Macon-Bibb - Planning - June 22nd, 2010

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	MATS - Policy - Committee Notice


	The next MATS Policy Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. in the Bibb County Engineering Annex, 760 Third St., Macon, GA 31201. The info below has the meeting agenda as well as information from the previous meeting. The dates for the other regularly scheduled meetings of this committee for the rest of the year are as follows: April 6th, August 3rd, and November 2nd. All meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Bibb Co. Engineering Annex. Please go ahead and put these meeting dates on your calendar. If you have any questions, please contact our office. Ken North Transportation Planner Macon-Bibb Co. Planning & Zoning Commission 478 751-7462

	MATS - Policy - Committee Minutes of -_______

	MATS POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING NOTICE DATE: Thursday, February 3, 2011 TIME: 9:30 a.m. PLACE: Bibb Co. Engineering Annex, 760 Third St., Macon, GA 31201 --Roll Call establishment of quorum --Approval of meeting agenda & minutes --Election of Officers --Committee Reports -TCC -CAC --Public Input (5 min./person limit) AGENDA ITEMS 1. House Bill 277 Update of status 2. Project Status Report Presented by Georgia D.O.T. -- Old Business -- New Business --Adjournment
	MATS POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING ATTENDANCE LIST December 8, 2010 Those Attending Representing 1. Jim Thomas* Damon King, Macon-Bibb P & Z Chairman 2. Lindsay Holliday* James Webb, CAC Chairman 3. Steve Layson Bibb County 4. Robert Reichert* Mayor, City of Macon 5. Tom Queen* Vance Smith Jr., Georgia D.O.T. Comm. 6. Ken North Macon-Bibb Co. Planning & Zoning Comm. 7. David Fortson Ken Sheets, Bibb County Engineer 8. Greg Floyd Macon-Bibb Planning & Zoning Comm. 9. Michel Wanna Macon-Bibb Water Authority 10. Michael Ryan Caution Macon 11. Mike Ford Ocmulgee Heritage Trail 12. Wimberly Treadwell WT Design Group 13. Van Etheridge Road Improvement Program 14. Pat Madison College Hill Alliance 15. Greg Brown Macon-Bibb Co. Planning & Zoning Comm. 16. Sam Hart* Chairman, Bibb Co. Commission 17. Stephen Adams Cliffard Whitby, Chairman, Industrial Authority 18. Elmo Richardson* Bibb County Commission 19. Ray Shell* Frank Amerson, Macon-Bibb Water Auth. Chairman 20. Joe Allen* Bibb County Commission 21. Bill Causey City Engineer 22. Kari Kitchens Bibb County 23. Steve Veader Citizens for Forest Hill Rd. 24. Don Tussing Macon-Bibb Co. Planning & Zoning Comm. *Voting Member

