AUGUSTA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY MEETING OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE, ROOM 803, MUNICIPAL BUILDING, AUGUSTA, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012, 11:00 A.M.

Voting Members present: Voting Members absent: Deke Copenhaver, Mayor of Augusta, Chairman George James, Mayor of Grovetown Ron Cross, Chairman, Columbia Co. Commission, Henry Taylor, SC – 2nd Congressional Vice- Chairman District Commissioner, ½ vote Thomas McQueen (representing Keith Golden, GA Charles Dalton, SC – 3rd District Highway DOT Commissioner) Commissioner, ½ vote Ron Price (representing -MG Alan R. Lynn – Fort Robert Buchwitz, Chairman Hephzibah Gordon) Commission C. H. Williams, Mayor of Burnettown Patricia Cole, Mayor of Blythe Fred Cavanaugh, Mayor of Aiken Skip Grkovic (representing Lark Jones, Mayor,

North Augusta) Stephen Strohminger (representing Ronnie Young,

Chairman, Aiken County Council)

Augusta Planning & Development Department Mobility Transit - APT George Patty David Jones Paul DeCamp Marya Moultrie CSRA RC Lynn Russell Christian Lentz Juriah Lewis SC DOT City of Augusta Mike Sullivan David Griffith Lower Savannah COG GA DOT Dana Luttrull Reuben Woods Andrew Heath City of Aiken Sandra Korbelik Fort Gordon Carleton Roach Aiken County Gerald Jefferson OTHER Elizabeth Sanford, Cambridge Systematics, Inc FHWA Garth Lynch, HNTB Yolanda Morris

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1. Election of Officers

(a) Chairman

Mr. Cross moved to nominate Mr. Copenhaver as Chairman. Mr. Cavanaugh seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

(b) Vice-Chairman

Mr. Cavanaugh moved to nominate Mr. Cross as Vice-Chairman. Mr. Copenhaver seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

2. Consider approval of the minutes of the Policy Committee held on December 1, 2011.

Mr. Grkovic moved to approve the minutes. Mr. Cross seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

3. Consider recommending approval of the final ARTS FY 2013 Unified Planning Work Program (see attached)

Ms. Moultrie presented this item. The draft was presented to the TCC / CAC at the November meeting and the Policy Committee approved it in December. The draft was sent out to the participating agencies for comments. There were minor changes made to the narrative of the document. This document will run from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

Mr. Grkovic moved to approve the final FY 2013 UPWP. Mr. Cross seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

4. Consider approval of the following amendments to the FY 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Program:

(a) U.S. Highway 1 (Richland Avenue West) Beautification Improvements – This project involves the installation of trees, an irrigation system, curb, gutter and drainage infrastructure in the median of U.S. Highway 1 (Richland Avenue West) between Dyches Road and Gregg Highway, a distance of approximately 1,800 feet or 0.34 mile. In addition, the of Dyches Road (north) and U.S. 1 will have a median relocated/modified to improve traffic safety. This project will use up to $152,568.00 in federally-allocated transportation enhancements funds available through FY 2011.

(b) Whiskey Road Beautification and Streetscape Improvements – This project involves the installation of lighting, trees, curb & gutter, irrigation, sidewalk, and drainage

2 infrastructure on a) Whiskey Road (approx. 2,315’ on the west side) from Dougherty Road (S-419) to Aiken Mall Drive and on b) Dougherty Road (approx. 300’ on the south side) from Whiskey Road to Murrah Avenue. This project will use up to $520,977.60 in federally-allocated transportation enhancements funds available through FY 2011.

