SAFETY ADVISORY AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
The Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee Meeting was held on July 26, 2005, at 6:30 p.m. with Chairman Hogan presiding. Mr. Carey was present. Mr. Ritter, Mr. Lakeman, and Mr. Link were absent. Councilman Ruane and Mayor Speed were also present.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mr. Hogan called the meeting to order noting that there was no quorum; therefore, no official action would be taken by members at this time.
Briefing on DelDOT Projects (Gary Laing)
Mr. Hogan explained that with the change in membership, he requested a briefing on DelDOT Projects. He indicated that it is his intention to request an update by DelDOT every other month on projects. Mr. Laing, Municipal Liaison for DelDOT, reviewed the on-going DelDOT projects involving the City of Dover, as follows:
Mega-TIS on SR1/Route 8 and East Dover Housing Development Projects
Mr. Laing advised members that to date there has been no resolution involving the Mega-TIS on SR1/Route 8 and East Dover Housing Development Projects; however, DelDOT has continuing discussions with the developers. He reminded members that the residents of the Edgehill area relayed concerns regarding these projects and assured members that meetings are continuing with the residents in an effort to address their concerns. Also, DelDOT is studying the possibility of split-phased signal timing at US 13 and SR8 to alleviate some of the backups. The left-turn lane for traffic turning south from westbound SR8 has already been lengthened.
Crawford Carroll Drive
Mr. Laing indicated that although the contractor for the Crawford Carroll Drive Project remains in liquidated damages for failure to complete the project on time, work continues on this project.
College Road Corridor Update
Due to the lack of funding, Mr. Laing advised members that there will be no work done on the College Road Corridor Update in the foreseeable future; therefore, he suggested that this project be removed from the list for future reports.
West Dover Connector
Mr. Laing stated that funding has not been received in the FY 2006 budget for the West Dover Connector project. DelDOT continues to work with funds that are remaining from the FY 2005 budget. The project team is examining how they can develop a preferred alternative using funds available, and how costs can be reduced in order to stretch the available funds as much as possible.
Mr. Laing advised members that the August 17, 2005 Working Group meeting has been cancelled and will be rescheduled when the project team has worked out a plan. The target date for the Working Group meeting is for late summer/early fall. As a result, the Public Workshop that was tentatively set for late summer/early fall has been delayed. In the meantime, Mr. Laing indicated that DelDOT will continue to present materials to the environmental regulatory agencies to keep them apprised of the status and, hopefully, allow them to indicate how we should proceed with this project.
Traffic Signal at Greenway Lane and Kenton Road
The request for a study to determine if a traffic signal is warranted for the intersection of Greenway Lane and Kenton Road has been submitted; however, Mr. Laing advised members that studies are also backed up and no new projects are being put into the pipeline.
Traffic Loop - Delaware State University/Dover Mall/Dover Downs
Mr. Laing stated that the expansion planned for Dover Downs pushed hard for the Traffic Loop Project for Delaware State University/Dover Mall/Dover Downs. He reported that since the expansion will not occur in the near future and since there is no funding available for any extensive studies, this project should be removed from the list for future reports.
Walker Road Project Construction
Mr. Laing noted that since the Walker Road Project is very much near completion, it should be removed from the list for future reports.
South Governors Avenue Improvements
The South Governors Avenue Improvements project was one of the major projects to be hit by the budget situation for the State. Mr. Laing stated that this is one of many projects which no funding was provided for in the FY 2006 budget. A total of $287M worth of projects have been placed in abeyance due to this budget crunch. Other Dover area projects affected by this include the following: 1) US 113 at S. State Street; 2) West Dover Connector; 3) Loockerman Street/Forrest Avenue Improvements; 4) Delaware Airpark; 5) Dover Curbing; 6) Civil Air Park; and 7) many other Kent County Projects.
