gateway express

PINELLAS SUNCOAST TRANSIT AUTHORITY 3201 SCHERER DRIVE, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33716 WWW.PSTA.NET 727.540.1800 FAX 727.540.1913 PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA – MARCH 13, 2014; 1:00 PM PSTA BOARD ROOM TIME 1.
CALL TO ORDER 1:00 2.
PUBLIC COMMENT 1:00 3.
ACTION ITEMS 1:05 A. January 19, 2014 Meeting Minutes 4.
5 min INFORMATION ITEMS A. Gateway Connector Toll Road 2 1:10 15 min FDOT STAFF B. Pinellas County Interlocal Agreement 5.
PAGE 20 min BRAD MILLER 7 11 C. Greenlight Coordination with Other Plans 15 min HEATHER SOBUSH 13 D. FY2015 Budget Assumptions and Initiatives 10 min DEBBIE LEOUS 15 FUTURE MEETING SUBJECTS 
2:10 Smart Card Fare Policy 6.
OTHER BUSINESS 2:10 7.
ADJOURNMENT 2:15 THE NEXT MEETING IS APRIL 17, 2014 AT 1:00 PM
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ACTION ITEM 3A: January 19, 2014 Meeting Minutes Action: Approve Meeting Minutes Staff Resource: 
Terri Rick, Administrative Assistant Staff recommends approval of the minutes of the January 19, 2013 Planning Committee meeting. Attachments: 1. Minutes 2
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PINELLAS SUNCOAST TRANSIT AUTHORITY 3201 SCHERER DRIVE, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33716 WWW.PSTA.NET 727.540.1800 FAX 727.540.1913 PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES – FEBRUARY 19, 2014 The Planning Committee of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) Board of Directors held a meeting in the Auditorium at PSTA Headquarters at 10:30 AM on this date. The purpose of the meeting was to present Greenlight Public Information Activities, accept Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) revisions, and accept the PSTA Sustainability Policy. The following members were present: Julie Bujalski, Committee Chair Bill Jonson, Committee Vice‐Chair Mark Deighton Janet Long Members Absent: Patricia Johnson Also Present: Brad Miller, CEO PSTA Staff Members Members of the Public CALL TO ORDER Committee Chair Bujalski opened the meeting at 10:43 AM, welcoming Janet Long to the committee as replacement for Susan Latvala. PUBLIC COMMENT
There were no public comments. ACTION ITEMS November 13, 2013 Meeting Minutes – Ms. Long made a motion, seconded by Mr. Deighton to approve the minutes. Motion passed unanimously. 3
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Greenlight Public Information Activities – Cassandra Borchers, Chief Development Officer, reviewed the components of the Greenlight Plan going forward. She reported requests for speaking engagements are actively continuing. She acknowledged the Board’s direction to increase public awareness about the Greenlight Plan. She then outlined ten initiatives that staff will continue, expand or add to the public information efforts related to Greenlight. Dates listed below are approximate and indicate when the efforts would begin. 1. Outreach presentations with elected officials (underway) 2. City endorsements and community supporter identification (underway) 3. Community events and distribute Greenlight materials (underway) 4. Greenlight Pinellas Plan and Brochure (late February) 5. Greenlight Facts Sheets (late February) 6. Greenlight Pinellas Website Update (March) 7. Greenlight Academy (Customized Training on Plan) (April) 8. Targeted Audience Concepts such as small and minority business/workforce development brochure and transit rider story sharing (April) 9. Coordinated media access/editorial boards (March) 10. Direct information outreach such as exterior/interior bus advertising, online digital ads and phone calls, and mail inserts (April) These activities cumulatively totaling $350,000‐$400,000 will be funded through the existing budget. There was discussion and suggestions following the presentation about further ideas for public engagement. Committee Chair Bujalski offered to include Greenlight Information in a monthly e‐mail blast that she is already sending. Ms. Long offered to include a monthly news item in her e‐mail blast and in the Chamber newsletter for her area. The Committee suggested that the fact sheet be kept to one page, but be kept updated and timely, and cover a variety of topics. The Committee was very much in support of the Greenlight Academy whose purpose is to give more in depth information on the Greenlight Plan. The Committee suggested the Academy target students, travel to community centers and public venues, be customized to specific groups and include various levels of class structure. The Committee was concerned that the Public Information Activities List is not a marketing plan as discussed at the previous meeting, but rather a public engagement plan. Also, the list should include non‐riders as part of the target audience list. 4
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In response to Committee Chair Bujalski’s call for public comment, Barbara Haselden of No Tax For Tracks informed the Committee that she wants to put on record that No Tax For Tracks has a marketing plan they intend to embark upon and that plan includes using bus advertising. Ms. Long made a motion, seconded by Mr. Deighton to support the Greenlight Information Activities. The motion passed unanimously. At this time, Ms. Borchers mentioned Katie Franco will join PSTA as a temporary contractor while Ms. Borchers is on maternity leave. Advisory Committee for Pinellas Transportation (ACPT) MOU Revisions – Ms. Borchers presented a new MOU between, PSTA, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Pinellas Planning Council (PPC) which has been endorsed by ACPT. She asked the Committee for approval so that Mr. Miller can sign the MOU. Ms. Johnson pointed out that the word “or” should be stricken from item #3 “Scope” at the beginning of the second