Minutes 11 14 02
MINUTES OF THE WILMINGTON TRANSIT AUTHORITY November 14, 2002 MEMBERS PRESENT Mr. Dick Scott, Chairman Mr. Howard Capps Mr. Harry Forden Mr. Mike Saylor Ms. Laura Padgett Mr. John Stukes,
Sr. MEMBERS ABSENT Ms. Rosa Webb Mr. Steve Stein, Alternate STAFF PRESENT Mr. Albert Eby, General Manager Mr. Corey Johnson, Assistant General Manager Ms. Lawless Bean, TDM Coordinator
Mr. Mark Tinkler, Senior Transportation Planner GUEST PRESENT Mr. Jeff Crouchley, Planner, NCDOT-Public Transportation Division CALL TO ORDER Chairman Scott called the meeting to order
at 12:00 p.m. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ms. Padgett made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 10, 2002 meeting. Mr. Saylor seconded and the motion was approved. 2. REPORT
FROM THE SHELTER SUBCOMMITTEE – HOWARD CAPPS SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR Mr. Capps reported and passed around the subcommittee’s design for passenger waiting shelters. Mr. Capps could not
obtain pricing without recommending specific quantities due to price breaks and shipping costs, but but Mr. Eby assured him that enough funds had been programmed to meet the wishes of
the Board on the design of the shelter. Some discussion was given to the type of material for the sides of the shelters. Mr. Eby explained that the options were: o Glass – Easy to
clean, available in tempered safety glass, looks good for a long period of time. The disadvantage is that glass is an easy target for vandals and maintenance costs to consistently replace
broken glass can be expensive.
WTA Minutes 10 October 2002 Page 2 of 3 o Lexan (plexiglass) – a plastic material that is very difficult to break. If broken it is usually less expensive to replace than glass. Available
tinted for glare reduction. The main disadvantage is that any wall material including Lexan is a common target for vandals with markers and spray paint. Only harsh chemicals can remove
this graffiti and they make they material more cloudy with each use, eventually leading to shelters with limited sight areas. This can be a security risk. o Perforated Metal – Mr. Eby
showed an example of a perforated metal panel. The material is aluminum with a durable powder coating. It is available in variety of colors and possesses the qualities lacking in glass
and Lexan. The disadvantage is that the product is initially more expensive than the other options, is heavier than the other products and is untested in the local market. Staff also
sees it as a target for vandals who would steal the aluminum and sell it for scrap. After discussing the options the Board requested staff order the shelters without any side material,
test the product for a predetermined period and make modifications by adding sides if the design raised a number of complaints or were deemed to be unsatisfactory. The shelters would
have a bench in the center area, and a commercial trash receptacle installed with each shelter purchased. Mr. Forden made a motion to approve the shelter design without any side panels
as recommended by the shelter sub-committee. Ms. Padgett seconded the motion which passed unanimously. 3. REPORT FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER Mr. Eby presented the Board with some conceptual
logo and color schemes. These were derived from Board Member and staff suggestions. Several ideas were brought forward, but no final design was selected. One suggestion was to ask
local architect Bruce Bowman if he would be interested in assisting the WTA with our logo and color scheme. Mr. Capps said he would gauge Mr. Bowman’s interest and whether he would have
enough time to undertake the project. Mr. Eby informed the Board that the bus manufacturer had already called for our exterior design in preparation for production of the new buses.
He stated that he had received a deadline extension, but he and Mr. Tinkler were scheduled to attend a pre-production meeting on November 17th and was unsure if the manufacturer would
grant the authority additional time to decide on a color scheme. The Board was in agreement that this was an important decision not to be taken lightly. Mr. Eby and Mr. Tinkler informed
the Board that they would investigate other coastal area color schemes with the bus manufacturer and report back to the Board. Chairman Scott suggested if a decision need to be made
while Mr. Eby and Mr. Tinkler were at the meeting, they call him for guidance.
WTA Minutes 10 October 2002 Page 3 of 3 Mr. Eby spoke briefly to the bus wrap advertising program and the poor performance of the vendor as well as the much than lower expected revenues
from the program. The Board was in agreement that the new fleet should remain uniform and instructed staff to keep them informed of any action necessary to opt out of the advertising
contract. Mr. Eby informed the Board that the initial agreement was due to expire in February 2003 and the contractor would have to request, in writing, their intention to extend the
contract beyond this period. Mr. Eby informed the Board that no action was necessary to let the contract expire and he would work with the Authority Attorney in seeing that the wishes
of the Board were met. 4. REPORT FROM THE CHAIRMAN Mr. Scott asked for nominations for Board Vice Chairman to replace former Vice Chair Boyd whose term on the Board had expired.
Mr. Forden nominated Mr. John Stukes, Jr. for the position. Chairman Scott seconded the motion motion and it carried unanimously. 5. OTHER BUSSINESS Being no further business, the
meeting adjourned at 1:35 p.m. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday December 12th 2002, at 12:00pm. This could change if a decision regarding the paint scheme and
logo for the buses is needed before this meeting. Respectfully submitted, Albert Eby General Manager