***MINUTES*** CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Leonard Herr called the meeting to order at 9:20 a.m.

Transcription

1 ITEM IV Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho Interagency Consultation Committee Meeting April 28, 2005 Idaho Transportation Department, District #3 Region Large Conference Room 8150 Chinden Blvd., Garden City, ID ***MINUTES*** ATTENDEES: ABSENT: Beth Baird, Boise City Scott Frey, FHWA Leonard Herr, IDEQ-BRO, Vice Chair Greg Vitley, ITD, District 3 Jay Witt, COMPASS Don Kostelec, ACHD Katey Levihn, ACHD, Chair OTHERS ATTENDING: Jorge Garcia, IDEQ Yancey Willis, COMPASS Debbie Winchar, COMPASS CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Leonard Herr called the meeting to order at 9:20 a.m. AGENDA ADDITIONS/CHANGES None. ACTION ITEMS APPROVE THE FEBRUARY 24, 2005 MINUTES APPROVE THE MARCH 31, 2005 MINUTES Since a quorum was not present, this item was tabled for the next scheduled meeting. FY REGIONAL EMISSIONS ANALYSIS-DRAFT EMISSIONS MODELING ASSUMPTIONS Vice Chair Leonard Herr asked Jay Witt to present this action item as an information item. Recommendations can then be made by the Committee and action taken at the next scheduled meeting. 800 S. Industry Way, Suite 100 Meridian, ID (208) Fax (208)

2 Jay Witt stated for the most part the assumptions and methodologies are the same as those used for the last regional emission analysis. Nothing is changing with the exception of vehicle fleet mix data. Yancey Willis presented information regarding the regional emissions analysis local vehicle fleet mix data. Data was used from the Biodiesel Study. A digital camera was setup on eastbound I-184 that photographed vehicles as they drove by. License plate images were coded in the computer and then decoded giving MOBILE 6 classifications for those vehicles. Currently, COMPASS has been relying on the national default build into the MOBILE model. As part of the Biodiesel Study we are trying to either substantiate those national defaults or determine whether or not they vary. The results indicate that there are fewer heavy-duty diesels on roads then what the national defaults are showing. At the same time, there are more of the lighter vehicles (i.e., passenger cars, light-duty pickup trucks). Yancey reviewed graphs which illustrated the results of using the collected data. Jay Witt stated that preliminary results using the 2004 observed data were reviewed at the March ICC meeting. Yancey has done a lot work to forecast this data using the MOBILE 6.2 default methodology so that it can be applied to the regional emission analysis. Jay referred to the graphs. When observations were done with the digital camera in Ada County, a number of Canyon County (2C) vehicles were noted. The percentage of 2C vehicles observed is similar to COMPASS calculation using a VMT based methodology. The observed percent increase of Canyon County vehicles in Ada County (2.4%) has minimal impact on regional emission estimates. We can either use this data and keep it constant throughout the future years or use the COMPASS methodology that forecasts the fraction of Canyon County vehicles driving in Ada County based on model VMT estimated. After discussion, Jay commented that if the ICC chooses to use the local fleet mix data that was forecasted for the future years using MOBILE6 default methodology, it will be used for the FY TIP regional emission analysis. For Communities in Motion a new regional emission analysis will be conducted. Some of the MOBILE model input work that IDEQ has done with a congestion mitigation air quality grant will be incorporated into this new regional emission analysis. We will be able to reconcile the B20 observation data with IDEQ s registration data. Observed data is good; just because a vehicle is registered does not mean it is being driven. This is a step in the right direction as far as getting away from the national default. The most current assumptions must be used for the regional emission analysis. If we have local data, an attempt should be made to use it if it seems reasonable. These observations are reasonable, especially when looking at registration data. Not only are we seeing these fractions on the road, but they are also seen in the Idaho Transportation Department s data. Local data continues to be refined but this points us in the right direction towards making the regional emissions analysis more of a local analysis and less of a national default analysis with some local VMT estimates. At next month s meeting, we should have VMT fractions from registration data. Jay cautioned that there is limited data on diesel vehicles with the registration data analysis. The registration data is good for private vehicles but is more difficult for commercial vehicles, the majority of which are diesel vehicles. This is where the observation data may be superior. Yancey Willis stated an analysis of observed and registration fleet mix data should be available for next month s meeting in order to approve the modeling assumptions. 2

3 Discussion continued regarding the collection of data and sampling sites. Scott Frey commented that the best available data should be used. The data is from this area but what would happen if a large sampling was done? Jay explained that at the Nampa site there was a higher fraction of heavy-duty diesel vehicles. The site was located at a truck stop on an eastbound onramp by the sugar beet factory. This was representative of the traffic coming through the area. Beth Baird commented when the local data is actually being used and presented to the public, it is important to provide a descriptive background of why it was used and how it was used. Jay concurred and stated that it would be added as an appendix to the conformity demonstration. Scott Frey added that in the event there is a challenge or question about the methodology, this effort to try and refine and provide the best and most current data is worth the effort. Jay asked the Committee if there was consensus to recommend the modeling assumptions other than the fleet mix. There was ICC consensus to recommend approval of the FY TIP regional emission analysis draft emissions modeling assumptions and methodologies, with the exception of the fleet mix data which will be presented at the next scheduled meeting. INFORMATION ITEMS FY TIP PRELIMINARY PROJECT LIST DISCUSSION AND REFINEMENT Jay Witt stated this is a reoccurring item on the ICC agendas. This list of projects contains new additions to the roadway network that will be modeled and put into the regional emission analysis. For the most part, these are Ada County Highway District projects. The Idaho Transportation Department District 3 has sent projects for consideration and inclusion in the TIP. Most of the GARVEE projects in northern Ada County are already included in the modeling analysis. If GARVEE projects move up they would be taken from the 2030 network and put into a construction year if they have one. Many of these projects do not have a construction year. This is for the Committee s information and review. Comments are requested such as; is there a project that does not belong in this network and should be placed into another network? On the FY ACHD TIP Regional Emissions Analysis Project List, Projects are the projects that will need the ICC s recommendation at the next scheduled meeting. A limited update, Destination 2030, was done to Destination As a result, some projects that were not regionally significant or included on ACHD s or ITD s project lists were dropped off but were kept in the model. At the next scheduled meeting, the ICC will be requested to make a recommendation as to whether these projects should be kept in the regional emission analysis. Jay reviewed Projects DRAFT WORKING DEFINITION FOR REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT TRANSIT PROJECT Jay Witt drafted a working definition for Regionally Significant Transit Project by taking the working definition for Regionally Significant Roadway Project and adding additional text for a transit project. This draft is based on past ICC discussions regarding what makes a transit project regionally significant in northern Ada County. This would be used as guidance when analyzing transit projects for regional emission analysis. Should COMPASS want to use the working definition of regionally significant for determining what projects are listed in the long 3

