WEBVTT 00:00:00.290 --> 00:00:06.972 - Uh, thanks everybody for being here for the, uh, Bloomington, uh, Monroe County, uh, Metropolitan Planning 00:00:06.972 --> 00:00:13.343 - Organization, Technical Advisory Committee meeting for today, October 21st. Um, yeah, we have quorum. 00:00:13.343 --> 00:00:19.650 - Uh, I guess we'll start with just, um, uh, introductions, um, and maybe start down at the left Neil, 00:00:19.650 --> 00:00:26.333 - if you're cool. Uh, Neil copper proxy for the Bloomington city engineer. Uh, Jackie Scanlon proxy planning 00:00:26.333 --> 00:00:27.582 - and transportation. 00:00:28.738 --> 00:00:37.993 - Tim Street proxy Bloomington Parks and Rec John Baton GIS coordinator Monroe County Kelly Whitmer Monroe 00:00:37.993 --> 00:00:45.662 - County Parks and Recreation Cheryl bill and city deputy controller I am unable to hear 00:01:00.226 --> 00:01:06.784 - Can you hear us now? Can you hear us now? Yes, thank you, thank you. Thanks for letting us know about 00:01:06.784 --> 00:01:13.406 - that, Amy. We'll start over at the introductions as well. And just a reminder for folks online for the 00:01:13.406 --> 00:01:20.221 - voting process to make sure to have your cameras on when we get to the voting. And I do like the surround 00:01:20.221 --> 00:01:26.907 - sound element that we have going on. A soothing voice here. So yeah, we'll start over at the left again 00:01:26.907 --> 00:01:27.614 - with Neil. 00:01:29.058 --> 00:01:37.058 - Neil copper proxy for the Bloomington City engineer Jackie Scanlon proxy planning and transportation 00:01:37.058 --> 00:01:45.058 - Tim Street proxy Bloomington Parks and Rec John Bates in GIS coordinator Monroe County Kelly Whitmer 00:01:45.058 --> 00:01:52.979 - Monroe County Parks and Recreation Cheryl Gilliland deputy controller city controllers office proxy 00:01:52.979 --> 00:01:56.702 - for Jeff McKim controllers city of Bloomington 00:01:58.082 --> 00:02:19.662 - And then you have folks online if you want to introduce yourselves I Think you're muted Amy John Kennedy 00:02:19.662 --> 00:02:27.678 - Citizens Advisory Committee ex officio 00:02:31.714 --> 00:02:41.524 - Nick Standifer, general manager for Bloomington Transit. Great, I think that's everybody. With that, 00:02:41.524 --> 00:02:51.237 - I guess we will move on to a approval of the agenda for October 21st, 2026. If I could get a motion 00:02:51.237 --> 00:03:01.630 - to approve. Move approval. Thanks, Neal. And a second? Second. Thanks, Jackie. All in favor, say aye. Aye. 00:03:01.890 --> 00:03:13.588 - Any opposed any opposed nay Or abstentions Okay, seems like that passed We'll move on to the approval 00:03:13.588 --> 00:03:25.744 - of the minutes from August 26 2026. Could I get a motion to approve? So moved Thank You Neil and a second 00:03:25.744 --> 00:03:31.134 - Second Thanks, Jackie all in favor say aye aye 00:03:32.130 --> 00:03:43.870 - Any opposed nay? Or abstentions? Okay, on to communications from Chair and Vice Chair. I don't have a lot. 00:03:44.226 --> 00:03:49.746 - The MPO has been working diligently, and I know Pat will explain this a little bit later, with 00:03:49.746 --> 00:03:55.615 - the transportation improvement plan. So we had a bit of a hiatus from these meetings, but we're back 00:03:55.615 --> 00:04:01.891 - now in Monroe County. We're in the city of Bloomington as well. We're very busy right now with the election 00:04:01.891 --> 00:04:07.701 - season kicking off, so we have a few more weeks with that. We've had great turnout so far for early 00:04:07.701 --> 00:04:12.350 - voting. Any communications from other officers or committees? I'm assuming not. 00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:20.740 - So I think Pat, if you're ready, we'll move on to you for reports from MPO staff. Okay, sorry, just 00:04:20.740 --> 00:04:28.709 - a second here. First thing we've got from the reports from the MPO staff is our City of Bloomington 00:04:28.709 --> 00:04:36.679 - press release, October 14th. This is on the one-way traffic pattern, westbound only for West Second 00:04:36.679 --> 00:04:39.070 - Street beginning October 1st. 00:04:39.714 --> 00:04:48.220 - anticipated to extend until November 25th. The