Hey Casey.

Good evening, Jim.

Hi, Chris.

Hey, Chris.

Hey Casey.

Hey Jim, how are you guys doing?

Okay.

Doing okay.

I don't know if you care, but you've got the recording turned on already.

Yeah, it doesn't.

Oh, I guess I could pause it here for resume recording here.

Okay.

The January 22nd, 2026 meeting of the Transportation Commission is being held electronically.

Umbs of the Transportation Commission and staff are participating from remote locations through video conference call on Zoom.

The meeting can be accessed by public in person or via Zoom.

And commission members, uh, if we could take roll.

That would be helpful.

I am Matt McManus.

I am present.

Do I hear uh do I hear Leslie?

Uh Commissioner Catherinewood.

Here.

Commissioner Cain.

Here.

Commissioner Levine?

Here.

Commissioner La Muslanka.

Here.

Commissioner McMahon.

Here.

And do we have members of city council?

Great.

Thank you.

Well, our meeting is now open.

Do I uh any motion to open a public comment period?

So moved.

Do I hear a second?

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Public comment period is open.

Welcome, Del Ray Citizens Association.

Uh yeah, if you'd like me to talk now as opposed to on that particular agenda item, uh, that's fine.

And then I and then I'll hop off.

Uh we were just very excited to see you looking at uh grant funding for a study of Mount Vernon Avenue.

It's um an area of the city that we have been raising concerns with city staff um kind of repeatedly scares us.

We hear every month in our meeting that there have been uh kind of T-bone collisions at multiple intersections across the Avenue.

Uh we hear about Del Ray, we know the same thing's happening in Orlandria.

So uh yeah, just uh kudos to city staff for finding a way to make that happen.

We're thrilled to see that application uh going forward.

Uh I hear through the grapevine that we have a pretty good success rate at making those happen.

And um, we're just really excited to see this dig it.

We we appreciate the city taking our concerns seriously and uh finding a way to move that project forward.

Thank you.

Uh Lena Hutchinson.

Um a comment on uh behalf of the commission uh is safety is we're all I believe that's our top priority.

And so we are working with the city as a commission to make sure to elevate anything dealing with pedestrians and car safety uh to the very top and I open it to other uh commissioners if they'd like to comment.

Thank you.

Thanks you guys.

Have a good meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Do we do we have others waiting uh for public comment?

Nope.

Would anyone make a uh motion to close the public comment period?

So moved.

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Thank you.

Next item is the minutes.

Great.

So uh we have the minutes.

Do I hear uh is there any uh concerns on the minutes?

Um well just to say it's weird that it says November 20th, 2024.

I believe the minutes are for December 17th, 2025.

Um, just for the the record on the screen.

But I'll I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from December 17th, 2025.

Great.

Do I hear a second?

All second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

So approved.

Thank you.

Chris is just trying to keep us on our toes with the slide deck.

That's on.

Um the next budget.

Uh the next item is a public hearing on the Go Alex funds for 2026 and annual budget.

Uh Josh Edam is here to present.

Thank you.

Happy New Year, if I could still say that.

I was told earlier that you can't say that anymore, but I will.

So for the year, happy new year.

And I'm back with you guys today to talk about the transportation management plan.

Uh and that relates to the 2023 TMP policy, transportation management plan policy or program policy, technically.

Um, where uh the 2023 policy was the newest addition to uh policy enacted in 1980 and then revised in 2014 and then revised for a third time in 2023, where new development across the city uh will be will have to have a TMP in place.

And unless if they are rather large development complex that could self-manage uh transportation management plan, the new policy has it set up that smaller medium-sized developments will still collect funds and uh for transportation improvement reasons from their constituents.

And we will they pass that fund, they pass those funds on to the city to enact a larger transportation management plan that benefits everybody, both uh at the neighborhood level and across the city.

As part of that TNP policy uh staff, meaning uh what I'm doing today are to provide a report and work plan to the transportation commission each year for approval.

That work that report and work plan will be a public hearing item, and the transportation commission and members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on the budget and proposed expenditures prior to adoption by the commission.

And that is why I'm here today.

And I was reading verbatim what's on the screen as well as uh in the docket item for you guys to read.

Thank you.

Uh next slide, please.

So with the overall, sorry, let me change back to my own slide too.

Um for overall of the fiscal year 2026 funds have been collected from a number of developments.

And um as prescribed in the 2023 TNP policy, 50% of those funds were will be used on citywide projects, and the other 50% of the funds will be used on neighborhood projects.

That's really going towards a small area, small area plan projects that we look at the AMP, the uh Alexandria Mobility Plan, as well as uh other plans and see what transportation improvements are part of small area plans um that have been underfunded.

That's what we look to spend funds on.

Um I think that's all to say at this point.

Uh please go on to the next slide.

As uh you would have received in one of the attachments with the memo, uh should be attachment two, I believe.

Uh you should see this budget where the revenues as of July 1, 2025 was 5,300 five five hundred thirty-five thousand dollars.

Uh, and throughout the fiscal year, we plan to do some required TNP surveys and baselining as it was outlined in the plan that's to understand uh where we are with our remote split and what's happening uh with people's use of different transportation options.

Uh we are also planning to do some grant matches.

I will say that some of the funding has been used uh for the smaller things of making sure we fulfill our grant obligations, and then also the bike education programs that we've been doing regularly that have always been paid and been previously approved through the city.

So we were just making sure to use the money as appropriate.

There have been no capital projects plan yet, and that would relate more towards small area plan uh type of improvements.

And uh that brings us to total expenditures of 220,000 for this fiscal year with a remaining balance of 315,000.

Uh that's what we were projecting.

Um I see a commission member with a hand up, Commissioner Member McMahon.

I don't know if I should take questions now.

At the end, uh please advise.

Whenever you'd like.

Okay, well, I'll take the now.

Please, Commissioner.

Yeah, in the packet, this table appears, and maybe your next slide has the table below it, but I'm not sure.

Um, there's a second table that breaks down money by small area plan.

And can you just go over how the two tables relate to each other?

Because they don't sum to the same amount.