	MATS POLICY MINUTES DECEMBER 8, 2010 A meeting of the MATS Policy Committee was held on December 8, 2010 in the Bibb County Engineering Annex. There were eight voting members present, thereby establishing a quorum. The meeting agenda and minutes of the previous meeting were introduced and approved. Jim Thomas gave an overview of the Technical Committee meeting that took place on Nov. 23rd. Under the CAC report, Lindsay Holliday gave a presentation to the Policy Committee. He stated that additional noise barriers are needed as part of the I-75 widening project. Subsequently, a presentation of various types of noise barriers that are FHWA approved took place. In addition, Mr. Holliday also discussed the roundabout project on Lamar Rd. He was concerned about the excessive lighting cost for this project and stated that with LED lighting the cost could be reduced. Also, there was a discussion of the Forest Hill Rd. project by Lindsay Holliday. He commented that the traffic problem on this roadway could be alleviated by the redesign of the intersection at Ridge Ave. Therefore, the proposed construction on the northern section of Forest Hill Rd. would not be necessary. He stated that the traffic volumes on the roadway have actually decreased. Furthermore, the design alternative presented by Rick Chellman should also be taken into consideration. Joe Allen inquired about the roundabout project on Lamar Rd. and asked why this project is needed if there is currently a traffic signal at the intersection. After further discussion, it was discovered that the intersection originally discussed was the wrong location for the roundabout project on Lamar Rd. The roundabout project would actually be located at the intersection of Thomaston and Lamar Rd. Elmo Richardson also commented that the lighting cost for this project will be expensive because of safety issues. Under public input, Michael Ryan stated that additional sound barriers are needed along I-75. A study performed in 1996 indicated that the sound levels along the corridor from the I-75/I-16 interchange to Mercer University Dr. were in the range of 67 to 71 decibels. Mr. Ryan stated he had recently performed his own noise study which indicated that the exterior noise levels measured in the 70's along this corridor. Any sound level of 67 decibels or above qualifies for abatement and therefore, sound barriers should be installed along the entire corridor. The noise levels in this area have a negative effect on property values and this issue has been brought up before with the MATS Policy Committee. Tom Queen commented that originally there were no projects scheduled along the interstate at Mercer University Dr. so this area was not eligible for sound barriers. Mayor Reichert commented that he is attempting to see if sound barriers could be installed along sections of the interstate that are adjacent to connected projects. Since there are other related projects along the interstate, maybe the section of I-75 at Mercer University Dr. could qualify for sound barriers. In addition, Mayor Reichert also commented that he is trying to develop landscape projects along I-75 at Mercer University Dr. and Eisenhower Pkwy. Michael Ryan also added that sound barriers only comprise a small percentage of the total project cost and should be seriously considered in order to benefit the community. Joe Allen inquired if any of the area along I-75 at Hartley Bridge Rd. would qualify for noise abatement. A decision was made to contact the officials at GDOT about this matter. Finally under public input, Steve Veader, a Forest Hill Rd. resident, had some comments concerning the proposed road project. He stated that Forest Hill Rd. does not need to be widened because the Macon Mall is no longer a major trip destination for local residents. The next item on the agenda was the draft Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) presented by Greg Floyd. He discussed the purpose of the UPWP and explained that the document has been improved to make it more user friendly. The work elements in the UPWP were then reviewed and explained. Under MATS Coordination, it was stated that the state funding match for this program will not be available for this fiscal year. However, the state match would be available under the Transit & Multimodal training element. Mayor Reichert inquired if the amount of funding for this program would be sufficient and Jim Thomas replied that it would be. Mr. Thomas also stated that one of the work elements in the UPWP involved the update of the Long Range Transportation Plan. After further discussion, a motion was made to approve the draft UPWP which was passed by the Policy Committee. The enhancement projects were the next item discussed on the agenda. Jim Thomas presented a list of projects under the TEA grant program. The projects were the Tattnall Square Project, the Pine St. project (Phase II), and a section of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail project. Pat Madison from the College Hill Alliance reviewed the Tattnall Square project. He stated that this project would be sponsored by the City of Macon and would involve the construction of sidewalks along College Street. The sidewalks would be adjacent to Tattnall Square Park on College St. from Oglethorpe St. to Coleman Avenue. Wimberly Treadwell discussed the Pine St. and the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail projects. She commented that the Pine St. project would be a streetscape project from First St. to Spring Street. The matching funds for this project would be provided by the Medical Center. The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail project would be the section of the trail into the Ocmulgee Monument and would involve streetscape improvements on Clinton St. This project would be sponsored by Bibb County and would provide an important link with the Ocmulgee National Monument. After further discussion, a motion was made by Mayor Reichert and seconded by Elmo Richardson to endorse the enhancement projects which was subsequently approved. In addition, the Policy Committee also decided to add the Tattnall Square project to the Transportation Plan. The Project Status Report was presented by Tom Queen from Georgia D.O.T. He mentioned that a public hearing would be held on the roundabout project on Lamar Rd. on December 14th. He also addressed some questions about the lighting cost for this project by commenting that the estimated cost would be in the range of $175,000 to $325,000. Under Old/New Business, Mayor Reichert stated that he would like the MPO to continue to be involved with the House Bill 277 legislative process. The next meeting for H.B. 277 is scheduled to be held on December 16, 2010. The Mayor also commented that he has been appointed to co-chair the Task Force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in regards to high speed rail. Currently, Congress is trying to formulate a new transportation funding bill and high speed rail will be a part of this. Therefore, it is important to contact Congress regarding the new funding bill that includes appropriations for transit and high speed rail. Subsequently, this item should be on the agenda for the next MATS meeting. Finally, it was stated that Tom Queen would be retiring from GDOT at the end of January. Being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.

