TRANSPORTATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE UNAPPROVED
July 17, 2007
Regular Meeting Synopsis
Session 07-07, a Regular Meeting
of the Transportation Advisory Committee was called to order at 5:36 p.m. on
July 17, 2007 by Chair Marquardt at the Homer City Hall Cowles Council Chambers
located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska.
PRESENT: COMMITTEEMEMBERS ZAK, MARQUARDT, SMITH
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBER STARK (EXCUSED)
PLANNING
TECHNICIAN ENGEBRETSEN
DIRECTOR
OF PUBLIC WORKS MEYER
CALL TO
ORDER
The Agenda was approved by
Consensus of the Committee.
None.
None.
ZAK/SMITH– MOVED TO APPROVE THE
MINUTES AS WRITTEN.
There was no discussion.
VOTE: YES. NON-OBJECTION.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
None.
None.
None.
A.
HART Policy
Chair Marquardt was requested by
the City Manager to review the policy one last time to give a final once over.
Committeemember Smith requested clarification on a few of the changes and
additions. Chair Marquardt asked whether the amount was accurate or approximate
for the dedicated three quarters of one percent (3/4%) sales tax under Financing
and Assessments. Planning Technician Engebretsen commented she will verify the
amount with Financing Director Harville. Commissioner Smith asked for
additional clarification on ADA compliance of trails, under the section of
Trail Planning Guidelines.
MARQUARDT/SMITH – MOVED TO FOLLOW
THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE H.A.R.T. POLICY WITH NO ADDITIONAL
CHANGES OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
There was no discussion.
VOTE: YES. NON-OBJECTION.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
Motion carried.
B.
Design Criteria Manual for City Roads
Chair Marquardt commented that the Design Criteria
Manual may take a few meetings to address all concerns, but he wanted to
address the manual line item by line item. There was a brief discussion among
the Committee regarding benefits of the criteria manual since the document is
so out of date.
Committeemember Smith informed the group that he
requested this to be put on the agenda due to the construction projects and the
bluff issues, and previous experience he had using the criteria manual. He
explained what the current criterion was for building roads in mountainous
terrain in accordance with the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Committeemember Smith does not feel the
entire manual needs to be rewritten. There are only a few sections that should
be updated.
Chair Marquardt stated that the document is thirty
years old and it leads to frustration because the criteria used is not always
practical, and address today’s situations, projects, etc. He recognized that
the City of Homer has potential liability and maintenance concerns of the roads
being designed. Further discussion ensued regarding the merits of making
changes to this document.
Committeemember Smith acknowledged the possible
impact on the Public Works Department and the City of Homer. He gave a
description of the footprint of a new road according to the current
requirements and that these requirements leave such a swath down the
mountainside that seriously impacts the environment. He recommends maybe not
changing the existing criteria, but adding a new section so it can be applied
in certain situations. Committeemember Smith used examples of local projects
that applied relaxation of the code.
Public Works Director Meyer stated that it is something
that may need to be looked at, but the reasons the current standards were
instituted is that it was never intended for roads to be built with a 50 or
60-foot slope. It is balancing the
liability of maintaining a slope versus being responsible for intersections
with steeper slopes on the approach than is reasonable.
Chair Marquardt stated that he was finding in many
areas of the current manual many requirements also included the phrase, “Public
Works Engineer’s discretionary approval”. He pointed out that the usage of the
word “may” within the document gives the reader the understanding that the City
Engineer has the ability to make and or accept some changes depending on the
project.
Further discussion between the Committeemembers
ensued regarding certain points within the requirements for road and street
design that should be modified. The discussion encompassed also giving the
Public Works Department the tools needed to properly choose the design
standards to apply depending on the conditions. Committeemember Smith explained
that at this time all roads with sewer and water design must be approved by the
Public Works Director before they will approve any plat.
Chair Marquardt requested
Committeemember Smith to research the issues that he has mentioned and bring
supporting documentation regarding the changes he is recommending. It was
suggested that they create an action agenda list and address one proposed
change to the manual per meeting.
Public Works Director Meyer
suggested identifying at this meeting what they wanted to address.
Committeemember Smith stated he would like to review, discuss and examine the
impact of the current criteria. Public Works Director Meyer suggested some
areas to start the list. He recommended the following for discussion:
Road
Design and Steep Slopes
1. Prism or
Template widths
2. Backslopes
3. Grades
a. Intersection
Grades
4. Cul de
Sac Radius
5. Design
Speeds for Vertical Curves
Design Speed – Vertical Curves
Committeemember Smith read the recommended
design speed from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO) manual for the categories up to 400 ADT in mountainous
terrain is twenty (20) mile per hour design speed. Public Works Director Meyer wanted to interject that a typical
home in a subdivision, in determining Average Daily Traffic Count (ADT), is
rated at 10 trips per home; so if you have an ADT of 50 you are generally
speaking of five (5) homes. That is a fully matured subdivision. Is a twenty
(20) mile per hour design speed reasonable? The City of Homer has the current
criteria as twenty (20)mile per hour.
Committeemember Zak asked if this would only apply to a developer with five or six parcels. Committeemember Smith responded that the requirements would apply in accordance with the (ADT). Depending on the ADT, it would reflect the criteria used. He also then went into further explanation regarding how they could determine the criteria to use. The low ADT roads should have different criteria in regards to maintenance as well.
Chair Marquardt asked for clarification on what is “K value”. Committeemember Smith explained it as rate of change between two grades, it is basically using an algorithm that tells you how long the vertical curve has to be to lower design speeds. Lower design speeds allow shorter visual design requirements. Public Works Director was not sure that changing design speed by 5 miles would offer huge savings.
Committeemember Smith clarified by giving
examples of what a vertical curve, sag vertical curve and crest curve were.
Public Works Director Meyer gave an example for stopping sight distance on a
crest vertical curve. He commented on safety issues and what the typical driver
will do in certain situations.
Further discussion regarding his
experience on previous projects, the Homer City Code compared to AASHTO, and
the obstacles that were encountered. Committeemember Smith discussed the issues
facing developers with the current design criteria.
There was brief discussion on the
criteria requirements on driveway widths. Chair Marquardt commented that they
made very good progress. Next month the Committee will address prism or
template widths and start comparison of City required criteria in comparison to
AASHTO requirements. Chair Marquardt requested Committeemember Smith to
research the issues that he mentioned at this meeting; the changes the
Committee is to focus on for each of the topics that was discussed, and bring
supporting documentation for the recommended changes.
A.
Capital Improvement Plan 2007-2012 –
Chair Marquardt commented that
there are quite a few projects and he wanted the members to review the listed
projects. Committeemember Smith suggested comparing the list to what Governor
Palin’s requirements are so the projects selected would have a better chance at
funding. Committeemember Zak stated he wanted to see a vocational training
facility added to the CIP list.
None.
None.
None.
None.
Chair Marquardt thanked everyone
for attending.
Comments of the Committeemembers
None.
Renee Krause, Deputy City Clerk I
Approved: