Calendar:
Monday, January 24
12:00 pm - Agenda Briefing, Room 280
3:00 pm - Transportation Committee Meeting, Room 280 AGENDA: 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan/MUMPO; Transportation Targets for Action in 2005; State Transportation Funding Legislative Strategy; Street Resurfacing Evaluation: Vehicle Weight Limit Ordinance
5:00 pm - Council Manager Dinner Briefing, Room 267
6:30 pm - Citizen's Forum, Meeting Chamber
7:00 pm - Council Meeting, Meeting Chamber
Wednesday, January 26
5:30 pm - Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting, Room 267
Thursday, January 27
5:00 pm - Community Safety Committee Meeting, Room 280 AGENDA: Community Safety Targets for Action; Prostitution Free Zone
Friday, January 28
7:45 am - Planning Liaison Committee Meeting, 8th Floor Conference Room
Agenda Notes:
Agenda Item #10: 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan and Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Project List
Staff Resources: Tim Gibbs, 704-336-3917 and Norm Steinman, 704-336-3939
Your January 24 agenda contains a "place holder" regarding action to direct your MUMPO representative, Council member Mumford on these two MPO items. Attached are the documents recommended by the Mecklenburg-Union Technical Coordinating Committee. The Transportation Committee will consider them at their meeting Monday at 3:00 pm and make a recommendation for your consideration on the Business agenda.
The 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan financial assumptions and projects are part of the Air Quality Conformity Process and prioritize future roads spending. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Project List prescribes projects that will be funded from special federal funds that go to MPOs in areas with non-attainment status.
City staff's position regarding the recommended expenditures of CMAQ funding is as follows:
- We support Transportation Demand Management (TDM) activities that get people out of their cars and into high occupancy vehicles. In fact, we already are spending $600,000 out of CATS budget on TDM and have been doing so for several years. TDM efforts should be expanded within the Charlotte region into the surrounding counties and not just in Mecklenburg County. We do now, however, believe these expanded efforts should be funded from our local allocation. They should instead be funded from the Statewide CMAQ pool.
- Because this is a multi-county problem and not just a Mecklenburg-Union problem, we believe that we should be able to get some of the CMAQ funds held in NCDOT's statewide pool to fund an expanded, joint (with the Chamber and other business interests) TDM effort. The State should be helping to fund this effort rather than we here in Mecklenburg County being forced to use the limited funds available to us. There already is a long list of intersection and traffic signal improvements that could be funded that would help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
- Staff has proposed a phased expansion of TDM activities that ramps up expenditure levels over the next three years and allows us to expand TDM efforts into surrounding counties in a joint effort with the business community. We believe that this phased effort has a better chance of success and a better chance of getting funded from NCDOT's statewide pool of funds rather than from our local allocation.
The TCC voted 6-5 on Wednesday, January 19 in line with City Staff's position.
Both items are on the January 26 MUMPO agenda for action.
Agenda Item #17 G: Sidewalk Projects
Staff Resource: Vivian Coleman, 704-353-0481
The January 24 City Council agenda includes a contract award to construct four sidewalk segments. This contract will build sidewalks along Jameston Drive from Irby Road to Princeton Avenue; along Irby Road from Westfield Road to Jameston Drive; Elmhurst Road from Poindexter Drive to Sedgefield Park; Shamrock Drive at Cardiff Avenue; and Lorene Avenue at Roswell Avenue.
These sidewalks are part of the Sidewalk Program's Unspecified Services Contract. This contract is used primarily to fill small gaps in the sidewalk system. Shamrock, Lorene and Elmhurst scored very high in the ranking system largely because of the short segments required and their locations near facilities such as parks and schools.
The County Park and Recreation Department initiated the Jameston and Irby sidewalk projects to support their restoration of Little Sugar Creek and to connect a greenway trail. Although the typical location for the greenway trail would be along the creek, the County determined through their planning and public involvement that construction of the trail along the creek would be too difficult for the portion between Freedom Park and Westfield. The County prefers that the trail connect via a sidewalk located along Jameston. CDOT agreed to partner with the County to construct sidewalk along Jameston and Irby since these segments also ranked very high in the sidewalk evaluation system and are consistent with the goals of the Sidewalk Program.
