Tulare County Congestion Management Program

Transcription

1 210 N. Church Street, Suite B. Visalia, California (559) FAX (559) Tulare County Congestion Management Program Congestion Management Process Steering Committee MEETING AGENDA October 16, 2014 Tulare County Association of Governments 210 N. Church Street, Suite B, Visalia, CA Sequoia Room 12:30 1:30 P.M. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the California Ralph M. Brown Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, including auxiliary aids, translation requests, or other accommodations, or to be able to access this agenda and documents in the agenda packet, please contact the TCAG office at at least 3 days prior to the meeting. The full agenda including supporting materials is available at the TCAG office. A. Welcome & Introductions B. Action: Approval of Minutes Meeting for September 11, 2014 C. Public Comments This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the CMP Steering Committee on items within its purview but not on this agenda. Unscheduled comments are limited to 3 minutes. Note: Prior to action by the Committee on any item on this agenda, the public may comment on that item. D. Review/Discussion: Comments and suggestions on initial draft sections of the Congestion Management Plan Attachment A: Sections 1-4 of the draft Congestion Management Plan E. Discussion: Continued discussion on potential CMP performance measures and possible data needs. Attachment B: List of potential performance measures condensed from list provided on F. Discussion: Other items from the Committee for the good of the meeting? G. Next Meeting: The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, November 17, 2014 at 12:30 p.m. in the Sequoia Room, Tulare County Association of Governments, 210 N. Church St., Suite B, Visalia, CA H. Adjourn Dinuba Exeter Farmersville Lindsay Porterville Tulare Visalia Woodlake County of Tulare

2 TULARE COUNTY CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROCESS CMP STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER REPRESENTING Joanne Striebeck Caltrans District 6 Gail Miller Caltrans District 6 Mike Bond Tulare County RMA Nick Mascia City of Visalia Joe Aguirre City of Dinuba Baldo Rodriguez City of Porterville (Vice-Chair) Mike Camarena City of Lindsay Tony Trevino City of Tulare CMP Meeting Agenda October 16, 2014 Page 2 of 2 TCAG Staff Ted Smalley, Executive Director Marvin Demmers, Associate Regional Planner (Chair) Doreen Alvez, Secretary III OFFICE ADDRESS Tulare County Association of Governments 210 N. Church Street, Ste. B Visalia, CA Phone: Fax: Dinuba Exeter Farmersville Lindsay Porterville Tulare Visalia Woodlake County of Tulare

3 Tulare County Association of Governments Congestion Management Program (CMP) Steering Committee September 11, 2014 ATTENDANCE LIST City of Dinuba Joe Aguirre County of Tulare Michael Bond- Absent City of Lindsay Michael Camarena-Absent Caltrans District 6 Joanne Striebich City of Porterville Baldo Rodriguez Caltrans District 6 Gail Miller- Absent City of Tulare Tony Trevino TCAG Chair Marvin Demmers-Absent City of Visalia Nick Mascia TCAG Ted Smalley-Absent Others Present: Mike Reed/City of Porterville TCAG Staff Present: Roberto Brady, Elizabeth Wright, Jennie Miller, Doreen Alvez SUMMARY MEETING MINUTES A. Call to Order & Welcome The Congestion Management Program (CMP) Steering Committee was called to order by Vice-Chair Rodriguez at 12:39 p.m. on September 11, B. Action: Approval of July 17, 2014 Meeting Minutes Upon a motion, by Member Striebich, and seconded by Member Mascias, the Congestion Management Program (CMP) Steering Committee unanimously approve the July 17, 2014 meeting minutes. C. Public Comments Public comments were opened/closed at 12:40 p.m. No public comments were received. D. Discussion: Summary of CMPSC progress to date in the development of the Tulare County CMP-CMPSC Chair Attachment A: Summary of Progress on Development of the Tulare County CMP Vice-Chair Rodriguez asked where the committee was on Item D as he had missed several meetings. Ms. Wright provided a status update as reflected on pages 7-9 of the agenda packet of the initial meetings conducted, and the goals and objectives for the committee which was expected to be adopted at the current CMP committee meeting today. Ms. Wright provided that the CMP Network was adopted, and the next steps are to prepare the performance measures to assess congestion and improvements, and write the draft document for the committee to review for board approval. E. Action: Approve the revised list of CMP objectives per the July 17, 2014 meeting- CMPSC Chair Attachment B: Revised list of CMP objectives Item E tabled to October 2014 CMP Meeting. Per Elizabeth Wright, Item F should have reflected an Informational Item not an Action Item. F. Action: Development of CMP performance measures: background and selection- CMPSC Attachment C: Background information on development of multimodal performance measures from FHWA s Congestion Management Process: A Guidebook, 2011, Attachment D: Developing Performance Measures from the report Congestion Management Process Innovations, New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, February

