SWRC Coalition Core Project Team Meeting
December 14, 2006
Minutes
Present: Pearsall, Schwartz, Veidt, Bohannan, Milroy, and Smyth
Absent: Tevlin, Garey, and Herr-Cardillo
Calendar:
- January 18, 2007 - Rural Transportation Summit
- January TBD, 2007 - SWRC Coalition (Full Team) Meeting
- February TBD, 2007 - Core Project Team Meeting
- February 21 2007 - AzTA Legislative Conference
- March 2007 - FOT Annual Conference
- Fall 2007 - SWRC/ARPA/AzTA Passenger Rail Symposium
The following items were discussed during the meeting. Action Items are included below.
1) Smyth reported that Andrew Singelakis, Tucson Deputy Director of Transportation has joined the Coalition. This brings the Coalition membership to 17 organizations and individuals.
2) Smyth presented a summary of rail planning/thinking for the four counties in the Coalition. See attachment. To date Pinal County (Bill Leister) has not provided input.
3) Smyth reported on increasing the professional standing of the coalition. Smyth met with the AzTA Board of Directors to report on the Coalition’s activities and discuss the potential of AzTA adding the SWRC Coalition to its strategic plan. AzTA showed interest. Smyth will continue dialog with AzTA. The same type of discussion was planned for the Friends of Transit, but the board meeting was cancelled. Smyth to attend the next FOT board meeting. Smyth and Schwartz met Eric Emmert (similar business as Schwartz) to discuss Eric’s firm taking the Coalition as a client. There was some interest. Smyth to follow up.
4) Smyth, Bohannan, and Garey had several meetings related to the SWRC Coalition.
a) Bohannan/Smyth made a presentation on the Coalition and rail in Pinal County to the Pinal Partnership Transportation Committee. The presentation was well received and we will stay in contact with the Partnership.
b) Bohannan/Garey/Smyth met with Steve Farley, newly elected State Representative for District 28. Farley is a strong advocate for rail. The Coalition will work closely with Farley in getting legislative support for rail projects.
c) Garey/Smyth traveled to Tucson to met with Gene Caywood, Joy Herr-Cardillo, Andrew Singelakis (City of Tucson) and Tim Ahrens (PAG). The purpose of the meeting was to met Singelakis and Ahrens, and fill them in on the activities of the Coalition. They are very supportive of the Coalitions efforts and will bring a non Maricopa County centric view of the need for passenger rail.
5) Smyth reported on attending the East Valley Economic Forum where Alan Stephens of the Governor’s staff stated to the audience that the Governor supports passenger rail and it will be on her agenda for the second term.
6) Pearsall reported on the State of Arizona Railroad Inventory & Assessment - the effort is on schedule and a report will be available in February 2007
7) Pearsall reported on the MAG Commuter Rail Strategic Plan - Phase 1 (one year effort) will start in January 2007. The Coalition will be involved with this effort through the Stakeholders Committee.
Pearsall reported that ADOT will hire consultants to update the 1998 High Speed Rail (Tucson-Phoenix) study including the new emphasis on passenger rail.
9) Pearsall continues to add to the comparison between Phila-Harrisburg, PA and Tucson-Phoenix. He will complete this by February 1, 2007.
10) Smyth reported that Bill Lindley with input from Rob Bohannan and Marc Pearsall will be updating the Map on the SWRC web site.
11) To support the update of the of the Coalition’s project charter, those present at the meeting brainstormed to identify key issues related to the implementation of passenger rail along the Southwest Corridor. These issue were for both the coalition and the rail system. In a separate e-mail I will provide the list of issues identified at the meeting to the Project Core Team and request more input.
Jay R. Smyth, PhD, PRP
Coordinator, SWRC Coalition