Memorandum. All Members of the CMCOG Rail Transit Committee. Larry Cooke, Chairman. DATE: January 5, SUBJECT: Next Meeting B January 12, 2006

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1 Memorandum TO: FROM: All Members of the CMCOG Rail Transit Committee Larry Cooke, Chairman DATE: January 5, 2006 SUBJECT: Next Meeting B January 12, 2006 Please be advised that the business of the CMCOG Rail Transit Committee will be conducted on January 12 th, at 2:00 p.m. in the CMCOG Conference Room. Enclosed, please find support materials for your review. The CMCOG would like to thank you for your service and participation. The Rail Transit Committee serves as an integral part of our transportation planning process and is often a key step for review and approval of rail transportation projects which affect our region. Your service is admirable and appreciated. If you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Reginald Simmons of the CMCOG Staff. Reginald can be reached at or by at rsimmons@centralmidlands.org. I look forward to meeting with you on January 12 th ; please don t forget to mark your calendars! Enclosures G:\COATS MPO-Reginald\High Speed-Light Rail Committee\Agendas\Rail Transit Committee Notice Only.doc Serving Local Governments in South Carolina's Midlands 236 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, SC (803) FAX (803) Web Site:

2 AGENDA RAIL TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETING: THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, :00 PM TO 4:00 PM CMCOG CONFERENCE ROOM 1. Welcome, Introductions, and Call to Order...Larry Cooke 2. Approval of November 10, 2005 Minutes...Entire Group (Enclosure 1) 3. Review of November 10 th Meeting Discussion... Brett Wallace 4. Base Studies Review... Javier Aguilar Presentation of literature review findings relevant to the Central Midlands Commuter Rail Study. 5. Peer Cities Interview Findings... Javier Aguilar Summary of additional information received from telephone interviews conducted with transit / planning representatives in Eugene, OR; Burlington, VT; Greensboro, NC; Albuquerque, NM; Nashville, TN; and Charlotte, NC. 6. Mass Transit Modes and Technologies...Brian Piascik Discussion of defining elements of various transit modes, including commuter rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit. 7. Data Review...Brian Piascik Analysis of relevant demographic and transportation data to support the modeling task associated with this study. 8. Public Participation Plan... Brett Wallace Presentation of the implementation strategy of the public participation plan. (Enclosure 2) 9. Freight Movements...Brian Piasick Discussion of current rail freight movements along the three candidate corridors for commuter rail service. 10. Review Schedule and Upcoming Tasks...Brian Piascik Comments on upcoming tasks and the schedule for future meetings. 11. Chairman Remarks...Larry Cooke 12. Old/New Business...Larry Cooke 13. Public Comments... Open 14. Adjourn...Larry Cooke G:\COATS MPO-Reginald\High Speed-Light Rail Committee\Agendas\Rail Transit Agenda.doc

3 Enclosure 1 MINUTES The Rail Transit Committee Meeting met at Central Midlands Council of Governments on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Ward Braswell, City of Newberry Michael Criss, Richland County Larry Cooke, Richland County Jim Duckett, Lexington County Marshall Hoefer- Richland County Glennith Johnson, SCDOT Michael Juras, DHEC Frank Macchiaverna, Norfolk Southern Carnell Murphy, Fairfield County Lil Mood, Chapin Stan Shealy, Mayor, Chapin Avery Wilkerson, Cayce CMCOG PERSONNEL Norman Whitaker, Executive Director Reginald Simmons, Staff Gregory Sprouse, Staff Shelia Bell-Ford, Staff OTHER ATTENDEES (COMPANY/AGENCY/JURISDICTION) Jaiver Aguilar, URS Corp Skip Hudson, City of Columbia Todd O Dell, Batesburg-Leesville Jonathan Marcy, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Brett Wallace, URS Corp WELCOME/INTRODUCTIONS/CALL TO ORDER - Larry Cooke called meeting to order. Introductions of new/present members and visitors were made. APPROVAL OF THE OCTOBER 6TH MEETING MINUTES- Minutes was approved. REVIEW OF KICK-OFF MEETING S DISCUSSION- Mr. Simmons thanked everyone for attending the meeting today; there are some new people who have been asked to serve on the Committee. In the process of completing this study members were invited to join and helping to get the study off the ground. He also thanked the planning departments that may be affected along the rail lines of the study. He noted that if this is to be a successful venture; their active participation is needed for developing a transit oriented environment to make the project work. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY- Brett Wallace, URS Corp. informed committee members that they are updating the R.L. Banks study that was completed a few years ago. One of the main items that came from the study was the three (3) primary corridors: Columbia to Newberry, Columbia to Camden, and Columbia to Batesburg-Leesville that should be looked at in more G:\COATS MPO-Reginald\High Speed-Light Rail Committee\Minutes\Rail Minutes doc 1

