The survey was also distributed in hard copy and by to numerous locations and residents throughout the county in English and in Spanish. 524 residents completed the survey (attached). A summary of the results of the survey are listed below (total survey results are also attached). 1) How do you get to work/school most of the time? 76% of respondents answered they traveled by car (alone) to get to school or work. Results showed that 8% ride the bus, and 7% carpool. Figure 1 2) I ride my bicycle to? This question was intended to gather information regarding bicycle use in the Tulare County. 45% of survey respondents ride a bicycle in the county, for various purposes. 19% ride their bicycle for exercise or group racing. About 6% of respondents ride their bicycles to work, school, and shopping destinations (6% per destination, not cumulative). K - 5

7 Figure 2: I ride my bicycle to? 3) What would make you want to ride your bike more? In this question respondents were able to choose up to three answers. Our top three selections were friends and family to ride with a total of 157 votes, more bike paths (separate from cars, typically along old rail lines or rivers) with a total of 147 votes, and lastly more bike lanes (a separate lane on the road, next to cars) with a total of 139 votes. 4) How often do you ride the bus? 28% of respondents ride the bus. 8% ride the bus daily or almost daily, and 13% ride it once or twice a month. Figure 3: How often do you ride the bus? Options Percent of Respondents Never 72% Once or twice a month 13% Daily or almost daily 8% Once or twice week 4% No Response 3% 5) If you don t ride the bus, what are the top two improvements that could get you to ride it? If you do ride the bus, what could be improved? K - 6

8 Respondents were allowed to choose up to two answers to indicate what improvements would encourage them to ride the bus. The top improvement was stopping closer to my house with 157 votes. Several answers were close together as the second place response, at about 17% each. They included: taking me to the places I need to get to, coming more often, running more, such as later in the day and/or on weekends, and safety and security of stops and on the bus. Figure 4 6.) Which is your preferred way of receiving information? 48% of respondents prefer receiving information by . Second most common vote was paper mail with 19%. 7.) What services could your employer provide to make it easier for you to carpool, ride the bus, or bicycle to work? The respondents were asked to choose up to two options. Our top two selected were flexible hours (for example, adjusting your start time) and subsidize (pay for or help pay for) your bus pass or vanpool. 8. Which do you see as the top needs for road improvements in the County? K - 7

9 The top two requested road improvements by respondents were better conditions of roads (repaving) with 210 votes. More lanes/less traffic, safer crosswalks and more places to cross the street, better coordination between traffic lights, and better lighting were all in a very similar range of responses. Figure ) Demographics Among the age groups, ages had the highest response. The other leading age group was % did not respond to the question. Figure 6 Figure 7 illustrates the type of housing unit the participants reside in. 14% of respondents live in attached housing of various types, such as apartment buildings and townhouses. 19% reported to K - 8

10 live in a home in the country. More than 50% reported living in a single home in a residential only neighborhood. 14% of respondents did not respond to the question. Figure 7 Figure 8 illustrates the reported annual household income of respondents. The two leading responses with 20% and 19% were under $20,000 and $35,000-$50,000, respectively. 18% of respondents chose not to answer this question. Figure 8 K - 9