Rural Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting   6/17/2025

Well, we're going to have to be present in person to be able to vote in person.

I think we actually will, because this is such a small group.

We already have half.

So we did vote the voting members.

They just have to be built again.

Hello.

We're waiting just a second to see if we get any other participants.

We'll start her off.

Yep, sounds good.

Any help keeping items before we move into the minutes that you would like to discuss?

That should be changed to Alex Porter.

I'll make sure it's reflected in the minutes as well.

You were here at the last RTAC meeting.

Thank you so very much.

Hey, Andy.

Yeah.

Do you like to hold out the SMART SCALE?

Even though we do have quorum, which will officially approve them.

You're official.

So this is really just an opportunity if any additional questions have come up or if you all have any, got any additional discussion, certainly happy to answer any questions related to this effort.

From here, as it said in the memo that was attached, it would then go back to the commission to actually make a formal vote on and then on to eventually the Commonwealth Transportation Board for their approval or not.

Does anybody want to add on to that or disagree?

So, I don't think we'd be in favor of this as well.

Have it be more favorable for our district.

Greene, Nelson, you have anything you'd like to add?

To find something that generally improves the odds for our region is greatly appreciated.

I'll second that.

Do you want to motion on that?

Yes.

Wonderful.

So thank you all.

Next, move safely, Blue Ridge.

There's a great room.

It never gets any easier.

I love to do it every way.

I think I enjoyed also that too.

Oh, I'm not putting you to sleep.

It's always hard after lunch.

Not that you wouldn't.

That's fine.

I mean.

I will spoil it.

I'm not supposed to mention names.

but it's been good.

They represent the highest concentration of severe crashes throughout the region.

I think I have the wrong name.

and our vision for the draft plan.

And here we are on the different proposed solutions.

I looked at the website today, it looks really good, the looks that we've learned, the action plans there, so yeah, if there are any questions, but this is not really for you all.

Thank you for the presentation, by the way.

It would apply for funding.

The plan has spot-specific improvements for each of the jurisdictions and also has systemic improvements that could be applied

So are these improvements that are things that have already been identified and things like long-range or rural transportation plans?

Yeah, I know, but there are other ways to get priorities.

And so this was a safety plan, whereas the long range transportation plan was a little bit more zoomed out and looked at kind of all modes, how do we accommodate future volumes, what are the priorities of the region?

That's what I'm getting at.

And so this one specifically, now that the PDC has completed this plan, it now makes all of our localities eligible to compete for this bucket of products.

How do the tier one and tier two, do those match with the VTRANS now, or are we gonna go with VTRANS needs still, or are we gonna rely on this for how we prioritize projects?

Yeah, that's well, in terms of eligibility for SMART SCALE, or what our priority is with a SMART SCALE, VTRANS is still going to dictate that, so probably the sweet spot would be where there's overlap, right?

Does SmartScale consider this as an extra thing?

We could do potentially, you know, combine the two maps and like do a buffer and see like where there's overlap if you wanted to use this to help organize locations for SmartScale applications.

In the rural long-range plan that the PDC currently has, this can replace that information because this is more detailed than the information we used before.

This is a better substitute not for retransmit for PSI segments and PSI locations?

The PSI just looks at total crashes, not so much at the severity of the crash.

Yeah, I would say, though, because this is based on the high injury number, correct me if I'm wrong, these are all based on either moderate, severe injuries or fatalities, is that correct?

So any like 2023 data or any previous data will not be included in the Tiedger network program.

This might give you a better sense of what projects are likely to get higher safety scores based on the methodology for how SMART SCALE projects are scored.

OK. Yeah, we're just trying to figure out the best way to incorporate this when we start doing a project selection next month.

You know, very carefully, don't make that comparison.

I think I got my question answered, so we'll figure it out.

But this will hone us in on what locations to look at.

and TJPDC.

I would say 100% yes, 100% yes, but please welcome to turn in and spend more.

However you else want to use it that you think will help you use it on the transportation that you're more than welcome to.

