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Rochester Hills, MI ‎

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Rochester Hills

Minutes

Planning Commission

7:00 PM

1000 Rochester Hills Drive

Tuesday, May 6, 1997

CALL TO ORDER

Vice Chairperson James Rosen called the Special Study Session to order ‎

at ‎7‎:‎30 ‎p‎.‎m‎. ‎in the Auditorium‎.‎

ROLL CALL

Present PC‎: ‎Vice Chairperson James Rosen‎

William Boswell‎

John Gaber‎

Paul Krupa‎

Eugene Nowicki‎

Christian Ramanauskas‎

Gerald Robbins‎

Audrey Ruggiero‎

Absent PC‎: ‎Chairperson Eric Kaiser‎

Quorum present‎

Also present‎: ‎Patricia Goodwin, Director of Planning‎

Paul Rizzardi, Planner‎

Penny Papke, Planning Technician‎

Carl Moore, Transportation Board‎

Gene Franchett, BRW, Inc‎.‎

Daniel T‎. ‎Meyers, BRW, Inc‎.‎

COMMUNICATIONS

A‎.‎ Agenda for Historic Districts Committee meeting of May ‎8‎, ‎1997‎

NEW BUSINESS

2000-1732

Transportation Plan Update Study ‎- ‎Master Thoroughfare Plan Update‎/‎Overview ‎

by Staff and Consultants ‎(‎Draft Document for discussion Purposes Only‎)‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen remarked that the purpose of the meeting this evening is to review ‎

the draft document for the Master Thoroughfare Plan‎.‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin also reviewed the general background on the current ‎

administrative status of the plan‎. ‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin remarked that the transportation plan is part of the City‎’‎s ‎

comprehensive plan for land use and development with the components of the ‎

plan in separate documents‎. ‎The components consist of the Recreation Plan, ‎

Master Land Use Plan, Thoroughfare Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan‎. ‎

In ‎1989 ‎the Thoroughfare Plan was split out from the Master Land Use Plan‎. ‎

Because of the rapid growth the occurred during the ‎1980‎'s, the Planning ‎

Commission determined along with City Council that a comprehensive ‎

thoroughfare plan based on traffic studies was needed‎. ‎At this time, the City ‎

spent about $‎100‎,‎000 ‎along with the City of Rochester to prepare the ‎

document which is currently being reviewed‎.‎

Continuing, Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin stated that the Planning Commission authorized a Citizens‎’ ‎

Advisory Committee which was the committee that deliberated many of the key ‎

transportation issues which provided the framework for the plan‎. ‎The plan document ‎

was then adopted in ‎1989 ‎and an amendment to the plan ‎(‎Adams Road Corridor ‎

Study‎) ‎was adopted separately in ‎1991 ‎and is now considered as part of the ‎

comprehensive Transportation Plan‎. ‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin remarked that it has been eight years and growth has continued‎. ‎There ‎

has been one major innovation to the plan, that being the Fast Trac system which was ‎

implemented by Oakland County‎. ‎The Planning Commission is charged under ‎

Municipal Planning Act ‎285 ‎with adopting the Master Plan for the City‎. ‎Development ‎

of the policy guide also includes transportation recreation and capital facilities‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gene Franchett pointed out that at the last meeting in December, review was ‎

made of the planning process and the improvement projects that were implemented‎. ‎

However, the main thrust of the meeting were comments from the citizens in reference ‎

to the their concerns about the plan‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Franchett indicated that this evening he plans ‎

to cover the results of the analysis since December‎. ‎The characteristics of the system, ‎

the deficiencies in the system, travel forecast and a model of the network for the ‎

Rochester Hills area will also be discussed‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett then reviewed the system deficiencies‎. ‎A set of standards has been ‎

developed over the decades by the professionals in the field by national institutions‎. ‎If ‎

the standards are then applied in urban areas, then the different functional components ‎

of the thoroughfare system will perform reasonably well and the community will have a ‎

relatively efficient flow of traffic‎. ‎When the standards are not met and there are ‎

deficiencies that occur, then there are usually some problems associated with those ‎

deficiencies‎. ‎It has been determined that there are some deficiencies in the Rochester ‎