	From: Ken North <knorth@mbpz.org> To: "Vance Smith, Jr." <vsmith@dot.ga.gov>, Bert Liston <Margie.Tyson@jonescountyga.org>, Bill Causey <bill.causey@macon.ga.us>, Bob Lewis <rglewis@bellsouth.net>, Cliffard Whitby <mbcia@maconchamber.com>, Damon King <DamonKing@cox.net>, Dan Fischer <Fischer_DP@Mercer.edu>, Elmo Richardson <erichardson@co.bibb.ga.us>, Frank Amerson <jwright@maconwater.org>, Jim Cole <cole_jm@mercer.edu>, "James P. Thomas" <jpthomas@mbpz.org>, Joe Allen <joeallen@co.bibb.ga.us>, Ken Sheets <ksheets@co.bibb.ga.us>, Larry Childs <jc_comdist1@jonescountyga.org>, Lonnie Miley <lonnie.miley@macon.ga.us>, Milton Appling <vmappling@windstream.net>, Miriam Paris <miriam.paris@macon.ga.us>, Nigel Floyd <nfloyd@co.bibb.ga.us>, Ralph Nix <rnix@mgrdc.org>, Robert Reichert <r.reichert@macon.ga.us>, Rodney Barry <Rodney.Barry@fhwa.dot.gov>, Sam Hart <shart@co.bibb.ga.us>, Sharon Mobley <paynecity@yahoo.com>, Thomas Thomas <Thomas.Thomas@macon.ga.us>, Tom Hudson <tmhdsn@aol.com>, Tom McMichael <tdmcmichael@cox.net>, Tommy Robinson <jc_comdist3@jonescountyga.org>, Wayne Puckett <wayne.puckett@robins.af.mil>, Calder Pinkston <Calder@PinkstonLaw.com>, Don Tussing <dtussing@mbpz.org>, Gigi Cabell <gigi.cabell@cox.net>, Kelly Gwin <kgwin@dot.ga.gov>, Lindsay Holliday <teeth@mindspring.com>, Mike Underwood <mikeunderwood@windstream.net>, Oby Brown <obrown@macon.com>, Rick Hutto <rick.hutto@macon.ga.us>, Tony Rojas <tonyr@maconwater.org>, Van Etheridge <tdavis@maai.net>, Audrey Johnson <aujohnson@dot.ga.gov>, Cindy Van Dyke <cyvandyke@dot.ga.gov>, Greg Brown <gbrown@mbpz.org>, Greg Floyd <gfloyd@mbpz.org>, Heather Duncan <hduncan@macon.com>, Jason Mobley <jmobley@dot.ga.gov>, "Jean G. Brown" <jgbrown@mbpz.org>, Jennifer Burk <jburk@macon.com>, Kari Kitchens <kkitchens@co.bibb.ga.us>, Lee Martin <mermaidlover@bellsouth.net>, Michael Ryan <lmryan2003@yahoo.com>, mwanna <mwanna@maconwater.org>, Mike Stucka <mstucka@macon.com>, Mitchell Greenway <mitchell.greenway@stantec.com>, Radney Simpson <rsimpson@dot.ga.gov>, Ray Shell <rshell@maconwater.org>, Steve Layson <slayson@co.bibb.ga.us>, Tom Queen <tom.queen@dot.state.ga.us>,

Audio of Meeting was recorded by 2 people.

Policy Committee

Chairman – Sam Hart, Chairman, Bibb County Commission (Not present)

Vice-Chairman – Robert Reichert, Mayor, City of Macon

Miriam Paris - President, Macon City Council

Ric Hutto - proxy for Lonnie Miley -Chairman, City of Macon Public Works Committee

MATS Committee

Other Stories from The Meeting:

More Topics Discussed

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	News occuring after the meeting
	Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011 Transportation planning: Area’s Achilles heel By LEE BALLARD - Special to The Telegraph http://www.macon.com/2011/02/10/1445400/transportation-planning-areas.html The Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (Georgia HB 277) forces governments to work together as regions to plan rail, air and road projects. Two town hall meetings must be held this summer to receive public input on a draft regional project list. Meanwhile, three of the Middle Georgia region’s 11 counties are bumping heads. Bibb and Twiggs counties have separate ideas for a new road from I-16 crossing the Ocmulgee River. Houston County is improving Ga. 96 through Warner Robins aiming for Interstate 16. Concentrating on the upgrade of Ga. 96 to I-16 is a no-brainer. A two-lane roadbed and bridge across the river already exists considerably reducing the construction cost associated with starting from scratch. An upgraded Ga. 96 would adequately serve Robins Air Force Base and south Bibb County via the multilane Ga. 247. Macon officialdom ostensibly abandoned pursuit of scheduled airline service; yet the idea recently surfaced for a high-speed rail line to the Middle Georgia Regional Airport and possibly to Warner Robins. Currently neither location is planning for connecting air passenger service. Any future BRAC -- as happened in 2005 -- will likely evaluate public transportation. Airline service disappeared shortly after the last BRAC round. Houston County officials can smartly pick up the air passenger baton by seeking approval from Air Force officials to convert Robins Air Force Base to a joint-use facility -- civilian and military aircraft sharing use of the base runway -- perhaps using the proposed G-RAMP area for a terminal. Two other close by Air Force installations provide examples. The Air Force and Charleston County, S.C., share the Charleston Air Force Base runway. The county operates the civilian terminal and associated taxiways. A similar arrangement exists at the Northwest Florida Regional Airport located on Eglin Air Force Base. The draft project list must address disconnects which detract from what should be the foremost regional goal; ensuring the survival of the region’s largest employer via sensible transportation planning. So far, this is not happening. Lee Ballard is a resident of Macon. Online Comments: ProPatria 02/11/2011 08:50 AM Wanta bet those town hall meetings will be dominated by proposals for more road construction? Heck the county cannot maintain the roads and streets it already has on the books. Expect another push for the quarter billion dollar boondogle the mayor is proposing from Sgoda Road to the airport. Prediction: GA 96 will eventually become the defacto Fall Line Freeway. Charleston International Airport 5500 International Blvd, #101, Charleston, South Carolina 29418 (843) 767-1100 www.chs-airport.com Charleston Air Force Base also known as Joint Base Charleston is a United States Air Force base located in North Charleston, South Carolina and is assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC). A joint civil-military airport, Charleston AFB shares runways with Charleston International Airport for commercial airline aircraft operations on the south side of the airfield and general aviation aircraft operations on ... - All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License - Wikipedia http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Airport+near+Charleston,+SC&aq=0&sll=32.776566,-79.930922&sspn=0.51497,1.231842&g=Charleston,+SC&ie=UTF8&hq=Airport&hnear=Charleston,+South+Carolina&t=h&z=11&iwloc=A&ved=0CCgQpQY&sa=X&ei=_hVZTc_rOaaCzATrirCIDg