reason for this is full depth asphalt for Second Street 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:56.561 - corridor which is currently under construction. Again this is temporary. It will return to a two way 00:04:56.561 --> 00:05:04.819 - traffic flow after that. Neil do you want to say anything. No just that's you know obviously one of 00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:09.278 - our federally funded projects under construction now. 00:05:09.410 --> 00:05:17.824 - There's going to be a number of changes and construction impacts as it continues. Second thing we've 00:05:17.824 --> 00:05:26.571 - got is the October 8th 2026 letter from MNDOT for the Dillman road bridge number 83 replacement project. 00:05:26.571 --> 00:05:35.235 - It more or less states that the structure is historically significant should be placed into a and adopt 00:05:35.235 --> 00:05:36.734 - a bridge program. 00:05:37.410 --> 00:05:44.487 - Uh, nothing more than that. It shouldn't have any impact whatsoever on the project project to proceed 00:05:44.487 --> 00:05:51.842 - as normal. Third thing we have is an October 8th, 2016 letter from I'm sorry, 2026 letter from department 00:05:51.842 --> 00:05:58.849 - of natural resources for the pedestrian bridge over the state with 45, 46 corridor. Again, they note 00:05:58.849 --> 00:06:01.694 - that it is historical. Um, it should be. 00:06:01.858 --> 00:06:09.258 - placed into the adopt a bridge program, though I'm not sure how you can adopt a bridge from that. Given 00:06:09.258 --> 00:06:16.658 - that span length and given that condition and everything else in Indiana, but nonetheless, that's their 00:06:16.658 --> 00:06:23.916 - letter. Last thing we've got here is a recent updates to the MPOs transportation improvement program, 00:06:23.916 --> 00:06:30.462 - the locations of which can be viewed on a virtual map, project locations. We also have that 00:06:30.754 --> 00:06:39.688 - Back in the back of the room here with the board. For those of you that don't want to see it don't want 00:06:39.688 --> 00:06:48.364 - to see it electronically. You can see it in actual paper. That's all I've got. Can we comment on it. 00:06:48.364 --> 00:06:57.384 - Oh absolutely. On item to bridge 83 is going to be located at the limestone Greenway Park. Oh it's going 00:06:57.384 --> 00:06:59.102 - to be stored there. 00:07:00.386 --> 00:07:09.367 - Hopefully we will be able to use it on a trail. If not it'll be a great art piece. I don't know. So 00:07:09.367 --> 00:07:18.527 - Lisa Ridge knows all about that. Thank you. We weren't aware of that. Thank you. That's excellent. It 00:07:18.527 --> 00:07:20.862 - has a home not an orphan. 00:07:24.258 --> 00:07:31.865 - Cool. Thanks Kelly. Thanks Pat. I guess that's we don't have any old business to discuss but we do have 00:07:31.865 --> 00:07:39.326 - some some new business. A new business we've got here is the calendar year 2027 MPO committee meeting 00:07:39.326 --> 00:07:46.860 - schedule. I believe we already have one conflict in that schedule but that's there for your inclusion. 00:07:46.860 --> 00:07:53.662 - Usually we try and provide you with this schedule in December and said we're doing it early. 00:07:53.922 --> 00:08:03.648 - Just to make sure that we don't have any other additional conflicts questions I'll be happy to answer 00:08:03.648 --> 00:08:13.659 - any questions on any of that. Since you mentioned a conflict Pat could you explain that one or elaborate 00:08:13.659 --> 00:08:22.622 - on it. I don't. I can't. I'd have to go. Can you call up the link to the calendar. I'm sorry. 00:08:25.218 --> 00:08:37.768 - Oh, it is the calendar. I think she fixed it. Oh, she fixed it. Sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, because 00:08:37.768 --> 00:08:48.734 - I can't, I can't, I can't see any conflict. There was a conflict with a holiday in there. 00:08:49.378 --> 00:08:56.036 - Okay, usually we have these meetings on the fourth Wednesday of the month for the TSE and the CSE and 00:08:56.036 --> 00:09:02.694 - we always have the policy committee on the fourth Friday of the month. That's the easiest way to keep 00:09:02.694 --> 00:09:09.548 - track of all of it. So if there's any conflict that comes up, presents itself, please let us know. Okay, 00:09:09.548 --> 00:09:17.054 - the next thing we have here under new business is the draft transportation improvement program for fiscal year 28. 