The latest news from the Houston-Galveston Area Council's Transportation Department! |
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Transportation Policy Council: October 26, 2018 |
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On October 26, the Transportation Policy Council (TPC)approved the nominating committee’s recommendation to fill a vacant at-large position on the Technical Advisory Committee. The Council also approved the TPC Chairman’s appointment of a nominating committee for 2019.
Other action included approval of a Resolution for two amendments to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the current Regional Transportation Plan that involved programming the Clean Vehicles Program in the TIP and modification of the funding from State Category-2 to local funding for the City of Pearland SH 288 frontage road and U-turn lane construction project. The Council also approved a Resolution for Pavement and Bridge (PM2) and System Performance (PM3) Performance Measures.
Amendments to the Transportation Safety Committee Bylaws were also approved. Changes to the Bylaws amendments had to do with changes to the name, structure, and composition of the Committee.
Discussion was invited from the Council regarding a request by Texas Central Partners for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the MPO regarding High-Speed Rail. Details of that discussion are available in the TPC meeting Archived Live Stream.
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New Employee Spotlight - Neely Kim, PhD |
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Neely Kim is the Accounting and Finance Manager in the Transportation Department at H-GAC. She attended the University of Houston and achieved a PhD in Educational Psychology, Individual Differences, with a specialization in Research, Methods, and Statistics.
In addition to her work with various non-profits at the local, state, and federal levels, Neely was the lead investigator and evaluator for the Office of Behavioral Health in Louisiana for all State prevention programs. She also served as the lead evaluator for several Texas coalitions for prevention including the Texas State coalition Texans Standing Tall, as well as Midland PDAP, Clear Creek ISD Bay Area Alliance for Youth and Families, Bay Area Council for Drugs and Alcohol (BACODA)-South East Harris County, Brazoria County, Matagorda County, and Galveston County. Neely served as an adjunct professor for the University of Oklahoma where she taught Health Programming Development, Implementation, and Evaluation for five years and was the lead investigator for the Community Renewal International group out of Shreveport Louisiana. Neely also worked on the 1115 Medicaid Expansion for Galveston/Brazoria County Local Mental Health Authority, and served on the Texas Council of Community Centers as part of their data team and as a presenter.
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New Employee Spotlight - Allie Isbell |
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Allie joins H-GAC as Manager of the Transportation Department’s Multimodal Planning team. Prior to joining H-GAC, Allie worked for Port Houston as the Long-Range Planning Manager. She also has experience as a consultant working on various transportation planning projects, including mobility studies, airport master plans, corridor studies, bike/ped planning, traffic modeling and comprehensive planning throughout the Houston region.
Allie has a Master of Urban Planning and a B.S. in Urban & Regional Sciences degrees from Texas A&M University, where she worked in the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center researching transportation needs during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She has also received AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) certification from the American Planning Association. Allie and her husband, Jason, live in the Heights and enjoy cycling, cooking, and traveling.
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2045 Regional Transportation Plan - What's Next? |
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H-GAC received a total of 194 proposed projects from various sponsors within the eight-county Transportation Management Area. The sponsors are seeking federal funding through the “2018 Call for Projects” application process which closed on Oct. 31. Approximately $920 million of flexible funding including the federal, state, and local match is authorized for programming in the next 10 years (FY 2019 – FY 2028).
The proposed highway, freight, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects requesting federal funding will be evaluated, ranked, prioritized and released for public review and comment by end of Jan. 2019. After the public review process, the Transportation Policy Council will make the final selection of projects for federal funding commitment. The selected projects will be programmed in the 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), 10-year Plan, and the Draft 2045 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
H-GAC will seek public review and comment on the Draft 2045 RTP in early spring before it is finalized and adopted by the TPC in April 2019.
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Text to 9-1-1 Now Available |
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The Gulf Coast Regional 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District (GCRECD) announces the availability of Text-to-9-1-1 service in Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Liberty, Matagorda, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties, allowing cell phone users with a text or data plan to send a text message to 9-1-1 for assistance when they cannot make a voice call.
Text-to-9-1-1 services should only be used in an emergency when the person needing assistance is unable to speak or hear. Text-to-9-1-1 provides an alternative when speaking out loud would put the person in danger, such as during an abduction, active shooter, home invasion, or domestic situation. The traditional method of calling 9-1-1 remains the fastest, most effective way to reach help.
Text-to-9-1-1 can’t identify a user’s location, so the first text should include an address and the nature of the emergency. Users will receive a text back from the 9-1-1 call taker. More information on tips for when to use Text to 9-1-1 can be found at www.gulfcoast911.org. Remember: Call if you can, text if you can't.
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League of American Bicyclists Instructor Training |
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The League of American Bicyclists is conducting a League Cycling Instructor training at the Houston-Galveston Area Council offices, Conference Room B, Second Floor from Friday, November 30, to Sunday, December 2.
The training certifies instructors to teach Smart Cycling classes to children and adults to help them become more confident, safe, and intelligent cyclists.
The deadline to register is November 10, 2018. You must be a member of the League of American Bicyclists to register, and can become a member by visiting their website. To register and find more information about the process for obtaining certification, visit the League of American Bicyclists website or contact Clint McManus at 832-681-2513. Space is limited!
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Apply for the 2018 "Our Great Region" Awards! |
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The Our Great Region Awards recognize outstanding projects in the region that are advancing the goals and strategies identified in the Our Great Region 2040 Plan. The application closes November 16, 2018. Any plans, programs, projects or policies that have implemented a strategy of the Our Great Region 2040 plan within the 13-county region in the past four years are eligible for submission. Review the 2018 Application Guide for more information and email Amy Combs, [email protected], with any questions.
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Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
H-GAC Offices
3555 Timmons Lane
2nd Floor, Room B
Houston, TX 77027
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Transportation Policy Council (TPC) Meeting
Friday, November 30, 2018
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
H-GAC Offices
3555 Timmons Lane
2nd Floor, Room B
Houston, TX 77027
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