HomeMy WebLinkAboutTBMinutes_2008_06_17Transportation Board
Brookings, South Dakota
June 17, 2008
OFFICIAL MINUTES
The Brookings Transportation Board was called to order by Chairperson Jeff
Weldon on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at 2:00 PM in the City Hall meeting room.
Members present were Michael Forgy, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks, Rob Jones, Dean
Kattelmann, Robb Rasmussen, Terrell Spence, City Engineer Jackie Lanning, and
Weldon. Kurt Cogswell, Art Conners, Roger DeGroot, Dennis Falken, Teresa
McKnight, Andrew Natzel, Jerry Raabe, and City Clerk Shari Thornes were absent.
Others present were Charlene Carothers - Easy Cab, and Mike Mullaney - BATA.
Item #2 – (Kattelmann/Jones) Motion to approve the minutes from the May 20,
2008, meeting. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #3 – (Rasmussen/Hartenhoff-Crooks) Motion to approve the agenda. All
present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #4 – Update on Safe Routes to School Grant – Weldon said the grant had
been submitted and will be undergoing review by the South Dakota Department
of Transportation. Rasmussen felt the committee should give a preliminary look at
the next step in funding. He is confident about receiving the funds and would like
to get more of the community involved in the next step. Weldon also felt the need
for grass roots advocacy. City Engineer Jackie Lanning agreed that the
committee would like more feedback from the community especially on the
upgrades to signals and equipment. Weldon asked about parental involvement.
Rasmussen had results of a survey that parents had taken. Lanning added that the
walking school bus has been popular in other towns, but there was little interest
expressed in it in Brookings. Weldon said the committee must build upon the work
that has been started.
Item #5 – Transit funding requests to the City of Brookings – Weldon stated that
there have been three (3) requests for funding submitted to the City of Brookings.
BATA has requested $50,000, Safe Ride has requested $5,000, and the Volunteer
Service Bank has requested $5,000. Weldon said that last year $88,000 was funded
with the balance going to the transportation study. He added that the City will be
funding the requests this year.
Item #6 – Transit planning strategy discussion and unmet transit needs - Weldon
said he had met with Brenda Schweitzer (BATA) regarding unmet needs. She felt
the most important items for her service, at this point, were the importance of
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keeping the current levels of service (not going to fixed routes yet), expanding AM
hours from 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM, and adding another driver (possibly going to 24
hour service). National surveys state that it costs between $40 and $50 per hour to
furnish transportation. Weldon said, when it comes to fixed routes, the local
program should start with one route. However, he added, that the study said six.
BATA presently has one special purpose route (for example-grocery store) on
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday which is slowly increasing.
Rob Jones asked what was happening in outlying communities. Mike
Mullaney (BATA) said that Volga is their biggest request with some riders coming to
Brookings for dialysis. Hartenhoff-Crooks said that at the conference she attended,
they found that smaller communities represent under-served populations. She felt
those communities needed to be surveyed as to their needs. Weldon added that
this is also an affordability issue. He asked Hartenhoff-Crooks if this was an unmet
need. She felt it was. Weldon asked Charlene Carothers (Easy Cab) if they have a
schedule. She said they to go to Volga, but most of their traffic is late night and
downtown Brookings. Weldon said he didn’t believe that services were being
duplicated even though riders do have a choice.
Weldon said he felt the next step for the committee would be to put a
report together for submission to the Brookings City Council, Brookings County,
local governments and boards. Weldon said he will do a rough draft for the
committee’s next meeting. He would like the committee to go over that draft
before submission. The Board agreed. Weldon added that he would send the
draft to board members early so there would be time to review it before the
meeting. Lanning asked if the committee was working through the issues and
meeting the goals that the city council originally requested. Weldon answered
yes. Mullaney added that when there is a large event, transportation people need
to know where to take attendees in case of an emergency evacuation.
Item #7 - Other items
Item #8 – Next meeting – It was decided that the next meeting would be on
August 19, 2008.
The meeting was adjourned.
____________________________ ____________________________
Diane M. Spencer, Secretary Jeffrey Weldon, Chairperson