Minutes 02 13 03
MINUTES OF THE WILMINGTON TRANSIT AUTHORITY February 13, 2002 MEMBERS PRESENT Mr. Dick Scott, Chairman Mr. John Stukes, Vice Chair Mr. Mike Saylor, Secretary Mr. Howard Capps Mr. Harry
Forden Ms. Laura Padgett Ms. Fannie D. Freeman Mr. Jeff Bellows MEMBERS ABSENT Mr. Steve Stein, Alternate STAFF PRESENT Mr. Albert Eby, General Manager Mr. Corey Johnson, Assistant General
Manager Ms. Lawless Bean, TDM Coordinator, City of Wilmington Mr. Mark Tinkler, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Wilmington GUESTS PRESENT Mr. Gary Shell, Director Parks & Recreation
Ms. Tara Duckworth, Superintendent of Recreation & Downtown Services Ms. Marian Doherty, Program Specialist CALL TO ORDER Chairman Scott called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. APPROVAL
OF MINUTES Mr. Forden made a motion to approve the minutes from the January 09, 2003 meeting. Mr. Saylor seconded, and the motion was approved unanimously. INTRODUCTION OF NEW BOARD
MEMBERS Mr. Scott introduced Ms. Fannie Freeman and Mr. Jeff Bellows and welcomed them to the WTA Board. The new members introduced themselves to the Board and outlined their interest
in public transportation. FRONT STREET FREE TROLLEY Mr. Gary Shell spoke about the Downtown Services Division and their parking program. He gave a departmental assessment of the trolley
related to downtown parking. He addressed the residential parking problems the
city was currently facing and how the trolley could ease the residential concerns or exacerbate them. He stated he and his staff would work with the WTA staff in developing a route that
would address the needs of his department as well as public transportation needs. Mr. Eby stated the WTA’s goal for the Front Street Free Trolley was to move people through the downtown,
mitigate congestion, and to reduce the number of passenger trips through the downtown area. It was also meant to aide downtown merchants with parking issues brought on by the new parking
meter program. Mr. Eby stated that the public perception of the program and its intended goals was dependant on whom you asked. It was mentioned that increased public awareness and
education about the Trolley was needed. Mr. Eby presented a Power Point slide show about the Trolley and its operating statistics since its inception. He stated that ridership was
increasing monthly and that Trolley passengers from the summer of 2002 exceed passengers from the same period in 2001. It was the opinion of staff the initiative was serving the goals
of the WTA Board and the increasing numbers speak to the need to commit to the initiative long term by purchasing two trolley vehicles. Mr. Eby brought forward one suggestion to alter
the route so that instead of traveling down Front St. twice the Trolley would travel down Front only once per trip and include travel down Third St. Ms Padgett suggested that making
a show of stopping in front of the parking decks would help encourage ridership from those parking in the decks. Mr. Forden strongly urged that the Board consider the request from
the 4th St. Clinic to provide free trolley service to North Fourth St. Mr. Eby stated that staff would bring a recommendation to the Board at the March meeting to alter the trolley
route to allow the vehicle to run on a timed schedule and travel down Third St. in order to service Thalian Hall and City and County offices. Mr. Scott asked for a resolution recommending
that the City of Wilmington allocate $ 55,000.00 for the local 10% share of two (2) trolley replica vehicles in the fiscal year 2004 budget. Ms. Padgett made the motion, Mr. Capps seconded,
and the resolution passed unanimously. Ms. Bean stated that TDM initiatives would be developed to utilize the second vehicle during peak hours. MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER Mr.
Eby reported that there was $20,000 left in FTA Grant NC-90-X255 and that the city had requested that this money be moved to planning to fund the additional Multimodal study. Mr. Scott
asked that this issue be tabled until a later date when the Board could have more information from the city as to the CFCC’s commitment to the outcome of this new study. Mr. Eby suggested
that the WTA Board allocate the money to planning so that he could inform the FTA of the authority’s wishes at the present date.
Mr. Forden made this a motion, it was seconded by Mr. Stukes, and it was approved unanimously. Mr. Capps stated that the letter should insist that the college outline their recommendation
for any loss of parking that a new center would have. He also suggested that the college agree in writing to abide by the findings of the study should they be adopted by the WTA and
the City of Wilmington. REPORT FROM THE TDM COORDINATOR Ms. Lawless Bean reviewed the TDM position and programs for the benefit of the new members. Ms. Bean spoke about a New Park
and Ride Program currently in development. This Park and Ride would start at the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Monkey Junction and would stop at the New Hanover School Complex on
Carolina Beach Rd., the County Health Department, New Hanover County Department of Social Services and end downtown at City Hall. This would be more of an express route that would only
make stops at the named locations and operate in the morning and evening. This service would be free to the employee’s and free to the employers initially and once there is some proof
that it would work employers would be required to donate some of the operating expenses Ms. Bean informed the Board of recent surveys and studies that supported the need for the initiative.
Since the proposed route would leave the city limits, Ms. Bean informed the Board that they needed pass the resolution before them to clarify the WTA boundaries. This resolution would
change the WTA jurisdiction to include Wilmington and it environs which would extend the WTA’s jurisdiction to 30 miles outside the city limits. The WTA recommendation would be forwarded
to City Council for their approval. A resolution recommending City Council support of the Ordinance Clarifying the Territorial Jurisdiction of the Wilmington Transit Authority was
introduced by Ms. Bean. Mr. Saylor made this motion for approval, seconded by Mr. Forden. The motion was unanimously approved. REPORT FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER Mr. Eby reported that
the WTA has received five benches and trash cans that were ordered and planned to place them on Market St. Mr. Eby stated that staff has identified funds for 22 benches and 13 shelters.
These numbers could be increased or decreased depending on the installation bid which was with the purchasing department. Mr. Eby reported to the Board that at the next meeting he
would present a letter to the City Manager requesting that the city budget additional funds in the 2004 budget to reduce headways on all routes to thirty minutes. REPORT FROM THE BOARD
CHAIRMAN Mr. Scott mentioned that he would be putting together a small sub-committee to help him work on a long range plan for the WTA that could be brought to
the full Board for a vote and that could be handed out at the unveiling of the new buses. He also stated that he would be working with staff on a mission pamphlet to outline the WTA
budget and our goals for fiscal year 2004. Mr. Scott gave a plaque to Mr. Forden and honored him for ten years of service to the WTA. Being no further business, the meeting adjourned
at 1:35pm. The next meeting is scheduled for March 13, 2003. Respectfully submitted, Albert Eby General Manager