The the breakdown below in that table doesn't add up to the 535.

And it also doesn't add up to the 315, no, the uh 220.

So I was just curious to understand how they relate.

Yes.

Okay.

So to answer that directly, well, just to say this table they were looking at, the title is the funding breakdown by small area plans.

So we're all on the same page.

Uh what this table is not showing is the city's portion of the Go Alex fund, and that's where the numbers are misaligned.

So there's already funding within the Go Alex fund prior to uh the development that have been enact or have been included on the 2023 TMP policy.

If there, so for instance, if a existing development uh had sent in some funding into the city and made a contribution to the Gor Alex fund because that uh development wanted to zero out their TNP fund balance, those funds do not apply to the 2023 policy, but they do apply to the 1980 or the 2020 uh 2014 policy.

And so the city's funds are a little bit different, but altogether what we are seeing here are all the funds that have been collected uh to up to July 1, 2026, uh that relate to the 2023 policy.

So because those funds relate to 23 2023 policy, this is where they this is the breakdown of which how they apply, yeah, based on that policy.

Okay, thank you for that comparison.

Yep.

Um, and as you can see, we have uh I just want to point out we have a small as $4,000 from the Northeast Small Area Plan to in the Potomac Yard Potomac Greens area, 249,000.

Uh this is just the beginning of a lot of uh funding coming through.

Yes, Casey Kane.

Uh council member Kane.

Sorry.

That's okay.

Um, if we go back to the previous slide, um yeah, I was I was uh more intrigued by the capital projects of the large sum of zero.

Um so um my concern is that we're more than halfway through the year, and it does that's tell me that we've got nothing planned for capital projects for this year.

As it leads, and let me correct myself, commission member Kane, but um, as it relates to the Go Outs Fund funding capital projects.

So the way because we are still in the process of getting everything started, we wanted to show you guys where we are today and have uh approval of this budget and what things that we are the things that have already previously been approved and we always spent spending money on.

We wanted your approval with that.

That'd be part of the recommendation.

When we are ready to plan for fiscal year 27 and how we do both operating and capital projects, you'll see a capital project number in that space.

And we plan to come back to the commission sometime in May or June, once the city's budgeting process, which also handles all this, once that has settled, then we can come back and get approval for the 27 budget and work plan.

Does that address your uh because I'm looking at the 20, I'm looking at the 26 budget.

I'm not I I don't care about the 27 budget yet.

And if I look at this, it doesn't, and I'm getting ready to approve this budget.

I'm saying, yeah, we're gonna approve spending no money on capital.

Yep.

We also want to make sure that we are approaching 2026 in a balanced way and making sure that we have enough funding for projects that we see more coming online in 27 at this time.

So we've got we've got $300,000 in carryover, and what you're saying is you're not ready to commit it to being spent on capital projects in 26, but you anticipate allocating that or other monies to capital projects starting in 27.

Just based on the timing of execution of capital projects.

Yes.

Okay.

That marginally answers the question.

I I I yeah, that'll that'll be fine for now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, so we can ban to the next slide.

And once again, I will emphasize if there are projects within small area plans or the AMP, or if one of the uh uh developments that is paying into the TP fund comes up with the project and say they want a uh transportation improvement in their small area, this is where we can pull that type of funding for that type of improvement.

That's as outlined in the policy, but here's the actual numbers.

All right.

Um any questions on this slide?

Yeah, Joshua, could you could you give a concrete example of what a particular project may be?

Yes.

Uh it could be a bus stop improvement.

Uh whether that is benches or if uh if staff uh deem it's appropriate for a shelter in that space.

Um there are other benches that have been put throughout the city.

Um some things with vision zero or complete streets as it might relate to a um uh trying to improve a bike lane or reduce single occupancy vehicles because that is the purpose of the transportation management plan.

Um so improvements of that nature.

Great, thank you.

And with that, uh we have a recommendation that the commission hold a this public hearing um also get any other additional input and approve the fiscal year 2026 Go Alex Fund budget.

I thought I saw a hand.

I had a hand, but if um we wanted to open a public hearing, I can wait till after.

Yeah, and I I think you and I believe with uh Chris uh we decided this is the public hearing.

Is that correct, Chris?

Um yes.

Uh yeah, so so this is the public hearing, and there's no one from the public here to speak.

So I think uh you just need to make a motion to open and close the public hearing.

Great.

I'd like to make a motion to open the commissioner.

I have some questions.

And then and then Commissioner K, then the commissioner commission discussion can happen.

Do I hear a motion we open the public uh hearing?

So make the motion all in favor, aye.

Aye.

Anyone from the public would like to address this?

No.

Hearing none.

Uh, do I hear a motion to close the public hearing?

I'll make that motion.

Second.

All in favor, aye.

Public hearing is closed.

Commissioner comments.

Commissioner Keaton.

Yeah, I have uh a couple questions.

Um, and it's mostly based on the documentation that you uh uh provided to this.

Uh one of the uh bigger questions is how many um how many TMPs are there in the city?

Uh well over 150 to different degrees, and some of them are have uh under this under this new policy have sunset, meaning they're no longer required to make a uh TMP contribute funding contribution, but they still have to have a person on their side as a point of contact.

Um but the number of TNPs regularly increases as new development both gets approved by council and then when they're in the process of construction, uh they will reach out or we reach out to them and have discussions.

And once they have their occupancy, then they are officially supposed to be contributing to the TMP fund as well.

So give or take 150.

And then is there a list somewhere of these TMPs?

Not a publicly available list.

And that is because I do not have uh answer for that, aside from historically we have not published uh which sites are TMPs.

We are working on a project with that, but I'm unsure at this moment if that will when that will be publicized so that people could see on the map uh what TNP what what uh developments are T P and the size of them.

Yeah, I think that would help.

And I think when you look at the um uh that uh the funding uh slide that you show, and you've got a uh you know maybe 25% or more of the small area plans that have no monies whatsoever, and the curiosity is whether there's even any TMPs in those uh uh locations or not to actually ever have uh funding coming in.