Mrs. Korbelik presented these items. The US 1 project is to correct storm drainage problems and increase Formatted: Font color: Auto safety for the landscape crew. The Whiskey Road project will correct drainage issues, sidewalk landscaping, Deleted: projects are to curb and gutter. The combined projects total less than $700,000. Each year, the City of Aiken and the Formatted: Font: 12 pt, Font color: Auto City of North Augusta alternate using enhancement funds. Aiken uses the funds on odd years and has Deleted: and safety improvements carried over the funds for a few years to accumulate enough to make these improvements. Deleted:

Deleted: will be Mayor Cavanaugh moved to approve these projects to the FY 2012 - 2015 Transportation Improvement Deleted: for both Program. Mr. Cross seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

5. Status of Projects

(a) Georgia Highways

GA DOT was not available to give the update status. Ms. Russell read the email from GA DOT with the changes.

William Few Parkway Extension from SR 104 to Hardy-McManus Road) - the right-of-way has been authorized. A property owners meeting is scheduled for March 12, 2012 Wrightsboro Road Widening - from Jimmie Dyess Parkway to the southbound I-520 Ramp - scheduled to be let September 2012. SR 28 Intersection Improvements at Laney Walker / Riverfront Drive - current let date is May 2012. SR 56 Widening - from Bennock Mill Road to Old Waynesboro Road - four parcels have been acquired out of a total of 145 parcels.

(b) SC Highways

Mr. Sullivan presented the status of South Carolina highway projects. There are no significant changes since the last update.

(c) Augusta Public Transit

Mr. Jones presented this item. APT is in the process of purchasing new cash and change machines for the Broad Street terminal. Monitors for the rest of the fleet are also being ordered.

(d) Aiken County Transit

Mrs. Luttrell presented this item on behalf of LSCOG.

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Overall, the Best Friend Express fixed route service continues to enjoy strong ridership. There was a 9% increase in ridership from fiscal year 2010 to 2011. Comparing ridership numbers between Q2 last year and Q2 this year: o 22% increase in transfer between Aiken County and Augusta (88 more transfers for the quarter) o 23% increase in seniors and persons with disabilities riding the Best Friend Express Aiken County Transit will be retiring two buses that have met their useful life. They will be offered up for sale as soon as the second appraisal comes in and SCDOT releases the titles. LSCOG staff members attended the FTA Triennial Review Workshop in in January in preparation for this year’s Triennial Review. The review, conducted once every three years, is expected to take place in August 2012. Concern over media talk about the potential increase in fuel prices is raising concern for the transit system. Dana Luttrull and Rhonda Mitchell are scheduled to meet with the BFE contractor on March 7th to discuss the upcoming contract for the new fiscal year. Towards that end, LSCOG did participate with the MPO in a joint grant application due on February 29, 2012 for the one-time operating assistance from the federal government called “Fuel as a Capital Expenditure” offered nation-wide to all large urban transit systems to assist with rising fuel prices. If awarded, that should help offset rising costs for the next fiscal year.

6. Update on Special Studies Projects

(a) ARTS Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

Ms. Moultrie presented this item. The final Steering Committee meeting was held on February 16th at the North Augusta Community Center and the final public workshop will be held on March 22nd. Information will be sent out at a later date for this workshop as well as posted on the website. Additional information can be found on the www.bikewalkarts.com website.

Mr. Jefferson also commented on this status. Aiken County has a sub-contract with Alta for a more focused look at Aiken County for the Bike and Pedestrian Plan. The first subcommittee meeting was held in November. The second meeting was held on February 15th at the Aiken Municipal Building. The consultant is working on design guidelines and the network. A public meeting will be scheduled later in March.

(b) City of Aiken and Aiken County Special Studies

Mr. Jefferson presented this item. The US 1 / 78 Corridor study is virtually complete. The draft of the corridor study is posted on the Aiken and North Augusta websites. The executive summary was presented to the Aiken County Council last week and hopefully will be adopting the plan within the next few weeks. The consultants will make a final presentation to the Aiken County Council on May 3rd.

Mrs. Korbelik informed the Committee that the Northside transportation study is almost complete.

An RFQ for a new study of the SC 19 corridor study has been issued and will close on March 5th.