4 details in the future to see how conditions have changed the implementation strategy that will be used in the development of commuter rail service in the Central Midlands region. He noted that the task ahead is to revisit the feasibility of commuter rail or some other type of high capacity transit mode in the coming years. He explained that URS will view how conditions have changed since the last study and will ultimately give a step by step implementation guide of what the needs are to plan for commuter rail in the future. Mr. Wallace presented a powerpoint presentation that gave a detail description of how commuter rail will be implemented. Jaiver Aguilar, URS Corp. explained that the demographic information gathered was taken from the US census. An area along the corridor was viewed to give an idea of where the most populated areas were and to identify the different characteristics of people who will be serve. The information will be reviewed by age, income, and race, how many cars per household etc., to make sure the right stations will be identified. Mr. Aguilar explained that additional analysis will be done to determine the location of stations along each corridor. Once these locations have been identified, three to five mile boundaries will be identified to determine area of growth and development. Mr. Wallace explained that this strategy is commonly implemented to build ridership along a potential corridor. As an example, Mr. Wallace described Charlotte s north corridor line implementation by passing a half cent sales tax in 1998 dedicated for mass transit. Numerous towns/municipalities within Mecklenburg county adopted transit orient development policies encouraging development around the future rail stations, even though the train was years down the road. The north corridor which extends to Charlotte up to Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, and Mooresville these towns had transit oriented development policies in place for years. The train will not operate until 2009 or 2010 but policies were in place to demonstrate to the local officials and the Federal Transit Administration that they are creating the demand necessary to make this a viable option. After the sales tax was passed they started express bus service that express bus service has been going up and down I-77 especially with the recent increase of gas prices the ridership has increased. The bus service has increased and they are building a transit culture to the overwhelming growth in the area. Recently, new HOV lanes open on I-77 north of Charlotte which is benefiting the express bus service. Suggestions were made to arrange a meeting with a representative from CSX and Norfolk Southern regarding the usage of freight lines. PEER CITIES FINDINGS Mr. Wallace mentioned one of the most important things to come out of this project is a better understanding for all the stakeholders locally about how the situation in Columbia is similar and different to situations in other cities across the country. URS Corp. analyses on peer cities include Little Rock, AR; Eugene, OR; Burlington, VT; Greensboro, NC, Albuquerque, NM; Nashville, TN; and Charlotte, NC. These cities have implemented commuter rail or in the planning stages of implementing commuter rail or some other type of high capacity transit service. Also some of the areas are in the early stages of planning; however, technology has not been selected and some are under construction now and in the process of beginning service. A chart summarizing the peer city findings with corridor length, number of stations, cost, and type of technology considered, operator of service was distributed and discussed among the group. REVIEW SCHEDULE AND UPCOMING TASKS Next meeting is schedule for Thursday January, 12, :00 p.m. Brett Wallace, URS Corp will discuss the Complete Baseline Data Analysis with assessment of freight movements/issues and activity centers, park and ride locations-interim and long-range and travel demand model outputs. Initiate Corridor Analysis such as population/employment projections and technology trends/comparisons. G:\COATS MPO-Reginald\High Speed-Light Rail Committee\Minutes\Rail Minutes doc 2

5 CHAIRMAN REMARKS Mr. Cooke thanked everyone for input during the meeting regarding the thoughts on the railroad. OLD/NEW BUSINESS None PUBLIC COMMENTS None ADJOURN - G:\COATS MPO-Reginald\High Speed-Light Rail Committee\Minutes\Rail Minutes doc 3

