MEETING MINUTES
4:00 p.m., August 12, 2010

 Call to Order & Welcome:
Ron Jost, District 5 Co-Chair , called the August 12, 2010 Transportation Advisory Committee meeting to order at 4:06 p.m.

Members Present:
Robert Schaffer (Crawford), Gary Brown (Dent), Donald Dodd (Dent), Darrell Skiles (Dent), Ron Jost (Gasconade), Jim Decker (Gasconade), Richard Huse (Maries), Lowell Tonding (Maries), Russell Scheulen (Osage), Larry Stratman (Phelps), George Sanders (Pulaski) and Cecil Penland (Pulaski)

Members Absent:
Richard Martin (Crawford), Ed Worley (Crawford), Doug Britton (Crawford), Matthew Penning (Gasconade), James Kleffner (Maries), Danny Foster (Osage), Jerry Wolfe (Osage), John Butz (Phelps), Candace Connell (Phelps), Bruce Harrill (Pulaski), John Casey (Washington), T.R. Dudley (Washington), Todd Moyers (Washington), Tom Stehn (MoDOT), Jack Heusted (OATS) and Bill Osborne (SMTS)

Alternates and Ex-Officio Members:
John Petersen (Phelps)

Guests:
Will Atkinson (MoDOT District 9), Pete Berry (MoDOT District 9), Mike Dusenberg (MoDOT District 5), Spencer Jones (Great Rivers Associates) and Jerany Jackson (Great Rivers Associates)

Staff:
Richard Cavender, Bonnie Prigge, Connie Willman and Lisa Warnke

Approval of June 10, 2010 TAC Minutes:
Gary Brown made a motion to approve the June 10, 2010 Transportation Advisory Committee meeting minutes. John Petersen seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Route 66 National Scenic Byway:
Jerany Jackson and Spencer Jones of Great River Associates, Springfield presented information regarding the Corridor Management Plan to be submitted with an application to make the Missouri Historic Route 66 Scenic Byway into a National Scenic Byway.

Ms. Jackson and Mr. Jones explained that the Corridor Management Plan is designed to preserve, protect and promote Route 66 through the state of Missouri. Route 66 was designated a State Scenic Byway in 2005 which is the first step for a highway to become a National Scenic Byway. Eventually, the Route 66 Association of Missouri would like to see the highway designated as an All-American Road, the most scenic of the National Scenic Byways.

To be considered for designation, a road must meet at least on of six intrinsic qualities, including: scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archeological or recreational.

The Great Rivers Associates has been working on the Corridor Management Plan for about a year. The primary components of the plan include the following:

• Map identifying the boundaries
• Assessment of the qualities
• Strategy

Staff have inventoried the qualities, mapped the assessments and are in the process of providing the information through public meetings. They will then develop the plan.

Economic Development is the primary reason to do the Corridor Management Plan. The plan will be used to promote growth and development along the Route 66 Scenic Byway. It will capitalize on tourism, restoration, eco-tourism (hiking, canoeing, fishing, etc) and education.

Understanding Roundabouts:
Pete Berry, MoDOT District 9, presented information on the use of roundabouts in Missouri.

The roundabout is designed with a counter-clockwise flow of traffic where the entering traffic yields to vehicles that are already on the roundabout. The roundabout improves roadway safety, congestion, pollution and crash rates.

The key features of a roundabout include the following:

• Yield control – vehicles yield upon entry in a roundabout
• Circulatory Roadway – movement is counter-clockwise with no left turns
• Central Island – deflects vehicles from a straight line path
• Splitter Island – separate deflect and slow traffic prevents serious accidents
• Landscaping – provides a visual element to drivers
• Truck Apron – designed for large semis and truck and trailers so back tires can run up on
• Signing and marking – proper signing helps drivers navigate the roundabout

Safety Improvements:

At a typical stoplight there are 32 points of possible contact with another vehicle. There are only eight points of conflict in a roundabout and they are only sideswipe conflicts versus the angle, left turn or t-bone that if usually found at a stoplight or four-way intersection. Study results have also shown that crash rates are lowered by 48% and the seriousness of the crashes are lowered by 78% or more.

