Atlantic Steel

Atlantic Steel: Minutes from the Meeting to Discuss SIP-TCM Process

Meeting Minutes from the November 23, 1998Atlantic Steel TCM SIP Meeting

Attendees:

Kelly Sheckler, EPA
Michelle Glenn, EPA (beginning only)
Brian Leary, CRB Realty/Jacoby
Jean Mazer, FHWA-GA Division
Laurie Schroeder, FHWA-GA Division
Joe Palladi, GA-DOT-Urban Design
Ed Bryant, Moreland Altobelli/Jacoby
Eric Maurer, FHWA Resource Center, ARC
Rob Goodwin, EPA
Marlin Gottachalk, Georgia EPD
Jon Morton, Georgia EPD
Charlie Brown, CRB Realty/Jacoby

Phone: Laura Voss, Office of Mobile Sources, EPA
Tim Torma, Office of Reinvention, EPA

Purpose: To explain the Transportation Control Measure (TCM)
State Implementation Plan (SIP) process
Goal: Reach an understanding of how the necessary TCM SIP
elements can be accomplished.

* Atlanta Regional Council (ARC) explained in detail the process for adopting a project into the transportation plan.

- The area is currently in the conformity lapse and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is updating the Interim Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) which consist of TCMS and exempt projects only. A call for projects will occur the last two weeks in January 1999. The adoption process will involve the review and approval of both the Transportation Coordination Committee (TCC) and the Transportation Air Quality Committee (TAQC). IF these committees recommend the project for adoption, a recommendation will be made to the ARC board. The projects will go out for public comment and adoption by the board in July 1999.

- The MPO is concurrently working on a conforming transportation plan. A call for projects for this plan will occur in March 1999. Projects will then undergo modeling and a conformity analysis by ARC, review of the committees, public review, and adoption by the board no sooner than March 2000. The plan will need to be reviewed by EPA for conformity and adopted by USDOT (FHWA-GA Division and FTA). NOTE: The State is currently developing an attainment SIP which will establish a transportation conformity budget. If the budget should go higher than 214, the MPO would not be able to develop a conforming plan.

* The State EPD explained the State SIP process for approving

TCMs.

- The State must have evidence that the TCM is in an adopted transportation plan and TIP before they can begin the State SIP adoption process.

- Several criteria must be met in order for the State to consider any TCM: adoption in the transportation plan and TIP, evidence that the project has funding to develop and implement the project-this is accomplished by commitment letters from the funding sponsors and adoption into the transportation plan/TIP for the federally funded portions of the project, schedule for development/implementation, estimate of emission reduction/air quality benefits, establishment of a monitoring mechanism to monitor actual emissions, project development/implementation in accordance with development/implementation schedule, and reporting results.

- EPD stated it could complete its SIP adoption process in as little as two months, including public hearing, if all the project documentation is submitted and accurately addressees these requirements.

- Based upon ARC's process/schedule for adoption of TCM, the earliest the State could begin its SIP adoption process would be July 1999. Therefore, submittal to EPA, assuming no adverse public comments are received would be September 1999.

* EPA discussed the SIP adoption process.

- The Region put forth the use of the SIP parallel process which would enable EPA to concurrently with the State SIP, process undergo internal review and preparation the of Federal Register notice. Upon evidence that the State has gone through public hearing and official submittal, the Region would route the Federal Register notice for signature and send to the Office of Federal Register for publication. Under a direct final rulemaking, the TCM approval could be effective in 45-60 days.

- Based upon the ARC, EPD schedule, and using parallel processing, EPA could send the TCM SIP Federal Register notice to the office of Federal Register in approximately two weeks of receipt from the state (September 1999).

- FHWA needs EPA's approval of the TCM before an approval of the Interchange Justification Report (IJR) and NEPA determinations can be finalized.

