BEST: Michigan Avenue Project September 9, 2015 Technical Committees Meeting Notes -- DRAFT

Transcription

1 RTA f Sutheast Michigan 1001 Wdward Avenue, Suite 1400 Detrit, MI BEST: Michigan Avenue Prject September 9, 2015 Technical Cmmittees Meeting Ntes -- DRAFT Subject BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Ntes DRAFT Date Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Time Lcatin Attendees 2:00 PM t 3:30 PM City f Dearbrn Cuncil Chambers, Michigan Avenue, Dearbrn, MI Prject Team and members f the BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Agenda The BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee meets n the secnd Wednesday f each mnth, at the same time and lcatin. 1. Welcme and Intrductins, Ben Stupka, RTA: a. Mr. Stupka prvided a brief verview f nging RTA activities. He then invited attendees t intrduce themselves. 2. Prject Update, Dan Meyers, AECOM: a. Mr. Meyers intrduced the agenda and prvided an update n the BEST: Michigan Avenue transit study. The finalized Purpse and Need dcument and assciated cmment dispsitin are psted t the study website at Further cmments are still welcme. The Purpse and Need will be presented t the RTA Planning and Service Crdinating Cmmittee and Bard n September 9 and 10, respectively. 3. Recap frm Last Meetings, Dan Meyers, AECOM: a. Mr. Meyers directed participants t cpies f the afternn s presentatin. He reviewed rles f the Plicy and Technical Cmmittees and prvided a recap f the August 12 cmbined Plicy and Technical Cmmittee meeting (meeting ntes are available n the prject website). The Technical Cmmittee will meet mnthly, and the Plicy Cmmittee will meet at least quarterly. 4. Public / Stakehlder Invlvement Activities, Caitlin Mally-Marcn, LSL Planning: a. Ms. Mally-Marcn intrduced the schedule fr Octber public pen huse events fr the study. She als prvided an verview f the frmat fr the pen huse sessins. The dates, lcatins and times are: Thursday, Octber 8th: Eastern Michigan University Cllege f Business, Ypsilanti (4-7 PM) Mnday, Octber 12th: Wayne Histrical Museum, Wayne (4-7 PM) Tuesday, Octber 13th: Arab American Natinal Museum, Dearbrn (4-7 PM) BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Meeting Ntes DRAFT 1

2 RTA f Sutheast Michigan 1001 Wdward Avenue, Suite 1400 Detrit, MI Wednesday, Octber 14th: Gaelic League, Crktwn, Detrit (4-7 PM) b. Questin/answer/cmment sessin regarding the pen huse sessins: Q: Might it be pssible t add a sessin in Ann Arbr? The University f Michigan (U-M) is back in sessin and shuld be cnsidered fr utreach. A: A Master Plan pen huse will be held in Ann Arbr, with participatin by the BEST: Michigan Avenue study. Because f this, RTA requested that BEST: Michigan Avenue hld its event in Ypsilanti. Additinal targeted utreach is under cnsideratin in Ann Arbr and at U-M. Cmm: Desire expressed fr an pen huse that is mre accessible t Inkster residents. A: Fllw-up utreach (a pp up venue) within Inkster was suggested and welcme. Q: What is the plan fr university and cllege utreach thrughut the crridr? A: RTA has engaged with Wayne State University thrugh a partnership with the Harriet Tubman Center. Pp-up events are in the planning stage fr campuses and ther activity centers (such as neighbrhd grcery stres) in the crridr. Other specific recmmendatins are welcme. c. Scial media update: Respnse thrugh MySidewalk has been acceptable and the team is cnsidering hw t increase site activity. The Prject Team is als cnsidering ther scial media pprtunities. RTA has been directing attentin t BEST: Michigan Avenue thrugh its Facebk and Twitter updates. 5. Tier 1 Screening Results, Julia Suprck, AECOM: a. Ms. Suprck ffered a review f transit mdes and services cnsidered fr the crridr (see presentatin n the prject website, slides 13-16). These mdes include lcal bus, Cmmuter/Reginal Rail, Highway Express Bus, Bus Rapid Transit (with lw and high capital investments), streetcar, and Light Rail Transit. b. Ms. Suprck referred t a handut with an evaluatin matrix fr the Tier 1 alternatives (see slide 17 f the presentatin). One evaluatin criterin, Ecnmic Develpment, was held frm the evaluatin pending further crdinatin with the BEST: Gratit Avenue study. Alternatives that did nt pass tw r mre f the Tier 1 evaluatin criteria were recmmended fr deferral as primary reginal mdes and services. Mdes recmmended fr further cnsideratin are Cmmuter/Reginal Rail and Bus Rapid Transit. c. Discussin regarding the Tier 1 evaluatin: Cmm: Request that M1 Rail be presented as a lcal example f streetcar mde. Q: If higher investment Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is nt financially feasible thrughut the crridr, might shrter segments f this mde be cnsidered where demand is highest? A: Yes. BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Meeting Ntes DRAFT 2

