TO: Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Technical Committee

FROM: Steve Stepek, AICP, Executive Director

DATE: September 2, 2021

SUBJECT: TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 - 9:30 A.M.

Remote

The Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Technical Committee will be meeting on Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. The following materials are included in your meeting packet:

1. Agenda for the September 9, 2021 Meeting 2. Draft Minutes of the August 12, 2021 Meeting 3. Contributed Services Fiscal Year-To-Date Through August 31, 2021

Please provide a written status report for your agency regarding road and/or planning updates.

Please remember that time sheets are due by the 15th of each month.

TC Meeting Materials Page 1 of 9

KALAMAZOO AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 - 9:30 A.M.

Zoom Video Conference Meeting

or Remote Dial-In

Dial-in Number: 1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 837 4097 9880

Passcode: 360255

AGENDA

Please limit public comments to 4 minutes.

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. ROLL CALL

3. CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA

4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA (ACTION)

5. MINUTES FROM THE AUGUST 12, 2021 MEETING (ENCLOSURE) (ACTION)

6. POLICY COMMITTEE REPORT

7. PUBLIC COMMENTS (Non-agenda Items)

8. 2050 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN DISCUSSION

9. CONTRIBUTED SERVICES FISCAL YEAR-TO-DATE THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2021 (ENCLOSURE)

10. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

11. STATUS REPORTS

a. ROADS - Questions on written status reports. Verbal reports will be limited to 4 minutes per agency.

b. LAND USE/PLANNING AND ZONING - Questions on written status reports. Verbal reports will be limited to 4 minutes per agency.

12. NEW BUSINESS

13. PUBLIC COMMENTS

14. ADJOURNMENT

The next meeting of the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Technical Committee will be held on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

TC Meeting Materials Page 2 of 9

TC Minutes 8/12/21 Page 1 of 6

KALAMAZOO AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING DRAFT MINUTES AUGUST 12, 2021 - 9:30 A.M.

CALL TO ORDER The August 12, 2021 Technical Committee Meeting was called to order via a Zoom conference call in accordance with Kalamazoo County State of Emergency Declaration, at 9:30 a.m. by Chair Kathy Schultz.

INTRODUCTIONS

Participants in the meeting stated their name, agency, and location from which he/she is attending the meeting remotely.

ROLL CALL

Remote meeting attendance was recorded on the sign-in sheet.

MEMBERS PRESENT Agency Call-in Location Christina Anderson City of Kalamazoo Kalamazoo, MI Muhammad Arif City of Portage Portage, MI Rebekkah Ausbury Road Commission of Kalamazoo County Richland Township Mickey Bittner Village of Paw Paw Allegan, MI Kerry DenBraber MDOT, Statewide Planning Kalamazoo, MI Chris Forth City of Portage Portage, MI Ryan Gladding Michigan Department of Transportation, Statewide Urban

Travel Analysis Lansing, MI

Kendra Gwin City of Portage Portage, MI Jamie Harmon City of Portage Portage, MI Robert Henderson Van Buren Public Transit Bangor, MI Jeff Heppler Village of Augusta Augusta, MI Joel Hoort Van Buren County Road Commission Lawrence, MI Anna Horner Oshtemo Township Oshtemo Township Anthony Ladd City of Kalamazoo Kalamazoo, MI Iris Luppert Oshtemo Township Oshtemo Township Jodie Lynch Central County Transportation Authority Kalamazoo, MI Robert Maffeo Michigan Department of Transportation, Statewide Urban

Travel Analysis Meridian Township

Jim Mallery Village of Vicksburg Vicksburg, MI Ryan Minkus, Vice-Chair Road Commission of Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo, MI Sean McBride Central County Transportation Authority Kalamazoo, MI Jesse Okeley City of Kalamazoo Kalamazoo, MI Dennis Randolph City of Kalamazoo Kalamazoo, MI Ryan Russell Village of Schoolcraft Kalamazoo, MI Brian Sanada Michigan Department of Transportation, Region Antwerp Township Kathy Schultz, Chair Central County Transportation Authority Kalamazoo, MI Jodi Stefforia Comstock Township Comstock Township Nancy Stoddard City of Parchment Parchment, MI Luke Walters Michigan Department of Transportation, Statewide

Planning Lansing, MI

Tim Woodhams Village of Mattawan Plainwell, MI Mark Worden Road Commission of Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo, MI Biqi Zhao City of Portage Portage, MI

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TC Minutes 8/12/21 Page 2 of 6

OTHERS PRESENT

Agency Phil Doorlag Wightman & Associates Larry Hummel Hubbell, Roth and Clark Terry Martin Carrier & Gable Megan Mickelson Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Elizabeth Rumick Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Hailey Savola Hubbell, Roth and Clark Paul Selden Bike Friendly Kalamazoo Steve Stepek, AICP Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Ali Townsend Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study

CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA No changes or additions to the agenda were requested.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION by Heppler, SECOND by Stefforia, “to approve the August 12, 2021 Technical Committee Agenda.” MOTION APPROVED.

MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 10, 2021 MEETING MOTION by Minkus, SECOND by Heppler, “to approve the minutes from the June 10, 2021 Technical Committee Meeting.” MOTION APPROVED.

POLICY COMMITTEE REPORT Stepek reported the last Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) Policy Committee meeting held in June included approval of Transportation Improvement Program Amendments, Adoption of the Prioritization Process, and appointment of the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport Director to the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Citizens Advisory Committee.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Paul Selden, President of Bike Friendly Kalamazoo (BFK) thanked Comstock Township and the Kalamazoo County Sheriff for hosting National Night Out and utilizing a grant from BFK to distribute bike light sets and bike locks.

FISCAL YEAR 2020-2023 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AMENDMENTS Chair Schultz stated the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment schedule is included in the meeting packet. Stepek stated that most of the amendments are local project cost additions. Stepek highlighted the M-40 project is a Village of Lawton local project TAP Award for street scaping safety that will be added to a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) project. The previously discussed Schoolcraft project will utilize COVID Relief dollars. If there are funds left over, they will be added onto another project or carried forward to Fiscal 2023. The last job was administratively moved out of the current TIP in Jobnet to Fiscal 2024 which is not allowable. Therefore, MDOT abandoned the job. The job will be reprogrammed in the future. Stefforia asked what the limits of the Sprinkle Road project are. Minkus responded from East Main to G Avenue.

MOTION by Minkus, SECOND by Heppler, “to approve the 2020-2023 Transportation Improvement Program Amendments.” MOTION APPROVED.

2050 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN DISCUSSION

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TC Minutes 8/12/21 Page 3 of 6

Stepek reported development of the 2050 plan is ongoing and recommended review of the many draft chapters posted on the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) webpage at katsmpo.org. The full draft is expected to be complete in September. Public engagement will follow with anticipated adoption in November. Submit any comments and feedback to KATS.

TRAFFIC DATA COLLECTION CONTRACT DISCUSSION Stepek stated KATS is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for traffic data collection services for the next three years since the current contract expires on December 31, 2021. Stepek thanked those that served on the Subcommittee and provided comments on the draft RFP. Submit feedback by tomorrow so the RFP can be issued soon. The contract provides advantageous cost savings across agencies. Contract expenses also count as required KATS Contributed Service. Minkus asked when the last traffic collection bid was issued and whether there is a typical or expected number of bidders. Stepek responded the last contract was bid 3 years ago. In the past KATS has received two or three bids and expects that same number this time. Although the RFP will be on the katsmpo.org website, email Stepek directly if you would like to recommend or solicit a consultant directly. Schultz asked who the current contract was with. Stepek responded it is with Traffic Tech Services, Brian Burlingham.

CONTRIBUTED SERVICES FISCAL YEAR TO DATE THROUGH JULY 31, 2021 Stepek stated this meeting enclosure is a monthly update for members to review how agencies are performing and a reminder to continue to turn in timesheets.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Henderson reported Van Buren Public Transit continues to look for drivers as they are down 9 part-time drivers.

Schultz stated Metro is also hiring drivers and is hosting a job fair Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at Metro, 530 N. Rose St. Last month’s job fair led to 16 applicants and 3-5 will be starting training soon. Metro continues the COVID schedule of hourly service on all bus routes, Saturday service hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and no Sunday service. This schedule is expected to continue into Fall. Beginning August 30, 2021, the West Main route will add service to the Walmart on 9th Street as well as Oshtemo Township Hall and the Kalamazoo Public Library next to the Townhall. Service hours will be Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. As planned, fare collection was reinstated on August 2, 2021 for both Metro and Metro Connect after about 15 months with no fare. Metro continues a mask requirement which may be extended past the current expiration date of September 13, 2021. Lynch has made extensive progress on the Bus Stop Sign project which is in Phase 5 or 6 and is expected to be complete in November. Contact Schultz or Lynch with any Bus Stop Sign comments you have. A millage renewal for Metro Connect and Metro Share will be on the November 2, 2021 ballot. Information will begin to be distributed at the beginning of September. Minkus asked if there are additional Bus Stop Sign project phases. Schultz responded, there are no further phases, the project will be done. Schultz commended Lynch for efforts to get the project done so quickly and working well with Rathco and agencies. Minkus echoed appreciation of Lynch’s efforts. Lynch thanked agencies for responding to communications which assisted in the project running smoothly. Schultz stated Monday, August 9, 2021, Metro approved a contract with Four Square Integrated Transportation Services for the Comprehensive Operations Analysis. The yearlong study will begin in September. Many agencies will be contacted for comments, suggestions, and ideas on Metro’s future. Arif asked what the headcount for the mall route is. Schultz will have to find out and let him know. Schultz elaborated there are currently three detoured bus routes in Portage. Starting Monday, August 16, 2021, the Michigan Department of Transportation will be closing the Kilgore Service Road to through traffic for demolition of the Kilgore Bridge.