4 Vice-Chair Rodriguez asked if the performance measures had been put together for review. Ms. Wright responded she didn t believe the performance measures had been put together for the committee to review however, there were standard performance measures in place which could be accumulated for the CMP to get input from FHWA. Mr. Brady stated Chair Demmers included in the agenda on page 11 the CMP Guidelines which provided an overview of performance measures that the committee can review, discuss, and make suggestions of the performance measures they would like to see at the next CMP meeting once a consolidated list that has been compiled. Ms. Wright highlighted agenda Item F had suggested performance measures that the committee could review to see if they would like to use. Vice-Chair Rodriquez asked the committee if they had comments as he just started reading the performance measures in the agenda yesterday, and requested that the committee review the performance measures and bring back suggestion at the next CMP meeting, as the committee did not have time to read the material now. Member Aguirre requested with Committee consensus to review the performance measures during the committee meeting. Ms. Wright highlighted the table of performance measures on page 18 which included cases studies, specific measures, and sample measures for the committee to review. Committee members discussed the various types of measures on page 18, how the measures could be used to define congestion, and how to quantify the measures if used in an intersection, corridor, and road segments. Mr. Brady provided his experience in model forecasting forward for LOS E as those issues experienced now as a general rule could become more so in the future and might pass this threshold that they talk about of three hours of congestion per day on average. Vice-Chair Rodriguez discussed going step by step on page 18 so the committee members could understand the types of measures reflected, and asked what volume to capacity ratio was under measure type: Congestion intensity: travel time measures were. Ms. Wright asked if the agencies measured by volume capacity. Vice-Chair Rodriguez discussed a traffic study in which volume and capacity for a two lane highway was conducted before LOS was determined, and identified the meaning of capacity and volume as reflected in the study. Member Macias discussed how geometrics in an intersection helps to determine the value of how much volume is placed on a roadway which defines capacity, and discussed how congestion is measured. The committee members discussed that some types of measures were subjective, with LOS being uniform. 2

5 Mr. Brady stated that for planning purposes all the bulleted measures will be collected and used as a metric, and while the committee did not necessary have to like the measure for performance measures for the CMP they were useful for the RTP and other purposes to validate the model for transit and other modes. Vice-Chair Rodriguez wanted to know how you quantify Measure Type: Land Use. Mr. Brady explained how VMT works in the model to determine housing proximity to jobs and the average total provided by computer to determine trip distribution. Committee members discussed the data variances to lower VMT. Member Striebich asked if incident duration was a performance measure for the city agencies or just specific to Caltrans Member Macias highlighted the City of Visalia 911 Emergency Center that will be built next year with the adjoining traffic measure center that will allow for future incident management. Mr. Brady recommended that the committee review the CMP objectives with the performance measures provided in the agenda to determine if the measures fit the objectives for their city. Vice-Chair Rodriguez stated the committee would come back to determine the differences between what worked and didn t work with the larger cities have more measures that are useful to them than the smaller cities. Committee members discussed tier the performance measures for the most common and creating performance measures based on urban vs. rural areas Ms. Wright provided that the RTP policy for LOS E or below is unacceptable in urban areas, and LOS C and below for rural areas. Vice-Chair Rodriguez directed the committee to go back to their cities to see what the appropriate measure was for their respective cities. Ms. Wright asked the committee to Chair Demmers with their recommendations before the next meeting so a list can be compiled for review. Member Striebich provided she would make recommendations as well with the understanding from the committee that her recommendations may not be applicable for the CMP committee do to variances Caltrans has for congestion. G. Discussion: Other items from the Committee for the good of the meeting? None H. Next Meeting: The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 18, 2014 at 12:30 p.m. in the Sequoia Room, Tulare County Association of Governments, 210 N. Church St., Suite B, Visalia, CA I. Adjourn-Adjourned at 1:22 p.m. 3

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7 Attachment A Draft Congestion Management Program 2015 Prepared by Tulare County Association of Governments 210 N. Church St., Suite B Visalia, California

