PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization

POLICY BOARD MEETING, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) MEETING, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CAC) MEETING, AND BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (BPAC) MEETING

The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board will meet on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, at 10:00 AM at The Gathering Place at 6530 Spanish Fort Blvd, Spanish Fort, AL 36527.

The Technical Advisory Committee will meet on July 16, 2014, at 10:00 AM in the Daphne City Hall Executive Meeting Room at 1705 Main St, Daphne, AL 36526.

The Citizens Advisory Committee will meet on July 15, 2014, at 1:00 PM in the Daphne City Hall Executive Meeting Room at 1705 Main St, Daphne, AL 36526.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on July 15, 2014, at 10:00 AM in the Daphne City Hall Executive Meeting Room at 1705 Main St, Daphne, AL 36526.

The proposed combined agenda for each meeting may be viewed on the Eastern Shore MPO website: (http://www.easternshorempo.org/) fourteen days prior to the meeting.  For more information regarding any of the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or family status.  Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or those requiring language translation services should contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Meeting Agenda

Public Notice

EASTERN SHORE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE EASTERN SHORE – June 13, 2014 – The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board held a meeting on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, in the Commission Conference Room at the Baldwin County Satellite Courthouse in Fairhope, Alabama. The Policy Board is the governing body of the MPO.

The Policy Board began its meeting by considering recommendations from the MPO Advisory Committees following the committees’ review of six options to address the current lack of funding.

• Recommendation 1: Recommend that the Policy Board authorize MPO staff to continue researching the possibility of participating with ALDOT to fund large projects on state and federal roads within the planning area.

• Recommendation 2: Recommend that the Policy Board authorize MPO staff to pursue responsive or adaptive traffic signals along US 98.

• Recommendation 3: Recommend that the Policy Board authorize MPO staff to continue its research of the Neighborhood Infrastructure Incentive Plan Act of 2011 with the aim of developing a guide that can be followed by homeowners and consultants for funding small local projects.

The Policy Board approved the Advisory Committee recommendations and added language to recommendation number 2 authorizing MPO staff to pursue responsive signals on SR 181 from US 31 to US 90.

The Policy Board then considered a resolution to add two projects to the visionary/needs project list of the Long Range Transportation Plan. The visionary list is a list of unfunded projects that are recognized needs within the planning area. The Policy Board tabled the first project, the resurfacing of CR 13 from US 90 to CR 64 and from SR 104 to CR 48 and requested that the Advisory Committees investigate the possibility of adding sidewalks to the project.

The Policy Board adopted Resolution 2014-09 adding a project to the visionary list that would involve the installation of responsive traffic signals on US 98 from CR 44 to US 31. The Policy Board also adopted Resolution 2014-10 adding a project to the visionary list that would involve the installation of responsive traffic signals on Highway 181 from US 90 to US 31. Responsive signals are traffic signals connected with fiber optic cables or wireless technology that allow the signals to communicate with each other and respond real time to changing traffic conditions. Projects can be viewed on the MPO interactive project map available on the MPO website (http://easternshorempo.org/interactive-map/).

The MPO Coordinator, Matthew Brown, presented the Policy Board with a working draft of the MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The LRTP projects transportation decision-making in the Metropolitan Planning Area out to at least a twenty-year horizon. The LRTP is updated every five years and serves as a conduit for public input on a broad range of transportation issues. The LRTP considers all modes of transportation from a regional perspective.

The MPO’s Draft Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is on schedule to be complete by mid-2015. The plan development process requires MPO staff to continually seek input from committee members and the public. MPO staff patterned the Draft LRTP after example LRTPs provided by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). MPO staff is aiming for a document that is user friendly for the public while still meeting ALDOT’s requirements. The MPO plans to place core content in the body of the plan and place ancillary/support content in the appendices. The document will go through several iterations of review with ALDOT. The public can view the documents online (http://easternshorempo.org/working-draft-2040-lrtp/) and provide comments regarding the plan’s contents. The documents will be published for formal review and public comment at a later date.

The Policy Board reviewed several other discussion and informational items which are available in the meeting agenda packet on the MPO website. An Agenda Action Report is currently available on the MPO website. A transcript of the meeting minutes for the Policy Board meeting is expected to be available on the MPO website in approximately two weeks. Meeting minutes for Advisory Committee meetings are currently available on the MPO website.

The next meeting of the Eastern Shore MPO Policy Board is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, 2014, at 10:00 AM at the Gathering Place in Spanish Fort. For more information regarding the Eastern Shore MPO please visit www.easternshorempo.org or email   coordinator@easternshorempo.org.

Agenda Action Report

Press Release

PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization 

 Rescheduled Policy Board Meeting

The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board meeting that was scheduled for May 28, 2014, has been RESCHEDULED for June 11, 2014, at 10:00 AM at the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse in the Commission Conference Room at 1100 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, AL 36532.