Agenda Item #22A: In Rem Action at 3325 Avalong Avenue
Staff Resource: Walter Abernethy, 704-336-4213
On January 24 City Council will be asked to approve an In Rem Order to demolish the structure at 3325 Avalon Avenue. Neighborhood Development's Code Enforcement Division identified significant electrical and structural violations, which makes this structure unsafe for human habitation.
Currently, the structure on Avalon Avenue is owner-occupied. The property owner failed to correct the repairs and only this week agreed to relocation assistance through the City's Relocation Program.
City Council's approval of the demolition order will give Neighborhood Development the authority to evict the owner-occupant and demolish the structure. Staff will continue to work with the owner to locate safe housing before proceeding with the demolition order. Owner-occupied evictions for In Rem Orders are rare and used as a last resort in abating unsafe conditions.
Agenda Item #26: CATS' Special Transportation Services (STS) Revised Certification Process
Staff Resource: Brad Miller, 704-432-0458
As part of the January 24 Consent agenda, City Council will consider approving a three-year contract with Carolinas HealthCare System's Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation Vocational Services for STS eligibility determination services. Some additional information on the current status of STS customer certification is provided:
- There are currently 4,621 eligible riders in the STS database.
- Approximately 70 new applications for eligibility are received every month.
- Over the last 12 months, approximately 1,600 of the 4,621 people in the database have used STS (these are considered "active" customers).
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which provides the regulatory authority for the STS service, does not allow for a waiting list as every eligible person requesting transportation must be accommodated; as such there is no waiting list at STS.
- CATS plans on revising the STS eligibility process to more closely mirror the ADA requirements for paratransit certification. More specific application procedures, the possibility of in-person interviews, and a functional assessment process will all be introduced to better determine whether patrons are capable of riding on CATS'regular fixed route bus services.
- Over the past year, CATS has conducted multiple public meetings and meets monthly with the Advocacy Council for People with Disabilities' Transportation Subcommittee to ensure the disabled community is aware of the upcoming process change. In order to further publicize these changes, CATS will be sending out letters and a new certification application to all 4,621 patrons in the STS database. Alternative formats of the letter and certification application will be available upon request. Information on the recertification process will be on the CATS website, and the STS telephone reservation system. Monthly update reports will continue to be provided during the Advocacy Council for People with Disabilities' Transportation Subcommittee meeting.
Agenda Item #38: SW Water Transmission Main - Phase A
Staff Resource: Doug Bean, 704-391-5070
On January 10, 2005, City Council voted to defer consideration of the award of the Phase A contract for the Southwest Water Transmission Main. This deferral was in response to both written information received by the project's second low bidder, Rockdale Pipeline, and from Rockdale's verbal presentations to Council. Rockdale's primary protest was that the low bidder, S.J. Louis, and their tunneling subcontractor, Southland, did not meet the bid specifications related to experience and licensing.
Since January 10, CDM, the engineering firm working for Utilities to design the project, has thoroughly reviewed all information submitted by Rockdale and their attorney, and spoken with all of the references supplied in the bid by S.J. Louis and Southland.
Attached is a two page-memo summarizing each primary claim by Rockdale and the findings related to those claims. Also attahced is a detailed account of the investigation and review by CDM.
CDM has concluded, and Utilities agrees, that S.J. Louis has met all minimum bid requirements for this project as they relate to experience, licensing, and financial bonding. The City Attorney's office has also reviewed the information and determined that no evidence has been presented that would cause S.J. Louis to be considered a non-responsive or non-responsible bidder. City Council will be asked to approve the contract with S.J. Louis on January 24.
Agenda Items #48J: South Corridor Light Rail Project Property Transaction - PULLED
Staff Resource: Diane Johnson, 704-336-2854
The property owner, Vernon Simpson, has requested that staff pull this item from the January 24 agenda. Staff agrees with this request and the transaction will be removed from the agenda in order to further investigate the possibility of relocating the traction powered substation.
Information Items:
CATS Service Adjustment Effective February 7, 2005
Staff Resource: Brad Miller, 704-432-0458
On Monday, February 7, 2005, the Charlotte Area Transit System plans to adjust service on a number of bus routes:
- New Route to Hidden Valley Neighborhood - A new route will be implemented to provide service to the Hidden Valley neighborhood, and as a result, two other routes will be adjusted along North Tryon. Route 211 Hidden Valley is the name of the new service. Hidden Valley residents will be able to use the new shuttle to connect with the 11 North Tryon route at the Sugar Creek Library. The shuttle will cost fifty cents to ride. It will operate approximately every twenty minutes.
