bike-ped roundtable agenda | july 2011

7/28/2019 Bike-Ped Roundtable Agenda | July 2011

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Altoona Ankeny Bondurant Carlisle Clive Dallas County Des Moines DART Grimes Johnston Mitchellville NorwalkPleasant Hill Polk City Polk County Urbandale Warren County Waukee West Des Moines Windsor Heights

NOTICE OF MEETING

Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)Central Iowa Bicycle Pedestrian Roundtable (Roundtable)

***************************12:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 19, 2011St. Etienne Room, Armory Building

602 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA***************************

TENTATIVEAGENDA

1. Call To Order

2. Introductions

3. Approval of Agenda

4. Approval of the Roundtables June 21, 2011, Meeting Minutes.........................................Page 2

Approve the J une 21, 2011, meeting minutes

5. REPORT: Central Iowa Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.........................................Page 6

Review status ofConnect Plan; consider implementation measures

6. REPORT: Complete Street LegislationPage 7

Review Federal Complete Street legislation; consider action

7. REPORT: Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding in Federal Transportation Bill........................Page 8

Review long-term transportation bill spending priorities; consider action8. REPORT: National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project...Page 9

Review the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project; consider participation

9. INFORMATION: Transpor tation Event wi th Congressman Leonard Bosw ell.....Page 10

10. INFORMATION: Bike and Ride Data...Page 11

11. Other Non-Action Items of Interest to the Committee

12. Future Agenda Items

13. Next Roundtable Meeting Date

Consider foregoing the August 16, 2011 meeting and reconvening at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday,September 20, 2011, MPO Office 420 Watson Powell J r. Way, Des Moines, IA

14. Adjournment


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J uly 2011Item No. 4

ISSUE:

REPORT: Approve minutes of the J une 21, 2011, Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable

meeting

BACKGROUND:

The minutes of the J une 21, 2011, Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable meeting areenclosed on the following pages.

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve the minutes of the J une 21, 2011, Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable meeting.

FY 2012 Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. 2 Please call (515) 334-0075 to obtain permission for use


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MEETING NOTES

DES MOINES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO)CENTRAL IOWA BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN ROUNDTABLE (ROUNDTABLE)

June 21, 2011 City of Des Moines, St. Etienne Room

12:00 PM Des Moines, Iowa

Roundtable Attendees Present:

Marco Alvarez, City of West Des Moines

Andrea Chase, Natural Heritage Foundation

Dana Conn, Transportation Management Assoc.

Travis Evans, City of Ankeny

Jan Herke, City of Urbandale

Scott Hock, City of Urbandale

Jim Lane, City of Norwalk, Chair

Mindy Moore, City of Des Moines

Ruth Randleman, City of Carlisle/MAC

Todd Redenius, City of Ankeny

Stefanie Toftey, DART

Carl Voss, Trails and Greenways Committee

Ron Ward, City of Johnston

Roundtable Staff Present:

Zach Young, Associate Transportation Planner

Luke Parris, Associate Transportation Planner

I. Call to Order

Chair Jim Lane called the June 21, 2011, Roundtable meeting to order at 12:00 p.m., at

the St. Etienne Room, Armory Building, 602 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA.

II. Introduction

Participants introduced themselves.

III. Approval of Agenda

Participants approved the June 21, 2011, Roundtable meeting agenda.

IV. Approval o f the Roundtab les May 17, 2011, Meeting Notes

Participants approved the Roundtables April 19, 2011, meeting notes.

V. (A.) Trail Counter Purchase

Staff updated the Roundtable on the Central Iowa Regional Transportation PlanningAlliances (CIRTPA) interest in using excess planning funds to purchase trail

counters. Staff noted that CIRTPAs main concern was whether data collected would

be useful for member governments and agencies. The CIRTPA members were also

concerned about the need for cooperation between CIRTPA and the Des Moines Area

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Chair Jim Lane noted that governments and agencies in central Iowa need to establish

baseline numbers for trail use. Chair Lane stated that having baseline data is crucial to



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Agenda ReportMPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable

successfully move forward with trail development in central Iowa.

Todd Redenius commented that having data provided by the trail counters would be

extremely useful. Mr. Redenius noted that data would be especially useful to promote

trail projects, justify the allocation of Capital Improvement Project funds, and help to

determine economic impact. Having accurate data on trail use would also be

beneficial for grant writing and moving forward with trail network expansion. Mr.Redenius also noted that trail counts are being taken on the High Trestle Trail (HTT)

as part of a project conducted by an Iowa State University student.

Discussion ensued concerning trail counting on HTT and getting baseline data for

central Iowa.

Mindy Moore noted that Des Moines has also been using trail counters without much

success. Ms. Moore noted that this is due to the counters being hard to operate,

complex software, vandalism, and maintenance issues. However, Ms. Moore noted

that Des Moines is interested in having the type of data that counters would provide.

Carl Voss informed the group about the national trail count date in September. Mr.

Voss encourage the Roundtable to consider getting volunteers to participate in thecount day. Mr. Voss suggested that this type of manual counting could be done while

staff is working on a trail counter purchase agreement.