Jefferson City and Columbia have several roundabouts. The ideal location is near an interstate or busy highway where the outer road and other roads all come together. A typical roundabout can safely handle 20,000 to 26,000 cars daily. The initial cost is higher and it takes more land to put in but the roundabout is less expensive to maintain and can handle more cars than a standard intersection.

MoDOT is making plans to put in a large roundabout at Route V near the Love’s station in Phelps County to help with the traffic flow of semis leaving and entering I-44 at that location. MoDOT and the City of Rolla will also be putting in an oval shaped roundabout in 2012 at the Kingshighway, Martin Springs Drive, and I-44 exit in Rolla.

MoDOT Updates and Staff Reports:

Districts 5 – Mike Dusenberg

• Overlay on 89 in Osage County from Route E to Highway 28 in Belle. Project will be starting soon and is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year.
• Highway 50 East project – the right of way acquisition process has started. MoDOT is currently doing appraisals although they haven’t acquired any properties. Funding is available as of July 1, 2010.
• The Osage River Bridge ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Monday, August 16, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Tuscumbia, MO.
• There will be a Transportation Enhancement Funds meeting on August 24 for additional federal funds that have been made available for 2010 and 2011. Available funding for District 5 is for $2.5 million. There is an aggressive time schedule for project selection and development. District 5 will be meeting with the enhancement team and RPCs to develop criteria for the level of funding and to get information out. Final plans, specifications and funds will be obligated and approved by November 1, 2011.
• Contracts Coming-Up: Three projects will be coming up for bids later this year. Two bids will be on thin lift overlay for the minor roads system repairs in Gasconade County. The first project is Highway 19 from Highway 50 to Highway 28 and the other project is Highway100 from Route N to Highway 19. These projects will go to bid later this winter and be ready for construction next spring or summer. The third project is to repair a section of rock cut-out in Maries County on Highway 63 north of the Gasconade River where a rock slide caused a brief road closure last winter.
• Design of Highway 63 – MoDOT has received approval from the Federal Highway Commission as well as approval on the new STIP in July. Funding is available for preliminary engineering on the four-laning of Highway 63. MoDOT will create 3D mapping from the aerial photos that were taken earlier in the year. This mapping will be used for the plan development. Preliminary design will begin once the 3D mapping is complete. There will be no public hearings until funding is available for the plans. Initial starting point for this project will be at the north end of the route near Westphalia and Highway 50.
• Design of Highway 50 East near Linn is in the same process as Highway 63. Preliminary Design will begin soon. The corridor design and plan will be ready if funding becomes available.

District 9 - Will Atkinson

• Washington County Route E overlay from Route 8 to Highway 21 will start next week.
• Washington County Highway 185 overlay from Route T to Highway 8 near Potosi
• Resurfacing on Route KK in Phelps County from Highway 8 to Crawford County
• Resurfacing on BB in Phelps County from Forum Drive to Highway 68.
• Resurfacing of I-44 in Crawford County by the end of the year west of Route H to Route J on the east bound lanes.
• Resurfacing of Highway 133 in Pulaski County by the end of the year from Highway 7 to Route A
• Next week, resurfacing will start on Highway 63 from Route CC in Rolla to .6 miles north of I-44
• Highway 63 will have capacity improvements plan from Maries County to Cabool, MO. Scope of work will be ready should funds become available.

Due to a tragic accident involving school buses from Phelps County, Larry Stratman asked the TAC to participate in a letter of support for a better plan to deal with the backend of traffic accidents along the I-44 corridor and construction zones. The letter will go to MoDOT, Missouri Highway Patrol and Missouri State Offices in Jefferson City.

MoDOT representatives suggested that all cities and counties along the corridor should be contacted and included in the effort to make a stronger impact. TAC members were willing to contact the other communities and Larry stated that a letter will be developed and completed before the next TAC meeting.

Next Meeting:
The next Transportation Advisory Committee meeting will be held on October 14, 2010.

Adjournment:
Being no further business. Darrell Skiles made a motion to adjourn the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting at 5:53 p.m. Richard Huse seconded the motion. Motion passed.

__________________________________________ ___________________
District 9 Co-Chair Date