SWRC Coalition Core Project Team Meeting
March 22, 2007
Minutes
Present: Pearsall, Schwartz, Bohannan, Milroy, Garey and Smyth
Absent: Veidt and Herr-Cardillo
Calendar:
- April 19-20, 2007 – AzTA Annual Meeting in Sedona
- May TBS, 2007 – SWRC Coalition (full team) meeting in Tucson
- June/July – SWRC Core Project Team meeting
- Fall 2007 – SWRC/ARPA/AzTA Passenger Rail Symposium
- April 2-3, 2008 – AzTA Annual Meeting in Tucson
The following items were discussed during the meeting.
- Smyth reported that Gannett Fleming has joined the Coalition. This brings the Coalition membership to 20 organizations and individuals. There was discussion on getting cities and businesses to join the Coalition. No action was proposed. Note: With Tom Fisher leaving PAG, John Liosatos will be the PAG representative to the Coalition.
- Smyth reported that the Coalition participated in the AzTA Legislative Day. With the assistance of Valley Metro, two poster boards and a handout (brochure) were developed and produced for inclusion in the event. Approximately 100 legislators attended the event.
- Smyth reported on increasing the professional standing of the coalition. Smyth continued to talk to FOT, AzTA, and the Dorn Policy Group, Inc. FOT will support the Coaliltions goals, but will not take a lead role. They will concentrate their efforts in Maricopa County. AzTA want to include the Coalition in their agenda, discussions are on going. The Dorn Policy Group is interested in taking the Coalition on as a client, discussions continue. In the meantime David Schwartz offered to produce some PR material for the Coalition.
- Pearsall reported that the ADOT response to the Governor’s executive order is on schedule to be delivered to the Governor by April 3, 2007. There will be several passenger rail components in the report. Smyth reported on two public meeting held in Tucson and Phoenix. The meetings were well attended and passenger rail was the primary discussion. The support for passenger rail was very positive.
- Pearsall reported that the State of Arizona Railroad Inventory and Assessment is near completion and should be made public in early April.
- Pearsall reported that the MAG Commuter Rail Study is underway and the first report is due in Fall 2007.
- Pearsall completed the comparison between Phila-Harrisburg, PA and Tucson-Phoenix. See attachment.
- Smyth reported that the AzTA board of director have accepted the program for the 2nd Annual SWRC/ARPA/AzTA Rail Symposium. The program was developed by ADOT and the SWRC Coalition. AzTA will handle the meeting logistics, ADOT will obtain the out of state speakers. SWRC and ADOT will obtain the instate speakers. The symposium will be September 28, 2007 at the Tempe Mission Palms. The approved program is attached.
- Smyth continues to collect input on the Coalition key issues which will lead to an update of the Project Charter