Discussion returned to the topic of trail counters including ownership issues, what trail

would be counted, and whether counters would be available for use in the

Metropolitan Planning Area.

Andrea Chase noted that not every trail had to be counted each year and that a rotation

could be set up to count the trails.

Staff noted that it is possible an agreement could be made between CIRTPA and the

MPO so that counters could be used on the system as a whole and not just withinCIRTPAs planning boundary.

Mr. Redenius made a motion to recommend that CIRTPA go forward with the

purchase of trail counters. Ms. Chase seconded the motion. Roundtable members

voted on the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

V. (B.) Bicycle Tourism Update

Andrea Chase provided a brief update concerning bicycle tourism in central Iowa.

Ms. Chase noted that the Trails Marketing Group has purchased several website

domains to promote Iowa as the trails capital of the world. The websites provide a

clearinghouse for trail activities in central Iowa.

Discussion ensued concerning the layout of the website and its intended purpose.

Chair Lane noted that these websites would provide a link to all trail activities in

central Iowa, bring visitors into the region, and provide some payback in the form of

sales tax dollars for the money invested in trails.



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V. (C.) Smart Code Update

Staff discussed smart codes in relation to the Central Iowa Bicycle and Pedestrian

Action Plan (Connect). Staff requested that the Roundtable members report to the

group if they had discussed smart codes with their planning departments.

Chair Lane noted that Norwalk is not currently considering smart codes.

Todd Redenius reported that he had spoken with Ankenys director of

planning/building and that he thought smart codes were great in theory. He

encouraged staff to get the MPO Transportation Technical Committee involved in the

process. He also suggested selecting a pilot project to demonstrate smart codes in

practice.

Ruth Randleman noted that smart codes would tie in well with the Regional Plan for

Sustainable developmentas well as Capital Crossroads and the Des Moines Area

Regional Transit AuthoritysDART Forward 2035 plan. Ms. Randleman noted that

the Roundtable should keep informed about these plans to ensure that these types of

elements are being included.

V. (D.) Second Annual Iowa Trails Summi t Update

Andrea Chase provided a brief update on the 2011 Iowa Trails Summit. Ms. Chase

noted that the summit was a great networking opportunity for recreational trail

professionals. Ms. Chase commented that is was exciting to see all the government

agencies together to discuss trails.

V. (E.) Bicycle Facilit ies Gap Study

Staff reviewed the bicycle facilities map with Roundtable members.

VI. (A.) Bike-and-Ride Counts

Roundtable participants reviewed the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority

(DART) and CyRide bike-and-ride counts for May 2011.

VII. Other Items of Interest to the Roundtable

VIII. Next MPO Roundtable Meeting Date

The next Roundtable meeting is scheduled for July 19, 2011, at noon.

IX. Adjournment

The June 21, 2011, Roundtable meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.



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ISSUE:

REPORT: Brief report concerning the status of the Central Iowa Bicycle and PedestrianAction Plan and discussion of implementation measures.

BACKGROUND:

The Central Iowa Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (Connect) was completed in the fallof 2009. The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Central Iowa Regional

Transportation Planning Alliance (CIRTPA) received and filed the Connect Plan at thattime.

The MPO staff notes that Connect is an action plan with a horizon date of 2020. Staffrequests that Roundtable members share their thoughts on the Connect Plans impact todate. Is your jurisdiction using the plan? Has your jurisdiction adopted the plan?

The MPO staff requests that the Roundtable discuss how to move forward with theimplementation of the Connect Plan.

RECOMMENDATION:

None. Report and discuss only.

STAFF CONTACT:

Zach Young, [email protected];(515) 334-0075, extension #208.



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ISSUE:

REPORT: Brief report concerning State and Federal complete streets legislation anddiscussion of possible Roundtable actions.

BACKGROUND:

In the past several months, two bills concerning complete streets were introduced in theHouse and Senate. These bills include:

H.R. 1780: Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 Introduced May 5,2011 by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA). The bill was referred to the HouseCommittee on Transportation and Infrastructures subcommittee onHighways and Transit on May 6, 2011.

S. 1056: Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 Introduced May 24,

2011, by Sen. Thomas Harkin (D-IA). The bill was referred to the SenateCommittee on Environment and Public Works on May 24, 2011.

The purpose of the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 is to ensure that road projectsthat utilize federal funds provide safe transportation options for all users includingpedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.

The MPO staff requests that the Roundtable consider what actions the Roundtable, MPO,and member governments could take to support these bills.

The full text of both versions of the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 are

included in this agenda packets supplemental materials.

RECOMMENDATION:

None. Report and discuss only.

STAFF CONTACT:




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ISSUE:

REPORT: Brief report concerning bicycle and pedestrian funding in the proposals Federaltransportation reauthorization and discussion of possible Roundtable actions.

BACKGROUND:

On J uly 7, 2011, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released theirtransportation reauthorization proposal. The proposal authorizes approximately $230billion over a six-year period. This proposal represents a substantial decrease in fundingfor transportation.

