Action Summary - HRTPO Board Meeting January 17, 2019 | E Newsletter Articles | News | Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization

Added on January 30, 2019

by Kathlene Graugberger, Transportation Planner

January 17, 2019

The Regional Board Room, 723 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by the Chair at 10:36 a.m.

Vice-Chair John Rowe introduced Mr. Shannon Glover as the newest HRTPO Voting Alternate member representative the City of Portsmouth.

2. Approval of Agenda

The HRTPO Board unanimously approved the agenda as written.

3. Executive Director Report

Mr. Robert Crum provided a summary of current work activities of the HRTPO with particular note of the following:

HRTPO staff is working with its Community Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) to expand its opportunities to provide input into other regional planning initiatives. A briefing will be provided to the Board next month.
On January 31, 2019, HRPDC and HRTPO members will present the region’s legislative priorities to the Hampton Roads Caucus in Richmond.
On December 13, 2018, the HRTPO Board took action to approve a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment for the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) Expansion Project for $3.562 billion with the condition that the public comment period would proceed from December 13, 2018 through January 4, 2019. HRTPO staff received 248 public comments, none of which rose to the level that would hinder the project from moving forward. Staff is currently responding to these comments.
HRTPO staff recently received news that the State has recommended approval of the HRTPO SMART SCALE application of $200 million for the I-64 HRBT Expansion project. The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) will take action on the recommended projects in June 2019.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

4. Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) Members Update

Mr. John Malbon stated that two companies presented their technical proposals for the I-64 HRBT Expansion project to the CTB this past week. He noted that the HRTPO SMART SCALE submittal for that project received scores of 100 percent in both the congestion and accessibility sub-categories; within the District Grants Program, 23 projects in the region were recommended to receive SMART SCALE funds.

Mr. Sheppard Miller stated that the proposed I-64 HRBT Expansion project scored the highest in eight of the 14 sub-categories of the SMART Scale scoring process.

5. Virginia Department of Transportation Update

Mr. Christopher Hall reported that the Hampton Roads region had the most recommended projects within the state for the SMART SCALE District Grants Program. He indicated that the January 2019 HRTAC Program Development Monthly Executive Report was included at the table as a handout. He stated that work is in the final stages for Segment II of the I-64 Peninsula Widening project and is on schedule for completion in May 2019. Median clearing and lane shifting is currently underway on Segment II of the I-64 Peninsula Widening project. The two main bridges of the I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvements Phase I project will soon open to traffic and completion of this phase is also on schedule. Finally, the I-64 Southside Widening and High Rise Bridge – Phase I project is moving forward and the State has received all permits required by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard, and the contractor is now able to begin work on the bridge fender system in the Elizabeth River.

6. Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) Update

Mr. Chris Arabia reported that the application period for the DRPT Grant programs is currently underway with a submission deadline of February 1, 2019.

7. Virginia Port Authority Update

Ms. Cathie Vick reported that four new ship-to-shore cranes, the largest cranes within both North and South America, have arrived at the Virginia International Gateway (VIG) Facility in Portsmouth. With the cranes in place, only the south rail bundle is needed to complete the project. At Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), nine new rail-mounted gantry crane stacks are now online. The Norfolk Harbor Deepening and Widening project is moving forward with the sampling and design work. The bid package for Thimble Shoals West will be out by June of this year with dredges in the water by January 2020. The VPA received a BUILD grant to enhance the capacity of the Virginia Inland Port and to complete a grade separation at the gates. Finally, the Freight Transportation Advisory Committee (FTAC) to the HRTPO has reconvened and will hold bi-monthly meetings.

8. HRT and WATA Updates

Mr. Ray Amoruso stated that HRT is currently surveying both its customers and non-HRT customers regarding transit with the survey located online at www.transformtransit.com. HRT plans to redefine its transit network with a blank slate approach reviewing different service scenarios and bringing them forth to its partners and the general public. HRT has submitted its Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan to DRPT under deadline.

There was no representative in attendance from WATA.

Chair Shepperd welcomed Ms. Jessie Yung to the HRTPO Board meeting and invited her to provide comments. Ms. Yung thanked the Board for welcoming her to participate in the meeting.

9. Community Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC) Update

Ms. Terry Danaher reported that CTAC has been in discussion with HRTPO staff regarding expanding its role within the HRTPO and HRPDC. CTAC elected Mr. Carlton Hardy as its Vice-Chair. CTAC received a legislative update from HRTPO Executive Director Crum with CTAC transmitting a letter of support with regard to the legislative priorities of the HRTPO.

10. Military Liaisons Updates

Captain Michael Moore, representing the U.S. Navy, provided VDOT with concurrence of the initial design and layout of the HRBT and is standing by to review the final design following the next milestone.

There was no representative in attendance from Joint Langley-Eustis.

There was no representative in attendance from the U.S. Coast Guard.

11. Hampton Roads Regional Express Lanes Operational Analysis – Christopher Hall, VDOT

Mr. Christopher Hall, VDOT Hampton Roads District Engineer, briefed the HRTPO Board on the study, which is currently underway, and stated VDOT is seeking HRTPO Board endorsement of the Hampton Roads Regional Express Lanes Network – Traffic Operations Framework Document, that specifies the scope and analysis methods for the study.

After extensive discussion, during which HRTPO Board members asked questions and commented on scenarios that should be evaluated, including toll pricing sensitivity, the HRTPO Board unanimously voted not to endorse the framework document until a more extensive briefing is provided by VDOT, to include a scope that takes into account the comments provided today.

12. Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) Agreement: Overview and Discussion – Robert Crum and Michael Kimbrel, HRTPO

Mr. Robert Crum, HRTPO Executive Director, reported that during the HRTPO Board meeting of December 13, 2018, a member noted a December 2, 2018 op-ed article from the Virginian-Pilot regarding tolls on the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels and their impacts on the City of Portsmouth and requested a briefing by HRTPO staff. Mr. Crum provided background information regarding the ERC Agreement between VDOT and ERC while Mr. Michael Kimbrel, HRTPO Deputy Executive Director, provided details from the agreement. He noted that, according to the agreement, ERC has the right to receive compensation for financial damages resulting from improvements to specific alternate facilities which includes the expansion of the HRBT.

After discussion, the HRTPO Board unanimously voted to create a working group comprised of HRTPO Chair Thomas Shepperd, HRTAC Chair Michael Hipple, Mayor Kenneth Alexander, Mayor Donnie Tuck, Mayor John Rowe, CTB Member Sheppard Miller, CTAC Chair Terry Danaher, and VPA representative Cathie Vick, to define a strategy moving forward with regard to the ERC Agreement.

13. HRBT and VITAL Infrastructure – Keith Nichols, HRTPO

Mr. Keith Nichols, HRTPO Principal Transportation Engineer, briefed the HRTPO Board regarding the VDOT study on the funding needs of structures referred to as Very Large, Indispensable Transportation Asset List (VITAL) Infrastructure. Based on the VDOT review, 13 of the 25 VITAL facilities throughout the Commonwealth are located in Hampton Roads, with the south approach of the westbound HRBT listed as the only one currently in poor condition based on federal standards.

MEETING AGENDA

14. Public Comment Period (limit 3 minutes per individual)

A citizen from Portsmouth expressed his concern regarding the proposed tolling of I-81 throughout the Commonwealth.

A citizen from Portsmouth expressed his concern with regard to the ERC Agreement.

15. Submitted Public Comments

There were no submitted public comments in the agenda packet.

16. Transcribed Public Comments From Previous HRTPO Meeting