bullet point. Mr. Deighton made a motion, seconded by Mrs. Long to accept the new MOU. The motion passed unanimously. PSTA Sustainability Policy – Mr. Miller presented a proposal suggested by the Legislative Committee to adopt a sustainability policy to focus on three key items: environmental, financial and social aspects of the community. Two other key components are monitoring and recognition systems. PSTA would sign the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Sustainability Pledge following the PSTA Board Meeting. John Villeneuve, Project Planning Director, has been designated to monitor the plan. The plan would outline what sustainability means to PSTA – examples: purchase hybrid electric buses, diesel buses, upgrade HVAC control systems. It would also establish a baseline and then show improvements. The Committee expressed concerned that the presented plan was too detailed and extensive. Committee Chair Bujalski reminded the Committee that the plan would not be completed overnight but would be a work in process. Goals would be set for short term projects and future projects. Ms. Long made a motion, seconded by Mr. Deighton to accept the Policy. The motion passed unanimously. INFORMATION ITEMS FY 2015 Budget Calendar – Debbie Leous, CFO, presented the Budget Calendar for Fiscal Year 2015. There were no comments or questions from the Committee. 5
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Integrated Corridor Management Grant – Chris Cochran, Senior Planner, presented the Integrated Corridor Management Grant plan which highlights corridor improvements while minimizing costs by partnering with MPO, Pinellas County, TBARTA and Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) to apply for the grant. The new plan will address various regional issues in traffic, transit and multi‐modal, as well as addressing some existing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) infrastructure that can be improved upon. Phase 1 grant application is for $250,000 which is matched by $50,000 from partnering agencies. Each partner will contribute as follows:  County – $15,000 6%  PSTA ‐ $10,000 4%  TBARTA ‐ $10,000 4%  FDOT ‐ $15,000 6% There were no comments or questions from the Committee. Ms. Long made a motion, seconded by Mr. Jonson to accept this proposal. The motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS
No other business was discussed. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 PM. The next Planning Committee meeting will be held on March 13, 2014 at 1:00 PM. 6
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INFORMATION ITEM 4A: Gateway Express Toll Road Action: Information Item Staff Resource: Heather Sobush, Senior Planner Background: 
The Gateway Express project was originally segmented into six phases along Roosevelt Boulevard, 118th Avenue, and the Sunshine Speedway property that would ultimately provide a partially‐controlled access facility connecting I‐275 to U.S. Highway 19 and I‐275 to the Bayside Bridge via an elevated toll expressway. 
Only one of the segments was scheduled in the MPO five‐year Transportation Improvement Program included construction, until the recent $131 million commitment from the Governor’s budget to advance the project. With this advancement, construction will be scheduled on the remaining segments within five years. 
The project is expected to cost $338 million and construction is anticipated to begin in 2017. Summary: 
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project managers Eyra Cash and Tim Drawhorn will present the proposed design of the Gateway Express Toll Road and be available for committee questions on the project. Potential PSTA Impacts: 
The project’s connection to the Bayside Bridge includes an elevated section along Roosevelt Boulevard adjacent to the St. Petersburg‐Clearwater Airport. The planned light rail corridor travels along Roosevelt Boulevard in this same section and includes a station providing direct access to the airport. An elevated roadway in this area may limit station area development potential. 
One of several potential locations for the future rail maintenance facility identified in the 2012 Alternatives Analysis study was the Sunshine Speedway which, like all the possible locations, will need further review. The location of the Connector improvement may affect this as a potential site. 7
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Stage four improvements to the Ulmerton Road/Roosevelt Boulevard Intersection could improve transit speeds in the Ulmerton Corridor. Attachments: 1. Draft Gateway Express Toll Road Project Map 8
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GATEWAY EXPRESS
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686
Ulmerton Rd.
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690
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INFORMATION ITEM 4B: Pinellas County Interlocal Agreement Action: Information Item Staff Resource: Brad Miller, CEO Summary: 
On December 10, 2013 the Pinellas County Commission passed an Ordinance to approve the ballot language and set the Greenlight Pinellas referendum for November 4, 2014. 
An Interlocal agreement will also have to be approved that governs the flow of the County‐assessed transportation surtax from the County to PSTA to implement the Greenlight Pinellas transit improvements. 
PSTA Staff and Legal Counsel have been discussing the agreement and are targeting an approval by the County Commission at its May 6, 2014 meeting with a PSTA approval scheduled for the May 28, 2014 Board Meeting. 
Staff will lead a discussion with the Planning Committee, highlighting key proposed tenants of the draft agreement and receive feedback to guide future discussions with Pinellas County. Principal Issues Include: 1.
