|
Houston-Galveston Area Council
June 2011 |
|
|
|
 |
| Meetings |
TAC, June 15, 2011
TPC, June 24, 2011
METRO Series of 24 Long-Range Planning Workshops
TIP Public Meeting on Amendment 27
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Texas Department of Transportation
Houston District offices
7600 Washington Avenue
Houston, TX 77007-1044
Colorado Valley Transit District, Subregional Transit Service Planning & Coordination Study Public Meeting
Friday, June 17, 2011
10:00 a.m.
United Way, Waller Center
531 FM 359 S.
Brookshire, TX 77423
H-GAC's Brown Bag Series
Monday, June 20, 2011
12 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons Lane
Conference Room A
Houston, TX 77027
|
|
|
METRO Long-Range Planning Workshops Continue throughout June |
 Last month METRO began hosting a series of public workshops to discuss the future of transit in the region. METRO's goal is to work with communities throughout its service area to learn where service is needed and how to modify or add to existing service to better meet the needs of the community.
Topics of discussion include transit options such as streetcars, commuter rail, light rail, improved bus service, bus rapid transit, and HOV lanes.
The series of 24 meetings, scheduled across METRO's service area, began in May and will continue throughout the month of June 2011. Click here for the schedule of all additional meetings. More information about METRO is available online or by calling 713-635-4000. |
TIP Public Meeting on Amendment 27 |
H-GAC is announcing a 30-day public comment period to give the public an opportunity to review and provide comments on Amendment No. 27 to the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The public comment period began on Thursday, May 19, 2011 and will end on Friday, June 17, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.
TIP Public Meeting on Ammendment 27
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Texas Department of Transportation,
Houston District offices
Houston District Auditorium
7600 Washington Avenue
Houston, TX 77007-1044
The Houston District has identified four (4) reconstruction and added capacity projects that can be advanced using this funding. The amendment also supplements funds awarded by the Transportation Policy Council (TPC) for the construction of two (2) direct connectors from IH 10W to SH 99 Segment 'E' with additional State funds from the Texas Mobility Fund. More information regarding this amendment can be found at www.h-gac.com/taq/public_info.
This meeting will also serve as a public meeting to receive public comments on the June 2011 Out-of-Cycle Revisions to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for FY 2011-2014. |
|
|
|
|
Colorado Valley Transit District, Subregional Transit Service Planning & Coordination Study Public Meeting |
H-GAC will host a public meeting for the Colorado Valley Transit District Sub-Regional Service Planning & Coordination Study. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the existing Colorado Valley Transit District (CVTD) services and recommend adjustments that will better serve the growing public transportation needs of Austin, Colorado, Waller, and Wharton counties.
The public comment period began on Thursday, May 26, 2011 and will end on Thursday, June 30, 2011.
Public Meeting
Friday, June 17, 2011
10:00 a.m.
United Way, Waller Center
531 FM 359 S.
Brookshire, TX 77423 |
|
| |
You are invited to H-GAC's June Brown Bag Series presentation. Mr. Eddie Haas and Mr. Dan Sefko with Freese and Nichols will be leading a Brown Bag presentation at the H-GAC offices on "Rough Proportionality."
The establishment of "Rough Proportionality" stems from a 2004 Texas Supreme Court case that ruled exactions by municipalities must be proportional to the impacts created by development proposals on city infrastructure. Now codified in Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Codes, the burden is placed on municipalities to prove the appropriateness of exactions if requested by a developer.
This presentation discusses the implications of "Rough proportionality" and a method for determining the appropriateness of exaction on roadway facilities. An overview of legal implications and ramifications is presented as a prelude to sample cases illustrating methods of determination for various infrastructure components.
H-GAC's May Brown Bag Series
Monday, June 20, 2011
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons Lane
Conference Room A
Houston, TX 77027
Bring your lunch and join us!