STATUS REPORTS

ROADS-

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TC Minutes 8/12/21 Page 4 of 6

Heppler reported the Village of Augusta has completed all of its planned road replacements for the year and they came in under bid. Road patch work is complete. The M-96 project is postponed temporarily while MDOT is dealing with a railroad issue.

Ladd stated the City of Kalamazoo Portage Street project is ongoing and expected to be done at the end of the season. The Howard Street pathway project is nearing completion. Mill and Overlay will begin on Miller and Emerald which will be followed by East Main. The Bank Street realignment project continues along with the Farmers Market improvements and Kalamazoo River Valley Trail pathway project. In-house paving of 16 local streets is planned. Preventative maintenance crack seal projects are complete with chip seal projects beginning next week. On the non-motorized side, the City is finishing the first round of sidewalk repair and replacement. The City received approximately $750,000 from the Foundation for Excellence to repair additional sidewalks. Randolph added public engagement is wrapping up for the Westnedge and Park traffic calming efforts project. More information is available on the website along with questionnaires for input pertaining to pedestrian, bike, and car traffic in that area.

Minkus provided the following updates for the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County (RCKC): Non-Motorized

• Drake Road Trail in Oshtemo Township is ongoing. • Final plans for the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail extension are expected to be turned in this

month. Roads

• The Systemic Sign, U Avenue, and G Avenue projects are done for the year. • The Nichols/Solon project chip seal will be placed next week with paving to follow the

following week. • R Avenue 36th Street to County Line milling and paving will start next week. • Sprinkle Road at Meredith water main on north-side of the road is done. North-side

construction of culvert will start next week. The second phase of the project will be on the south-side of the road.

• Design plans will be turned in this month for S Avenue from 29th to 34th Street, Sprinkle from East Main to G Avenue and next month for Barney and Mosel from Nichols to Riverview and 12th Street Ravine to D Avenue.

• Working on plans for 24th Street A B Avenue, Sprinkle D Avenue to M-89. Other News

• Chip seal projects are 80 percent complete. Fog seal is 45 percent complete. Crack filling is ongoing.

• RCKC is hiring not just drivers but other positions as well including a Mechanic, an Assistant Finance Director, and a Communications Administrator. Applications are available on the website.

• RCKC owns property off 26th north of N Avenue with the intention of a possible future facility there.

Mallery reported the Village of Vicksburg 12-million-dollar downtown project is about half way done, with the whole downtown torn up now. On August 23, 2021, the sewer project will progress to Main Street to allow Prairie to get put back together. By the end of September, citizens will see new street scape design. The downtown area is expected to be complete this construction season with the entire project complete by mid-November. Harmon provided the following status update for the City of Portage:

• The East Milham Reconstruction project is almost complete. The City is waiting for the weather to clear up for 2 nights of paving, hopefully tonight and tomorrow night. The road is scheduled to be open Monday, August 16, 2021 and substantial completion is Friday August 27, 2021.

• The Lovers Lane Reconstruction project from East Milham Avenue to Kilgore Road was submitted for grade inspection and is scheduled for a January bid letting.

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TC Minutes 8/12/21 Page 5 of 6

• The South Westnedge Avenue Microsurfacing project from Mall Drive to Trade Centre Way will be submitted for grade inspection later this month for a February bid letting.

DenBraber from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) stated she is replacing O’Neill, who took a different job, as a representative for the KATS Technical Committee. DenBraber reported MDOT updates via email:

• I-94 Sprinkle to Lovers Lane: Kilgore service drive to be closed and bridge removed on Monday 8/16/21. The EB off ramp to Sprinkle Rd is to reopen on 8/14/21.

• M-43 at 28th Street: Roundabout is complete. The lighting will be installed this fall.

LAND USE/PLANNING AND ZONING- Stefforia announced Comstock Township is the 2021 award recipient from the Michigan Association of Planning for an outstanding planning project in the Economic Development and Planning Category for work in the downtown area. Schultz and others congratulated the Township.

