Traffic and Transportation Commission

MINUTES

Boards and Commissions Conference Room
Meeting No. 11-04
November 16, 2004, 7:30 p.m.

Commissioners Present:
Richard Resnick, Chair Elizabeth Crane
Alice Filemyr
Stan Klein        
Jon Oberg   
Amy Rosselle

City Staff: Katherine Kelly, Larry Marcus

1. Review and Approve Minutes

a. Minutes from the October 2004 meeting were approved with no changes.

2. Staff Report and Updates

a. Staff Report (Weekly)

• There were no major issues discussed regarding the weekly report.

b. Streetlight Maintenance Memo

• Staff reported that the Streetlight Maintenance Memo has been submitted to Mayor and Council.

c. Town Center Traffic Calming Process

• Commissioner Crane presented a brief overview of the Hungerford/New Mark Commons Town Center Traffic Calming meeting on November 10th.  She outlined the major concerns presented and spoke about next steps with that community.  Commissioner Filemyr recommended a circle at Richard Montgomery High School and Fleet Street (with regard to concerns about Fleet Street-extended).

3. Town Center Capacity Report (Continued from October Meeting)

a. Staff presented a brief report on the Town Center Capacity project.  Questions regarding the project and data:

• Q: What is the background year? 
  A: It has been forecast to 2015.
  
• Q: Section 3.4.1—“1 trip per 1,000 FAR” seems too low—are those based on ITE?
  A: Based on ITE and LATR.  Varies by use, size, and location.
  
• Q: Why and how the mode choice reductions?
  A: It is in a Metro/MARC area.
  
• Q: What year(s) should  be associated with Scenarios 1, 2 and 3?
  A: 2010 is SHA’s ICC end-date.  City of Rockville’s Long-Range Planning Division projects land-use build out in the entire Town Center (i.e., beyond Town Square) to be complete around 2020-2025.  The Traffic & Transportation Division agreed on 2015 as a date to use as end-date.
  
• Q: Still not clear on distinction between land use scenarios 1 and 2.
  A. It would be good to have a Planning Division representative address this in next month’s meeting. 
  
• Q: How can City up – or –down zone if the ICC is not a certainty?
  A: ICC is a small percentage of the total volume of traffic congestion relief (maximum 10%)
  
• Q: Is the relief East-West?
  A: Generally, yes.  MD355 experiences some relief as trips are diverted by the ICC.

b. A draft memo on Phase II will be sent to Commissioners about Dec. 6th.  Commissioners can then draft and submit a (joint) statement on the report (if so desired) for the Dec. 13th Mayor and Council session on this item. 

4.  Review of Twinbrook Commons CTR

a. Klein:

• Not enough intersections in the scope.
  
• Include Halpine and E. Jefferson
  
• Montrose and MD 355 grade separated.
  
• Parklawn Dr. at Twinbrook Pkwy. – reconfigure to allow more traffic through.

b. Rosselle:

• On Twinbrook Pkwy. heading South/Westbound, turning Northbound onto MD 355 – remove “No Right on Red” (causes major queuing)
  
• On Twinbrook Pkwy. heading South/Westbound – remove “No Left Turn” (add an arrow at the light) to head Southbound in MD 355.  This would alleviate some of the left turns into the Shell Station on Rollins/355 (it starts to backup and cars can only use one lane once they cross over 355 onto Rollins from Twinbrook Pkwy.)
  
• Investigate removal of "No Parking" signs on the North side of Rollins (except at Post Office). This causes major queuing.
  
• Re-stripe Rollins

c. Crane

• Concerned about pedestrian crossing time and length at Halpine and MD 355
  
• Should implement a left turn signal at MD 355 heading East onto Halpine
  
• Bus stop at intersection of Chapman and Halpine (North side) causes queuing on Chapman.  Investigate moving the stop elsewhere.
  
• Review Southern leg of the intersection of Twinbrook Parkway and Parklawn.  No crosswalk or pedestrian signal.
  
• Sidewalks on the bridge crossing Twinbrook Parkway between Parklawn and Chapman does not get cleared of snow and ice. Implement enforcement of removing snow and ice.
  
• Investigate changing hours of access to Metro tunnel to make it 24-hour access.  Include lighting.
  
• Add a "cart sign-out" program at residential units to be used to cross MD 355 (destination Whole Foods).
  
• Add a pedestrian bridge across CSX tracks.

d. Filemyr

• Would like to see more intersections and access routes leading to Twinbrook included in scope (mentioned impact of Twinbrook traffic as far as Richard Montgomery and MD 355).

e. Oberg (consensus from all)

• Investigate alternate ways to cross MD 355 (ped. bridge, grade separation, etc.).

f. All

• Shuttle service to Metro and additional shopping/activity centers

g. Additional

• Staff provide LOS for intersections included in the scope.
  
• Staff to send revised TSR.

5. Review of Upper Rock TSR

a. Oberg

• Distinguishing between traffic calming measures to address existing traffic and measures to address traffic from Upper Rock development.  Item #5 under “Conditions of Approval” refers to 3 traffic calming devices and the City has stated that it does not have funding to implement these prior to Upper Rock development.  Can the City investigate low-cost alternative (i.e., signage—turn restrictions, etc.) to address problems due to existing traffic.  Additional traffic generated from Upper Rock will be addressed by Item #5 (higher-cost traffic calming measures will be implemented with contributions from Upper Rock development).
  
• Along Redland, incorporate varying speeds (25 MPH to 30 MPH to 35 MPH, etc.) similar to Maryland Avenue speed limit fluctuations
  
• Traffic circle along Redland
  
• Mentioned that City police stated that speeds are underestimated in consultant’s CTR
  
• Transport trucks along Redland coming off of Shady Grove/I-270/MD 355 –can the City work with developer to implement traffic calming to limit this type of vehicular activity.
  
• CCT station location (see Attachment A) and concern about pedestrian access from across Shady Grove/I-270. 

b. All

• Consensus that cannot support TSR without language to include inter-jurisdictional coordination regarding pedestrian access to future CCT station and crossing Shady Grove/I-270.
  
• TSR needs language about realigning bus stop access along Shady Grove near Home Depot.
  
• T&T Commission will closely follow the development of traffic calming measures referred to in Item #5, Conditions of Approval.

6. Joint Meeting with Environment Commission

a. Inter-Commission Sustainability Initiative

• The Environment Commission Chair briefly described an inter-committee initiative to promote sustainable development. 
  
• There was discussion on the idea of developing metrics for assessment and accountability during the development review process (i.e., noise, traffic, air quality, etc.).   One example included the T&T Commission relaying to the Environment Commission failing intersections.  In turn the Environment Commission would relay to the T&T Commission/Planning Commission/Mayor and Council the air quality impacts.
  
• Chair Resnick stated that the T&T Commission is willing to work with the Environment Commission on the initiative, but would prefer to see an outline of goals and objectives.  Following this, the Commission could write a memo of support. 

b. Noise Study

• RKK, the City’s contractor for a City-wide noise study, presented options for objective criteria to develop a noise contour map.  Essentially, those were LEQ (using the worst hour of transportation noise within a 24-hr. period) or LDN (24-hr.-based measurements).
  
• Environment and T&T Commissioners agreed to LEQ as the objective criteria.

7. Other Items

a. Chair Resnick requested that staff draft a “process” for Step 10 of the CTR, so that when developers present to the T&T Commission there is a logical sequence of discussion (i.e., staff report is sent to Commissioners prior to the presentation, the developer presents, and the floor is opened for comments by the public). 

 Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m.