I'm pretty sure they're covering the same adoption as a file type for the smart scale applications.

So I think it would be good to put it in there, at least somehow.

mentioned this plan in the Econoclan updates to reference.

Well now one of the counties pursues funding for any of the projects we have listed is a separate matter but I think just as a practical matter it should be referenced and so we're going to put it in there

And I also think it's helpful to illustrate kind of over time like the planning work that has been done on the same locations you know what I mean and so if you were to have like a previous plan review and like a list of previous studies that you reviewed and you referenced this one to show these are the locations that were studied that could also help in the future just showing that there's been ongoing study.

It was the end, it was an end of presentation.

And folks can access the plan online, you know, taking a link.

That's kind of key.

It's going to be an excellent segue for some things we're talking about later.

Learn how to make, you see what I'm trying to say.

I'm only looking for the very, thank you.

2020, we're talking about 2026 already?

Yeah, I mean, it's June somehow, middle of June, my goodness.

All right, Sara, what are we gonna talk about for next year?

But I'm very excited about some opportunities and things that we have coming up in FY26.

TBD always.

Number one, how do we feel about quarterly meetings instead of every other month?

Is it going to affect our effectiveness as far as being able to make recommendations or get stuff out to your board or to our local governing bodies?

and overall plans review and prioritization, which I think will also help us stay on task as a committee.

But this also, even if we go to quarterly, this did not preclude you all from saying we need a special meeting for X, Y, and Z, and you can call that and schedule that.

Or also having, you know, communications through email and things like that of approvals and plans.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Pretty sure we are.

Okay.

We're actually off on the 11th too for what that's worth.

Yep.

Yes.

It is a month full of holidays, isn't it?

Maybe we'll keep the third Tuesday for that one too, for another meeting.

Is that working, everyone?

Well, Thanksgiving is the 27th.

the week before.

This is important.

What's the time savings you get on your end from coming back for work?

This is your committee and we want to make sure that we are serving you guys.

It's really an exercise just for us to understand what should our work program actually be forecasting out for our staff.

Does that make sense?

So it has transportation not just we did the rural transit be successful yeah it has to say back

And again, happy to continue discussion or answer any questions about any of these items.

Is it the 8,000th?

Yes.

That's what about the 1,000,000.

And that would be valuable and meaningful to you as individuals and to your localities.

So I feel for you.

Thank you.

So, all right.

Anything else you want to talk about in 2026 before we go around here?

Nothing from me.

All right.

but the responsibility of the President of the City of Charlottesville and staff and that was a lot of work for me for you know it's eight road and Beach Road has 20 people that's a lot of stuff so it's been shipped just so now that resident requests they're also responsible for the City of Charlottesville by the way for their illuminated earphone basically so that's a change that I am excited to implement for this next year that's the main stuff right now yeah for rural things

I'm not sure yet how we're going to proceed, but that's all I got for the matter.

Sandy, tell us about Sandy Shackelford.

Anything you want to add, Chuck?

All right, well hopefully we'll walk through some of that stuff when we meet with y'all.

So we do appreciate our partners at VDOT and we enjoy excitement here.

So we will see how that goes.

If somebody is interested, please send them our way.

And we're looking for a principal planner for transportation, because Jessica's gone, and a one for long range planning as well.

I've been looking long.

Everyone, you know.

But you can't have any of us.

Yeah.

I am looking for a building inspirer.

I think this group, Sarah, you think they have this group, right?

I think so, but I'll send it again just because it never...

It's interesting in all that they'll say.

So I think as a group, we are very interested to hear those results once you have them.

I don't know where to put it.

Of course Albemarle.

So, I mean, it's, it's, yeah, of course, it's no greater.

Well, thank you.

I might want to chat with Carson, see if he has anything to add.

So we'll see what kind of projects we can get in for the county for round seven.

Thank you.

Yep.

I motion to adjourn.

All those in favor say aye.

Those opposed?

So you can go into your surveys.

The bots go into our surveys?