Legislature(2009 - 2010)BUTROVICH 205
04/08/2010 01:00 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB152 | |
| HB366 | |
| HJR47 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 152 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 366 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HJR 47 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 152-TRANSPORTATION; TRANSIT AUTHORITIES
1:01:39 PM
SENATOR KOOKESH announced the consideration of SB 152. The bill
was heard previously.
JODIE SIMSON, Staff to Senator Charlie Huggins, informed the
committee that a representative from the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) was present and
representatives from the Municipality of Anchorage and the MatSu
Borough were online to respond to questions and concerns.
1:02:35 PM
JEFFERY C. OTTESEN, Director, Division of Program Development,
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF),
stated that the fundamental reason that DOTPF has not taken a
position on the legislation is that the bill doesn't identify a
role for DOTPF in either the formative stages or the operations
of a regional transit authority (RTA).
MR. OTTESEN said DOTPF believes that it should be involved in
any future RTA, and that there is also a need for metropolitan
planning organizations (MPO) - the planning authority for
transportation funding from the federal government. Any
community with a population of 50,000 that meets a certain
density standard becomes an MPO, he said. There are two in the
state - the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation System
(AMATS) and the Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transportation
System (FMATS). It's likely that Mat-Su will become one after
the 2010 census is calculated, he added.
MR. OTTESEN informed the committee that RTAs often span multiple
local government boundaries. An RTA is likely to be partly
within an MPO and partly outside and thus dealing with the state
for funding decisions. He explained that RTAs may include rail
and light rail transit and almost certainly rubber-tire transit.
Even when the primary goal is to build a rail-based system,
rubber-tire transit is necessary to bring people in from
outlying areas to the rail system. There's a great deal of
overlap and DOTPF needs to be included in operational agreements
with respect to operating on rights-of-way, building bus stops,
building park-and-rides, and signal preemption to give buses
priority. He noted that buses already get priority at traffic
lights in Anchorage.
He described Sound Transit in Seattle as one of the newer and
more innovative RTAs in the nation. It is doing commuter rail,
light rail, and has several rubber-tire transit routes. The
Washington state transportation department saw an obvious need
to be a part of that RTA and it has a commissioner-level voting
member on that transit board.
1:06:33 PM
MR. OTTESEN explained to the committee that if an RTA were to
straddle a borough and the unorganized borough, DOTPF's role
might be useful because the unorganized borough has no local
government at the borough level. In that case, the Legislature
would act as the borough assembly and the state would act as the
local government. He cited a potential RTA in Fairbanks with
routes to Delta Junction or Nenana as an example. These are the
reasons for the need for both MPOs and DOTs to have a role in
RTAs, he said. Whether it's permissive or mandatory is up to the
Legislature, but it ought to at least be allowed.
SENATOR KOOKESH observed that that isn't part of this bill.
MR. OTTESEN agreed the bill is silent on that point, which in
the future would lead to a question about the intent.
CHAIR KOOKESH asked DOTPF's position on the bill as currently
written.
MR. OTTESEN replied DOTPF believes that RTAs are necessary and
appropriate in Alaska.
CHAIR KOOKESH asked if DOTPF believes that this is a first step.
MR. OTTESEN said yes and it would be better if the role of MPOs
and DOTPF were clarified in the formation of the RTA.
1:08:48 PM
SENATOR DAVIS asked if he brought an amendment or language to
clarify the role of DOTPF.
MR. OTTESEN offered to provide language. Responding to a further
question, he said he prefers to have the intent clear from the
outset.
SENATOR MENARD asked if he is suggesting that someone from DOTPF
should be on the RTA board.
MR. OTTESEN replied it's probably appropriate for each DOTPF
regional director to be in that role.
SENATOR MENARD asked him to clarify the priority issue.
MR. OTTESEN explained that bus prioritization works much the
same as it does for emergency vehicles. Priority is always given
to the emergency vehicle at intersections while priority is
given to a bus if it is full. If the bus is empty, it would not
receive priority.
1:11:47 PM
SENATOR MENARD mentioned the stimulus money and said she
supports the bill.