Um so I I think it yeah, it kind of leans a little bit towards equity here in terms of you know, some of these are so well established neighborhoods, maybe they don't have any development going, so they'll never have the TM that portion of the TMP fund that could be directed to their small area plan.

So I I think it's um kind of misleading not to have some better clarity uh of that.

Uh and then another question relates to the number of TMPs, and again, this may not be publicly available that have shuttles.

Um because in the documentation it talks about how some TMPs uh run shuttles and they've got different requirements with the shuttles and stuff, but I didn't know there were lots of shuttles in the city.

Yes.

So I'll touch on both points.

First with the equity side.

Um I want to make sure that we understand the framing is showing.

Uh this is showing the TMPs that have opted or joined the new 2023 policy.

There are still developments back if they have been uh occupied, they started the occupancy in the late 1980s and onward.

Those developments have not yet joined this policy.

Um, and they could be in any of the small area plans with zero dollars.

Um, yet it is up to the owner of each property to say that they wish to join the policy and then they will contribute here.

Um, and there's been many, there's been ongoing conversations with many of those.

Um yet as we look forward in the future, the small and medium-sized developments will be contributing.

And I do expect the numbers to fill up.

Um how they all balance out, we will see because it's all gonna be dependent on what's approved, how many residents, how much commercial leasing space there is, so on so forth.

Um, as for the shellow point, um, yes, I was I'm constantly surprised when I talk with the TMP and they'd be like, oh, we have a shuttle.

And sometimes if they typically the night the TMP is approved for the 1980 policies, they have a shuttle requirement within the conditions for their development.

Uh and we have talked with the number of uh those developments who have those shuttles come down because the ridership was just too low because Dash is free and Metro is there, but yet they thought that they still had to do it.

So we do have an internal process um that we administer with those TMPs to remove those shuttles that was granted through the TMP uh policy uh work.

And uh sometimes some developments think that the city requires them to have a shuttle, and we actually inform them that was never a requirement of the TMP process.

And so then they can self-eliminate.

Okay.

And then kind of I think my uh last point is in on one of the pages, you talk about citywide transportation projects and programs, 50% of the funding.

And in there, the last uh sentence uh says, as much as possible, the city will aim to fund citywide transportation projects that are proximate to developments that have paid into the fund.

And so again, that's that kind of thing that I'm a little bit concerned about.

So that if um the Potomac Yard uh has paid in all this money, and so we want to do a project that's proximate to where they've paid money, that means that maybe we're not doing a project somewhere else that might be just as appropriate.

So I'm a little concerned about how um you're actually allocating um the money so that we actually we do have uh a good um uh balance of equity across the the city with with the money.

Okay.

So I would just maybe look at that statement a little bit and see if maybe it should be modified slightly we will take a look at that, and I'm unsure if that came straight from the policy, because to modify the policy would then be um another process.

Uh yeah, I believe at the time, and the policy was enacted right before I joined, yeah.

Uh but I believe the thinking was um for we had a lot of comment from the public saying if we are contributing to this money, um we would really like to see improvements around our area that we are trusting the city to do, which the city is trying to acknowledge, but at the same time, citywide projects such as a uh bus rapid transit improvement project, that is one of the things that some TP funds can help support that will that might go uh in different areas that have the larger pools of money that we could pull from because that's the resources that we have.

That will that might go uh in different areas that have the larger pools of money that we could pull from because that's the resources that we have.

Okay, so yeah, I still hear your comment uh balanced equitable approach across the city.

Yeah, and my observation was from the policy, so it may not be something you can easily do.

So yes, anyway.

Thank you.

I appreciate your comments.

Uh Commission member McMahon.

Hey, um, yeah, just to confirm for Commissioner Kane, my recollection of the discussions around the policy as it was being established was both reaffirming what um Mr.

E Tim said about uh public, let's say uh property owner stakeholder interest in where the funds get spent, but also the um the policy that the nexus question of the conditions that can be put upon development and the legality aspect of that too.

So I think couching it in those terms gives some freedom for the city to establish what those citywide investments are, but still ties it back to a neighborhood, so it's not too far removed um from that nexus.

Um couple questions say a couple, hopefully just a couple questions.

Um I think I was reading in the materials about TMP surveys being paid for out of the funds.

Um and I was curious if there if the surveys as they are done today are available to the public.

This is a bit the same um line of questioning that Commissioner Kane had about public of publicly available maps or lists or information, but this this survey information could be interesting, and I'm curious if there's a plan to have it available for people to be able to find.

Yes.

So the surveys that we are considering this fiscal year are gonna be um more passive type of survey, so like garage counts and understanding um the modes versus trying to put a um self-reporting survey out because of the difficulty of making sure we get enough responses from enough coverage area uh that we really have something useful to work with.

Um versus go ahead.

Um, it's possible that you misunderstand the question.

Um, so I'll just rephrase to make sure I conveyed it.

Um I guess what I'm saying is that as you collect data on a site-by-site basis um that includes uh occupancy, garage occupancy, trip generation, and all that kind of stuff.

Are those high-level statistics mode split?

Let's say it's just those three factoids parking occupancy rate, trip generation and mode split, that they could be posted in a place where they're dated, people can see that this building has those numbers, this building over here, if they click on it has those numbers, so that some somehow publicly available data versus just like in your staff archives.

I will bring that back and we'll consider what we can do um so that we both respect the privacy of uh one site, but also how can we convey this information because we should be conveying this publicly available information appropriately.

So find that balance.

Uh thank you for your comment.

We'll try to work on that.

Yeah, awesome.

Um I think you might have answered um because I was looking at the question about distribution of funds by neighborhood going forward.

I when you described at the outset that the funds in this chart are under the 23 policy, but there's funds that predate that that are in a different kind of bucket.

Are is that bucket at all tied to neighborhoods?

And if not, is that a bucket that you would strategically use in neighborhoods that you don't anticipate having TMPs come forward anytime soon, like because you're you're anticipating that some of these cells will fill out.

Some of these neighborhoods have potential TMPs transitioning to this type of program, but they're just not there yet.

But there might be neighborhoods where that's not likely to be the case.

And so I was curious if there's a difference in strategy for using those funds that would address this equity question about um investment across the community.