00:09:17.154 --> 00:09:27.245 - 2028-2032 with the vote anticipated to take place on December 2nd. What I'd like to add to this is that 00:09:27.245 --> 00:09:37.530 - we initiated a press release which was published later in the Herald Times and the Indiana Daily Student. 00:09:37.530 --> 00:09:46.942 - Press release, I believe it was on October 2nd. We held a public information meeting open house, 00:09:47.170 --> 00:09:56.006 - On October 12th, we had one attendee, a single, one is an UNO attendee who provided us with substantial 00:09:56.006 --> 00:10:04.501 - number of comments we received a couple of days ago in writing. There are several ways that you can 00:10:04.501 --> 00:10:13.167 - comment here. You can comment to us in an email form. You can comment to us in a paper form where you 00:10:13.167 --> 00:10:16.990 - can attend these meetings and comment there. 00:10:17.154 --> 00:10:25.393 - Everybody has a comment form in old-fashioned paper on the desk there in front of you. That's to ensure 00:10:25.393 --> 00:10:33.870 - that we get the comments. So far, we've received only one substantial comment. We received another comment 00:10:33.870 --> 00:10:41.951 - on a wording of a sentence, which we received yesterday. That's it up to this point in time. Now, the 00:10:41.951 --> 00:10:46.942 - Transportation Improvement Program has substantial investment. 00:10:47.234 --> 00:10:56.541 - If you look at it over the several years, our allocation is somewhere around $4.5 million. It's decreased 00:10:56.541 --> 00:11:05.145 - over previous years in the sense that we're allocated our funding based on per capita population. 00:11:05.145 --> 00:11:13.925 - In 2020, when the census came in, students went home for COVID-19. On March 15th, census came in on 00:11:13.925 --> 00:11:17.086 - April 1st, and as a result, we lost 00:11:17.186 --> 00:11:26.251 - somewhere around 46,000 students who normally would have been counted under the census. As a result 00:11:26.251 --> 00:11:34.954 - of that, in relation to the other communities in Indiana, outside of Purdue, they all increased 00:11:34.954 --> 00:11:43.294 - in population, so therefore their per capita allocations increased and ours have decreased. 00:11:43.682 --> 00:11:51.852 - It doesn't reflect reality, but that's the way the situation is right now. We've got a substantial number 00:11:51.852 --> 00:11:59.944 - of Indiana Department of Transportation projects. We met with the INDOT State Transportation Improvement 00:11:59.944 --> 00:12:08.191 - Program folks two weeks ago, went through their list item by item, all of the projects that are identified 00:12:08.191 --> 00:12:11.582 - in the draft tip that are online right now. 00:12:11.714 --> 00:12:19.815 - All of those projects are all valid projects. They're all valid in terms of the timeline. What is subject 00:12:19.815 --> 00:12:27.611 - to change is the amount of funding program for each individual project. NDOT is struggling to achieve 00:12:27.611 --> 00:12:35.483 - fiscal constraint. They anticipate they will have a fiscally constrained list to us in November, early 00:12:35.483 --> 00:12:37.470 - November to mid-November. 00:12:37.634 --> 00:12:44.991 - but our list is fiscally constrained and will not change unless one of the LPAs wants to make their 00:12:44.991 --> 00:12:52.641 - change in the project. I'm trying to think of anything else here. I can't think of anything else unless 00:12:52.641 --> 00:13:00.145 - somebody has any questions. Oh, the votes on this. We're not voting today on this. The Transportation 00:13:00.145 --> 00:13:06.398 - Improvement Program draft was submitted to the Indiana Department of Transportation. 