Mercer County
Transportation Planning
Mercer County Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO)
2004 MPO Meeting
Minutes
SHENANGO VALLEY METROPOLITAN
PLANNING ORGANIZATION COORDINATING/TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
10:30 A.M. - MCRPC Offices, Hermitage,
PA
PERSONS
PRESENT REPRESENTING
-
Marcia Hirschmann, Hermitage City
-
Daniel
Gracenin, MCRPC
-
Dave
Ryan, Mayor - Sharon City
-
Mike
Wilson, Sharpsville Borough
-
Kevin
McCullough, PennDOT,
Harrisburg
-
Dave
Bollebacher, PennDOT, Mercer
-
Bill
Petit, PennDOT, District 1-0
-
Mariah
Hanson, PennDOT, District 1-0
-
Erin
Wiley, PennDOT, District 1-0
-
Deborah
Schreckengost, PennDOT, District 1-0
-
Bill
Jones, Mercer County Regional COG
-
James
A. DeCapua, Mercer County Regional COG
-
Mark
Miller, Mercer County
-
Mike
Nashtock, South
Pymatuning
Township
-
David
M. Dayton, Grove City Revitalization
-
Pete
Longiotti, Greenville
Borough
-
Vance
Oakes, Greenville Borough
-
Ken
Seamans, Wilmington
Township
-
Mirta
Reyes-Chapman, Eastgate Regional COG
-
Bob
McGhee, Coolspring
Township
-
Terry
Farren, Grove City Borough
-
Jack
Thompson, Grove City Borough
-
Denny
Puko, MCRPC
-
Stephen
Theiss, Mercer County Trails
Association
-
Tom
Paxton, Pine
Township
-
Barb
Brown, Springfield
Township
-
Gene
Smith, State Transportation Commission
-
Elliott
Lengel, Findley
Township
-
Nathan
S. Clark, Jr., Greenville
Borough
-
Kim
Green, Senator Specter
-
Denise
Anthony, Senator Robbins
CALL TO ORDER
Ms. Hirschmann called the meeting to order at 10:35 A.M.
APPROVAL
OF MINUTES OF MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2004
Ms.
Hirschmann asked for any additions, deletions, or corrections to the Minutes
of the February 11, 2004 meeting. There
being none, Ms. Hirschmann asked for a motion to approve.
Mr. Seamans so moved, Mr. Ryan seconded.
The motion passed.
APPROVAL
OF 2005-2008 TIP
Mr.
Puko explained that at the February 11, 2004 meeting, the Committee approved a
draft 2005-2008 TIP, which was then submitted to the Commonwealth for
consideration. He noted that he
attended a meeting in
Harrisburg
on March 23rd and was informed that five billion dollars worth of
near term and far term projects were cut, but none had affected
Mercer
County
. He explained that our TIP was increased from $84 to $87 million because we
had a realistic TIP, relatively balanced in terms of our project needs and
realistic levels of funding availability.
Mr. Gracenin noted that we are not approving the final TIP today, but
would need to approve the response from PennDOT.
If we approve the response from PennDOT, then PennDOT would start doing
the Air Quality Analysis on the projects and making sure everything is in
order for this summer when we need to put this out for our 30-day review
period. We would then need to act
on the TIP at the July 13th MPO meeting.
There was a question concerning the
Quaker
Road
Bridge
and removing the railroad crossings that currently exist.
Mr. Petit noted that they are looking at alternatives for the
Quaker
Road
Bridge
and whether they can modify the alignment or may be able to remove several
crossings. Also, safety features
would be upgraded as part of this project.
It was suggested that we discuss the railroad crossings at
Williamson Road
and
Quaker
Road
Bridge
at the July MPO meeting. Mr.
DeCapua commented that the transit TIP was earmarked one million dollars
through the Federal Transit Administration. If successful, this money would be
utilized to build 16 passenger comfort stations throughout the participating
municipalities of the Shenango Valley Shuttle Service.
Ms. Green of Senator Specter’s office stated that the Senate does not
know what their allocation numbers are going to be.
There being no further discussion, Ms. Hirschmann asked to entertain a motion
to accept the TIP as submitted. A
motion was made by Ms. Brown and seconded by Mr. Lengel to approve the
response from PennDOT for the 2005-2008 TIP.
The motion passed.
TIP ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS
Mr. McCullough
explained the amendment for the I-79/PA 208 project.
An additional $4 million in Federal funds would be obligated this year
for this project along with the $1 million State match. He also reviewed some
administrative actions taken on various projects.
He also commented on some concrete pavement issues on I-80 and noted
the original problems when I-80 was constructed.
Ms. Hirschmann stated that we need to entertain a motion for the TIP
amendment. A motion was made by Ms. Brown and seconded by Mr. Seamans to
approve the TIP amendment for the I-79/PA 208 project.
The motion passed.
GIS UPDATE
Mr. Gracenin updated the Committee on the current status with the GIS
project. He noted that an RFP was
put out and we hired the firm Earth Data.
A meeting was held to discuss what is in the contract and the time
line. Phase 1 of the Countywide
GIS will start in the spring. Aerial
imagery of the County will be taken and processed.
Processing of the imagery should be completed by the fall of 2004.
Mr. Puko commented on a newspaper article in The Herald.
He noted that after a meeting with the
County
Commissioners
regarding this project, the Herald published an article that incorrectly
stated that this GIS would allow us to look at things like for whom
individuals voted and what people make. The
newspaper printed a correction the following day stating that personal
information would be kept private.
LONG RANGE PLAN (
COUNTY
COMP.
PLAN)
Mr. Gracenin reported that we are working on updating our long range plan,
which coordinates with our County Comprehensive Plan update. We have been
working with the consulting firm of Gannett Fleming to complete a new Long
Range Plan. Public and advisory
committee meetings are being held to look at developing a long-range county
vision, economic development sites, transportation, infrastructure, and more.
OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. McCullough updated the Committee on the Home Town Streets/Safe Routes
to School program, which has been developed by PennDOT.
This program offers a unique funding source that will allow you to
enhance the traditional downtown corridor of your community and fund projects
that will enhance the safety of our children when traveling to and from
school. Projects will be funded
80% Federal and 20% local. Other
federal and state funds can be used as match in this program.
Mr. Puko explained that MCRPC is looking into the Elm Street Program that is a
part of the Governor’s New Economic Stimulus Package.
The Elm Street Program is designed to provide assistance to mixed use
and residential neighborhoods in close proximity to central business
districts. Elm Street projects
should generally be tied to current downtown planning and revitalization
efforts.
Mr. Dayton, Chairman of
Grove City
Revitalization thanked the MPO for their recommendation to the State for
consideration for possible discretionary funds for their project and they are
very grateful for that recommendation. He
questioned the status of a traffic study for the Route 208/58 intersection.
Mr. Gracenin explained that, weather permitting; traffic hoses will be
put out and a turn movement count will be done.
Gannett Fleming will work on getting us some preliminary numbers so
that we might find some preliminary engineering dollars, etc. to work this
out.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 11:40
A.M.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Daniel
M. Gracenin
MPO Secretary
Mercer
County Regional Planning Commission
2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
[email protected] www.mcrpc.com
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