Yep.

That has been a consideration.

It is too early to definitely say that that is the strategy um because we need to see how things fill out, but that we be looking at that as part of a citywide transportation management plan because it is trying to recognize even if once location of the city is not having development choosing to be part of this program and new developments not coming online.

We still need people to go through and in and around that area.

That's where we look at the citywide side of the bucket of all this funding.

So yes, it is a consideration.

I will affirm that.

Okay.

Um I note that um, I guess in your and maybe the slide before this one is the one where you show that um the FY26, this FY26 proposal does not spend the fund down, there's carry over, and we're gonna meet again in May and talk about FY27 and your spending plan for that.

So I know we don't have that, but as you are ramping up and acknowledging that this is kind of a transition year period where you're not ready to spend everything perhaps yet, but you're gonna have plans for capital project spending and some other kinds of spending going forward.

Does staff have a sense of any an intent to commit to a certain annual spend down versus accidentally sitting on the budget for years at a time?

Like is it's what what's that um anticipated staff readiness for execution and spend?

Because a lot of it has to do with whether staff can manage the projects and get the money going out for things.

Um this is a year where it's less than half, right?

Of the balance, but you'll have inflow of balance.

Do you anticipate every year it will be half the balance or it'll be 75% of the balance?

Or what do you think?

That has not been determined yet of how much to spend down on any given annual level uh or annual term, I should say.

Uh, and that is because we're trying to really shake that crystal ball, say what's gonna happen in next year, next three years, what's coming online, where do we actually need to plan and strategize for where we could most appropriately and strategically use the TMP money for a project that has the most benefit of in the foreseeable future.

So if we're looking at things like the Alexandria Mobility Plan or any small area plan, and we know a development's gonna come, we want to help support uh something in that same area, we might try to allocate funding in different ways.

So I as of right now we don't we don't have a set way or we don't have a set point of how much we should spend year over year.

We are trying to see how much money can we anticipate year over year over year, stabilize that approach and also strategically plan when what time frame we should uh spend each thing on appropriate projects.

Okay.

That's all for me for now.

Thank you.

I have I hope one simple question.

Um all new developments required to have a TMP.

So I know that the city's been approving a couple of uh projects where there is no parking uh being provided.

Do they still have to do a TMP?

Uh it's only if they trigger the TMP conditions.

And so on the city web page, um which has the transportation transportation management plans.

I will put it in the chat if you want to refer to it.

Um if I go up in my chat, there we go.

Yeah, I was scrolling through the policy and I didn't see any reference to it.

So it'd be good to have that.

Okay, I'll look at that then.

Thank you.

That's not uh it should be in the policy.

Um I know it's in the zoning ordinance for sure.

Uh yet on the web page I just put in the chat, there is a section uh middle of the page that says annual TNP rates.

Um where was that?

Sorry.

In the background.

So the second section on the page, background.

Uh the residential, if a new development has over 20 residential units, that's what triggers a TMP policy, 20 or more units.

For a commercial space, it has to be 10,000 square feet.

And then if it's a hotel, it has to have 30 rooms or more.

So that doesn't answer the so that means that if you have 20 units but no parking spaces, you still have to do a TMP.

Correct.

Okay.

Good.

All right, thank you.

It's based upon occupancy, not got parking.

Thank you.

Commissioner McManus.

Thank you.

Um, my concern is as noted to our our citizen from Del Rey, uh, and I think a lot of the commission feels this way, is we really uh in in previous meetings um uh that we've discussed, um, we've we've encouraged the city to move ahead and not to save money.

And if there's something they can do on safety to go do it right away.

And that would be my preference.

Almost even that the uh the budget comes back to us with a fresh look at some of the concerns that it's heard.

Uh and that if there are you know pending issues for safety, my feeling is we don't want to wait, and we we we want to do those right away.

Okay.

Thank you for those comments.

And I will take that back and share it so that we can understand how best to approach this budget cycle uh over time.

Great.

And um I would if my any of my colleagues wanted to make a motion later that you know we we not act on this tonight, I'd be fine with that too.

But do I hear uh for that reason?

Do I hear other um comments from the commission?

Great.

So uh Chris then I guess we'll go.

Do we have a motion either to vote on this now or a motion perhaps that we revisit this?

I'll uh I can't make those motions, so I throw it out to the the group.

So I I'm gonna I I heard what you said.

Um, but I I think that we can still go ahead because there's still uh holes in this budget that we could uh uh certainly approve what they've shown us so far with the I mean, for instance, there's no line item in there for uh capital stuff, so we know there's stuff that still has to uh come along.

So I'm I'm gonna at least try to recommend that the transportation commission approve the fiscal year 2026 go Alex Fund budget.

Okay, would you like to make a motion that we vote on that?

I thought that okay.

Okay.

All in favor?

Well go ahead.

Do I hear a second?

All right.

Um now do you want to have discussion?

Now let's open discussion.

Um I'm gonna vote no, but um uh that's my discussion.

Others.

Any any further I'll go ahead and just summarize um my my position.

I'm gonna support the Go Alex Fund budget um at this time.

I think we've highlighted some of the challenges with the material we got today.

And the challenges, I guess I'll just um emphasize um Mr.

Eatum, that I do think there is a value um in terms of what Chair McManus said about planning to use as much money as possible as quickly as possible.

This isn't the same kind of budget, like with money like this, it doesn't it doesn't get more valuable the longer we hold it, it just gets less valuable.

So as you get more situated in the annual planning process and in the execution process, I'm hopeful that we get better at spending this money down and spending it in each of the strategic buckets.

Um we didn't get into detail on some of the ways that that you've mentioned in the presentation about how it gets spent, like using it as grant match for grants that we earn.

And that's it's a it's a valuable tool.

It's but it's also a choice because it doesn't have the same ring as I just built this thing over here with this money.

It's like, oh, well, in order to do this other bigger thing, we have to pool money from other sources, and this is one of those sources.

So I think it will be it will be nice to come back together again this spring, talk about the full FY27 budget proposal, see the capital projects in there, hopefully, and see a little bit more fleshed out description of how you're balancing citywide and neighborhood, how you're balancing capital and operational, and so on.

