Action Summary
Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization Board Meeting
December 15, 2011
The Regional Board Room, 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia

1.    CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by the Chair at approximately 10:50 a.m.

2.    HRTPO RESOLUTIONS OF APPRECIATION
The HRTPO Board recognized Board of Supervisor Members Mr. Christian D. "Buddy" Rilee, Mr. Stan D. Clark and Mr. Bruce C. Goodson, representatives for Gloucester County, Isle of Wight County and James City County for their contributions to the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.

3.    PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
There were no public comments.

4.    COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD MEMBER COMMENT PERIOD
Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) member Aubrey Layne expressed that he hopes the HRTPO Board continues to maintain united as the CTB members look to this entity for guidance.  Mr. Layne also indicated that although there are a number of regional projects in need of funding, the Hampton Roads region has received more transportation dollars than in decades.

5.    SUBMITTED PUBLIC COMMENTS
Submitted written public comments were provided to the HRTPO Board.

6.    APPROVAL OF AGENDA
At the request of Mr. Dwight Farmer, HRTPO Executive Director, Agenda Item #13 CTB Evaluation of Local Maintenance Payments was moved to the beginning of the Regular Agenda.  The amended Agenda was approved.

CONSENT AGENDA:
Agenda items under the Consent Agenda were approved by the HRTPO Board.

7.    Minutes
8.    FY 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Program: Suffolk
9.    FY 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Program: Reallocation of RSTP Funds

 
REGULAR AGENDA:
13.    CTB Evaluation of Local Maintenance Payments
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board agreed to provide comments to VDOT.

10.    HRTPO Business Transportation Advisory Committee
This item was for discussion.  The HRTPO Board took no action on this agenda item.

11.    Recommended CMAQ Projects and Allocations
The HRTPO Board approved the CMAQ projects and allocations as described in the attachment as well as the associated TIP Amendments to account for the changes in FY 2012 through FY 2015 CMAQ allocations on current CMAQ projects.

12.    Regional Safety Study – General Crash Data and Trends Update 2011
The HRTPO Board approved the report.

14.    Route 58 Lane Reversal Alternatives for Evacuation Project
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board agreed to provide comments to VDOT.

15.    HRTPO Freight Transportation Advisory Committee Outreach Video
The HRTPO Board agreed to disseminate the video via locality/agency websites and/or local public service television channels.

16.    2034 Long-Range Transportation Plan: Draft Report
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board took no action on this agenda item.

17.    I-264 Corridor Crash Study
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board agreed to provide comments to VDOT.

18.    Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Comments and Updates
Ms. Amy Inman reported on the Amtrak Virginia: Next Stop Norfolk project construction progress.

19.    HRTPO Board Action Items: Three-Month Tentative Schedule
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board took no action on this item.  Mr. Dwight Farmer, HRTPO Executive Director, indicated that the HRTPO 2012 Retreat typically scheduled for the month of February has been tentatively scheduled for May 2012.

20.    Correspondence of Interest
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board took no action on this item.

21.    For Your Information
This item was for informational purposes only.  The HRTPO Board took no action on this item.

22.    Old/New Business
Captain Mary Jackson, United States Navy, indicated that Rear Admiral Townsend G. Alexander Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, has requested to brief the HRTPO Board at its January 2012 meeting.  Mr. Dwight Farmer, HRTPO Executive Director, reported that representatives from VDOT are scheduled to brief the HRTPO Board at its January 2012 meeting on the latest developments of the Downtown Tunnel/Midtown Tunnel/MLK Freeway Extension PPTA project.

ADJOURNMENT

By Kendall Miller,
Public Involvement and Community Outreach Administrator/Title VI Coordinator

The HRTPO’s Freight Transportation Advisory Committee (FTAC) has produced an outreach
video highlighting the importance of freight movement to the region.

As part of its  mission to conduct public outreach activities that help TPO efforts to explain and help
raise awareness of the importance of freight transportation to the region….” As a result, the FTAC has
produced the video, entitled  “A Region United”, which indicates the importance of freight to the
average local citizen. This video premiered at the Virginia Freight Transportation Summit on December
6, 2011.

The FTAC intends to distribute the video to a wide audience, including using the video as
members speak to various groups (e.g. Chambers of Commerce) regarding the importance of
accommodating the movement of freight.  To view the FTAC video, click here.

By Kendall L. Miller,
Public Involvement and Community Outreach Administrator/Title VI Coordinator

At the December 2011 HRTPO Board meeting, HRTPO Board Vice - Chair Alan Krasnoff,  presented Resolutions of Appreciation to Board of Supervisor members Christian D. "Buddy" Rilee, Stan D. Clark and Bruce C. Goodson, representatives for Gloucester County, Isle of Wight County and James City County for their contributions to the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.

Mr.  Rilee is leaving the Gloucester Board of Supervisors as the representative of the Abingdon District after eight years in office.  Brenda Garten (Gloucester) accepted the Resolution on behalf of Mr. Rilee who had a conflict in his schedule and could not attend.

Mr. Clark, who has served on the Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors as a representative of the Newport District, ends his term of service after 13 years in office. Accepting his Resolution, Mr. Clark observed that the HRTPO “was filled with some best in brightest” staff in the region.

Mr. Goodson was first elected to the James County Board of Supervisors in 1999 and re-elected in 2003.   Mr. Goodson is a representative of the Roberts District.  Mr. Goodson accepted the Resolution, saying it had been “an exceptional experience, having working with such exceptional people at the HRTPO”.

By Robert B. Case, PE
Principal Transportation Engineer

On December 6, freight stakeholders from the public and private sectors met in Norfolk to advance the “critical needs of freight movement throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia” at the inaugural “Virginia Freight Transportation Summit” hosted by the HRTPO’s Freight Transportation Advisory Committee (FTAC) and the Port of Virginia.