6 DRAFT Public Participation Plan Enclosure 2 Introduction The Public Participation Plan for the Commuter Rail Feasibility Study explains the process to include input from a wide cross-section of people who live, work, or otherwise care how the transportation needs of the Central Midlands region will be met. The goal of the public participation process is a wellinformed public that contributes to decisions in a meaningful way. As part of this planning study, the consultant team will make a concerted effort to inform the public about project progress and findings and to seek input from the public to guide the development of the plan. The team will communicate with residents and stakeholders through the following mechanisms: 1. Stakeholder Interviews; 2. Presentations to Local Business Groups; and 3. Public Forums. Details regarding these proposed public participation methodologies are discussed below. 1. Stakeholder Interviews Task 1: Identify Stakeholders - The consultant team will gather background information and obtain insight from individuals who have expressed interest and involvement in establishing commuter rail within the Central Midlands region. These stakeholders will be interviewed to solicit their input and guidance and to obtain names of other interested parties and agencies who would be stakeholders in the project. A total of ten telephone interviews and ten face-to-face interviews will be conducted by various representatives of the Team, as proposed in the table below. An additional stakeholder interview should be held with a representative of the Town of Irmo (to be determined). Table 1: Proposed Stakeholder Interviews Name Title Agency / Organization Type of Interview Interviewer Avery Wilkerson Mayor City of Cayce Face-to-face URS Bob Coble Mayor City of Columbia Face-to-face URS Charlie Compton Planning Director Lexington County Telephone 3C Chip Land Deputy Director of City of Columbia Telephone 3C Planning / Zoning Christopher Phillips Director of Industrial CSX Transportation Face-to-face RWA Development Frank Macchiaverna Resident Vice Norfolk Southern Face-to-face RWA President for South Carolina Glennith Johnson Deputy Director SCDOT Division of Face-to-face URS Mass Transit Jim Duckett Assistant Town Town of Lexington Telephone 3C Administrator Joan B. Taylor Administrator Town of Batesburg- Telephone 3C Leesville Lill Mood CMRTA Board CMRTA; Midlands Face-to-face URS Member Friends of Public Transit Michael Criss Planning Director Richland County Telephone 3C CMCOG Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Page 1

7 DRAFT Public Participation Plan Name Title Agency / Organization Type of Interview Interviewer Michael Juras Community Right-to- DHEC Bureau of Air Telephone 3C Know Coordinator Quality Mitzi Javers Executive Director CMRTA Face-to-face URS Norman Whitaker Executive Director CMCOG Face-to-face URS Pat Smith Mayor / Board Town of Springdale / Face-to-face URS Chairman CMRTA Rollin Reynolds Planning / Zoning Kershaw County Telephone 3C Director Stan Shealy Mayor Town of Chapin Telephone 3C Ward Braswell Director of Planning City of Newberry Telephone 3C Ike McLeese Chief Executive Greater Columbia Face-to-face 3C Officer Chamber of Commerce John Dawkins County Councilman Newberry County Telephone 3C (URS = URS Corporation RWA = Ralph Whitehead Associates 3-C = Cherry Consulting of the Carolinas) Task 2: Develop Interview Questions for Stakeholders A series of questions will be asked to each of the stakeholders. These questions are primarily subjective in nature, and are intended to gauge the level of interest of key community representatives in commuter rail. The following questions are proposed for stakeholders (the direction of the conversations will dictate additional questions): Do you think there is a need for commuter rail service in the Central Midlands region? Have you heard requests for such a service from your community? What segments of the community would be attracted to such a service? What operational characteristics must the service have to be successful? What is a reasonable fare for such a service? Would you support local government funding to help sustain the service? If so, what are possible funding sources? What are potential barriers to implementation for commuter rail and high-capacity transit? Do you support changes in land use policy to create a more transit-supportive environment in these corridors? What ingredients are needed to make commuter rail a viable option? Would you use commuter rail? Would you use other technologies, such as express bus / Bus Rapid Transit? Task 3: Make Initial Contacts and Establish Interview Dates The consultant team will make initial contact with each of the stakeholders, establishing a convenient date and time for the interview. Initial contacts will be made starting on January 4, To the extent possible, face-to-face interviews will be scheduled on the same day as the January 12 Steering Committee meeting to conserve travel resources. Those interviews that can not be completed on that date will be scheduled to occur during the week of January 16, 2006 (grouping interviews to one or two days to minimize travel). Task 4: Conduct Interviews Interviews will be conducted by members of the consultant team in accordance with Table 1. CMCOG Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Page 2