00:13:06.946 --> 00:13:14.584 - for their review and also that's highway and the transit side of Indiana Department of Transportation 00:13:14.584 --> 00:13:22.221 - submitted for their review, also submitted to the Federal Highway Administration and submitted to the 00:13:22.221 --> 00:13:30.158 - Federal Transit Administration. Those were all transmitted to them on October 2nd. Normally it's a 30-day 00:13:30.158 --> 00:13:32.030 - comment period for them. 00:13:32.162 --> 00:13:41.106 - It may be a 45 day comment period because they have major reduction in staff. They underwent a year 00:13:41.106 --> 00:13:50.139 - and a half ago and it well they only have one person review 14 MPOs. So there's the difficulty right 00:13:50.139 --> 00:13:58.814 - there. The public comment period began earlier this month. It extends until Sunday November 1st. 00:13:59.330 --> 00:14:06.601 - And I had initially told somebody five o'clock on Sunday. Actually, it's midnight on Sunday since it's 00:14:06.601 --> 00:14:13.730 - not a working day. We encourage everybody to submit their comments to us either electronically or in 00:14:13.730 --> 00:14:21.072 - paper form. We do need, however, your name, hopefully an email contact and hopefully a telephone number 00:14:21.072 --> 00:14:26.366 - so that way we can validate the comments as being a resident of this area. 00:14:27.010 --> 00:14:35.240 - Questions anybody on any of the projects or any of the funding that we have I I guess I have one Pat 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:43.634 - and you kind of Spoke about this already was just kind of the public input You said that there was one 00:14:43.634 --> 00:14:52.190 - member of the public who came for the first thing for the open house in terms of like just past tips and 00:14:52.674 --> 00:14:59.003 - What was like, is this a lower turnout or is this kind of on average? I'm not assuming that this is 00:14:59.003 --> 00:15:05.458 - going to be having tons of folks filling council chambers. And normally we have a higher turnout than 00:15:05.458 --> 00:15:11.343 - that, usually less than 10. I'll jump to the chase. Yeah, it's usually less than 10. One was 00:15:11.343 --> 00:15:15.710 - very disappointing. Perhaps it was because it was on a Monday night. 00:15:15.938 --> 00:15:22.609 - Usually we have them on a Wednesday night. We couldn't get a room for the Wednesday night though. Wednesday 00:15:22.609 --> 00:15:29.157 - night is when the council usually typically meets and we draw in spillover from the council either before 00:15:29.157 --> 00:15:35.334 - the meeting or after the meetings. In this case, we didn't have any spillover. There was a meeting. 00:15:35.334 --> 00:15:41.758 - I think it was planned commission meeting. It was Monday night and they all left early. So yeah, that's 00:15:41.758 --> 00:15:44.414 - why we're out there trolling for comments. 00:15:44.866 --> 00:15:51.162 - I saw that it was posted you know in the Herald Times and IDS and then also on Facebook I wonder if 00:15:51.162 --> 00:15:57.773 - it would make sense for this to get posted on reddit as well. I know the city has a fairly active reddit 00:15:57.773 --> 00:16:04.131 - posting and there's a vibrant maybe that's not the best word. There's a community I'll say on reddit 00:16:04.131 --> 00:16:10.868 - that is that does comment. So it could be a way to drive maybe some more participation. But again anything 00:16:10.868 --> 00:16:14.142 - online it's there's good comments and bad comments. 00:16:14.274 --> 00:16:21.799 - obviously, or substantive comments and ones that are maybe a little bit less so. But yeah, I think getting 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:29.113 - that public input is going to be beneficial since this is such a impactful program and framework. Yeah, 00:16:29.113 --> 00:16:36.145 - substantial impact. Yeah. Yeah, OK, we'll do that. We'll do Reddit. That's one of the things that's 00:16:36.145 --> 00:16:41.982 - never been suggested to us before, so we'll make sure that we do that. OK. Thanks. 00:16:42.786 --> 00:16:52.612 - The other thing I want to make sure too, someone made a comment. Yeah, one of our lone commenter observed 00:16:52.612 --> 00:17:02.068 - that the announcement of the College and Walnut Study release was in the Herald Times, I think it was 00:17:02.068 --> 00:17:10.782 - on October 12th. And he noted that it was interesting that there was a delay in that release. 