For more information regarding the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or family status.  Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or those requiring language translation services should contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Click here to view the Agenda

PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization 

Cancellation of May Policy Board Meeting

The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board meeting scheduled for May 28, 2014, has been CANCELED. The meeting will be rescheduled and a Public Notice with new meeting details will be published at a future date.

For more information regarding the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization

POLICY BOARD MEETING, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) MEETING, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CAC) MEETING, AND BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (BPAC) MEETING

The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board will meet on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at 10:00 AM at Three Circle Church at 10274 Highway 104, Fairhope, AL 36532.

The Technical Advisory Committee will meet on May 21, 2014, at 10:00 AM at Bryant Bank on 1801 US Highway 98, Daphne, AL 36526.

The Citizens Advisory Committee will meet on May 20, 2014, at 1:00 PM at Three Circle Church at 10274 Highway 104, Fairhope, AL 36532.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet on May 20, 2014, at 10:00 AM Three Circle Church at 10274 Highway 104, Fairhope, AL 36532.

The proposed combined agenda for each meeting may be viewed on the Eastern Shore MPO website: (http://www.easternshorempo.org/) fourteen days prior to the meeting.  For more information regarding any of the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or family status.  Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or those requiring language translation services should contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

 Click here to view the agenda

PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization

Special Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee

 The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Technical Advisory Committee will meet Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at 10:00 AM at the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse in the Commission Conference Room at 1100 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, AL 36532. During this meeting the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will discuss possible recommendations to be made to the Policy Board at the May 26, 2014, Policy Board meeting. This meeting is in addition to the regularly scheduled May Technical Advisory Committee meeting.

For more information regarding the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability or family status.  Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or those requiring language translation services should contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Click here to view the Agenda

PRESS RELEASE

EASTERN SHORE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE EASTERN SHORE – March 27, 2014 – The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board held a meeting on Wednesday, January 26, 2014, in the Council Chambers at Daphne City Hall in Daphne, Alabama. The Policy Board is the governing body of the MPO.

The first item of business for the MPO Policy Board was consideration of a proposed resolution to add fourteen projects to the visionary/needs project list of the Long Range Transportation Plan. The visionary list is a list of unfunded projects that are recognized needs within the planning area. After considering each of the submitted projects and hearing the recommendation of the MPO Advisory Committees, the Policy Board adopted Resolution 2014-05 adding the fourteen projects to the MPO visionary list.

With the added projects the visionary list now contains thirty-five projects: two in the City of Spanish Fort, seven in the City of Daphne, seven in the City of Fairhope, eight in the Town of Loxley, five for Baldwin County, and six Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) projects. Projects can be viewed on the MPO interactive project map available on the MPO website (http://easternshorempo.org/interactive-map/).

The Policy Board also approved adding a representative of the Baldwin County Board of Education to the MPO Technical Advisory Committee; approved letters supporting grant applications for bike and pedestrian projects in Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Daphne, and Robertsdale; and appointed new members from the Town of Loxley and the City of Daphne to the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

The primary item before the Policy Board was a discussion item regarding where the MPO should focus its future planning efforts. MPO Coordinator Matthew Brown presented maps illustrating the 2010, 2020, and 2040 road network with the roads color coded based on the level of congestion projected by the MPO’s computer model. The computer model outputs predict that by 2020 US Highway 98, Interstate 10, US Highway 90, State Route 59, State Route 181, and US Highway 31 will be facing major congestion issues. According the computer model, in 2040 the entire road network within the planning area will be so congested that the network will be nearly unusable. These computer projections assume that no roadway capacity improvements are made between 2010 and 2040.

The MPO’s computer model generates additional data including the vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the vehicle hours traveled (VHT), and the average speeds for the network in 2010, 2020, and 2040. According to the model, in 2020 a one mile drive will take 5 seconds longer than a one mile drive in 2010. This translates to an additional time cost, in 2020, of $78,427 per day. Over the course of 10 years this additional time will cost the Eastern Shore approximately $120,500,000.

The costs of this lost time will be borne by the entire community. The average person will bear the cost in lost quality of life because they will have less time each week with their families and less time to enjoy leisure activities. The average business will bear the cost in lost profits due to higher freight and service costs and less time for customers to shop. The average consumer will bear the costs in higher costs for consumer goods to compensate for some of the lost business profits. The average local government will bear the cost in lost tax revenues and higher operation costs.

The solution for these capacity issues may lie in increasing the capacity of the existing network. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has five major capacity projects scheduled for the planning area (Phases II, III, and IV of widening State Route 181, Widening US Highway 31, and the County Road 13 Interchange). The first of these improvements is not scheduled until 2021 and the last of these improvements is not scheduled until 2046. The cost of doing these projects at the current scheduled let date is $227.2 million while the 2014 cost of the projects are $117.5 million.