So I'm I'm looking forward to this continuing to get refined over the years and um and supporting the community because this is development paying us paying back, you know, for its impacts, and I'm looking forward to us being able to leverage that.

Thank you, Commissioner McMahon.

That summarizes it more eloquently than I said.

I think perhaps you tilted my vote to a yes.

Um because we will revisit it later.

Uh other commissioner comments.

Hearing none, uh, should we uh uh I hear we we've had two uh motions to go ahead and vote.

Um all in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

The motion carries.

Thank you for the really great discussion uh with many points of view on this item.

Thank you, all commission members.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Great presentation.

Okay, let's move on to the regional road safety program and the transportation and land use program applications.

Uh first, Chris, I shall open public comment.

Uh no, we do we we'll we'll do public comment afterwards.

So after I present the information.

Take it away.

Thank you.

Okay, great.

Um, so this is a public comment item.

Um so this is the uh the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government Um regional road safety program and land use program.

Uh we apply for this every year.

Um this is uh the TLC program, transportation and land use, uh promotes you know, mixed use walkable communities.

Uh and then the regional road safety program is focused much more on safety.

Uh and so uh this is an annual grant.

Um, so yeah, we we apply every year.

Um the limit is uh 100,000 for short-term consulting uh services.

Uh and the nice thing about this grant again is that they uh COG does not actually grant us the funds, but they keep the funds and they do all the procurement and everything and basically just hand us a consultant to do this work.

So um it's uh very um uh it's much less complex to a small project like this, which makes it very convenient.

Um so the two projects, the transportation land use program, uh we're looking at a bicycle network gap study.

Um, you know, there's we've been building out the bicycle network kind of street by street.

And so we would like to do a study um to figure out where the gaps are between different segments uh to make the network much more cohesive.

Uh and then the regional road safety program is like uh Ms.

Hutchinson said at the beginning of the meeting to um address Mount Vernon Avenue safety issues.

Um, you know, uh Mount Vernon School is uh we've been doing some uh safe rounds to school um improvements along uh Commonwealth Avenue.

Uh and so this would look at Mount Vernon Avenue um and not just around the school, but also uh down uh Mount Vernon Avenue to um Braddock Road as well.

So um just uh a map of where these are.

Uh obviously Mount Vernon Avenue is going through Delray, and then uh the bicycle gap study is would be looking citywide.

And um these support uh several of our plans and policies, obviously the Alexandria Mobility Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan, Complete Streets Five Year Work Plan, uh, as well as these um the two uh safe uh safe routes to school uh walk audits.

So the recommendation is that the commission provide a letter of endorsement to city council uh supporting these two uh uh applications.

Uh are there any questions?

Commissioner Kane.

Uh thanks, Chris, for the presentation.

I I gotta tell you, I was really excited uh had uh both of these when I saw this um uh come through.

And you know, they're kind of things that are really nice to be able to do.

So one that uh my first question kind of relates to the um uh the the gap um uh the um bike and ped uh gap study.

Um have you guys already sort of thought about how you're going to approach that?

I mean, if you go back to the pictured uh slide before you you show the um uh the bicycle network, um and are they gonna look at this and say, okay, um what doesn't connect here, or are they going to try to figure out um something broader than that?

Um uh no, so the idea is that I mean they were obviously use this as a basis, but uh the consultants would go out in the field and um um look to see where you know a couple segments that we've maybe done aren't connected as they should be, for example, because you know, usually when we do um bicycle projects, it's usually with repaving projects, and so it's not necessarily connecting and network, but um just doing kind of link by link.

uh the bicycle network um and are they gonna look at this and say okay um what doesn't connect here or are they going to try to figure out um something broader than that um uh no so the idea is that i mean they would obviously use this as a basis but uh the consultants would go out in the field and um look to see where you know a couple segments that we've maybe done aren't uh connected as they should be for example because you know usually when we do um bicycle projects it's usually with repaving projects and so it's not necessarily connecting a network but um just doing kind of link by link yeah I know a number of people have actually put together kind of a list of all of the uh you know where they think uh there are disconnects to it um but there are also things that you know for instance um taney avenue uh uh stops at the end of a uh cul de sac and it picks up on the other side of a cul de sac and in between is a sidewalk um and you know to me that's a network gap but I don't think it necessarily uh shows up clearly on on this map and whether a consultant would actually get out in there.

So what I would like to encourage for that project um and recognizing that there's limited funds but to try to be sure that there's a level of public outreach to get input from people who perhaps some have some experience on what uh are gaps that don't necessarily show up on uh uh kind of the plan network that was uh uh built here so for instance you know connecting to trails um we don't necessarily have um uh uh bike routes shown on here that connect to every trail but it's uh it's a gap when you can't get to a trail uh so it it'd be nice to uh make sure that uh when the consultant actually maybe even before the consultant comes is that the city could uh you know do a reach out uh to uh residents to see if they could provide input that helps inform the consultant and make sure 100,000 go further okay thank you and then on the uh Braddock Road one I know you mentioned the Mount Vernon uh school but I would also um make sure that uh you know GW schools also in the on that Mount Vernon uh corridor definitely it's actually on this uh slide here but okay thanks yeah uh commissioner McMahon quick question about um definitions on the bike network gap study so like the map that you have shows as a facility a shared lane marking and existing and planned it shows a shared lane marking as a facility and I'm just curious if the from the study's perspective of filling a gap if shared lane markings aka shareos are considered a gap fill or considered a gap uh yeah no uh those would not be considered a gap no huh no but um you know I mean they could look at uh you know certain ones to see if if there's better treatments okay um I'll just I I understand that from the perspective of what you can do with this TLC grant and what it how it has to relate to perhaps maps that we've produced in the past that this is a this you can't like reinvent definitions and and priorities but um there's a long standing conversation around the lack of utility of Sharos and so planning for more shareos doesn't seem like a gap fill and not acknowledging where share is exist but don't actually provide it provide a facility on the street um like it would be nice if at minimum the study talked about that as a level of gap and they just would probably prioritize other things first maybe but but still acknowledging that there's what 75 to 80% of people who might ride bikes won't ride on that facility.