* Next a discussion of how the six criteria for TCM SIP approval can/will be met occurred. It was agreed that these criteria should be addressed in the ARC call for project documentation:

1. A complete description of the measure (project). The project
description will be derived as a result of the XL modeling study
charette, in conjunction with analysis and discussion of the
GADOT IJR Concept Report, and the Moreland Altobelli traffic
analysis. These meetings are scheduled to occur on December 7,
8, 9, and December 14. It was further agreed that a description
of the transit component of the project, including the number of
stations and an estimate of ridershare anticipated (including
origin of destination). The final project description in the
approved SIP would reflect any changes resulting from the XL
negotiations.

2. An analysis of the projected emissions/air quality benefit
would also be compiled resulting from the XL modeling study,
Moreland Altobelli traffic analysis and GA-DOT IJR Concept
Report.

3. Evidence that the measure was properly adopted by a
jurisdiction with legal authority to commit to and execute the
measure will be accomplished as follows:

- A commitment from MARTA will be received for the transit component. CRB Realty/Jacoby will get this commitment. - A commitment from an authorized agency to submit the project for adoption into the ITIP. CRB/Jacoby will get this commitment from the City of Atlanta. - The project will be submitted by the sponsoring agency (the City of Atlanta) for adoption by ARC into the ITIP. - Adoption by the ARC board into the ITIP. - Adoption by the State into the SIP. - Adoption by EPA into the SIP.

* Approval into the ITIP will be contingent upon EPA's SIP approval of the project as a TCM.

* Approval into the SIP by the State and EPA will be contingent
(to the extent that they change the project design and emission benefits)
upon approval of the IJR and the NEPA determinations.

4. Evidence that a complete schedule to plan, implement and
enforce the measure is adopted. CRB Realty/Jacoby will provide
this schedule as part of the TCM call for project documentation.

5. Evidence that funding has been (or will be) obligated to
implement (construct and operate) the measure. A breakdown of
how various elements of the project will be funded (state,
private, federal) will be provided by CRB Realty/Jacoby.
Commitments in the form of letters from funding parties will also
be provided.

6. A description of the monitoring program to assess the
measure's effectiveness and to allow for necessary in-place

corrections or alterations. On December 9, a meeting with ARC's Commute Connections will occur to discuss the establishment of a Transportation Management District (TMD). It was agreed that a TMD would be the best mechanism to meet this requirement. The details of TMD responsibilities will be defined, and how the TMD will be funded, will be determined from this meeting. A contract for the TMD operation will be developed.

- In past TCM approvals, contracts to operate a TMD were not needed at the time of project submittal into the TIP. Only a commitment that a TMD would be established, with a schedule and description of how the TMD would be funded. This meeting will include: GAEPD, FHWA-GA, FTA, GADOT, City of Atlanta Planning Office, CRB Realty/Jacoby, ARC, EPA and Emory University (which currently operates a local TMD).

Action Items:

1. CRB Realty/Jacoby will meet in the next few weeks with the
City of Atlanta to obtain ITIP TCM sponsorship.

2. CRB Realty/Jacoby will identify cost estimates and funding sources for project elements (transit connection, bridge/ramps, residential, commercial, etc ... ).

3. CRB Realty/Jacoby will develop a description of the transit
spur and its estimated emissions benefits.

4. CRB Realty/Jacoby will develop a schedule to build/implement
the project.

5. EPA will set up a TMD meeting with ARC's Commute Connections
This meeting is scheduled for 3:00pm December 9, at the ARC
Commute Connections office.

6. A meeting will be held to discuss the XL study/charette, the
IJR Concept Report, and the Moreland Altobelli traffic analysis.
This meeting is scheduled for 1:00pm, December 14, in the Atlanta
Federal Center. The meeting will be held in EPA conference room
12B.

7. Stakeholders and CRB Realty will work on a project
description from the design charette and the meeting on the three
studies (item #6, above).

8. EPA will work with CRB Realty to compile all documentation
needed for ITIP call for project submittal.

9. EPA will call ARC to give them advance notice that the City of Atlanta intends to submit this project at the December 4 TCC meeting in preparation for the January call for projects.

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