Hills thoroughfare system‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett then discussed the principal planning area within the corporate ‎

boundaries‎. ‎On the periphery the plan goes out to I‎-‎75 ‎on the west and M‎-‎53 ‎on the ‎

east and ‎3 ‎miles into Troy on the south side and up into Oakland Township about ‎3 ‎

miles‎. ‎This principal planning area will take into account what is occurring in the ‎

peripheral areas because this will have an impact on the transportation system in ‎

Rochester Hills‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett indicated that spacing standards are the first deficiency‎. ‎The standard ‎

for principal arterials ‎(‎a freeway type system‎) ‎and there are three in the metropolitan ‎

area that being, I‎-‎75‎, M‎-‎59 ‎and M‎-‎53‎. ‎Every three to six miles there should be a ‎

facility of this type‎. ‎The City of Rochester Hills currently has a distance of ‎11‎.‎5 ‎miles ‎

between I‎-‎75 ‎on the west and M‎-‎53 ‎on the east‎. ‎It is clear that the City has a ‎

deficiency for a principal arterial‎. ‎The east‎/‎west area only has M‎-‎59 ‎and the plan ‎

shows that there is clearly a deficiency north of the City boundaries‎. ‎

Continuing, Mr‎. ‎Franchett pointed out that the major arterials within the system are ‎

Rochester Road, M‎-‎150 ‎and Van Dyke‎. ‎The east‎/‎west area only encompasses ‎

Walton‎. ‎The standard indicates that there should be a major arterial every ‎1‎-‎2 ‎miles‎. ‎

There are then deficiencies in the area of Dequindre, Crooks, Perch, Brewster, and on ‎

the western border of the community along Squirrel Road‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Franchett added that ‎

the comparisons were made from a basic standard for an urban area‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett also stated that there also is a standard for continuity of roadways‎. ‎The ‎

continuity of a roadway varies with the functional class‎. ‎Principal arterials should ‎

always be continuous through the community and the major arterials should also be ‎

continuous from one end of the community to the other‎. ‎Secondary arterials can be ‎

semi‎-‎continuous and collectors and local streets are never continuous‎. ‎Therefore, ‎

Squirrel, Adams, Livernois, Rochester Road and Van Dyke would be continuous ‎

roadways‎. ‎The east‎/‎west facilities would contain South Boulevard and Auburn Road ‎

as continuous roadways‎. ‎Therefore, deficiencies are located in the east and west area ‎

and north‎/‎south deficiencies along the Crooks, Old Perch and Brewster areas and ‎

along John R‎. ‎and Dequindre‎. ‎In comparison with the standards, the plan does define ‎

the extent of deficiencies within the system‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett pointed out that linkage to the regional system is very important to the ‎

community‎. ‎This linkage to the regional system ties the City into the entire ‎

metropolitan area‎. ‎The links in the City of Rochester Hills are very good along M‎-‎59‎. ‎

However, deficiencies occur along the northern half of the community‎. ‎There is ‎

nothing that ties into M‎-‎53 ‎effectively and this same deficiency also occurs along the ‎

western side of the City‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett then talked about the capacity deficiencies or the capacity of the ‎

roadway itself to handle the traffic that is trying to use it‎. ‎The capacity deficiencies are ‎

a major function in the development of the model‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers explained how the model was developed, what it shows and what might ‎

be expected down the road in years ‎2000 ‎and ‎2015 ‎in terms of traffic volume and the ‎

capability of the system to handle this traffic‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that a lot of the deficiencies which have been discussed are ‎

deficiencies which you cannot see on the road‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that BRW has ‎

developed for the City of Rochester Hills a travel demand plot which is a mathematical ‎

model that uses algorithms developed over the past ‎30 ‎years‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that ‎

