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Access meetings Minutes

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
323 Congress Avenue, First Floor
ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
November 3, 2004

Members Present: Shelly Brisbin, Ron Burzese, Jerry Doran, Randall L. Glock, Julie Maloukis, Scott Meyer, Juan Munoz, Robert Raines and Judy Watford

Members Absent: Linda French

Capital Metro Staff Present: Nancy Crowther, Denise Guerrero, Jan Johnson and King Kaul.

Guest(s): Christine Guevara

The meeting was called to order at 5:06PM. All decisions are voted upon and all votes are unanimous unless stated otherwise.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

The minutes of the October 6, 2004 ACCESS Advisory Committee Meeting were approved as written.

WELCOME

Shelly Brisbin welcomed the newly appointment ACCESS Advisory Committee Members to their first meeting: Ron Burzese, Julie Maloukis and Judy Watford. Linda French was welcomed in absentia.

OFFICER CONFIRMATION

Shelly Brisbin noted that Julie Maloukis has served in a volunteer capacity for the past year, assisting Scott Meyer in his role as Secretary. She recommended that the Committee consider formalizing the appointment and the Committee voted to appoint Julie Maloukis to the position of Co-Secretary.

CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.

There were no citizens present who signed up to speak. Therefore, Shelly Brisbin took the opportunity to explain the policies and procedures for citizen communication for new ACCESS members.

PRESENTATION BY KING KAUL (Capital Metro Staff).

Mr. Kaul distributed a handout to ACCESS members with a handout about current projects. At the conclusion of the presentation, members asked many questions.

Update - Leander Park & Ride Facility.

Mr. Kaul briefly updated ACCESS on the status of the Leander Park & Ride. He stated that Capital Metro closed on the purchase of 13.55 acres of land for the facility on October 15, 2004. It is located ½ mile north of FM 2243, east of Highway 183, in Leander. An additional .9 acre of land is being dedicated for the Right of Way of the infrastructure and this purchase should be finalized by November 15, 2004. It is anticipated that the construction contract will be awarded in January 2005 and that construction will begin in February 2005.

Build Central Texas Program.

Capital Metro is constructing new sidewalks along existing bus routes as a service to the City of Austin in areas where a need has been identified. In each case, Capital Metro is working to build new sidewalks on one side of the street.

CMTA Sidewalk Projects - Group 1

Construction on this project is expected to begin on 11/04/2004. The contract has been awarded to Muniz Concrete and Contracting. The total cost of the project is $591,817.

  • South Lamar - 500 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 16 curb cut ramps, will be constructed along the west side of South Lamar from Barton Skyway to Brodie Oaks Shopping Center.
  • South Lamar - (east side) - 700 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 11 curb cut ramps, will be constructed along the east side of South Lamar from Barton Skyway to Brodie Oaks Shopping Center.
  • South Lamar - 225 linear feed of sidewalks, to include 5 curb cut ramps and 1 small pedestrian bridge will be constructed along the east side of South Lamar from West Mary to Evergreen.
  • Stassney Lane - 1060 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 10 curb cut ramps, will be constructed along the east side of Stassney Lane from South First Street toward Manchaca Road.
  • South Lakeshore Drive - 4100 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 10 curb cut ramps, will be constructed along South Lakeshore Drive.
  • Riverside Drive - 1300 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 7 curb cut ramps, will be constructed along Riverside Drive from Burton Drive to Pleasant Valley Road.
  • Montopolis - 3000 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 11 curb cut ramps, will be constructed along Montopolis Drive from Highway 71 to Riverside Drive.

CMTA Sidewalk Projects - Group 2

  • Construction on this project is currently in progress. The contract has been awarded to Muniz Concrete and Contracting. The total cost of the project is $474,094.
  • North Lamar - 1500 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 1 curb cut ramp, is being constructed along the east side of North Lamar from 38th Street to 45th Street.
  • East 51st Street - 700 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 7 curb cut ramps, is being constructed along the south side of East 51st Street from Airport Road to IH 35. Some gaps on the north side may be filled in as well.
  • Metric Blvd - 2300 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 7 curb cut ramps, is being constructed along the east side of Metric Blvd. from Rutland to Braker Lane.
  • Guadalupe - 2400 linear feet of sidewalks, to include 19 curb cut ramps, is being constructed along the east side of Guadalupe from 51st Street to Koenig Lane.

CMTA Sidewalk Projects - Group 3

  • This project is in the design phase.
  • Jollyville Road - new sidewalks are being considered along the east side of Jollyville Road from Floral Park to Braker Lane.