Forth for the City of Portage introduced and welcomed Biqi Zhao, from Jackson, Mississippi, as the new planning representative for the KATS Technical Committee. Portage adopted the Lakeside District Master Placemaking Plan including the recommendation to reduce traffic lanes between West and Austin Lakes. Portage will be programming Capital Improvement Projects to implement recommendations from that plan. The City will begin rewriting the Master Plan later this year.

Horner representing Oshtemo Township, reported the board passed a road millage at its July meeting doubling the annual contribution to local road maintenance and reconstruction. This will allow the General Fund to be replenished since road projects have been previously funded by the General Fund. Arif asked if Advia Credit Union moved into its new campus in Oshtemo. Horner responded they have not moved in yet, but the traffic light is operational.

Sanada of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reported 3 pallets of 30,000 non-motorized maps for the southwest region were recently delivered to the region office. Two-thirds will be stored, while the remaining 10,000 maps are available. Email Sanada if your agency would like a box of 150 maps.

NEW BUSINESS

Stepek reported Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) received projects from almost all agencies for the Transportation Improvement Program development. Applications are being processed and scoring has begun. Initial meetings to look at prioritization are anticipated to be held between September or October. Schultz inquired what the anticipated timeline for adoption is. Stepek answered next spring, so if there is additional funding with the new authorization there are projects lined up.

Sanada stated the Michigan Mobility 2045 Plan is out for review and comment through the end of August. A link to the plan has been distributed to certain agencies and is also available on the website.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Selden representing the Kalamazoo Region Bike Route Committee, reported a successful July 20, 2021 meeting and thanked those who attended. The Committee supports the national, state, and regional push to develop regional bike routes. If anyone would like to be involved in developing regional routes for consideration in the non-motorized plan, email Selden at president@bikefriendlykalamazoo.org. Additional information is available on the BFK.org website. Heppler asked if the bike route from Galesburg to Augusta to Battle Creek expansion to Gull Lake is a possibility. Minkus responded that some of route is a long-range planning project since land and property must be acquired. Planning for other portions of the route is moving forward with anticipated construction in 2024.

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TC Minutes 8/12/21 Page 6 of 6

ADJOURNMENT

Following a motion by Arif and a second by Heppler, Chair Schultz adjourned the August 12, 2021 Technical Committee Meeting at 10:21 a.m.

The next meeting of the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study Technical Committee will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

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Third Party ContributionKATS FYTD August 2021 (8.3% of Fiscal Year Remaining)Excludes Traffic Count Traffic Tech Contract %

Agency Agreement YTD 8/31/21 RemainingCity of Kalamazoo $22,000.00 15,891.52 27.8%City of Portage $22,000.00 22,054.52 -0.2%Road Commission of Kalamazoo County $22,000.00 7,410.56 66.3%Van Buren County Road Commission $10,000.00 8,278.04 17.2%Kalamazoo County $6,000.00 3,300.00 45.0%Western Michigan University $6,000.00 - 100.0%Comstock Township $2,000.00 4,480.85 -124.0%Kalamazoo Township $2,000.00 - 100.0%Oshtemo Township $2,000.00 3,670.38 -83.5%Texas Township $2,000.00 4,414.14 -120.7%City of Parchment $1,200.00 1,414.32 -17.9%Village of Augusta $1,200.00 - 100.0%Village of Lawton $1,200.00 - 100.0%Village of Mattawan $1,200.00 - 100.0%Village of Paw Paw $1,200.00 - 100.0%Village of Richland $1,200.00 - 100.0%Village of Schoolcraft $1,200.00 344.88 71.3%Village of Vicksburg $1,200.00 602.63 49.8%Van Buren County $500.00 - 100.0%Almena Township $100.00 - 100.0%Brady Township $100.00 974.14 -874.1%Charleston Township $100.00 408.51 -308.5%Cooper Township $100.00 675.75 -575.8%Pavilion Township $100.00 1,394.64 -1294.6%Paw Paw Township $100.00 - 100.0%Prairie Ronde Township $100.00 594.63 -494.6%Richland Township $100.00 3,006.26 -2906.3%Ross Township $100.00 2,162.38 -2062.4%Schoolcraft Township $100.00 1,246.13 -1146.1%Wakeshma Township $100.00 167.63 -67.6%Metro/CCTA $20,660.00 30,216.84 -46.3%Van Buren County Public Transit $2,295.00 9,574.36 -317.2%Alamo Township no agreement 1,088.88 0.0%Climax Township no agreement 602.64 0.0%Antwerp Township (cash) no agreement 100.00 0.0%Totals $130,155.00 124,074.63$ 4.7%

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