Meeting Minutes for June 15, 2007

• Jim Hutcherson – COTA

• Nick Shultz - EMH&T
• Larry Creed - EMH&T
• Dilip Karpoor - MORPC
• Terry Stewart - City of Columbus

Terry Stewart welcomed Mr. Jim Hutcherson to the meeting at 1:20 PM and thanked him for his attendance.

Mr. Stewart explained that the City of Columbus is planning a traffic calming, community mobility, multi-modal traffic project for Franklinton. He stated that implementation may start as early as next year and introduced the project team consisting of the City of Columbus, EMH&T, Inc., MORPC, McKenna Associates, Inc. and Walkable Communities, Inc. from Florida.

Mr. Stewart briefly discussed the project goals including:

1. A balanced transportation infrastructure
2. Reduce traffic violations, speeding, and failure to yield to pedestrians
3. Strengthening connection between land uses and the transportation system
4. Promoting distinct and vibrant neighborhoods
5. Satisfying “Safe Routes to School” criteria

Mr. Stewart introduced Larry Creed, Project Manager for the Franklinton Project from EMH&T.

Mr. Creed briefly discussed the project steps including:

• Developing a plan to improve mobility and related livability issues in Franklinton by:
  • Balancing transportation infrastructure
    • Reducing traffic violations, ticketed and non-ticketed (speeding, failure to yield)
    • Strengthening connection between land users and the transportation system
    • Promoting distinct and vibrant neighborhoods
    • Satisfying “Safe Routes to School” criteria
• Encourage public involvement
  • Meeting with stakeholders
  • Public open houses
  • Charrettes
  • Walk audits
  • Overview to mayor, council, and service director
  • Internet website: www.columbusmobility.info
    • Meeting notifications
• Data Collection – (Currently in process)
  • Obtain existing data
    • Traffic counts
    • Pedestrian crash data
    • Land planning documents
    • Perform traffic counts (volume, speed, and classification)
    • Inventory of existing area characteristics, including, but not limited to:
      • Sidewalk, curb, curb ramps, pedestrian features, traffic calming measures
      • Intersection traffic control devices, lane control, turn restrictions, ped controls
      • One-way operations, designated parking areas, bus stops, speed limits
• Analysis and Recommendations
  • Identify problems and develop solutions
  • Review constructability feasibility
  • Prepare cost estimates and prioritize
  • Present recommendations to public, stakeholders, and city departments
• Final Reporting
  • Prepare report describing purpose, methodology, findings and recommendations
  • Provide typical drawings of recommended improvements

Mr. Creed provided upcoming events including:

• Tuesday, June 19, 2007 – Public Open House
  • Gladden Community House, 183 Hawkes Avenue
  • Key Stakeholders Meeting – 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Public Open House – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
• Friday, July 13, 2007 – Opening Charrette
• Saturday, July 14, 2007 – Walk Audit
• Thursday, July 26, 2007 – Closing Charrette

Mr. Hutcherson was pleased to announce that the sales tax initiative was passed and will provide funding for COTA for the next ten years, but no additional funds will be available until April 2008. Mr. Hutcherson provided copies of COTA’s Short Range Transit Plan and Long-Range Transit Plan and briefly summarized the updated routes in the Franklinton area:

• #3 route (Mound Street) will be extended from Westland Mall out to Galloway Road and will have more stops added.
• #6 route (Sullivant Avenue) will be extended from Westland Mall out to Galloway Road.
• #10 route (South Murray Hill Loop) will be discontinued and service in this area will be provided by the proposed route #6 extension.
• #15 route (Town Street) will be extended.
• #17 route (Greenlawn Avenue/Gantz Road) will be restored, probably in year 2008. It was discontinued in May of 2004, and will now include weekend trips. This route traverses Harmon Avenue.

COTA Improvement Efforts

• 32 new buses will be purchased in October 2007 and will be used to alleviate overcrowding
• All buses (besides the 2 trolleys) have bike racks that hold 2 bikes at a time
• Overall service hours will begin earlier in the morning and extend later in the evening
• More services are intended for the Mound/Souder lines to serve West Edge Business Park
• Mid-Ohio Food Bank is expected to move to Grove City and the #15 route will be adjusted to compensate
• A marketing plan is in progress to improve the overall image of COTA, including bus shelters
• Bus shelters in Clintonville (Arcadia/High) are now the standard style for new construction
• Bus shelters on Livingston are the desired decorative model
• There is a 25 rider per day minimum to construct a bus shelter at a certain bus stop

COTA Issues

• Mr. Hutcherson wanted to know if waiting areas/bus stop areas could be improved as a part of the plan
• Children’s Services at West Edge Business Park generates a lot of requests for service. Possibly consider an enhanced stop/shelter in this area
• COTA is having difficulty hiring bus drivers to fill new positions
• Overcrowding is significant on Broad Street lines
• Litter/Trash
  • Major issue on Broad Street
  • Not all stops have trash containers
  • COTA and City each have own trash receptacles and service (COTA = Stone Façade, City = Black Iron)
  • COTA would like City to take on all trash services
• Sullivant Avenue bus stop signs are being illegally removed, possibly by area citizens in order to create more parking spots. No parking zones for buses are only enforceable if city regulatory signs accompany the bus stop signs.
• Bus stop locations may not currently be in the ideal location anymore, as needs and characteristics have changed over the years. The preferred location of a bus stop is “far side,” which means downstream from an intersection. This is to reduce sight distance issues and turning conflicts. Mr. Hutcherson is in agreement with exploring new bus stop locations, with his approval of the final location.
• Bus Stop Standards
  • Near Side (Before the intersection) = 80’ stop length
  • Far Side (After the intersection) = 120’ stop length (Preferred Location)
  • Mid Block = 140’ stop length

Information/Help to be provided by COTA:

• Physical characteristics criteria of bus stops, as well as locations that do not meet these criteria
• Ridership data
• Bus bike rack data containing the number of bike rack users at each bus stop
• Information packets will be compiled for the Transit booth at the June 19 Open House
• Mr. Hutcherson intends to attend the stakeholder meeting and part of the open house
• Mr. Hutcherson will try to get a representative from COTA to stand at the transit booth for the open house

Miscellaneous

• Doug Moore and Bill Lohta from COTA are on the committee for the downtown street car project. Mr. Hutcherson would like to see COTA govern and manage the street cars.
• Jim is on the committee for the I-70/I-71 split improvement project.
• McKinley Avenue Employers Association should be considered as a key stakeholder