And so it doesn't it doesn't get us any closer really to our our goals.

Okay.

And if I could just add to what uh Melissa just said you know I I think this could be that first step Melissa but the the second step to to making that uh more um concrete in terms of looking harder at the share of solution we've come up with is the the plan I I think is it in 2028 or 29 when uh they're gonna do another uh bike and ped network study yeah and and I think that should be a marker put down for that uh as part of that discussion is that um uh uh we need to figure out how we can uh push uh shareos to the side and get more uh places where they can be uh um a better bike infrastructure yep okay yeah hopefully this is a good this is this is the gap we're filling between now and then we're creating a study to connect us from here to there and provide another information point should be great.

Okay, yeah, hopefully this is a good this is this is the gap we're filling between now and then we're creating a study to connect us from here to there and provide another information point.

Should be great.

Great.

Additional commissioner comment.

Not hearing any.

Uh is there a motion to provide a letter of uh public hearing?

Um is there a motion to open a public hearing?

So move.

Second.

Second, all in favor?

Aye.

The public hearing is open.

Is there any member of the public?

Hearing none, a motion to close the public.

If I could just interject, uh Chris, it might be worthwhile to uh in the minutes to have Elaine's comments actually brought forward to this because they really were uh more specific to this than to just general public comments.

Yeah, we can do that.

Okay, great.

Thank you, Commissioner Kane.

Good suggestion.

Um seeing no member of the public, I move the public hearing closed.

Um do I hear uh can we take a vote on uh uh a recommendation that we provide a letter of endorsement?

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay, all opposed.

Hearing none, the recommendation is approved.

Great.

All right.

Um so the next item is a discussion item for the annual work plan and calendar.

You know, we this is another thing we uh do every January.

Um, you know, the goal of the annual work plan is to so that commissioners and staff can um predict a little bit and kind of plan out when things are going to go to the transportation commission, uh, when things will be heard, and then the calendar is just a calendar of meeting dates for the next year to uh make sure that we're avoiding holidays, things like that.

So um with the work plan, so this is the top half of the work plan that's in your agenda.

The the bottom half is on the next page.

So um, so we have uh chair and vice chair elections in April.

Um and one item that we wanted uh I wanted to bring up is the transportation long range plan.

Um we currently um so this is you know, obviously we uh the commission voted to make this every other year instead of every year uh several years ago.

And um this does require a lot of staff time and uh commissioner time as well.

And this year, unfortunately, with Emily leaving and with the uh budget situation the way it is, um there's uh uh filling that that Emily's position is not possible right now.

So I uh would propose that we either take it off of the calendar, the work plan, or uh push it to next year, maybe.

Um because yeah, just because we don't have the staff resources to do that right now.

Um thank you, Chris.

I Chris and I had discussed this just uh earlier today as it came up.

And uh so I wanted to, as the chair, give my full support uh to Chris, realizing they are under both a hiring freeze and we've lost staff uh in the department, and that we're operating under an AMP and that we you know we are tethered to priorities we've already set, uh, and that we could indeed uh uh regrettably, but uh out of uh thrift look at this uh again next year.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um and then um let's see in March there'd be a written item for the repaving update next month.

Uh Josh is gonna come back with the GoAlex strategic plan.

They actually had to push back the um the original um approval by council because um because a lot of the work that we that went into it wasn't ready yet to be to be brought in.

So um we I know we talked about it last month, and uh so next month it will come back to the the plan is that it'll come back to Transportation Commission.

Um, and then the Department of Planning and Zoning is is uh would like a to discuss the Duke Street uh land use plan in April for the commission.

The trend obviously the transportation elements of it.

Uh and then in terms of funding, um, you know, every October we talk about the budget.

Uh and then in terms of funding, um, you know, every October we talk about the budget, um, and then actually uh for FY28 and then FY27.

Um the commission will discuss and potentially provide comments to the city manager's budget, um, which is released in late February.

Um the Go Alex uh budget we talked about today, uh, and then the budget and work plan for FY27 uh will likely come to the commission for an action item in May.

So this will be for the next fiscal year.

So this fiscal year, because it's they're they're just starting out, it took them a little bit longer to uh move through that process.

And then MVTA is not this year, but next year, but this year is smart scale uh grant program.

So we'll be coming to the commission for uh in May for that.

And then um let's see, C Mac RSTP will be coming in November.

Um we talked about safe streets and there's a written item for safe streets and all uh for all the DRPT, which we saw in December, will also come next December.

Uh any federal and state grants that come up, uh this will be as needed.

So uh it's not totally clear yet which ones those will be.

Um and then the commuter choice grant, uh, which comes to the commission every other year will be this year in November.

And then we talked about the COG technical assistance grants.

So um, I guess just real quick before that we go to the next page or the questions on this this page.

All right.

Um, and then uh so the bottom half of the work plan is transportation programs.

So the Vision Zero Action Plan and Complete Streets and Safe Rounds of School and Trails, just like this past year will come uh as discussion items in October.

Um and then curbside management will likely come in September.

Uh and then there will be um written items about automated enforcement, so uh speed cameras and um red light cameras, and then um capital bike share micromobility as well.

Um in terms of capital bike share micromobility, um, unfortunately, also our uh bike share and dokless uh planner has left the city as well.

He actually uh Melissa might know that he went to Arlington.

Um he's a good guy, so it goes both ways.

Yeah, both places we we all steal from each other.

Yeah.

So um so this will likely be a written item instead of coming uh to the commission to discuss it as a presentation.

Um or and then you know, uh let's see, transit planning and bus stop programs.

So Silas will provide a couple updates in uh March and then uh discussion in November.

Uh and then smart mobility program will come and give an update in June.

And then you know, we'll go through the legislative process again in uh the fall, and then this month, we were hoping to talk about the Womatta budget, but they still have not released the final proposed budget yet, uh, which is uh about a month later than they usually do.

So it's kind of throwing everybody in a tizzy right now.

Maybe they don't want to come back and talk to us.