SEMCOG now has a travel demand model that covers the entire metropolitan area‎. ‎

When the study was started, SEMCOG had a ‎1990 ‎base line model and a ‎2015 ‎

forecast year‎. ‎Right now, SEMCOG is developing and has nearly completed a ‎1995 ‎

baseline and a ‎2020 ‎forecast year‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers pointed out that the model covers all of the Detroit area north into ‎

Oakland County‎. ‎The model also includes a portion of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti‎. ‎

BRW then decided to cut a window out of the regional model for Rochester Hills and ‎

the City of Rochester‎. ‎Using a travel demand model the roadways were then defined ‎

and the traffic analysis zones were subdivided and a new ‎1990 ‎base line model was ‎

developed just for the City of Rochester Hills‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Robbins asked about the real data that was used for the model‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that the plan was a ‎1990 ‎model calibrated and validated to the ‎

1990 ‎standards because all of the social‎-‎economic data were in ‎1990 ‎numbers‎. ‎The ‎

1990 ‎model was then calibrated to existing ground counts that were counted by the ‎

City of Rochester Hills‎. ‎The new model also contains the capacity of the roadways, ‎

types of facilities, an equilibrium assignment and the ‎2015 ‎forecasts‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Ramanauskas indicated that perhaps the barricade at Tienken near Auburn Hills ‎

will be taken care of sometime in the near future to enhance the east‎/‎west traffic ‎

patterns‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that in the year ‎2015 ‎BRW inputted into the model changes only ‎

those changes where roadways are committed to be built‎. ‎If the road is not ‎

committed to be built, then it will not be included in the model‎. ‎Part of the alternative ‎

testing is adding roadways and making the areas more continuous in order to correct ‎

some of the current deficiencies in order to improve capacity‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber then asked how close the ‎1990 ‎figures are to reality‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that SEMCOG believes that their ‎1995 ‎model is going to be better ‎

than the model from ‎1990‎. ‎BRW feels that the ‎1990 ‎model is accurately predicting‎

the percent deviation off of the existing road counts‎. ‎MDOT suggests or recommends ‎

a certain level of skewed forecasts; they will only allow a ‎5 ‎or ‎10 ‎percent ‎

error amount‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers is confident that the model is predicting well and ‎

accurately‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber pointed out that right now it is ‎1997‎, seven years removed from ‎

SEMCOG‎’‎s ‎1990 ‎study and yet there is the capability to obtain comparable data, ‎

however, the analysis does not appear to contain the accepted level of deviation‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers stated that some of the data was not available‎. ‎The realistic social ‎

economic data from the ‎1990 ‎Census and the existing ground counts from ‎1990 ‎are ‎

needed in order to validate the model properly to ‎1995 ‎or ‎1997‎. ‎In ‎1990 ‎this data ‎

was available, however, for ‎1990 ‎it is felt that there is a base to look at everything and ‎

to calibrate accurately and realistically to what was happening in ‎1990‎. ‎In two or ‎

three years when SEMCOG does have the new ‎1995 ‎base line model, the model ‎

could then be calibrated to the new figures‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers has only been working with ‎

what is currently available at the time‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers then suggested that a model could ‎

be developed just for Rochester Hills but this would be very cost prohibitive‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber then confirmed that given the current assumptions and strengths, there is ‎

really no way of telling whether or not the model forecast for ‎1997 ‎compares with the ‎

actual ‎1997 ‎conditions‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that he could look at forecasting to the year ‎2000‎. ‎However, this ‎

forecast would not be based upon any real time data that is currently in existence‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber asked Mr‎. ‎Meyers if he feels that the validity of forecasts are ‎

compromised because of the fact that the initial data is from seven years ago‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers stated that he does not feel that the data is compromised‎. ‎The model ‎

being discussed is accurate enough for the study that has been prepared‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Nowicki added that since the model is projecting to the year ‎2000‎, why would a ‎

consideration be made to revert back to ‎1997‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that the model has a short‎-‎range forecast‎. ‎The model would seldom ‎

contain an existing year forecast‎.‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin added that the cost for the model is a real consideration‎. ‎The City has ‎