	The word "Profit" in the title below assumes that the 1% sales tax (taxing the public taxpayers) won't go to only profit the Railroads and the Supersized-Trailer-Truck industry - same people who already ride your tail bumper on the Interstates and byways. Don't get me wrong. I support more rail - to get more trucks off the highways. But if the public helps to subsidize these monopolies, the Public should get its share of the Profits... Meanwhile, Macon-Bibb County infrastructure is rotting on the ground. Streets are falling in. Potholes are busting our tires. Sunday, Feb 13, 2011 Posted on Sun, Feb. 13, 2011 http://www.macon.com/2011/02/13/1449576/midstate-could-profit-from-savannah.html Middle Georgia could profit from Savannah harbor work By MAGGIE LEE ATLANTA -- In his first official address to the Georgia Legislature last month, Gov. Nathan Deal proclaimed there is no public works project as important to the region’s competitiveness than deepening the Savannah harbor. If that $625 million dollar deal gets done, that would mean more rail and road traffic through Middle Georgia. There are at least three major projects stirring in the region that could capitalize on a bigger logistics industry, but robust growth is far from certain. Most everyone has seen what’s called an “intermodal container,” even if they don’t know it. When 18-wheelers roll down the freeway or a cargo train thunders by, they’re often loaded with 40-foot-long, corrugated metal intermodal containers -- called “boxes” in the lingo. A truck holds one box; a train holds hundreds; a ship holds thousands. Each box contains cargo ranging from kaolin to televisions, sometimes bound for one side of the world from the other. Big shipping is about to get a lot easier. A project to widen the Panama Canal will be finished in 2014, meaning bigger ships will be able to squeeze through the locks between Asia and the U.S. East Coast. And those ships, not quite twice as big in volume as what Savannah can handle now, will be plying up and down the coast, looking for the best place to berth. They need a deeper channel than Savannah now has, prompting the deepening proposal. If there’s to be more traffic, the land port of the import-export trail -- roads and rails -- need upgrades, too. McIntyre ‘pinch point’ On most normal days, one Norfolk Southern train of intermodal container cargo travels in each direction on the company’s main line that connects Savannah and Atlanta. It goes via the kaolin hub at McIntyre in Wilkinson County. Norfolk Southern could run more cargo, said Steve Evans, the company’s vice president of ports and international. But McIntyre is a “pinch point,” he said. “When we’re switching out the local customers,” he said, “our through trains get held up.” In laymen’s terms, when the empty and full kaolin boxes are being staged, there’s so little space in McIntyre that the boxes back up on to the main rail line, and all traffic between Atlanta and Savannah has to stop. So, it’s actually faster to put a box on a truck chassis and hire someone to drive it between Atlanta and Savannah along Interstates 16 and 75. Trucking is more expensive and leaves a larger carbon footprint, yet most cargo that Norfolk Southern needs to deliver from Savannah to Atlanta goes by truck. If his train line could run competitive service, that would take between 520 and 580 big trucks off I-16 daily, Evans estimated. So Wilkinson County has a plan: build a 16,000-foot rail siding in McIntyre. That’s long enough to park three trains to load, unload, or simply clear the path. Right now, “we can’t recruit more rail-dependent industry,” said Ralph Staffins, executive director of the Wilkinson County Development Authority, which is helping push for the siding. “We need every tool we can to attract companies. ... Rail is the best thing we have,” he said. The siding would create 50 new, permanent Norfolk Southern jobs, he said, and would lead to more hiring at nearby companies Carbo Ceramics and BASF. The expansion would allow one unnamed company to invest $70 million near the line and make 11 hires, according to a report by the Fall Line Regional Development Authority. That authority would own the siding and lease it to Norfolk Southern. A pair of proposed power plants, coal-fueled Plant Washington and the PT Power Plant that would run on shredded tires, are not possible without the siding, according to the report. However, this $7.8 million project depends on some state funding. The report lays a plan for a $1.5 million grant and a $1 million loan from the state’s OneGeorgia program. But the governor’s office confirms McIntyre is not in line for Deal’s proposed bonds next year. State Rep. Bubber Epps, R-Dry Branch, is lobbying the governor for that necessary money. It can’t go forward without state money, said Epps, because it’s a public-private partnership. However, he’ll have a chance with the state House, too. The House will draft its own fiscal 2012 budget this month and can pencil in the funds, all subject to the normal debate and ratification of the annual budget. Cordele on same train Cordele, in southern Middle Georgia, has opened what’s called an “inland port” -- basically a large rail depot from which intermodal containers can be distributed. It’s served by the Heart of Georgia rail line. The problem is, the rail line between Cordele and Savannah cannot handle the biggest, heaviest trains that carry boxes stacked two high. “The only holdup is some bridges,” explained state Rep. Buddy Harden, R-Cordele. He, too, is quietly laying out the case for a little state money. In his case, the money would be used to finish bridge work that’s already under way. Once the Cordele Inland Port is fully operational, it could be worth a few hundred jobs and would make the city attractive to logistics and distribution companies. Bibb may hit the road Some in Bibb County also are thinking of a transportation plan that would take some state aid. A new bypass highway south and east of Macon would get traffic out of the city, pointed out state Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon. The idea to connect I-16 at Sgoda Road to Ga. 247 via a new highway belongs to Macon Mayor Robert Reichert. He also happens to be in charge of the Middle Georgia Transportation Roundtable, a group of elected officials charged with drawing up a regional road, rail and bridge wish list and lobbying the state Department of Transportation for funding priority. Peake predicts that such a southeast bypass will be at the top of the roundtable’s wish list when it’s drawn up later this year. As for a price tag that may approach $100 million, that may depend on voters in Bibb and the surrounding counties. Next November, they will vote on a regional penny sales tax to pay for projects on the wish list. Peake thinks the bypass is a smart idea for the roundtable to focus on, saying it really is “regional” and is good not only for Bibb but also for Twiggs and Crisp counties. Tough competition Savannah is only one port on the East Coast, and all its competitors also want to be the port of call for the newer, bigger ships that will appear. Jacksonville, Fla., wants to dredge, too. It handles far fewer boxes than Savannah, but is ambitious. Charleston, S.C., is a bit behind schedule-wise but wants to conduct a federal study on a dig, officials said. Norfolk, Va., is already deep enough and has authorization to go deeper. All the projects need federal funds. There’s lobbying not just under the Atlanta gold dome, but under the much bigger roof in Washington, D.C. To contact writer Maggie Lee, e-mail mlee@macon.com.



	From NYT - February 14, 2011, 10:30 am http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/to-get-america-growing-again-its-time-to-unleash-our-cities-a-guest-post-by-ed-glaeser/ To Get America Growing Again, It’s Time to Unleash Our Cities: A Guest Post by Ed Glaeser By STEPHEN J. DUBNER Stop subsidizing suburbs. We don’t need housing and highway policies that push people away from our productive cities. Brown economist Nathaniel Baum-Snow found that every new highway built into a city reduced that city’s population by 18 percent. Our pro-homeownership policies, including the financial fiascos of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, implicitly push people out of urban apartments into suburban homes. The great housing bust reminds us that the government shouldn’t be bribing people with the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction to bet everything on the swings of the housing market.

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