Session 9 -- SIS Implementation: Keeping the SIS “Strategic”

Moderator, Mr. John Taylor, P.E., Systems Planning Office, Florida Department of Transportation
Mr. Ed Hutchinson, A.I.C.P., Systems Planning Office, Florida Department of Transportation
Mr. Terry Kraft, P.E., AICP, Policy Planning Office, Florida Department of Transportation

Presentation

This session provided attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on any and all aspects of the SIS. John Taylor informed the attendees that the SIS Highway Component Directive was published in February 2007.

Summary of issues:

Ed Hutchinson updated attendees on the status of the Five Year Work Program, the 10-year plan and the Cost Feasible Plan. The Five Year Work Program has been locked down and maps will be posted on the internet soon. The second five years of the highway portion of the work program was presented to the Executive Board and staff is in the process of loading the plan to the website. The other modes for the second five years will be presented to the Executive Board sometime in Sept/Oct (part of the 10-year plan).

The draft Cost Feasible Plan has been sent to the Assistant Secretary for review and approval. The plan is scheduled to be presented in Tampa the week of 7/16/07.

Terry Kraft informed attendees of the Legislation’s decision to add Aviation Airports as a category to the SIS. Terry also provided attendees with an update of the following ongoing SIS activites:

• Currently in the midst of the first annual update of the data in the SIS. (Notification of the update will be provided via website and through the Districts. In addition, an interactive map will be available via the website)
• e-SIS (electronic SIS) – web based tool is under construction
• Kicking off the next update to the Strategic Intermodal Plan – needs to be completed by January 2010. Update of everything including policy, data, etc.
• New Performance assessment – quantitative and qualitative

Questions, Answers and Comments -- (Attendees Questions/Comments are in Italic)

1. Website is an excellent tool and very user friendly.

2. Confused about the status of the SIS data. How do you know if the data is current?

Response #1: This is the purpose of the e-SIS to get the most recent data posted on the web. There are several types of updates that occur: First, the day-to-day updates and secondly, the Strategic Intermodal Plan update which occurs every five years.

Response #2: The majority of the day-to-day updates is associated with the Five Year Work Program. The Systems Planning Office works with the Districts and Central Office modal offices to develop the Five Year Work Program.

3. Cambridge will be contacting all of the districts about their work on the SIS. Purpose is to document lessons learned thus far including what it takes from the central office and district offices to implement a program of this size.

4. Will the update be a huge public process like the initiation of the SIS process?

Response: It willl be an open external process. It might not be through a steering committee venue but it will be a wide open process. The update process will publish the amount of funding spent thus far on SIS projects, data, changes, etc.

5. There is an Emerging SIS corridor in St. Lucie County, what is the criteria for moving from ESIS to SIS?

Response: As soon as the last car hit the roadway and met the threshold it is automatically designated as a SIS roadway.

6. Is there a process to get a poster-child project designated as a SIS roadway after a PD&E study is completed, for usage of SIS dollars?

Response: There are criteria for Planned Facility connectors or hubs. SIS funding can be used for PD&E activities for planned facility connectors and/or hubs. The existing facility would be identified as constrained. The ROW and Contstruction prohibits SIS dollars without SIS designation.

7. SIS corridors vs. SIS connectors? Are there priorities that distinguish the two?

Response: No, the goal is not to fund bad projects. The goal is to see that all modes get their fair share of the funding.

8. Will the eligibility of projects be looked at during the SIS update?

Response: Eligibility is documented in the work program instructions.

9. How do we deal with growth management issues that impact the SIS? How do we protect the strategic nature of the SIS?

Response #1: Flexibility and interim solutions vs. long-term solutions.

Response #2: The SIS should not be compromised if we are looking to keep Florida competitive. Communities work very hard to get their projects on the system.

10. MPOs are going through the update of their LRTPs…. How should costs be documented?

Response: There will be a meeting with the policy group and MPOs in August. Plan on having as much dialogue with the MPOs as possible.

11. One of the main reasons for keeping the SIS strategic is to manage access. Is the business of access management being considered?

Response: Yes, to some extent this is being implemented by looking at LOS.

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