- New Direct Service to UNCC - Route 11 will be extended beyond Hidden Valley to the UNCC Campus on Highway 49, and Route 39 Eastway will be adjusted to terminate at Tom Hunter Road for customers who would want to transfer to route 11 and continue to UNCC. Route 11 and route 39 will also provide connections with the new route 211 Hidden Valley Shuttle.
- Route 249 UNCC/JW Clay - This route will be extended to Brookstone College on Mallard Creek Church Road north of Highway 29.
- Gold Rush - The Red Line will be adjusted to operate every 12 minutes between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm and the Blue Line will start at 7:00 am instead of 7:30 am.
- Other Adjustments - Later service until 11:00 pm will be instituted on Route 34 Freedom Drive, and Route 65X Matthews Express will be extended to the new park ride lot on Independence Pointe Parkway at Sam Newell. Minor schedule or route adjustments will be implemented on seventeen additional routes to improve on-time performance.
Charlotte Trolley Fare Adjustments Effective January 24, 2005
Staff Resource: Brad Miller, 704-432-0458
Per the Metropolitan Transit Commission's decision at its December 15, 2004 meeting, effective January 24, Charlotte Trolley fares will be standardized to $1 for all customers 3 - 61 years old.
Children under the age of 3 will continue to be free, while seniors 62 years old and above and people with disabilities will pay 50 cents. This is a change from current fare structure where children 3 to 5 years ride for free and children 6 to 12 years ride for 50 cents. Additionally, to encourage passengers to stop and shop along the trolley corridor, one-way transfers will be issued upon request. The transfer will allow passengers to get back on the trolley for free as long as they are traveling in the same direction from which they came. Finally, as another effort to encourage people to use the trolley to access businesses along the corridor, the Charlotte Trolley all-day pass will be reduced from $5 to $3.
Charlotte Multimodal Station Design Charette
Staff Resource: David Carol, 704-432-0482
On February 1-3, CATS will hold an intensive three-day architectural design workshop for the proposed Charlotte Multimodal Station. The new facility will serve as the terminus for the North Corridor Commuter Rail Service, as well as provide a new off-street bus transportation center,
Greyhound depot and Amtrak station. Located between 4th, Trade, 5th and Graham Streets along the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks, the Multimodal Station also will include office, retail and parking and be served by the Center City Streetcar.
The design workshop is intended to validate transportation operations for the various modes and to develop an architectural vision for the program that can be shared with public officials, private developers, other stakeholders and the public. A public meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 2 at 7:00 pm, in Room 267 of the Government Center, to solicit input from the public and to share ideas under consideration by workshop participants.
Old Convention Center
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396
Epicenter Associates, which now owns the Old Convention Center, has decided that the best way to develop their entertainment center on this site is to demolish the existing building. This will allow the developer to greatly improve the design of the entertainment project and may allow the developer to include a residential component in the project. This may also allow for a future office tower.
The revised project would appear to greatly enhance the Center City and make better and more efficient use of this critical piece of property. One benefit could be substantially increased property taxes generated by the project and staff will analyze this possibility. Staff believes that these changes should significantly improve the aesthetics and viability of this project.
Epicenter Associates has discussed this possibility with staff. Staff will be reviewing the new design and the financials of the revised project and will update City Council after that review is complete.
National Arts Program Exhibit - Thursday, January 27
Staff Resource: Marylyn Williams, 704-336-2361
The Awards Ceremony and Opening Celebration of the 5th annual National Arts Program Art Exhibit will be on Thursday, January 27, from 5:00 - 6:30 pm in the Government Center Lobby. Awards will be presented at 5:45 pm, and there will be music and light refreshments throughout the evening. Mayor and Council members are welcome to attend.
The artists are the employees and retirees of City/County government and the Public Library of Mecklenburg County. Members of their families are eligible to enter, too. This year 150 artists registered more than 250 artworks. Through the generosity of the National Arts Program Foundation, cash awards totaling $2,400 will be given out. In addition, scholarships for classes, camps and workshops donated by the Mint Museum of Art, Community School of the Arts, Clay Works and the Light Factory, will be awarded. Binders Art Supplies and Frames has donated a gift certificate for the winner of the People's Choice Award which is new this year.
The exhibit, sponsored by the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and the Arts and Science Council, will be open to the public until February 24. Artworks are also exhibited in the second floor balcony.