MR. OTTESEN said there will be additional money and most of it will
run through the MPO or state DOT. That's why RTAs want those
representatives on their board, he said. At the federal level MPOs
are the planning authority. The best example in Alaska is AMATS and
the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) Board, he said. He
related that KABATA was established by the Legislature, yet the AMATS
MPO is driving whether or not that project proceeds. Recently there
was a vote to potentially shut that project down for a decade and
although that didn't happen, the message is that MPOs and other
regional transportation organizations need to collaborate.
1:14:12 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN asked if he is saying that the bill is a first
step, but that DOTPF needs to be involved at some point in time.
MR. OTTESEN replied it's appropriate because of the way the
federal funding works and it would increase the likelihood of a
successful RTA.
SENATOR PASKVAN asked if a conceptual amendment would be
appropriate that says, "A regional transit authority created in
this section may participate with a RTA created by this act."
MR. OTTESEN agreed that permissive language would be fine. DOTPF
controls the funding strings to a degree so there is impetus for
having it at the table.
MR. OTTESEN suggested the amendment language also include "a
representative from any coincident metropolitan planning
organization." He noted that the draft transportation bill in
Congress sends money directly to the MPOs so it would no longer
run through the state DOT or be appropriated by the Legislature.
1:17:03 PM
BRAD SWORTS, Transportation and Environmental Manager, Mat-Su
Borough, stated support for creating regional transit
authorities. He related that Mat-Su Borough has been working
closely with the Municipality of Anchorage on the matter. He
related that transit operations within the borough and between
the borough and Anchorage continue to increase. It's
increasingly clear that the management and coordination of
improved transit operations should be carried out through an
RTA, he said. Municipalities and communities in Alaska would
benefit from passage of SB 152.
JODY KARCZ, Public Transportation Director, Municipality of
Anchorage (MOA), pointed out that when the Mat-Su Borough and
the MOA began talking about the process to establish an RTA,
DOTPF was brought to the table and it continues to be a strong
player.
Referring to the "Opticom" transit priority bus project that Mr.
Ottesen mentioned, she explained that the municipal assembly
approved a one-year pilot program for two bus routes. Just 20 of
the 217 traffic signals within Anchorage are equipped to accept
bus priority during peak hours in peak directions, she said. So
far there has been minimal impact on cross streets.
1:21:32 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN asked if she would have any problem with the
conceptual amendment to include DOTPF and coincident
metropolitan planning organizations in the RTA created by the
Act.
MS. KARCZ replied it's a good amendment.
SENATOR MENARD said she would like the language to say "shall"
instead of "may" to ensure that DOTPF is included.
CHAIR KOOKESH clarified that this is a conceptual amendment.
SENATOR PASKVAN said he has no problem with that if DOTPF
agrees.
1:22:52 PM
RALPH DUERRE, Assistant Attorney, Municipality of Anchorage
(MOA), said MOA supports the conceptual amendment that Senator
Paskvan proposed. He related that SB 152 is flexible to allow a
variety of transportation plans. There is no question that DOTPF
and MPOs will play vital role in the success of the RTA and
their participation is most welcome. However, DOTPF and MPO
participation should be on a permissive basis.
SENATOR KOOKESH closed public testimony.
1:25:46 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN moved conceptual Amendment 1 to add a new
section (b)(3) to read as follows:
The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
may participate and/or a representative of a
coincident metropolitan planning organization may
participate with a regional transit authority created
by this Act.
SENATOR MENARD objected to the word "may" because it is too
permissive.
CHAIR KOOKESH asked Mr. Ottesen to provide his perspective.
MR. OTTESEN stated a preference for the permissive language.
SENATOR KOOKESH agreed with that position.
1:28:01 PM
SENATOR MENARD removed her objection.
CHAIR KOOKESH found no further objection and announced that
conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted. He asked the will of the
committee.
1:28:28 PM
SENATOR PASKVAN moved to report SB 152, as conceptually amended,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s). There being no objection, CSSB 152(TRA) moved
from the Senate Transportation Standing Committee.
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