For more information contact Chandra Bondzie, 713-993-2439, or Meredith Alberto, 713-993-2438.
|
|
| |
 Marco Bracamontes has joined H-GAC's Transportation Department as Manager of Public Outreach. He will be responsible for strategy, operations and management of public outreach programs. Marco brings over twenty years of experience in the field of communications. Most recently he managed communications and public engagement for Harris County Precinct Two. Marco will lead a team of six professionals dedicated to inform stakeholder groups and the public at large about transportation issues affecting the eight county region.
 June Farrell has joined Transportation as the Program Manager for the Long Range Planning Group. This group is primarily tasked with the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) but also provides input for projects such as Subregional Planning, the Intermodal Center study, Goods Movement, Access Management, Congestion Management, Safety, and ITS. June has fifteen years of experience in the field of urban planning and has worked in a variety of disciplines including: land use planning, NEPA clearance for highway projects, scenic highways and national scenic byways, grant administration, transit, and MPO support. June received her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Stetson University. June is originally from Florida but is glad to be in Texas!
 Bill Tobin has joined H-GAC's Transportation Department as Manager of Short-Range Planning. He will be responsible for strategy, operations and management of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Access Management, and Hurricane Evacuation Planning. Bill brings over 12 years of experience in the field of transportation planning and research. Most recently he managed the transportation improvement program for the Ulster County MPO in the Hudson Valley of New York. Bill will lead a team of six professionals dedicated to meeting local and State transportation needs.
|
|
| |
 H-GAC and the Houston Police Department (HPD) recently commissioned and premiered "Chronicles of a Teen Killer", a documentary about the dangers of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Working with Texas Pictures, a local production company, this documentary was geared to reach out to teenagers through the perspective of teenagers in order to best reach the target group.
H-GAC, HPD and other partners will be working to arrange for the documentary to be shown in high school public health classes, school assemblies, and drivers' education courses to help get the word out to teens that drinking and driving don't mix.
You can preview "Chronicles of a Teen Killer" on YouTube HERE. For more information about Chronicles of a Teen Killer or to arrange for a copy to show, please contact Jeff Kaufman at 832-681-2533 or at jeff.kaufman@h-gac.com.
|
|
| |
H-GAC is partnering with the Federal Highway Administration to offer a free one and a half day bicycle facility design course on August 11-12 at H-GAC. Space is limited and priority is given to local government and TxDOT staff. For more information visit HERE.
To register, contact Gina Mitteco (gina.mitteco@h-gac.com).
|
|
| |
Drayage Loan Program
The H-GAC Drayage Loan Program is a low-interest loan program that enables eligible truck owners who conduct port related activity to finance the purchase of newer, more environmentally-friendly trucks. Visit HERE for more details. Grants are also available.
Clean Vehicles Program
H-GAC's Clean Vehicles program is a fuel/technology-neutral grant program that funds cost-effective vehicle retrofit, repower, replacement, conversion (to alternative fuels), or the establishment of alternative fuel infrastructure. Prospective applicants are urged to review the program guidelines at www.houston-cleancities.org before submitting a grant application.
Commute and Transit Pilot Program
Qualifying projects are eligible to receive federal CMAQ funds to cover a percentage of incurred operating expenses for up to three years. This program funds new services which provide additional commuting options and do not duplicate or replace existing transit services. Visit HERE, for more details.
Telework Program
Find out how your business can receive a federal grant for up to $72,000 to begin or expand your existing telework program. Applications are available at www.commutesolutionshouston.org/telework/telework.htm. |
|
| |
H-GAC Brown Bag Series - The Streetcar Renaissance
On May 16, 2011, Mr. Charles Hales, Senior Vice President of HDR, Inc., gave a presentation on the role and economic impact of streetcar transit.
View the presentation video HERE
Regional Goods Movement Public Meetings
A round of public meetings were held between April 25-28, 2011. Each meeting featured expert panelists from the private sector and community leaders addressing community concerns and provide insight into the local freight operations. To view or listen to the panel discussions visit the website HERE. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