This proposal eliminates dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. Thefunding programs listed for elimination included Transportation Enhancements, SafeRoutes to School, and the Recreational Trails Program.

These programs only amount to 1.5% of the transportation budget but are a significantsource of funding for alternative bicycle and pedestrian projects. Eliminating theseprograms will have an insignificant effect on the federal budget. However, staff believes itwill create negative implications for local governments that are working to provide theircitizens with multiple transportation options.

The MPO staff requests that the Roundtable consider what actions the Roundtable, MPO,and member governments could take to support these importation programs.

RECOMMENDATION:

None. Report and discussion only.

STAFF CONTACT:




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ISSUE:

REPORT: Brief report concerning the National Bicycle and Pedestrian DocumentationProject and possible participation.

BACKGROUND:

The National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (NBPD) was established in2002. Alta Planning & Design along with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)Pedestrian and Bicycle Council cosponsor the NBPD Project. The NBPD Project providesa methodology for estimating the existing and future bicycle and pedestrian demand in acommunity.

National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project count dates are as follows:

September 13-15, 2011

J anuary 10-12, 2011 May 15-17, 2012 J uly 3-5, 2011 September 11-13, 2012

Participating in the NBPD Project will provide consistent and ongoing data. Planners,local governments, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals can use the data to measurethe positive benefits of bicycle and pedestrian investments.

Staff requests that the Roundtable consider whether central Iowa should participate in theNational Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project.

RECOMMENDATION:

None. Report and discussion only.

STAFF CONTACT:




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INFORMATION:

INFORMATION: Brief report concerning transportation event with Congressman LeonardBoswell

BACKGROUND:

Congressman Leonard Boswell plans to meet with constituents to discuss transportationissues affecting the region. On J uly 6, 2011, the MPO staff met with CongressmanBoswells staff to discuss organizing an event around the visit. Through this meeting, itwas determined that August 18, 2011 at 3:00 p.m., prior to the MPO Policy Committeemeeting, would be a suitable time to hold an event with local transportation stakeholders.

The roundtable event would be approximately an hour long consisting of briefpresentations by Congressman Boswell and representatives from the private and publicsector. The remaining time will be a question and answer session.

The event will spotlight transportation challenges and opportunities facing the region in thecoming years, including transportation authorization. The event would also provide anopportunity to focus on two key bills introduced in Congress this year:

H.R. 2091: Freight Rail Inf rastruc ture Capacity Expansion Act of 2011 Introduced J une 2, 2011 by Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA). On J une 2,2011, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R. 1780: Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 Introduced May 5,2011 by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA). On May 6, 2011, the bill was referredto the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructures

subcommittee on Highways and Transit. (The MPO staff notes that theSafe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 was also introduced in the Senateas S.1056 by Sen. Thomas Harkin (D-IA) on May 24, 2011).

The key participants in this event would include MPO member governments and agencies,the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority, the Central Iowa Bicycle and PedestrianRoundtable, the Freight Roundtable, and the Greater Des Moines Partnership. The eventwould be open to other organizations with an interest in transportation issues as well asthe general public.

RECOMMENDATION:

None. Information only.

STAFF CONTACT:




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INFORMATION:

INFORMATION: Brief report concerning bike and ride data for central Iowa.

BACKGROUND:

Below are the most recent Bike & Ride Counts for the Des Moines Area Regional TransitAuthority (DART) and CyRide (Ames):

TABLE 1.DART Bike & Ride User Counts per Month by Year

Source: DART

TABLE 2. CyRide Bike & Ride User Counts per Month by Year

Source: CyRide

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

JANUARY - 334 717 718 521 341 636

FEBRUARY - 425 378 623 973 356 868

MARCH - 553 833 1,183 1,935 N/A 2,252

APRIL - 771 1,256 1,904 2,792 2,902 3,075

MAY - 1,240 1,934 2,739 3,454 3,333 3,884JUNE - 1,718 2,632 3,297 4,228 3,828

JULY - 1,803 2,823 3,968 4,446 4,174

AUGUST - 2,077 3,202 6,636 4,385 4,425

SEPTEMBER - 1,898 2,823 3,844 4,156 3,945

OCTOBER 485 1,623 5,873 3,797 N/A 3,862

NOVEMBER 321 1,255 2,282 2,248 2,367 2,623

DECEMBER 99 1,064 701 701 910 1,316

TOTAL 905 14,761 25,454 31,658 30,167 31,105

2008 2009 2010 2011

JANUARY 17 22 134

FEBRUARY 38 63 160

MARCH 54 232 297

APRIL 53 322 376

MAY 189 248

JUNE 284 335

JULY 336 482

AUGUST 429 582

SEPTEMBER 87 401 576OCTOBER 169 289 507

NOVEMBER 79 139 293

DECEMBER 36 53 146

TOTAL 370 2,282 3,808 134



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RECOMMENDATION:

None. Information only.

STAFF CONTACT:


FY 2012 D M i A M t lit Pl i O i ti 12 Pl ll (515) 334 0075 t bt i i i f

bike-ped roundtable agenda | july 2011

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