00:17:10.882 --> 00:17:17.474 - Actually the release took place on October 2nd from the city city of Bloomington's media public media 00:17:17.474 --> 00:17:23.614 - release. Why the Indiana Daily student in the Herald Times took another 10 days to cover that. 00:17:23.614 --> 00:17:30.077 - I don't know. I can't explain anything like that. So you know with the Herald Times all I can think 00:17:30.077 --> 00:17:36.669 - is the you know outsourcing of jobs from Bloomington to India and things like that. B Square Bulletin 00:17:36.669 --> 00:17:40.094 - is always good as well obviously with data but yeah. 00:17:40.482 --> 00:17:46.890 - I think you guys are doing great and then it says it's a it's a Big document, but yeah, there's lots 00:17:46.890 --> 00:17:53.234 - of stuff that is gonna be impactful for our community So yeah, thanks for all the work you guys did 00:17:53.234 --> 00:18:00.150 - putting into that and thank you for your Catching all the yeah all the errors that we had in there Scrivener 00:18:00.150 --> 00:18:06.558 - errors. Yeah. Thank you. No problem I guess we're moving on to public comment if there is any of any 00:18:07.618 --> 00:18:16.426 - Nobody will we do have many members of the public here, but they're all part of the of the attack Is 00:18:16.426 --> 00:18:25.583 - there anybody online who would like to have a public comment? I Am not seeing anybody I guess this would 00:18:25.583 --> 00:18:34.652 - move on to communications from any committee members anybody here have anything they want to talk about 00:18:34.652 --> 00:18:36.222 - One Pat does yeah 00:18:36.674 --> 00:18:47.891 - I want to recognize Kelly for Kelly's last meeting today and thank her for all the services she's given 00:18:47.891 --> 00:18:54.686 - to us over the years. Wish you well. So I can always remember. 00:19:04.610 --> 00:19:11.699 - Thanks Pat, thanks Kelly. Onto topics, topic suggestions for future agendas. I've got one. And I said 00:19:11.699 --> 00:19:18.927 - I was gonna keep it easy, but sometimes I'm not. And I've communicated a little bit with you guys about 00:19:18.927 --> 00:19:26.363 - this, but I was wondering if this could be a good topic to include, would be something on policies related 00:19:26.363 --> 00:19:33.521 - to, just because we've, I've sent some news articles out, but policies or protocols related to e-bikes 00:19:33.521 --> 00:19:34.494 - and scooters. 00:19:34.658 --> 00:19:41.620 - and their usage across kind of Monroe County and Bloomington, just because I've noticed as a pedestrian 00:19:41.620 --> 00:19:48.448 - and also just people moving around town, a number of folks kind of flying on those things. And I will 00:19:48.448 --> 00:19:55.210 - say that 13-year-old John Baten would have been so stoked on getting a crazy thing, and I would have 00:19:55.210 --> 00:20:00.766 - been doing totally reckless stuff with it, because that's who I am and what I was. 00:20:00.930 --> 00:20:09.166 - But I think when we have a new technology introduced and we haven't really understood it and the impacts 00:20:09.166 --> 00:20:17.010 - it can have, it can have big consequences, right? And I've seen individuals that appear to me to be 00:20:17.010 --> 00:20:23.678 - under the age of 16 riding fairly recklessly on these scooters. I saw one individual 00:20:23.810 --> 00:20:29.363 - turning left from 3rd Street onto College Mall Road without a helmet on an e-bike or a scooter. It's 00:20:29.363 --> 00:20:35.190 - sort of been a couple of months ago. I've also seen folks, the B line's obviously a big kind of corridor, 00:20:35.190 --> 00:20:40.743 - but I've seen folks on other trails as well kind of doing burnouts and riding across parks and stuff 00:20:40.743 --> 00:20:46.350 - like that. And granted, this is more kind of confined to the city of Bloomington because that's where 00:20:46.350 --> 00:20:51.518 - I live and that's where I'm experiencing this. But one of the news articles I shared recently 00:20:51.618 --> 00:20:58.438 - was related to a, I think it was like a three-year-old who was hit by an e-bike rider in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 00:20:58.438 --> 00:21:04.757 - And that e-bike rider was probably 14 or something, but