Questions and Answers

  • Width - Sidewalks will be from 4 to 6 feet wide.
  • Cross Slope - This is a measure of the slope of the width, from one side of the sidewalk to the other. The maximum cross slope will be 2.5%.
  • Traveling Slope - The maximum slope of the sidewalks (the actual walking slope) will be 15%.
  • Curb Cut Ramps - All ramps will be directional. No shared ramps will be constructed. Scott Meyer noted that directional, non-shared ramps are appropriate for pedestrians who are blind. Julie Maloukis noted that this is also appropriate for pedestrians using wheelchairs.
  • Ramp Slope - The maximum ramp slope will be 8.3%, fulfilling the1:12 inch ratio as required by ADA.
  • Flooding Problem on North Lamar - Scott Meyer spoke about an area on North Lamar, between Justin Lane and the south side of 51st Street. He reported that severe flooding occurs along the west side of Lamar following any significant or even moderate rainfall.
  • Safety Issue on North Lamar - Scott Meyer reported a problem area along the west side of North Lamar at 51st Street. The Plaza has a wide driveway that is flush (blended) with the roadway. This makes it very difficult for pedestrians who are blind to walk along North Lamar without veering into the street, especially at times when traffic is light. Blind travelers may veer into the street without realizing it until the traffic has to stop in order to avoid a collision.
  • Recommendations for Future Projects - ACCESS members asked how Capital Metro decides where to build new sidewalks. Mr. Kaul explained that the City of Austin provides a list of priorities and Capital Metro funds projects that are along existing bus routes. Several members pointed out other problem areas.

Scott Meyer stated that he has worked with Jesus Lardizabal (city employee) on the City of Austin ADA Sidewalk Committee. He offered to get a copy of the priority projects list Mr. Lardizabal to help keep ACCESS members informed.

Shelly Brisbin suggested that members generate a list of potential future sidewalk projects and asked members to be aware of their surroundings as they travel about town. Julie Maloukis offered to maintain this list for the committee and asked members to notify her via email regarding items to be added to the list.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS.

STS Subcommittee - Juan Munoz, Chair, gave the report.

Juan Munoz reported that the STS Subcommittee met on October 27, 2004 from 5:00 to 6:20 p.m. The new ACCESS members in attendance were welcomed and Jan Johnson gave a report on STS. There was a continuation of the ongoing discussion regarding Late Cancellations and No Shows.

A special, two-hour meeting of the STS Subcommittee has been set for Wednesday, November 10, 2004 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The purpose will be to work on a future proposal for STS policy changes. Juan Munoz and Jan Johnson will get together beforehand to set a specific agenda. Shelly Brisbin agreed to speak with Jane Schroeter, IVR Project Manager, and present a status update at the Subcommittee meeting.

Fixed Route ADA Subcommittee. Randall L. Glock, Chair, gave the report.

Randall L. Glock reported that the Fixed Route ADA Subcommittee met on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 from 6:25 to 7:00 p.m. He gave an update on the continuing efforts to construct a curb cut ramp at the Hancock Center bus stop, adjacent to the St. David's Wheelchair Fitness Center. The Subcommittee has been working on a letter in support of this project and Randall read the final draft. However, he reported that the project is looking good right now and stated that the letter will be tabled for the time being. It will only be sent if ACCESS determines it's needed in the future. If so, it will be prepared on Capital Metro letterhead under the signature of Nancy Crowther.

Randall announced that there the Fixed Route ADA Subcommittee will not meet in November in order to accommodate the special needs of the STS Subcommittee. However, he requested that Subcommittee members contact him via email if any issues should arise.

The next Subcommittee meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 8, 2004.

CHAIR REPORT.

Board Meeting

Ms. Shelly Brisbin announced that she attended the Board of Directors meeting on October 25, 2004. She described the recent interview process and introduced the applicants selected for appointment to the ACCESS Advisory Committee. The Board accepted all recommendations.

Downtown Austin Alliance

Ms. Brisbin provided an update about the proposed meeting with the Downtown Alliance. She and Julie Maloukis will get together to take pictures of inaccessible areas in the area bordered by Brazos, Colorado, Cesar Chavez and 11th Street in the downtown area. Shelly will put together a Power Point presentation for a meeting with the Downtown Alliance. Scott Meyer will attend the presentation to address issues affecting the blind and Julie Maloukis will attend the meeting to address issues affecting wheelchair users.

The meeting is TBD and every effort will be made to create a friendly, cooperative partnership between ACCESS and the Downtown Austin Alliance.

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

  1. Julie Maloukis announced that she has been invited to attend a Legislative Agenda Setting Meeting hosted by the Just Transportation Alliance on November 10, 2004. The purpose will be to review the issues and prioritize issues related to transit and housing throughout the State that will be addressed during the next session.
  2. Judy Watford announced an interest in having ACCESS members tour the STS facilities in order to gain a better understanding of STS operations. Jan Johnson agreed to arrange a meeting. There was some question as to whether the facility could accommodate all ACCESS members at one time. Julie Maloukis pointed out that transportation to the facility would pose a problem for members and asked if Jan could arrange transportation.
  3. Scott Meyer announced that his O&M Department at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC) was recognized by the Austin Mayor's Committee, on October 25, 2004. They were praised for their work to help City engineers gain a better understanding of the needs of pedestrians with disabilities - especially blind pedestrians. The engineers were taught which sidewalk and intersection designs work best for blind travelers. They were also recognized for their work on a text map of the Austin airport (ABIA).
  4. Denise Guerrero announced that she will travel to College Station with John Ancira to receive training on emergency bus evacuation procedures for passengers who are elderly and those who have disabilities.

Any future agenda items should be submitted to Shelly Brisbin.

Next ACCESS Advisory Committee Meetings:

Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Next Subcommittee Meetings

Wednesday, November 8, 2004: STS - 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 8, 2004: STS - 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.Fixed Route - 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Capital Metro and/or the chairperson will communicate any changes to upcoming meetings via e-mail.

Respectfully Submitted by:

Scott Meyer, Secretary

Julie Maloukis, Co-Secretary


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