$‎50‎,‎000 ‎to work with and the model is being updated with data from ‎1985‎. ‎The City ‎

paid for a special census for a smaller area forecast in ‎1987‎, and City was working ‎

with old data from ‎1989 ‎as a base line‎. ‎Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin also pointed out that the ‎

development data is empiracle‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers then noted that the forecasts and the resulting average daily traffic ‎

volumes are just what the model thinks it is‎. ‎The model is only as good as the ‎

socio‎-‎economics are‎. ‎This is what the model is calibrated to‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett pointed out that the model does contain current information from the ‎

Chrysler development and the Tech Park for ‎1990‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that in ‎1994 ‎SEMCOG revised their small area forecasts‎. ‎With ‎

Steve Dearing‎’‎s help, BRW added in the new developments into the year ‎2015‎. ‎A ‎

base year was calibrated to ‎1990 ‎and the average daily traffic volumes are the actual ‎

counts that were taken by the City of Rochester Hills Staff in ‎1990‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers said ‎

that the City did not perform counts on every single roadway in the City‎. ‎The model ‎

really looks at ‎1989 ‎to ‎1991 ‎and in some cases figures were taken from ‎1992‎. ‎The ‎

plan requires the counts in order to calibrate the model‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers then described the level of service‎. ‎Roadway capacity deficiencies are ‎

rated from A through F; with A being free flow of traffic and F being basically traffic ‎

congestion or traffic still on roadways and‎/‎or backing up at intersections‎. ‎In ‎1990‎, ‎

there was one level of service F on Rochester Road between Auburn and Hamlin and ‎

a number of different levels of service E appearing on Crooks and other areas along ‎

Rochester Road‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that he could also develop a peak hour factor, ‎

which is usually ten percent of the daily traffic‎. ‎A directional split could also be ‎

incorporated into the model‎. ‎

Continuing, Mr‎. ‎Meyers then reviewed the analysis for the year ‎2000‎. ‎All of the ‎

volumes are from the forecast model‎. ‎The volumes show that Rochester Road ‎

continues to break down because of no improvements‎. ‎The only assumed capacity ‎

improvement for the year ‎2000 ‎is the widening of Hamlin to four lanes from Crooks to ‎

Livernois‎. ‎The model equalizes areas by moving the traffic to different portions on the ‎

City‎’‎s roadways‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers also noted that the model does predict almost ‎22‎,‎000 ‎

vehicles on the road by the year ‎2000‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen suggested that it may be beneficial to look at an interpolation of the model ‎

back to the year ‎2015‎. ‎The only improvement was the enlargement of Hamlin Road ‎

to four lanes from Crooks to Livernois‎. ‎However, the model assumes that there are ‎

four lanes from Crooks past Adams to the west‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Rosen then asked if the model ‎

also assumes that Adams Road is also four lanes‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that this information will have to be investigated‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers also ‎

stated that the main thrust of the forecast run is to see that the City is now getting some ‎

levels of service capacity efficiencies on the east‎/‎west corridors‎. ‎Prior to ‎1990‎, the ‎

service capabilities were non‎-‎existent‎. ‎The study will now take into account the ‎

growth that is occurring around the City of Rochester Hills‎. ‎Because there are ‎

deficiencies in the primary arterials, problems are beginning to occur‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers ‎

also indicated that there is no assumption that Tienken will be opened‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that in reference to the year ‎2015‎, there are some assumed ‎

capacity improvements‎. ‎The first capacity improvement is the widening of Hamlin ‎