After being welcomed by Bill Bell, co-chair of the HRTPO’s Freight Transportation Advisory Committee (FTAC), and Sean Connaughton, Virginia Secretary of Transportation, participants viewed the premiere of the FTAC video A Region United which explains the importance of working together to accommodate freight movement in order to improve the local economy and citizen’s lives. 

Following the video, participants listened to and asked questions of the following speakers:
•    Alan Meyers (Cambridge Systematics)                topic: Virginia Freight Study
•    Samuel K. Skinner (ex- US Secretary of Transportation)        keynote address

In addition, Chris Luebbers (Norfolk Southern) led a discussion of how “Virginia’s Competitive Position & Economic Growth Relies on Efficient Freight Transportation” including the following speakers:
•    Fredrik Eliasson (CSX Transportation)
•    Harry Haney (Kraft Foods)
•    Jim Clarke (Jones Lang LaSalle)

And Rodney Oliver (Va. Port Authority) led a discussion of “The Importance of Considering Freight in Transportation Policy, Planning, Prioritization and Investment” including the following speakers:
•    David Cuneo (Steere Davies Gleave)
•    Christopher Smith (American Assoc. of State Highway and Transportation Officials)

Finally, Janet Kavinoky (US Chamber of Commerce), the evening speaker, advised the participants to invite to next year’s summit more representatives from companies which rely heavily on the shipment of freight.

By: Keith Nichols
Senior Transportation Engineer

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Hampton Roads metropolitan planning area, has completed the DRAFT General Crash Data and Trends - 2011 Update Report.
In 2001, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission initiated the Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study, a comprehensive analysis of highway safety throughout the region.  This study included sections examining General Crash Data and Trends, Interstate and Intersection Crash Findings, and Crash Analysis and Countermeasures. 

The HRTPO staff updates the General Crash Data and Trends portion of the Regional Safety Study on a biennial basis.  Similar to previous editions, the 2011 Update includes an analysis of crashes, injuries, and fatalities on a regional and jurisdictional level, and comparisons are made with other metropolitan areas as well as statewide and national figures.

Click Here to view a copy of the draft document.

All interested parties are encouraged to review the draft report and send comments to Mr. Keith Nichols at knichols@hrpdcva.gov or by mail to 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia 23320. The deadline for comments on this draft report is November 16th, 2011.

By: Keith Nichols
Senior Transportation Engineer

With water being such a prominent part of the Hampton Roads landscape, bridges are a critical part of the regional transportation system.  There are over 1,200 bridges in Hampton Roads, ranging from small culverts to some of the longest bridges in the world. 

Of these 1,214 bridges in Hampton Roads, 77 are classified as structurally deficient.  Structurally deficient bridges are structures with elements that need to be monitored and/or repaired, and eventually need to be rehabilitated or replaced.  It should be noted, however, that structurally deficient bridges are not necessarily unsafe, and bridge inspectors will close or place weight limits on any bridge that is unsafe.

Examples of prominent structurally deficient bridges in Hampton Roads include the Gilmerton Bridge, Lesner Bridge, Denbigh Boulevard Bridge over I-64 in Newport News, Churchland Bridge, and a segment of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

In addition, another 271 bridges in Hampton Roads are classified as functionally obsolete.  Functionally obsolete bridges are structures that were built to standards that are no longer used today, and have narrow lanes, low vertical clearances, difficult approaches, or may occasionally be flooded.

VDOT has made improving bridges a priority, both in Hampton Roads and throughout the Commonwealth.  A total of 27 bridge projects in Hampton Roads are included in the current Six-Year Improvement Program, with a total of $339 million in allocations.  Many structurally deficient bridge projects are funded, including the Gilmerton Bridge, Lesner Bridge, and Denbigh Boulevard Bridge over I-64.

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization completed a thorough study of bridges in 2008.  This study is available at the HRTPO website at http://hrtpo.org/Documents/Reports/2008/RegionalBridgeStudyFinalReport.pdf.

Structurally Deficient and Functionally Obsolete Bridges in Hampton Roads

By Rob Case, Principal Transportation Engineer

In its first eight weeks with paying riders, the Tide has served approximately 5,000 trips per weekday.  Given that an analysis prepared for HRT prior to construction forecasted weekday ridership of 2,920 for the opening year and 7,130 for the year 2030, the early ridership is higher than expected.

Brian Chenault
Community Outreach Planner

At its October 2011 meeting, the HRTPO Board unanimously approved the 2011-2012 Citizens Guide to Transportation, the latest effort to help Hampton Roads citizens gain a better understanding of the transportation planning process and outline how they can become involved in that process.

Developed over the past year, the Citizens Guide provides the public with a consolidated, straightforward source of information about Hampton Roads and the projects, programs, and work of the HRTPO.  The first of its kind among Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Transportation Planning Organizations (TPOs) across the country, the Citizens Guide is  presented as a 2-pocket folder of pull-out inserts that are organized so that readers can quickly and easily find out, among other things, how transportation projects are prioritized and selected, who makes up the HRTPO, and the ways in which the public can provide their insight and knowledge about the transportation problems and needs of Hampton Roads.  The Citizens Guide also features a list of commonly used acronyms and information on who may be contacted for more information. 

The Citizens Guide will play a vital role in achieving the public involvement and community outreach goals of HRTPO, and help ensure that individuals from all walks of life have the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes concerning how their transportation dollars are spent in Hampton Roads.   

To pick up a hard copy of the Citizens Guide, please visit us at 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23320 or call Brian Chenault, Community Outreach Planner, at 757-420-8300.   An interactive, online version of the Citizens Guide will also soon be placed on our website (www.hrtpo.org).