H-GAC Transportation Newsletter: June 2018
The latest news from the Houston-Galveston Area Council's Transportation Department!
Transportation Policy Council: May 25, 2018
Transportation Policy Council (TPC) members unanimously adopted a Resolution of Commendation honoring the service of Executive Director Jack Steele. Members graciously applauded and thanked Jack for 39 years as H-GAC's representative on the Policy Council.

(Pictured left to right: First Vice Chair Ken Clark, Executive Director Jack Steele, Chairman Matt Sebesta, Secretary Tom Reid.)

Resolutions were also adopted to amend the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), adopt the 2019-2022 TIP, and amend the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) to add planning factors and performance measures as required in the FAST Act.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the MPO, TxDOT and transit providers was also approved. View the May TPC meeting livestream archive HERE.
H-GAC Welcomes Adam Beckom, Karen Owen, and Nathan Shay to the Transportation Department
Adam Beckom, Program Manager
Adam Beckom joined the Houston-Galveston Area Council in May 2018. Adam will be working with the planning and project development team and will lead the development of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).

Adam received his Bachelors Degree in Geography from Texas A&M University in College Station and his Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington. Adam is a self-proclaimed “technophile” who enjoys cooking, traveling, and visiting with friends and family.
Karen Owen, Senior Planner
Karen joins H-GAC as a Senior Planner in the Transportation Department and will work with Adam's team in planning and project development. 

Prior to H-GAC, Karen worked for the Longview MPO for 24 years as a Transportation Planning Manager. She was responsible for the management and development of short and long-range transportation plans, project coordination and outreach, the MPO workplan, and travel demand modeling and special studies for the Longview Metropolitan Planning Area. 

Karen is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Curriculum and Instruction. A native Houstonian, Karen is an avid Astros fan and the proud mother of two daughters.
Nathan Shay, Senior Data Analyst
Nathan Shay comes to H-GAC from Columbus, Ohio, where he worked in travel demand modeling at the local MPO. He will be working with the Transportation Department's traffic modeling and GIS team.

Nathan has a Master’s level education in both Civil Engineering and City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

Nathan brings a technical skillset as well as an interest in the interface of engineering, planning, policy, and the public to the regional transportation planning process.
Teens in the Driver's Seat Sponsor Award
For the second year in row, the H-GAC MPO received a Sponsor Award from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Teens in the Driver's Seat (TDS) Program. TDS is a peer-to-peer driving safety initiative to reduce the number of teen injuries and deaths from traffic crashes. 

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of teens in the United States, accounting for more than 6,000 deaths each year. Many of these crashes are due to driver inexperience or distractions like cellular phone use and text messaging. 

In response to this growing epidemic, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute established the TDS Program, which uses positive peer relations to encourage teenage drivers to develop safe driving habits.

Currently, there are 44 TDS chapters in high schools, junior high schools, and junior colleges throughout the region. The TDS program also has chapters at schools in other parts of Texas and in California, Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, and Colorado. For more information about this program, visit the TDS website at https://www.t-driver.com.
2045 RTP: What's Next?
Residents, transportation partners, elected officials, and other stakeholders actively participated in the first round of 2045 RTP public meetings, which concluded May 1, 2018.
 
H-GAC welcomed engaging conversation and feedback from attendees in the MPO's eight county service area. The majority of public comments received pertain to building a balanced, integrated multi-modal transportation system that provides accessibility, reduces dependence on automobiles, and reduces traffic congestion.

Next steps in the RTP process involve the 2018 call for projects, which begins July 2, 2018 and remains open through August 31. To learn more about submitting projects, visit H-GAC's Transportation Improvement Program web page.

H-GAC is still accepting requests for RTP presentations to local stakeholders within our region. Please email [email protected] to request a presentation for your organization. 
In Case You Missed It ...
Mr. Richard Byrnes, the Port of Houston's Chief Infrastructure Officer, presented at the May Brown Bag Lunch Series event at H-GAC.

Speaking to a fairly large audience, Mr. Byrnes discussed the Port's day-to-day activities and future plans.

Event attendees learned about the Port's cargo growth, regional mobility, the current state of the Houston ship channel, the impacts from Hurricane Harvey, and goals looking ahead to year 2040.
Save The Date: July 16, 2018 Brown Bag Lunch Series
What Is Commute Solutions?

Monday, July 16, 2018
Noon - 1:00 p.m.

H-GAC Offices
3555 Timmons Lane
2nd Floor, Room B
Houston, TX 77027

The event will feature staff from H-GAC's Commute Solutions Team. Bring your lunch, bring a friend, and join us for this event!
Bike to Work Day at H-GAC
H-GAC celebrated National Bike Month by organizing a series of biking events, which encouraged staff to ride bicycles to nearby destinations.

From Bike to Coffee Day to the flagship Bike to Work Day, staff actively participated, learning tips about biking from some of H-GAC’s experienced riders.

Biking to work can be intimidating, particularly when biking alone. By establishing groups and assigning designated group leaders in various parts of town, participants rode in teams with greater confidence and comfort. Bicyclists rode in from Montrose, the Museum District, Downtown Houston, and as far out as Katy.

H-GAC will look to keep the momentum rolling by hosting similar events later this year. To learn more about H-GAC’s Bike Month, or how to partner on future Bike to Work events, contact Diane Dohm.
Upcoming Meetings
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting

Wednesday, June 13, 2018 
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 

H-GAC Offices
3555 Timmons Lane
2nd Floor, Room B
Houston, TX 77027
Transportation Policy Council (TPC) Meeting

Friday, June 22, 2018
9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 

H-GAC Offices
3555 Timmons Lane
2nd Floor, Room B
Houston, TX 77027