8 1. Introduction: What Is Congestion? Congestion can generally be described as a condition in which the demand for road space exceeds supply. Congestion prevents the free movement of vehicles and people resulting the disruption of business and stress in our personal lives. The Tulare County Congestion Management Steering Committee (CMPSC) has defined congestion as...the level of traffic at which system performance is degraded to an unacceptable level of from the perspective of the community Tulare County is largely a rural county and, as such, does not exhibit the type of congestion found in more urban regions of California, such as Los Angeles or the Bay Area. The Visalia-Tulare urbanized area, as our most densely populated area, does encounter congestion from time-to-time. However, where it is encountered, it is usually due to travel during peak hours, trafficrelated incidents on the roads and freeways, or the occurrence of community/regional events. Congestion is generally limited to a specific location or small area, and is usually short-lived. Congestion of this type is easier to manage than that found in large metropolitan areas, and generally requires fewer resources on behalf of the managing agency. The Need for Congestion Management In July 2012, President Obama signed the federal transportation authorization bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 st Century (MAP- 21). The bill requires that MPOs which serve a transportation management area (TMA), or an area with a population of over 200,000, must maintain a CMP that provides for:...effective management and operation, based on a cooperatively developed and implemented, metropolitan-wide strategy, of new and existing transportation facilities eligible for funding...through the use of travel demand reduction and operational management strategies Based on the 2010 census the Visalia-Tulare urbanized area was determined to exceed the 200,000 population threshold required for the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to become as a Transportation Management Area (TMA). 2 6

9 In preparing the CMP consideration is given to objectives that manage demand, reduce single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) travel, encourage the use of public transportation and alternative modes, enhance freight movement, and improve system management and operation. The CMP should result in a system with specified performance measures and strategies that enhance the goals of the MPO s regional transportation plan (RTP) and reflected in the transportation improvement plan (TIP). Developing the Congestion Management Process The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) defines congestion management as the application of strategies to improve transportation system performance and reliability by reducing the adverse impacts of congestion on the movement of people and goods. The congestion management process (CMP) is a process that examines the causes of congestion, identifies and prioritizes the most congested areas in a locality or region, and develops strategies to reduce the congestion and increase mobility. The ability to recognize and manage congestion of the transportation system has improved dramatically over the past 20 years. With the advent of technology that can provide monitoring of travel conditions, such as traffic volume, speed, travel time, and roadway video surveillance systems, the ability to capture data and respond in a timely manner provides a whole host of management tools never before available. The Congestion Management Process Steering Committee The TCAG Congestion Management Process Steering Committee (CMPSC) was formed in August 2014 to oversee development of the CMP in Tulare County. The steering committee consists of representatives from the eight incorporated cities, the County of Tulare, Caltrans, and TCAG staff. The FHWA also participates in steering committee meetings through off-site media. Among the CMPSC s primary responsibilities are to evaluate the significance and extent of congestion in Tulare County, both from a rural and urban perspective, establish the CMP network of regional roads and intersections to be monitored for congestion, develop regional objectives for congestion management which draw on the regional vision and goals articulated in TCAG s RTP, establish performance measures that identify, assess, and communicate performance of the system to local decision makers for project selection, and to prepare strategies on which to mitigate potential system breakdowns before they become a significant problem. Additional responsibilities of the committee include obtaining signoff on the CMP from the various TCAG committees and Board of Governors and making the necessary adjustments to the TCAG planning process to fully integrate the CMP in time for TCAG s certification review in

10 2. THE CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROCESS: The Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) has developed an eight-step process for preparing the CMP which is described in detail in their publication Congestion Management Process: A Guidebook. Figure 1 shows the main steps in the CMP process. As can be seen in the diagram below, the process is both cyclical and ongoing in nature. The steps in preparing a CMP include: 1) Formation of a CMP Steering Committee: The CMP steering committee is responsible for making decisions on the content of the CMP, getting buy-in from the TCAG Board of Governors and other stakeholders, and advising TCAG on adjustments to their planning process in preparation for their 2017 Certification Review with FHWA. 2) Develop a list of regional objectives: the CMP objectives define what Tulare County wants to accomplish in regard to congestion management. The objectives are generally derived from the 2014 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and will serve to further the RTP s goals and objectives in reducing congestion. 3) Define the CMP network: This step defines what elements of the local transportation system will be the focus of the CMP. The CMP network includes all of the state highways and several key arterials in the County, as well as numerous urban and rural intersections which will be monitored for levels of congestion. 4) Develop multi-modal performance measures: performance measures will allow staff to gage the success of the CMP in relation to its stated goals and objectives. Adjustments can then be made to mitigate problem areas. 5) Data collection / monitor system performance: data will continue to be collected on the CMP network and local urban and rural intersections to determine how the network is performing and the effectiveness of CMP strategies. 6) Analyze any areas of congestion: Any areas where congestion is occurring or is expected are analyzed and the sources of that congestion considered. 7) Identify and apply strategies that implement regional objectives: the CMP should consider what strategies are appropriate to the location in mitigating existing or future congestion. This could include a wide range of studies conducted as part of the RTP. 4 8