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PSTA Property Tax Elimination County’s Role to Facilitate Sucessful Greenlight Plan Implementation Ongoing County Oversight a. Greenlight Project Milestone Achievement b. “After Greenlight Pinellas”‐ What role does the County play in determining future transit improvements (i.e. “Greenlight II”) following full implementation of the Greenlight Pinellas Plan. c. PSTA Administrative Overhead Cap PSTA Payment of County Costs a. Legal Expenses b. County Infrastructure Costs c. County Staff Expenses 11
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Fiscal Impact: 
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County staff and legal counsels have agreed in principal that the Interlocal Agreement should be constructed as to not jeopardize PSTA’s financial ability to implement the Greenlight Pinellas Plan with County‐imposed restrictions that burden the creditworthiness of the sales tax revenue stream. PSTA has agreed to allow the County to review and approve PSTA Debt, Investment, and other Financial Policies. It will likely to be in PSTA’s interest to pay for certain County expenses in order that the County can support the successful implementation of the Greenlight Pinellas Plan. Attachments: None 12
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INFORMATION ITEM 4C: Greenlight Coordination with Other Plans Action: Information Item Staff Resource: Heather Sobush, Senior Planner Background: 
Transportation and land use planning activities within Pinellas County and the region are conducted by many agencies, including the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Transit Agencies, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA), the Pinellas Planning Council (PPC) and local jurisdictions. Coordination among these agencies and their various planning efforts and projects is critical to efficient decision making. 
Many recent plans and studies have been successfully coordinated and completed, including the Pinellas Alternatives Analysis (AA), the TBARTA Master Plan Update, the MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Scenario Planning Process, the KPMG Study, and the Greenlight Pinellas Plan. Summary: 
PSTA is currently coordinating with other agencies on the following projects: o Transit Development Plan (TDP) (PSTA) o 2040 LRTP (MPO) o Howard Frankland Bridge Transit Corridor Evaluation (FDOT, MPO, TBARTA) o Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Express Lanes Study (FDOT, Hillsborough & Pinellas MPOs) o Countywide Plan (PPC, MPO, and local jurisdictions) o Regional Fare Collection Project (seven transit agencies) o Integrated Corridor Management Grant (Pinellas County, MPO, FDOT, TBARTA) 
Projects that are underway or upcoming that have a transit component or affect transit services require deliberate and thoughtful inter‐agency dialogue to ensure 13
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projects are carefully coordinated and can complement each other and/or leverage available funding for improvements. 
As the Greenlight Pinellas Plan is implemented, other agency projects will have a direct effect on PSTA’s ability to design, construct and operate projects in a thoughtful and comprehensive way. Projects that directly impact transit operations or new capital projects include, but are not limited to: o
o
o
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Bike and Pedestrian Access to Transit Study (FDOT) TBARTA Short Range Projects (TBARTA) Congestion Management Process (MPO) Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (MPO) Regional Safety Audits (FDOT) US 19 Corridor Redevelopment Plan (City of Clearwater) Vision 2020 Special Area Plan (City of St. Petersburg) City of Largo Strategic Plan and Downtown Multi‐Modal Plan (Largo) Recommendations: 
Staff recommends that PSTA take a leadership role in encouraging transportation and land use planning agencies to better coordinate major planning efforts, especially with regard to the implementation of transit facilities and related access or operational infrastructure. 
It is further recommended that efforts be combined into Consolidated Corridor Master Plans to be used as guidelines for implementation and establish a conduit for seamless integration of transportation investments. 
Staff proposes a segment of the US 19 corridor as “pilot project” for the Consolidated Corridor Master Plan concept that includes bike, pedestrian, transit, ITS and safety components. The US 19 corridor is currently one of PSTA’s highest ridership routes and is a Core Rapid Bus Corridor in the Greenlight Pinellas Plan. Fiscal Impact: 
Staff resources would be utilized in 2014. 
Since this project includes multiple modes, staff will coordinate with the other agencies to identify a lead agency and shared resources. Attachments: None 14
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INFORMATION ITEM 4D: FY2015 Budget Assumptions and Initiatives Action: Information Item Staff Resource: Debbie Leous, Chief Financial Officer Summary: 
A first draft of the DRAFT FY2015 PSTA Operating Budget will be presented at the June Planning Committee meeting in advance of the June PSTA Board meeting which will be dedicated as a Budget workshop. Meeting Task March 13, 2014 Planning Committee Long‐Term Assumptions & FY2015 Service Initiatives April 17, 2014 Planning Committee Review Capital Improvement Program May 21, 2014 Planning Committee Review Personnel Assumptions June 18, 2014 Planning Committee Review Revenue/Reserve Assumptions Receive Draft Budget Document June 25, 2014 PSTA Board Meeting Board Presentation of Draft Budget July 16, 2014 Planning Committee Review Draft Budget #1 July 23, 2014 PSTA Board Meeting Approve Proposed Millage Rate per Statute August 20, 2014 Planning Committee Review Draft Budget #2 Recommend to PSTA Board August 27, 2014 PSTA Board Meeting Present Updated FY 2015 Budget September 3 & 10, 2014 PSTA Board Public Hearings 15
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As PSTA did last year, staff is beginning the budget development process a month early with a planned long‐term budget assumptions discussion and an outline of proposed initiatives and assumptions to be considered for inclusion in the FY2015 budget. Attachments: 1. PowerPoint (to follow) 16
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