Can you blame them?

No one wants to talk about anything now.

Yeah, um, yeah.

So Commissioner McMahon, you you have a question?

Yep.

Um I wanted to return briefly to the your proposal for the um the prioritization process of the long-range plan, the unconstrained plan.

Um I I feel yeah, so like I don't want to ask staff to do something that they just can't do.

What I'm wondering is given that it's been a long time since we've looked at it, if staff can just package that the like a version of the pre-material simplified version of the pre-material you normally would send, which is just like where what stuff has been done and what stuff hasn't been done in the existing framework, so that instead of having a full process and the and the rigor moral around it that we just see our status, like what has been folded into a grant, what hasn't been asked for money yet, that kind of thing.

So we can at some point this this fiscal year, we can at least get a touch point on that.

Is that do you think that's doable?

Yeah, I can do that.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Um I also wanted to comment that I know that this year um we've packaged complete streets, vision zero trails, safers to school, all into this one uh evening.

But there is a lot of content in that material.

And while they interrelate a lot, my concern is that we might be giving them too short shrift because we only have a two-hour meeting.

And it's just a lot of content for a two-hour meeting if you come if you count the presentation time and the commissioner comment time.

So I don't know, others, and I I'm I really would like others to disagree with me if I'm off base, but part of me wants to like let a couple of them or something go into the next meeting, the November meeting, so that we can give more time to the topics.

But um, but I don't know that we might lose some other efficiencies associated with that.

So I just wanted to put that on the table, uh, maybe for for discussion.

Um I wanted to highlight in the interdepartmental long-range planning work program, parking standards and car share policy were scheduled for update this past fall with community engagement elements, but I don't remember I don't remember seeing those come through my radar.

So I'm wondering if those are have happened or if they're behind and they're happening now or they're gonna happen, or how those fit work plan overall, and then if they haven't happened yet, like if if they should appear on our work plan as a discussion item.

Yes, so they haven't uh happened yet.

They they've been pushed back a little bit.

Um I don't know the exact schedule.

Uh I think they were hoping to start them this spring, but that also might be um a little ambitious.

Okay, so I would I guess I would just request that those two topics, the parking standards work that staff will be doing, and that there's a com because there's a community process around it, maybe engaging with us happens in the community process timeline so we can hear the same kinds of presentations and be asked the same questions that the community would be asked in the same with the car share policy item.

And then we we don't you don't have to know it now, but as that fleshes out when it can actually happen, if it happens in this calendar year time frame that we plug it in.

Okay, yeah.

Um that's it.

All right, Commissioner Cain.

Yes, uh I had originally raised my hand for exactly what uh Melissa had said about the vision zero complete streets, safe routes and trails.

That was way too much.

I had a whole bunch of questions I never got to get asked um because we ran out of time.

And so it would be really nice to to break that up uh just a bit, and or to allow for the fact that it's gonna be a very long meeting if you're gonna have it all in one uh evening, because I think there's an awful lot of stuff that uh they presented that um uh yeah bears some uh really good uh discussion.

Um so I would encourage to kind of rethink about how that um uh is done.

Um and then um a couple other things that I I don't know where they fit, but uh maybe in the repaving update is a place that uh we could get some other people to come talk about, which is that as we've been adding uh infrastructure, uh particularly uh protected bike lanes, uh we need to really make sure that we're getting uh a good commitment from the city that uh bike lanes are gonna be maintained uh like the roadway is.

So for instance, when we get to snowstorm this weekend, how long is it gonna take before a bike lane gets uh cleared so that it can be used again or sidewalks?

Um and I don't know when we've really had a you know had those folks come in and sort of discuss and understand that uh walking and biking and scootering is part of the transportation uh network.

It's not just something you do for the LARC and I I'd like to make sure we emphasize a little bit that um uh we need to be maintaining all of the infrastructure, not just the roadway and the traffic lights for the motor vehicles.

Um so you know, maybe it lands into that repaving update, but maybe it's uh somewhere else and um and maybe if we're not doing the transportation long range planning, having all those uh uh uh activities that maybe April, May, June that could that could be discussed after the snow season so that can better explain what's happening, but also um to help the budget discussion, because one of the things I hear is well, we don't have the equipment to do some of this stuff.

Well, how do you get the equipment?

You get a budget.

Uh and so it I think it needs to be become a little more pronounced that it's not just uh well, maybe someday uh kind of thing.

So I I'd like it to be a bit more of a discussion.

Okay.

Any other questions on this?

I'm happy to go to the uh calendar then.

So um the third Wednesday of every month works.

There's no conflicts with any holidays or anything.

So there's not much else to say about this.

Um yeah, so um I will uh talk about making those changes and then bring them back uh for approval next month uh to the work plan.

And then Commissioner Kane.

Yeah, just one question on the calendar.

Um, I don't see any location specified.

So have we um is that gonna come up later in this meeting or uh where are we meeting?

So yes, uh I was gonna bring it up and under other mind.

Yeah, but I I mean I can bring it up now.

Uh so the the plan is to meet at the business center drive uh building, which uh is right next to the dash facilities.

Um uh yeah, I will email out more specific information on where to park your bikes, where to park your cars, and where and where the bus stop is.

What bus, yeah, what bus to take and what bus stop to get off on.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Exactly where to play Frogger across the road to get to the other side.

Yeah.

All right.

Next item is Commissioner updates.

Okay.

We could go to great Commissioner Catherine.

No updates for me.

Thank you.

Commissioner Keene.

Yeah, my only update is transportation and parking board is meeting next week.

Um, and I think in uh February we'll be meeting all night.

Uh, there's going to be a discussion, I think, on the some proposed changes on Braddock Road that uh might spend uh many hours uh long.

So that's all I've got.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Commissioner Levine, I think he dropped off.

Oh, great.

Thank you.

And no updates.

Commissioner Maslanka.

Uh no updates either.

Commissioner McMahon.

Um, the key update I wanted to offer was that in the planning commission, planning commission held our first um public hearing in the Dell Pepper Center.

Um, and I believe we got to inaugurate that space.