11 8) Evaluate effectiveness of the CMP strategies: are the imitative strategies applied to congested locations working? An assessment must be made and new or modified strategies applied as necessary. The Figure 1 Congestion Management Process (Source: FHWA Congestion Management Process: A Guidebook) 3. CMP Goals and Objectives The Tulare County Congestion Management Process incorporates a set of objectives that were based on the goals established in TCAG s 2014 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Tulare County's steady growth rate increases the demand on the transportation system. In some cases, traffic has exceeded roadway capacity and mitigation measures are needed to relieve capacity problems. Tulare County continues to increase efforts to expand alternative modes of transportation. In spite of these efforts, the automobile continues to be the primary mode of transportation in the County. As a result, it will be important to increase capacity at various existing roadways and new facilities to relieve congestion and improve air quality. Utilization of Transportation System Management (TSM), Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Transportation Control Measures (TCM) and 5 9

12 by encouraging development and improvement of alternate modes of transportation, it is expected that Tulare County's circulation system will increase efficiency. Without such programs and improvements, urbanized areas will begin to experience increased congestion and contribute to air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley. In general, the Tulare County CMP objectives focus on operational improvements and management of our transportation facilities, emphasize the importance of sustainable land use development on congestion management, and promote the development of an integrated multi-modal transportation system: Support projects which result in the development of an efficient and connected regional circulation system that provides maximum achievable mobility and accessibility for all modes of travel. Support circulation projects that maintain and improve performance, safety, and security. Support projects which improve the operation and efficiency of public transportation in Tulare County, such as transit, bicycling, pedestrian and passenger rail systems. Support projects which improve the efficiency of goods movement in Tulare County (including farm to market products) such as improved truck circulation projects, road rehabilitation, and highway interchange improvements. 4. The CMP Network Tulare County's steady growth rate is increasing demands on the existing transportation system. In some cases, traffic has exceeded roadway capacity and mitigation measures are needed to relieve congested areas. In order to provide a fair assessment of the transportation system in the region, traffic conditions should be studied countywide in the congestion management process. However, due to limited resources, the facilities that were studied in this process are limited to Regionally Significant Roads that are to maintain and improve access between cities, accommodate a high level-of-service access to and within the Visalia-Tulare Area, and to link regionally significant commercial, education, industrial and recreational facilities. The criteria used to establish the regionally significant system included factors such as functional classification, service to regional facilities, connection of regional facilities, and amount of current and future projected use. The Tulare County CMP Network was approved by the CMPSC in March As shown on Figure 2 below, the network consists of most of the state 6 10

13 freeways and highways within the valley portion of Tulare County. In addition, several key arterials are part of the network. These include: Avenue 416 from State Route 416 to the Kings County line. Road 80 from State Route 198 to the Fresno County line. Avenue 280 from State Route 65 to the Kings County line. Road 140 from State Route 216 to State Route 137. Orange Belt Avenue between Porterville and Lindsay. The network will be monitored for congestion on an ongoing basis using performance measures adopted in the CMP. Areas which display increasing congestion over time will be considered for funding and improvements in accordance with strategies in the CMP and the 2014 RTP. 7 11

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15 Attachment B Potential CMP Performance Measures (Condensed from list provided ) Type of Measure Localized/Corridor Regional/Sytem Measures Measures Congestion Intensity (travel time measures) Travel speed (mph) Average regional commute time Average delay time (i.e. the diff. beteen travel time and free flow time) Travel time index (ratio of peak period to nonpeak period time) Congestion Extent (delay measures) Accessability Reliability Total delay on roadway (i.e. the average delay time per vehicle times (X) the number of vehicles) Number of jobs/households within a defined distance or travel time from location Planning time index (ratio of 95th pecentile travel time to free flow travel time) Average regional commute time (by mode) Share of regional jobs/households within 1/4 mile of transit Share of freeway segments wilh a plnning time index over a particular threshold Crash rate by intersection or route Number of incidents Average buffer index for commute trips Regional crash rate Transit Travel Amount of transit crowding Percentage of buses exceeding capacity Availability of Service modes Existence/extent of bicycle lanes Miles of bicycle lanes or paths Existence/extent of pedestrian facilities (countdown signals, painted crosswalks, etc.) Land use Existence of high frequency bus service Jobs/housing balance within area/zone Jobs/housing balance across an area/zone 13