Road to four lanes from Crooks to Rochester Road‎. ‎The second improvement is to ‎

widen Crooks to four lanes from Long Lake to Hamlin Road and the third ‎

improvement is to relocate the Adams Road and M‎-‎59 ‎interchange to make it more of ‎

a connection down to the City‎. ‎The fourth improvement will be to widen Adams ‎

Road to four lanes from Avon to Tienken‎. ‎Dequindre will also have a bridge crossing ‎

at the Clinton River in order to move the traffic along in this area‎. ‎

Continuing, Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that based upon the socio‎-‎economic forecast from ‎

SEMCOG and with the current network and the assumed capacity improvements, a ‎

true east‎/‎west capacity deficiency remains in the system yet everything else remains the ‎

same based upon the model‎. ‎

The model is dealing with demands within the City of Rochester Hills and all of the ‎

regional areas around the City which have generated severe capacity deficiencies‎. ‎

The model is trying to take the demand and put it into the supply of the roadway ‎

network and it is having difficulty doing this‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers also pointed out that M‎-‎59 ‎from Rochester Road to Crooks begins to ‎

have some problems with level of service E‎. ‎This would take into account anything ‎

that is currently out in the area‎.‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin reported that the City met this morning with representatives from the ‎

Road Commission, Oakland County and SEMCOG‎. ‎It was pointed out that the ‎

counts are ‎24‎-‎hour counts not peak hours‎. ‎Those, the ‎24‎-‎hour counts look like peak ‎

counts today and in many instances this is not really a true scenario‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that at the meeting this morning a question was asked on whether ‎

or not signal operation runs for the intersections could be added to the model‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎

Meyers said that he can turn the ‎24‎-‎hour volumes into peak hour volumes and then ‎

convert them into peak hour movements‎. ‎

It was then suggested that perhaps the Fast‎-‎Trac system could develop a traffic count ‎

at the intersections which would give a more accurate count then the figures which are ‎

currently being used from ‎1990‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers indicated that the only socio‎-‎economic data which is needed is ‎

information in reference to employment, households and population‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Nowicki inquired whether or not the model takes into consideration the ring road ‎

through the City of Rochester which will take a lot of traffic from Rochester Road to ‎

the north and the northeast‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that he will investigate this matter further‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Franchett pointed out ‎

that the model displays what is currently in existence in addition to the improvements ‎

that were furnished by the City‎. ‎It does not appear that the ring road improvement ‎

has been taken into consideration‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett remarked that to illustrate the magnitude of the issue, a screen line was ‎

developed from the northern end of the City to the southern end of the City, just east ‎

of Livernois‎. ‎A screen line was also developed from east to west along Walton‎. ‎The ‎

capacities and volumes were then aggregated on the screen lines for the three years of ‎

the base line in the forecast for years ‎2000 ‎and ‎2015‎. ‎The number of through lanes ‎

and the capacity have been estimated‎. ‎The level of service ratio indicator have been ‎

shown with the actual letter for the level of service‎. ‎The north‎/‎south screen line which ‎

was drawn just west of Livernois in the year ‎2015 ‎indicates an existing ‎20 ‎through ‎

lanes and there is a demand for ‎26 ‎lanes‎. ‎This is equivalent to a new six lane facility ‎

needed to accommodate the traffic and to move east‎/‎west‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett said that on the screen line drawn for south of Walton, the aggregate ‎

shows ‎16 ‎lanes and at a level of service E a demand for ‎18 ‎lanes‎. ‎There would then ‎

be a demand for an additional two lanes which is not as severe of a problem for the ‎

east‎/‎west traffic‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers then pointed out that the required lanes are based upon obtaining a level ‎

of service D‎. ‎On a daily basis it is an acceptable level of service in an area like ‎