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6. Presentation on the Connect Central Georgia Study - Elizabeth Sanford, Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Mr. DeCamp introduced this presentation. GA DOT is sponsoring an ongoing study called the Connect Central Georgia Study. This study is designed to identify and prioritize transportation projects that complement existing projects that are already in the STIP and /or regional TIPs. This is not designed to reinvent the wheel with regards to transportation connections throughout the thirty-one county area across central Georgia, but rather to complement what is on the books and find ways to fill in the gaps. The goal is to improve mobility for motorists and freight haulers across this area stretching from Augusta on the east, down through Macon and over to Columbus. Garth Lynch with HNTB and Liz Sanford with Cambridge Systematics will be making this presentation.

Mr. Lynch stated the study has been underway for about seven months and will go through August of this year. For many years, improved connectivity across Central Georgia has been a priority of Georgia's leadership. Home to three of Georgia's largest cities, the corridor has been a strategic target for economic development initiatives and is identified as a critical freight and mobility link between Georgia and the Southeastern U.S. in Georgia's Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan (201 0-2030), also known as Investing in Tomorrow's Transportation Today (IT3). Facilitating efficient east-west mobility across central Georgia is critical for several reasons. It is home to three military bases: in Columbus, in Warner Robins and Fort Gordon in Augusta. T he Central · Georgia region also serves as a critical freight link, connecting the Port of Savannah with west Georgia, and points westward. Additionally, the fall line boasts agricultural and industrial resources, including an abundance of kaolin -one of central Georgia's key natural resources (8-million tons of this white rock is mined annually in the state, at an estimated value of over $1 billion). Kaolin can be found in a variety of household products, including paper, ceramics, plastic, paint and pharmaceuticals.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is conducting an analysis of the Central Georgia corridor to identify, plan for, and prioritize future transportation needs impacting intra-regional mobility. The study is considering natural resources, economics, freight movements and the travel patterns of the general public. This study will be the first holistic look at traffic and goods movement across this portion of the state and will build off of the accomplishments and lessons learned from previous transportation studies in the corridor. This document attempts to highlight those effects. Objectives of the Connect Central Georgia study include: Assessing capacity and operational needs through the horizon year 2035 for travel through Central Georgia. Developing safe and efficient regional connections that meet future demand while maximizing and preserving existing assets. Enhance connectivity through Central Georgia.

In order to gather information from those familiar with the needs, issues and opportunities within the study area, a Stakeholder Advisory Group was established. This group, consisting of representatives from the 31 counties within the study area, local planning organizations and special interest groups, participated in the planning process by providing input that served as the framework for the study. Early in the stakeholder outreach process, participants were asked to provide input on what they deemed important in regards to the future of the study area with

5 respect to transportation, the economy and quality of life. From this input, the following list of goals and objectives, were developed and later confirmed by the stakeholder group. Improve safety, accessibility, and mobility options available to people and for freight. Enhance the inter-regional connectivity of the transportation system for people and freight. Promote efficient system management and operation. Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system. Protect quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and planned growth and economic development patterns

Investment in the corridor can help facilitate and accommodate continued employment and population growth. It can also be the catalyst for future growth in an area where population and employment gain has lagged behind that of the state. Recent growth trends are as follows: Population has grown by 9% since 2000 compared to 18% statewide growth Employment increased by 7% from 2000 to 2010 compared to 17% statewide growth

Several key locations within the study area experienced significant growth due to new and expanded job centers. Enhanced connect1v1ty throughout the 31-county Central Georgia study area can provide additional opportunities for developments like the following that have occurred in recent years. Key employment growth includes:

Kia Plant- LaGrange - New plant employs 5,000 Expansion of Fort Benning- Columbus -Planned increase in troops by 23,000.