So staff had worked very diligently to get it all set up for the hearings that will be taking place there.

And it was incredibly smooth and comfortable, minus maybe a little bit, not quite enough heat in the room, but I think they figured that out and it'll be a warmer room next time around.

Um so that was fun.

Um, at our hearing, the the most consequential item, I guess, in my mind is that we heard and discussed the master plan um resolution for the green building plan, which is this generation of our green building policy after multiple years now of staff effort to update it.

And so planning commission voted unanimous unanimously in favor of the master plan um resolution with several modifications to make it a stronger green building plan.

Um, and I just wanted to highlight it for this group, not because there's a specific transportation nexus to the to green building, but because the transportation commission back in 22, we held a joint um the joint session with planning commission and with the environmental policy commission to discuss how we could help advise council on addressing the climate emergency that they had declared in 2019.

And so there's a long history of us all working together to talk about these issues and to keep moving them forward.

And I just wanted to share that.

Um, there are actually, I guess the the tiny nexus is there are EV-related provisions in the green building policy associated with helping to ensure that the buildings um are built with EV charging capacity in them.

And so that um is just one of the tiniest connections of of a lot of established work that we do together.

So it was good.

And I'll be speaking at the council meeting this weekend um about that.

Great.

Thank you, Commissioner McMahon.

Uh Commissioner McManus.

Uh my update is there is a public affairs committee of the Dash bus.

And one of the things they do every year at the St.

Patrick's Day parade is they walk behind a dash bus.

It was noted that new one really comes, but actually it could be really fun.

It could be a group bonding experience.

And I asked them to throw out the invitation to everyone on the transportation commission.

I'd be interested to hear your reaction.

It could could be fun.

Um and people uh will see uh, you know, who who is part of uh helping address some of these regional and safety issues.

Uh that is my update.

Any reaction to that?

Did you say we had to walk or we get to ride on the bus?

Uh you walk behind the bus.

You you could, you know, Casey, you you could put your bike on the front of it.

You could ride your bike behind it.

That would be fine.

Yeah, that'd be cool.

Okay.

Good.

Then uh Jim and I will have uh Casey uh send us uh uh an invite.

Awesome.

Uh I don't know if we have uh our I don't believe we have our council members here, but in case we do great, fantastic.

Those are the updates.

Thank you.

Written items.

Written items.

Um yeah.

Any anyone have any comments to the written items?

Yeah.

Commissioner McMahon.

Could we pull item A and B?

Sure.

Commissioner Kane.

I wanted the same ones.

Okay.

Commissioner McMahon.

Okay.

Um, yeah, so um item A, Vision Zero Action Plan, um, funding for update.

Um, what's the schedule for this effort?

Uh well, the um schedule that uh we haven't received uh definitive schedule yet from DOT.

Um, but it should uh we're hoping that it will uh start at least internally uh like with internal work in the fall.

Okay.

Okay.

So would you envision it might hit our docket for participation in the next or before the end of this fiscal year or before the end of this calendar year?

Um it's really hard to say.

I I would say probably early 27.

Okay.

Um the description just said that there would there was envision to be a steering committee of some sort.

Um, I'm not sure.

On the one hand, the city is moving largely away from having advisory committees, steering committees of that of that nature, and going typically toward much more broad brush public outreach approaches.

But if a committee of that sort is being envisioned for this process, were you envisioning inviting a transportation commissioner to participate in?

Yes.

Okay, great.

That's that's that's the answer I wanted to hear.

Um, and what other groups were you thinking might have representation on that committee?

Have you have you guys some some image of that yet, or is it too early?

No, it's still too early.

Okay.

Yeah.

That was it for A for me.

Casey.

Yeah, I I I pretty much Melissa and I are on the same uh wavelength there, but the uh other though, just to congratulate the city for getting this grant.

I think it's really uh cool to get this.

And and in some ways it's kind of hard to believe we've been so many years since we created the last one, and I think that it really has been a um uh good driver for the city in terms of uh you know addressing uh some of the issues that were raised in it.

And so I look forward to this, you know, just being just another nice good marker to help us uh move the needle a bit on that.

So uh congratulations to staff for getting that.

Thanks.

Uh item B.

B.

Um the V dot safety analysis of Glebe Road, looking at the um scope of what is going to be studied.

We can you confirm we already have an approved intersection redesign for Glebe and Mount Vernon?

Yes.

I can confirm that.

So are we is that analysis going to kind of just skip over that part, like plug it in, but otherwise look at the other things we haven't figured out yet.

Yes, it'll include uh the predetermined design for uh Glebe and Mount Vernon, and then also Glebe uh Montrose and Ashby, and then um probably closer to you know um the one block west of Potomac Avenue as well.

But it'll um it'll mostly stay the same, those will mostly stay the same.

Yeah, okay.

That was it for my questions on that one.

Well, sort of same thing.

I was just gonna comment that uh traffic and parking board had already approved the the intersection changes at those two that you noted with uh um uh traffic circles.

So um, and I know the one the Ashby one is hung up because they've got to do the sewage um uh project before they can uh start that one.

Uh so but again, this this is really I I think this partnership that uh VDOT has done because they did the same thing on uh um you know Eisenhower Avenue and just really helping provide resources for the city for the stuff is a really good uh a good thing for the city to be able to have a uh you know a big broad look at this uh stuff.

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

All right, there's no other questions.

Um other business, if anybody has anything to bring up.

Uh we already talked about the location of the next meeting.

All right.

Any any word on our new transportation member positions and the status of those?

No updates on that.

No updates on that, but I will ask again.

I feel like just for the recording, I have to ask every meeting, just so that they know that we're we're eagerly anticipating.

There was some point of our conversation earlier where I was listening to commentary and thinking, oh, yeah, the commission on aging would be really interested in weighing in on that and thinking about how having some of this other representation will uh and beefing out our um turnout will will contribute to the broader conversation.

Absolutely.

All right.

Um here a motion to adjourn.

So move.

One second.

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Thank you, Chris.

Thank you, team.

Thank you, uh Del Ray Citizens Association.

Thanks, everybody.

Good night.

Thank you everyone.

Stay safe.