Rochester Hills‎. ‎The estimated capacity is based on the ‎800 ‎vehicles per lane, per ‎

hour and an ‎8 ‎percent peak hour‎. ‎Estimated capacities are also based upon years of ‎

study by the Transportation Research Board and it is documented in the ‎1990 ‎

Highway Capacity Manual‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen then asked for an explanation on the calibration of the traffic counts‎. ‎

Everything seems to vary, there isn‎’‎t any data that reflects the traffic counts for today‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers replied that the key word is ‎“‎average‎.‎” ‎The model takes the good and ‎

bad days and comes up with an in‎-‎between count‎. ‎When the City performs traffic ‎

counts they do it for a ‎48‎-‎hour period and they compare it with historical data that ‎

they have collected over the last ten to twenty years at the same locations‎. ‎They then ‎

develop factors to adjust the counts as an average daily count‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers noted that in ‎1990 ‎the City had counts that they were looking at and the ‎

model had to be within a certain percent deviation in order to indicate that the model is ‎

calibrated on a specific link‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Nowicki pointed out the Squirrel Road is now picking up all of the traffic that ‎

used to come down Adams Road and if you travel down Walton from ‎4‎:‎30 ‎to ‎6‎:‎00 ‎

p‎.‎m‎. ‎it is stacked up from Adams back to Squirrel Road‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen wants to know how the projections that are being made will be ‎

representative of reality‎. ‎Should the policies be reevaluating the policies as currently ‎

set forth in the transportation plan‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that the model gives it best bet on what the projections will be‎. ‎The ‎

forecast can then be revised with whatever data is available‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Robbins remarked that it is difficult to review a transportation plan which ‎

encompasses data from ‎1990‎. ‎The City will be spending millions of dollars on road ‎

improvements based on a plan that was adopted with old forecasts‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Robbins ‎

would like to see actual figures‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers stated that the model is not the ‎“‎end all‎.‎” ‎Cities normally do not build ‎

roads based on model volumes‎. ‎The model is calibrated to the standards that are ‎

available‎. ‎Perhaps, in six months to a year, when SEMCOG has the figures available ‎

for ‎1995 ‎the model can be reviewed again‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Rizzardi said that in the past he has used a QRS system‎. ‎When models were ‎

projected forward to the year ‎2000 ‎the networks were not changed‎. ‎The networks ‎

remained the same‎. ‎You then take the most recent traffic count and see if it falls in ‎

between the ‎1995 ‎to ‎2000 ‎year projections‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber noted that even though the most recent socio‎-‎economic data is not ‎

available the counts could still be compared to the forecasts‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers suggested that even though it is not in the scope of the project the ‎1997 ‎

counts could be equated with the current forecast‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett pointed out that transportation investment decisions are being made ‎

across the metropolitan area today based upon the same data‎. ‎This is where ‎

SEMCOG is with their model and this is what BRW was limited to for the ‎

development of the plan‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber said that in order to improve the model the areas could be prioritized‎. ‎The ‎

worst scenarios need to be defined so that the priority areas can be taken care of‎. ‎

This is what the update is going to be used for‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen noted that if you look at the issue on page ‎8‎, which indicates that the ‎

roadways should be maintained and improved to facilitate persons coming in from ‎

other communities to shop in Rochester Hills, appears to be in direct conflict with the ‎

master land use plan‎. ‎In addition, how does the City deal with the concept that was ‎

included last time about actually having to live with some type of congestion‎.‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin confirmed that the concept of ‎“‎living with congestion‎” ‎were ideas that ‎

were communicated at some of the planning sessions‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen remarked that if Crooks Road was designed as a four lane road all the ‎

way down it would funnel a lot of traffic down to the expressways‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Rosen also ‎

asked if the study assumes that M‎-‎59 ‎is continued as a four lane freeway‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen wondered if it would be worthwhile to perform interim reality checks or ‎

interpolation for the City of Rochester Hills based on figures from ‎1990 ‎through the ‎

year ‎2000‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Meyers said that there would have to be enough count coverage‎. ‎Count ‎