Recognizing that the cost of these projects represents a large sum of money, local officials must consider different options for funding these projects. Though the MPO is one source of funds, the MPO only receives $1.2 million each year.

MPO research indicates that Baldwin County generates approximately $57 million each year in federal, state, and county fuel tax. These funds come back to the County through various revenue streams. Some of the funds go to support infrastructure improvements on the major corridors in the state that Baldwin County relies on to bring people to the area. Some of the federal funds come back with strings attached that require the funds to be used for certain activities such as bike and pedestrian, public transit, safety, etc. Even if an argument could be made that Baldwin County should be receiving a couple million dollars more each year from ALDOT, simply receiving a couple million dollars more each year will not provide sufficient funds for the needed capacity improvements.

Transportation revenue has flattened in recent years because vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient and people are driving less. ALDOT revenue (in terms of buying power) has declined drastically due to inflation and increased construction costs. According to ALDOT’s numbers, the Department’s 2013 budget, adjusted for inflation and increased costs, is less than the Department’s 1991 budget. The local governments cannot count on ALDOT to meet local funding needs. The MPO member governments need to begin investigating creative funding solutions to fund local infrastructure needs.

The MPO presented six different options for consideration by the MPO Policy Board. The options ranged from tackling large projects by teaming up with ALDOT on a 50/50 match to less costly measures related to intelligent transportation system improvements (using technology to help traffic flow more efficiently), eliminating bottlenecks, and leveraging public transit. The MPO did not advocate any particular option. An abbreviated version of Mr. Brown’s presentation will be available for viewing on the MPO website within one week of the Policy Board meeting.

The Policy Board members agreed that future congestion and the lack of ALDOT funds are major concerns for the MPO area. Board members discussed the pros and cons of the various options offered by the MPO and agreed to come back to the next MPO meeting in April with more input on where the MPO should focus its future planning efforts.

The Policy Board considered several other discussion and informational items which can be reviewed in the meeting agenda packet on the MPO website. A transcript of the meeting minutes for the Policy Board meeting is expected to be available on the MPO website in approximately two weeks. Meeting minutes for Advisory Committee meetings are currently available on the MPO website.

The next meeting of the Eastern Shore MPO Policy Board is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at 10:00 AM at Three Circle Church at Fairhope. For more information regarding the Eastern Shore MPO please visit www.easternshorempo.org or email    coordinator@easternshorempo.org.

Click the link below to view the Agenda Action Taken for the March 26, 2014, Policy Board meeting. Meeting Minutes are anticipated April 9, 2014.

Agenda Action Report

PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization

March MPO Meetings and Proposed Amendment to Metropolitan Planning Organization Bylaws

The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board will meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at 10:00 AM at Daphne City Hall in the Council Chambers at 1705 Main St, Daphne, AL 36526. During this meeting the Policy Board will consider amending the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization Bylaws. The proposed amendment would add a representative from the Baldwin County Board of Education to the Technical Advisory Committee. A copy of the proposed amendment and comment forms are available on the MPO website. Comments must be received on or before Monday, March 17, 2014.

The Technical Advisory Committee will meet on March 19, 2014, at 10:00 AM in the Baldwin County Highway Department Conference Room on the 3^rd floor of the Regions Bank building; 22070 Hwy 59, Robertsdale, AL 36567.

The Citizens Advisory Committee will meet on March 18, 2014, at 1:00 PM in the Daphne City Hall Executive Meeting Room at 1705 Main St, Daphne, AL 36526.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet on March 18, 2014, at 10:00 AM in the Daphne City Hall Executive Meeting Room at 1705 Main St, Daphne, AL 36526.

The proposed combined agenda for each meeting may be viewed on the Eastern Shore MPO website: (http://www.easternshorempo.org/) fourteen days prior to the meeting.  For more information regarding any of the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Click here to view the Agenda

PRESS RELEASE

EASTERN SHORE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE EASTERN SHORE – January 23, 2014 – The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board held a meeting on Wednesday, January 22, 2014, in the City of Fairhope Council Chambers in Fairhope, Alabama. The Policy Board is the governing body of the MPO.

The first item of business for the MPO Policy Board was consideration of a proposed resolution to amend the MPO planning area to include the causeway and I-10 bayway up to the Baldwin County line. The MPO planning area represents the geographic area(s) likely to become urbanized within the next twenty years. Because the bayway and causeway are important components of the Eastern Shore MPO’s transportation network, adding these thoroughfares to the planning area allows the Policy Board to consider the bayway and causeway in the MPO’s long range transportation plans. The Policy Board followed the recommendations of the MPO Advisory Committees and unanimously adopted Resolution 2014-01 amending the planning area to include the causeway and bayway.