the three-year-old got sent to the hospital, 00:21:04.757 --> 00:21:11.389 - they were at a park, and this kid just kind of flew across. So I think it would behoove us as a community 00:21:11.389 --> 00:21:15.518 - to really kind of start to think about how these devices could be 00:21:16.706 --> 00:21:22.072 - Understood maybe the consequences of them more or at least managed and I know it's really difficult 00:21:22.072 --> 00:21:27.491 - for us to do this as a community But yeah, I just thought it could be an interesting topic It's good 00:21:27.491 --> 00:21:32.857 - that I'm here I can actually comment on that we have been working on that with parks and recreation 00:21:32.857 --> 00:21:37.150 - because we've been receiving a lot of those complaints on the receiving end and 00:21:37.442 --> 00:21:43.138 - And we've been working with Julius and the Office of the Mayor on creating a new local ordinance to 00:21:43.138 --> 00:21:49.289 - go to City Council to talk about some new categories of devices because of all of the basically unregulated 00:21:49.289 --> 00:21:55.383 - devices that have come out that don't meet the category one, two, or three definitions. We've been looking 00:21:55.383 --> 00:22:00.794 - at a lot of other things. Some other communities in Indiana have already done new regulations. 00:22:00.794 --> 00:22:04.382 - Carmel did. We've been looking at their ordinance they passed. 00:22:04.738 --> 00:22:12.477 - The state of Illinois just passed new regulations. The state of New Jersey just passed new very restrictive 00:22:12.477 --> 00:22:19.714 - regulations. So we've been looking at all of that. And there's kind of a consensus towards how these 00:22:19.714 --> 00:22:27.525 - are being categorized as micro-mobility devices and then these more substantial 750 watt, more throttle-only 00:22:27.525 --> 00:22:32.254 - e-motos is what they're tending to be called. And so while I hope 00:22:32.514 --> 00:22:39.243 - and I think we need ultimately state level legislation on it. There is actually some draft ordinance 00:22:39.243 --> 00:22:46.038 - going to the Transportation Commission on Monday for discussion for the city of Bloomington. So there 00:22:46.038 --> 00:22:53.099 - is some action there and would welcome other eyes on it and public comment because it's a draft ordinance 00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:59.761 - and we're looking for feedback on it through Transportation Commission. Awesome, thanks, Tim. Well, 00:22:59.761 --> 00:23:00.894 - I have that too. 00:23:03.554 --> 00:23:12.959 - The 26th at 5.30 p.m. is that discussion, so I would encourage you to attend. Yeah, I'll try to. Thanks, 00:23:12.959 --> 00:23:22.184 - guys. I probably should have shared this during the communications from committee members, but I would 00:23:22.184 --> 00:23:31.768 - like to just express concern about the loss of public transportation for the urbanized area of Ellitsville 00:23:31.768 --> 00:23:33.470 - as of January 1st. 00:23:33.634 --> 00:23:45.663 - It's going to impact a lot of people who rely on it for dialysis appointments, grocery store work, different 00:23:45.663 --> 00:23:56.699 - things like that. I just wasn't sure how aware the committee was of those changes that are pending. 00:23:56.699 --> 00:24:01.886 - That's my fault. I should have mentioned that. 00:24:06.306 --> 00:24:15.964 - Yeah thanks for thanks for sharing Amy. I guess with that we'll move on to upcoming meetings. Meetings 00:24:15.964 --> 00:24:25.434 - our next meeting will be December 2nd on a Wednesday. We will have before you a final transportation 00:24:25.434 --> 00:24:36.030 - improvement program recommended for adoption by the policy committee policy committee will meet on December 4th. 00:24:36.226 --> 00:24:43.317 - for adoption of the transportation improvement program. So please send us your comments. Awesome, 00:24:43.317 --> 00:24:50.626 - thanks Pat. Yeah, with that we are adjourned. Thanks so much for everybody for showing up. Thank you 00:24:50.626 --> 00:24:58.224 - Ryan for helping out here as well. And yeah, I hope to see you guys on December 2nd. I'll say go Brewers 00:24:58.224 --> 00:24:59.454 - as well, thanks.