4 range plan, they would have guidance for not only roadway projects but also transit projects. It is up to COMPASS and the COMPASS Board to decide how they want to use it. This is just a tool the ICC can use so that if a transit project meets the criteria; perhaps it should be included or considered in the regional emission analysis. Presently there are not many projects that will meet this criterion. Scott Frey suggested this definition be kept as simple as possible. We can always make it more elaborate if we see the need to do so. After further discussion, the following suggestions were made: Paragraph (c) - take out the percentage and replacing it with a number. Paragraph (b) - take out the word additional. Paragraph (b) (ii) - define cities. Jay Witt stated he would continue to amend the definition. Leonard Herr commented that he liked the idea of inserting a quantifiable number whether it is money or people. SUMMARY OF AIR QUALITY MONITORING IN THE TREASURE VALLEY Leonard Herr distributed Treasure Valley AQI graphs. The graphs are daily air quality index measurements for the Treasure Valley over the last three years. The air quality index is a representative number used to communicate the severity of the air pollution on any particular day. It can be used for any air pollutant. The pollutants used to calculate the air quality index changes depending on the season. In the winter it is going to be particulate, PM 2.5, and in the summer ozone. These are the two problem pollutants. There were no exceedences of the federal standard in An exceedance of the PM 10 standard occurred this year (2005) due to wind-blown dust. In July and August 2003, two ozone measurements exceeded 90 in the AQI. In the fall of 2003, there was a high measurement of PM 2.5. Jay Witt stated that information put out by DEQ states that an AQI of 100 means the federal standard has been exceeded. Leonard commented that 2004 was much better than 2003 primarily because of the weather. In 2002 there were several exceedances of the ozone standard in summer and a couple in the fall. The pattern seen for the three years was repeated nationwide. This year may be a bad year for ozone due to high temperatures and drought conditions. PM 2.5 is a little different and not so much related to larger weather patterns. The concern is how long the inversion lasts in the winter. PM 2.5 is also affected by people s actions. In 2005 an exceedance occurred for the particulate standard PM 10 that was due to high winds in Nampa. The EPA excuses that kind of event if management practices are addressed to wind blown dust. The management practices have to be adopted at municipal and county levels, and state level if necessary, and they have to be enforceable. TREASURE VALLEY AIR QUALITY ACT UPDATE Beth Baird stated that legislation has been signed by the Governor with an effective date of July 1, The DEQ Board has to be petitioned to create the Treasure Valley Air Quality Council, which occurs after July 1. Thereafter, it is publicly announced, it has to go through a hearing 4

5 process, and then to the Governor for appointment of the Council. The Council has until July 2006 to create a draft plan. The plan has to be finalized by the next legislative session in January The Council will direct the air quality management program for the Treasure Valley. The Treasure Valley Air Quality Council will recommend actions they feel are necessary for implementation of the plan. If the local governments decide they do not want to implement the recommended actions, they have to submit a letter to the Governor indicating why they are not going to do it. The Governor appoints the Council members. Jay Witt commented there will be industry and agriculture representation but no transportation representation. Beth stated there will be one or two members from agricultural interests, one or two members from commercial interests, one or two members from industries, one or two members from environmental organizations, one or two members who are full time residents (a citizen representative to the Council as well as a citizens committee), one or two members who are county commissioners, and one or two members who are elected members of the city government. A citizen council will be created after the Council is in place. OPEN DISCUSSION Jay Witt commented that COMPASS had a Triennial Review. COMPASS was designated a Transportation Management Area in A Transportation Management Area must go through a comprehensive review by a team of reviewers from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. Scott Frey sat on the review team. A final report has not been distributed. COMPASS received several commendations. Scott Frey stated the review team gave commendations for the Congestion Management System as well as the Interagency Consultation Committee s work results and how it ties into the MPO s process. Jay added that no corrective actions or findings were given from a conformity standpoint. SET MEETING DATES Thursday, May 26, 2005, 9:00 a.m., at ACHD (to be confirmed). Thursday, June 16, 2005, 9:00 a.m., meeting place to be determined or a quorum vote could be conducted by conference call. This meeting would have a short agenda: approve minutes and approve projects from ITD for inclusion in the modeling assumptions. Jay suggested having occasional conference call meetings during the summer. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m. pc: File T:\FY05\800Maintenance\820 Committee Support\ICC\Minutes\minutes doc 5