Mr. Laing stated that Secretary Hayward has sent letters to municipalities, counties, chambers of commerce, etc. regarding the fiscal situation for DelDOT (Attachment #1). He noted that the letter explains how this situation has occurred, explaining that Delaware’s rapid growth has strained the State’s resources. DelDOT has been dealing with new traffic and congestion, and has been challenged to develop new solutions, such as the expansion of roadway, new traffic signals, bridge improvements and replacement, paratransit services, etc. In addition, Mr. Laing advised members that construction costs have escalated at a rate much higher than the consumer price index. Finally, the traditional funding sources, such as gas taxes, tolls and motor vehicle fees, have not grown as quickly as the rest of the State’s sources of funds. The Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) has increased 29% over the past 10 years, while the General Fund for the State grew more than twice as fast - 74%.
Mr. Laing advised members that DelDOT has also been affected by the delay in congressional approval of the federal transportation funding legislation. Each year, DelDOT receives more than $125M funding; however, this has not yet occurred this year due to a political struggle over the reauthorization of the federal highway trust fund.
Mr. Ruane suggested that City Council respond to the letter submitted by Secretary Hayward dated July 18, 2005, specifically, by going on record acknowledging their financial dilemmas and providing a prioritization list of projects for the City of Dover. It was his feeling that the South Governors Avenue Improvements would be the City’s major concern at this time. DelDOT should be encouraged to continue maintenance and repair on those State owned roadways located in the City limits.
Mr. Ruane questioned the status of signalization projects. Responding, Mr. Laing advised members that signalization projects have also been delayed. Explaining further, Mr. DePrima was advised that the original bond bill allotment of $2.6M remains. Since this amount is not enough to cover the entire signalization project, DelDOT would fund the remaining costs, estimated at $1M. Considering that the new lights have been ordered for Division Street, it was his understanding that
part of the project will be completed. Mr. Laing indicated that he would check on this matter and report back to members next month.
Mr. DePrima requested that future updates include the Signalization Project, as well as the Wyoming Mill Road Project, which was the City’s top priority submitted to DelDOT.
Responding to Mr. Ruane, Mr. Hogan stated that since there is not a quorum of committee members, the suggestion of submitting a response to Secretary Hayward’s letter dated July 18, 2005 would be presented to Council for consideration.
Kent County Transportation Management Team (Chairman Hogan)
Mr. Hogan advised members that he recently attended a Kent County Transportation Management Team Meeting and that their primary objective is to develop traffic control plans and pre-determined detour routes in the event of major incidents that occur on the roads of the State of Delaware. Currently, they are focusing on Kent County, specifically detours for SR1. He provided members with the information distributed during the meeting and advised members that there are several agencies involved, including representatives from Police and Fire Departments.
Since the information the group is obtaining and the planning is to be very detailed, Mayor Speed stated that this process will take some time to complete. Mr. Hogan stated that he would be attending future meetings and keep members abreast of any action.
Radio Paging System (Councilman Carey)
Mr. Carey advised members that this past June, while attending the National Fire Protection Association Conference, he participated in several education sessions, including Communication Tools Notifying the Public During Disasters, Natural and Man-Made. Although there are several communication tools already used for emergency situations and civil defense, he stated that a radio paging system would compliment these means. Members were provided a copy of the Power Point Presentation given by the Emergency Management Coordinator of City of La Porte, Texas.
Mr. Carey noted that the radio paging system is used as an immediate notification tool and that the receivers would be located in schools, nursing homes, and other public buildings. It was his feeling that the City would benefit from the use of such a system and that there is probably WMD or civil defense funds and grant money that could be used to assist with the costs. He advised members that the paging units costs approximately $600 each, which includes a four (4) year warranty.
Responding to Mr. Hogan, Mr. DePrima indicated that the Electric Department is determining the costs, locations, and connections for the “Blue Light” emergency notification system. Since this is a strategic task for the Electric Department, members will begin to be provided with updates in the monthly reports.
There being no further business, Mr. Hogan declared the meeting adjourned.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:55 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Kenneth L. Hogan
Chairman
KLH/jg
S:ClerksOfficeAgendas&MinutesCommittee-Minutes20057-26-2005-SA&T.wpd
Attachments
Attachment #1 - Letter from Secretary Hayward, DelDOT, dated July 18, 2005.