One of the main initiatives that has led to investment in the corridor and throughout the state is the Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP). Composed of sixteen corridors that criss-cross the state, the GRIP system expands existing primary routes and truck connecting routes into multi-lane highways. When completed, the system will place 98 percent of Georgia's population within twenty miles of a multi-lane highway, and provide access for oversized trucks to all cities having populations above 2,000. As the only east-west GRIP corridor in the study area, the Fall Line Freeway serves a critical role in providing connectivity through Central Georgia. Over the past few decades, significant investment has been made to upgrade this east-west facility to GRIP standards. Currently, approximately 86 percent (185 miles) is open to traffic. However, this number includes a section through Macon which relies on 1-16 and 1-75, a section for which other alternatives are being considered. The remaining upgrades exist along the segment between Macon and Augusta, as the section from Columbus to Macon is fully complete. The construction cost for the improvements made thus far is $124,224,000. Including the Fall Line Freeway, 66 percent of the GRIP corridors within the study area are complete. In addition to capital expenditures resulting from the GRIP initiative, several past studies, illustrated in Figure 3 and summarized in Table 1, examined improvements which traverse the study area. IT3 provided high level analysis on the need for and explicitly states a need to explore the impact of improved connectivity through Central Georgia. Georgia's statewide Freight and Logistics Study validated the importance of this corridor for the future of freight mobility in Georgia. The High Priority Corridor 6 study provided recommendations for connecting Columbus to the ports of Savannah. Additionally, the 14th Amendment Highway study analyzed alternatives for an improved route from Augusta to Natchez, MS based on established control points and project costs. The table on page 4 documents lessons learned and points out areas in which the Central Georgia Corridor study can bridge the gap in developing a comprehensive solution for this corridor.

6 The Eisenhower Parkway Extension project considered alternatives for completing one of the remaining sections of the Fall Line Freeway, near Macon. This project spurred political and public controversy as the alternatives resulted in impacts to the floodplains as well as to the Ocmulgee National Monument. Opposition to the project stalled progress, and the EIS is currently deemed inactive. Leaders in Macon are currently working to ·advance alternative solutions, as is noted in the following section.

Progress continues towards the identification of enhanced connectivity through the Connect Central Georgia study area. Studies such as the Sardis Road Extension, have presented potential solutions to some of the final missing gaps in the Fall Line Freeway. The Transportation Investment Act (TIA) also provides an opportunity to implement previously identified transportation improvements throughout the 31-county study area.

Throughout the development of the Fall Line Freeway, the issue of how best to connect through Macon has been a critical one. Many options have been assessed and discarded due to social and environmental impacts. The Middle Georgia Regional Commission recently endorsed a recommendation that would extend the existing Sardis Church Road to l-16 at Sgoda Road and to extend Sgoda Road to SR 57, thus tying into the Fall Line Freeway. This will be a key project in enhancing the east west connectivity through Central Georgia.

In June 2010, the Transportation lnvestment Act was signed into law as a potential funding source for Georgia's transportation system. This law requires Georgia's 12 regions to develop project lists to be funded by a one percent regional sales tax. This referendum will be voted on in the 2012 election. The Connect Central Georgia study is intended to identify and prioritize potential solutions that complement current projects and plans. In order to improve mobility for motorists and enhance freight operations through the 31-county study area, the Connect Central Georgia study will build upon current local projects and those included in the regional TIA lists. In early outreach meetings held for the project, stakeholders noted the following issues and opportunities in the study area:

Capitalize on the planned growth in freight traffic through the Port of Savannah by improving connectivity. Expansion of kaolin to new markets will sustain this industry as an economic driver area will promote attraction of parts suppliers / manufacturers to support Kia plant. Connections to the proposed inland port in Cordele. Additional base expansions (Fort Benning, Fort Stewart, Robins AFB).

The Connect Central Georgia Study will consider these opportunities in the assessment of transportation needs and development of recommendations. Technical analyses will be performed to determine future transportation demand and, in turn, the appropriate improvements, understanding current funding constraints. Existing and planned projects will be considered along with recommended improvements as a comprehensive strategy to improving mobility and connectivity through the study area is developed.

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There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

George A. Patty Project Director

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