8 DRAFT Public Participation Plan Task 5: Summarize Results of Interviews Pertinent findings from the stakeholder interviews will be summarized as part of the deliverables for this study. 2. Presentations to Local Business Groups The consultant team will develop a portable PowerPoint presentation addressing the goals and initial findings of the study. The presentation may also be uploaded to CMCOG s website and other municipal websites if desired. A series of up to five presentations to local business groups will be made. Local business groups are targeted through this participation technique due to the importance of the business community in establishing support for commuter rail service, and the potential of commuter rail and transit in general to enhance economic development opportunities for the Central Midlands region. It is suggested to conduct these meetings in the general time frame of the public forums (February 2006 see Public Forums discussion below). The following groups are proposed for a presentation about the project: Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce; Newberry County Chamber of Commerce; Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce; Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce; and Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce. This presentation would include findings from the base studies tasks, stakeholder interviews, and other study elements as appropriate. This presentation would be developed to be appropriate for presentations to business groups as well as for the public forums. A key team member from the consultant team will make these presentations. 3. Public Forums A series of four public forums will be held in accessible locations along the three corridors to offer local residents the opportunity to learn more about the project and to offer their input. The primary purpose of the forums will be to inform the public about the study; illustrate the background work, scenarios and planning that have been accomplished to date; and seek input on the viability of commuter rail. The forums will include a formal PowerPoint presentation and accompanying boards / displays as appropriate, plus time allocated for one-on-one discussion with attendees. The exact format will be determined through discussion with CMCOG, and all materials will be provided to CMCOG for review in advance of the scheduled dates. The forums may also include participatory activities to communicate the impacts of funding commuter rail (i.e. what are you willing to pay for commuter rail?), to educate the public on the choices that must be made to fund high-capacity transit. The consultant team will not be presenting a Draft Report at the forums; rather, input from the forums will be incorporated into the Draft Report. Proposed Timing of Forums: Forums should be scheduled for mid-february, to enable sufficient time to incorporate substantial study findings into the presentation. CMCOG Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Page 3

9 DRAFT Public Participation Plan Number and Location of Forums: Four forums will be held one in each of the three corridors and one in downtown Columbia. Locations should be reserved as far in advance as possible (preliminary telephone calls in mid-january to determine availability may help determine the actual dates of the forums). Possible forum locations include the following: Library Conference Rooms Senior Centers or Large YMCAs Conference Areas at Shopping Malls A suggested location for the downtown Columbia forum is the Main branch of the Richland County Library. The auditorium at the library works well for forums, is transit-accessible, and is free of charge. CMCOG will be responsible for reserving dates and locations for the forums. Publicity in Advance of Forums: The forums will be publicized through a variety of media outlets, including those such as the following: Local newspapers, including The State and other as appropriate; Listing on Governmental TV stations; Publication in Homeowner Association newsletters (in close proximity to corridors); and Acknowledgement on local governmental websites. The consultant team will provide flyers and a press release describing the forums, but the costs of advertising in printed media (e.g. The State) will be borne by CMCOG. Conduct of the Forums: It is recommended to involve Steering Committee members and other stakeholders in publicizing the forums, as well as in activities in conjunction with the forums themselves. Increasing their level of involvement will increase their sense of ownership in the project. The consultant team will maintain an attendance roster, to documents participation and provide a list of individuals who are potential stakeholders or advocates for project implementation. A scribe will be designated to record the comments made during the forums. If a sign-language interpreter is desired, CMCOG will provide this service. Key members of the consultant team will make the formal presentation at the forums, with staff from Cherry Consulting of the Carolinas to serve as scribe as assist as needed. CMCOG Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Page 4