coverage means ‎60 ‎percent whether it is ‎1995 ‎or ‎1996‎. ‎There needs to be enough ‎

counts to properly and accurately calibrate the model and to make sure the model is ‎

calibrated in ‎

1996 ‎or ‎1997‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers also noted that he does not know what the count ‎

program is in ‎1997‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Meyers will ask Mr‎. ‎Dearing about this matter‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen ascertained that perhaps the Fast Trac program with Oakland County has ‎

information on counts‎. ‎They may be able to give the City a print out of the counts ‎

from last month‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett ascertained that he is not sure that if this additional work was ‎

completed that the model would be any better off‎. ‎The reason being that the model ‎

and the output that has been obtained is a planning tool which helps to identify where ‎

the probable areas of congestion are going to be‎. ‎The cost of meeting the current ‎

needs in the City is going to be twenty times what is going to be available in terms of ‎

resources in order to make the improvements‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett also pointed out that the additional information will help to set priorities ‎

to determine where the very worst places in the City are located‎. ‎The input will really ‎

be determined by the Board‎’‎s judgment and this information will be then be compared ‎

with the context for setting priorities and for identifying the improvements that are ‎

going to be put into the priorities‎. ‎There will be a lot of projects that are not going to ‎

be able to be done‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett also noted for the record that the update will contain a list of ‎

recommended improvements‎. ‎The improvements will be prioritized by the Board‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Rosen indicated that the Board wants to have a level of confidence that the model ‎

is close enough to reality in order to give the plan direction and a reasonable picture of ‎

the future‎. ‎

Mr‎. ‎Robbins then suggested that the ‎1990 ‎data be used to create a model for the year ‎

1997 ‎and then using the data that is available for ‎1997 ‎reinput the data in order to ‎

create a new baseline for ‎1997‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber also recommended that a comparison be made using the actual data from ‎

1997 ‎and comparing this to the year ‎2000 ‎projections to make sure that the model is ‎

within the required recommended deviation‎. ‎Mr‎. ‎Gaber added that he is not looking ‎

for the exact projections‎.‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin asked for a clarification on the information which is being requested‎. ‎

Does the Board want to use actual ‎1997 ‎average daily trip data for the study area as ‎

defined‎. ‎

Board members then concurred that the information that is used in the model should ‎

be the most recent information as possible using the current SEMCOG standards‎. ‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin said that she is hearing the concept of checking every link and spot ‎

checking‎. ‎If spot checking is utilized, what is acceptable and what isn‎’‎t acceptable‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Gaber said that since funding is not available to create new base line data for the ‎

entire network, it is not that crucial to have everything exact ‎20 ‎years from now ‎

because the plan will contain the east‎/‎west and north‎/‎south most troubled areas‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Robbins expressed his concern regarding a plan that indicates certain priorities ‎

which could be changed with data that would be received from the next census‎. ‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin concluded that the Board members are looking for more of a ‎

confidence level‎. ‎Board members asked that the model encompass the most recent ‎

traffic data that is available‎. ‎If the staff feels comfortable with this item, it will be ‎

brought back to the Board with findings that will address the concerns of the Board‎. ‎

Mrs‎. ‎Goodwin then asked that the Board members to return their specific comments ‎

to her office‎.‎

Mr‎. ‎Franchett said that the next plan will be to begin to identify specific improvements ‎

in the plan‎. ‎Response must be made to the indication of needs and how these items ‎

will be addressed‎. ‎Issues from this evening will need to be resolved before moving ‎

ahead with the changes in the model‎.‎

Discussed

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There was no other business‎.‎

NEXT MEETING DATE

The next Regular Meeting will take place on Tuesday, May ‎13‎, ‎1997‎.‎

ADJOURNMENT

Hearing no further business to come before the Planning Commission, Vice ‎

Chairperson Rosen adjourned the study session at ‎9‎:‎35 ‎p‎.‎m‎.‎