The Policy Board discussed whether the MPO member governments should be required to have a resolution from their governing councils before submitting a project to be included on an MPO project list.[1] After considering the different pros and cons of various options the Policy Board unanimously elected to follow the recommendation of the Citizens Advisory Committee and allow a project to be submitted onto the visionary/needs project list without a resolution but require the affirmative vote of the Policy Board members (or their proxies) representing the local government who is sponsoring the project.

The Policy Board considered fourteen projects submitted to be added to the visionary/needs project list. The visionary list is a list of unfunded projects that are recognized needs within the planning area. After considering each of the submitted projects and hearing the recommendation of the MPO Advisory Committees, the Policy Board adopted Resolution 2014-03 adding the fourteen projects to the MPO visionary list.

With the added projects the visionary list now contains twenty one projects: one in the City of Spanish Fort, seven in the City of Daphne, seven in the City of Fairhope, and six Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) projects. Projects can be viewed on the MPO interactive project map available on the MPO website (http://easternshorempo.org/interactive-map/).

MPO staff provided an update to the Policy Board regarding the travel model development for the MPO planning area. The MPO is currently building a computer model that will help identify traffic congestion issues that the Eastern Shore is likely to face in the next 25-30 years. The model will help the MPO Policy Board and the Advisory Committees evaluate the needs and possible solutions throughout the planning area.

The travel model divides the MPO planning area into 275 zones and then calculates the estimated number of trips from each zone to every other zone based on households, employment, and school enrollment in each zone. The MPO collected the following 2010 data for the MPO planning area:

• 2010 Population: 98,178
• 2010 Occupied Households: 38,898
• 2010 Avg. Persons per Household: 2.54
• 2010 Businesses: 5737 (Retail: 1268; Nonretail: 4473)
• 2010 Employees: 41,067 (Retail: 12,947; Nonretail: 28,120)
• 2010 Students: 20,207

The MPO developed 2040 projections from three independent third-party sources. Based on these projections, MPO staff anticipate the planning area population to increase from 98,178 to approximately 164,262 (a 66,000+ increase). The Policy Board members agreed that the coming population will require the local governments to work together to find creative solutions for our transportation needs, especially as funding for transportation projects continues to dry up.

The Policy Board adopted Resolution 2014-04 amending the MPO Bylaws to change the title of the Baldwin County Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) representative and to clarify the quorum requirements for the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC).

A transcript of the meeting minutes for the Policy Board meeting is expected to be available on the MPO website in approximately two weeks. Meeting minutes for Advisory Committee meetings are currently available on the MPO website.

The next meeting of the Eastern Shore MPO Policy Board is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at 10:00 AM in the Council Chambers at Daphne City Hall. For more information regarding the Eastern Shore MPO please visit www.easternshorempo.org or email coordinator@easternshorempo.org.

Click the link below to view the Agenda Action Taken for the January 22, 2014 Policy Board meeting. Meeting Minutes are anticipated February 5, 2014.

Agenda Action Report

PUBLIC NOTICE

Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization

January MPO Meetings and Proposed Amendment to Metropolitan Planning Organization Bylaws

The Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board will meet on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 10:00 AM at the Fairhope Municipal Complex in the Council Chambers at 161 North Section Street, Fairhope, Alabama 36532. During this meeting the Policy Board will consider amending the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization Bylaws. The proposed amendments would change the Baldwin County representative on the Technical Advisory Committee from “County Engineer” to “Baldwin County Highway Department Representative” as well as clarify the quorum requirements for the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. A copy of the proposed amendment and comment forms are available on the MPO website. Comments must be received on or before Tuesday, January 14, 2014.

The Technical Advisory Committee will meet on January 15, 2014 at 10:00 AM at the Fairhope Satellite Courthouse in the Commission Conference room at 1100 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, Alabama 36532.

The Citizens Advisory Committee will meet on January 14, 2014 at 1:00 PM at the Fairhope Municipal Complex in the Council Chambers at 161 North Section Street, Fairhope, Alabama 36532.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will meet on January 14, 2014 at 10:00 AM at the Fairhope Municipal Complex in the Council Chambers at 161 North Section Street, Fairhope, Alabama 36532.

The proposed combined agenda for each meeting may be viewed on the Eastern Shore MPO website: (http://www.easternshorempo.org/) fourteen days prior to the meeting.  For more information regarding any of the information above, please contact the Eastern Shore MPO at 251-990-4640.

Click Here to View the Bylaws with Proposed Amendments

Click Here to View the Policy Board Agenda

Click Here to View the Technical Advisory Committee Agenda

Click Here to View the Citizens Advisory Committee Agenda

Click Here to View the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Agenda