3 RTA f Sutheast Michigan 1001 Wdward Avenue, Suite 1400 Detrit, MI Cmm: One f the failing criteria fr streetcar was ridership capacity. Several examples f streetcar use linked vehicles in trains t achieve the required capacity, while maintaining ther characteristics f streetcar. Q: Cmmuter/Reginal Rail meets the demand fr reginal travel, s why did it fail the Reginal Cnnectivity criterin? What is needed is reginal travel services plus lcal access services. Cmmuter/Reginal Rail alternatives wuld include cnnecting bus service t the airprt, crrect? And is reginal Highway Express Bus deferred altgether? A: Cmmuter/Reginal Rail des nt directly access the airprt, which was ne reasn that it did nt pass the Reginal Cnnectivity criterin. The cmments are nted; the intent f the criterin was t assess the degree t which each alternative cnnected t the larger transprtatin netwrk (thereby supprting mbility thrughut the regin and beynd). The analysis f the criterin will be reframed t better reflect that. As part f the service planning that ccurs during the next phase f the prject (the detailed definitin f alternatives), a variety f lcal circulatin services may be cnsidered in cnjunctin with the reginal travel mdes and services. And Highway Express Bus may als be included t supplement alternatives. Q: Are the criteria equally weighted? A: Yes, and the Tier 1 Evaluatin reprt will explain why. This is a high-level, fatal flaw analysis. Cmm: High capacity transit is required in Ann Arbr t cnnect a reginal rail statin with majr destinatins. The Cnnectr prject (a prpsed high capacity transit link between dwntwn Ann Arbr, U-M campuses, and nrtheastern Ann Arbr) shuld be evaluated as part f reginal transit alternatives. Cmm: Highway Express Bus bypasses many cmmunities and its deferral is welcme. Q: Will an extensin f Cmmuter/Reginal Rail t Pntiac be cnsidered? A: Nt as part f BEST: Michigan Avenue, but the BEST: Master Plan, MDOT and SEMCOG are explring this cnnectin. Cmm: The terminlgy BRT Lw and High was used in the evaluatin. Lw sunds dergatry; suggest using ther terminlgy in the next tiers. Cmm: Cmmuter Rail as presented by MDOT and SEMCOG des nt include sufficient statin parking and lcal transit circulatin. These elements are required as part f a cmpelling lcal funding case. The cmmenter s recllectin is that Metra cmmuter rail in greater Chicag ffers rughly 500 parking spaces per statin n high frequency rutes and rughly 250 spaces per statin n rutes perating nly during cmmute hurs. A: Statin parking will be cnsidered in subsequent evaluatin tiers. Q: Ann Arbr is a large travel market. Might there be rm in the city fr a Reginal Rail statin in additin t the Amtrak/Intercity/Reginal Rail statin? A: This may be pssible as rail service levels increase in the future. Cmm: The Arbrland Shpping Center, n Washtenaw Avenue near US 23, is a frmer park and ride lcatin fr TheRide. An MDOT Access Management Crridr Study (pre-2010) shws a BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Meeting Ntes DRAFT 3

4 RTA f Sutheast Michigan 1001 Wdward Avenue, Suite 1400 Detrit, MI parking structure fr transit at the site. RTA is encuraged t give attentin t that reprt. Park and ride facilities in Ann Arbr are heavily utilized. 6. Alternatives fr Detailed Definitin, Jermie Winsr, AECOM: a. Mr. Winsr presented the alternatives prpsed fr detailed definitin and further evaluatin. These are: The N Build alternative, including lcal bus services with n significant change t existing transit services and facilities in the crridr. Cmmuter / Reginal Rail: Cmmuter Rail (up t 5 daily rund trips) using existing Amtrak statins and tw additinal statins in Ypsilanti and near Metr Airprt. Cmmuter Rail (up t 5 daily rund trips) with Cnsideratin f Additinal Statins. Reginal Rail near term: up t 8 near-term reginal rund trip trains plus Amtrak intercity trains, with cnsideratin f additinal statins. Reginal Rail extended term: up t 15 reginal rund trip trains, plus up t 10 rund trip Amtrak/Intercity trains, fr up t 25 ttal rund trip passenger trains in the crridr. Cnsideratin f additinal statins. Bus Rapid Transit: Full Crridr in Mixed Traffic Full Crridr with Dedicated Lanes b. Discussin regarding the Alternatives fr Detailed Definitin: Cmm: An alternative blending Reginal Rail with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is cmpelling and preferred t alternatives requiring multiple transit transfers. A: Once the nted alternatives are defined and evaluated, a hybrid alternative with multiple transit mdes will likely be develped fr further cnsideratin. Cmm: BRT as a feeder service t Reginal Rail is an interesting idea. Cmm: Reginal Express Bus wuld be an attractive cmpliment t all f the alternatives. c. BRT vide simulatin presentatin: Dan Meyers, AECOM, presented an example f vide animatin that was prepared fr a prject in Chapel Hill, Nrth Carlina. BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Meeting Ntes DRAFT 4

5 RTA f Sutheast Michigan 1001 Wdward Avenue, Suite 1400 Detrit, MI Next Meeting/ Next Steps a. The Tier 1 Evaluatin reprt will be circulated t Cmmittee members in the cming days. b. The Tier 2 alternatives will be defined fr presentatin at the Octber Open Huses, with a Detailed Definitin reprt t be drafted after these public utreach events. c. Develpment f Technical Methdlgy memranda in the cming weeks d. Public Open Huses, Octber 8-14 e. Next Technical Cmmittee meeting: Wednesday, Octber 14, 2:00 3:30 PM, Dearbrn Cuncil Chambers f. Next Cmbined Cmmittee meeting: Wednesday, Nvember 17, 2:00 3:30 PM, Dearbrn Cuncil Chambers g. The Tier 2 Evaluatin will be cmplete near the end f the calendar year. BEST: Michigan Avenue Technical Cmmittee Meeting Ntes DRAFT 5