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

) *************************** 12:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 19, 2011 St. Etienne Room, Armory Building 602 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA *************************** TENTATIVE AGENDA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Call To Order Introductions Approval of Agenda Approval of the Roundtables June 21, 2011, Meeting Minutes.........................................Page 2 Approve the June 21, 2011, meeting minutes REPORT: Central Iowa Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.........................................Page 6 Review status of Connect Plan; consider implementation measures REPORT: Complete Street LegislationPage 7 Review Federal Complete Street legislation; consider action REPORT: Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding in Federal Transportation Bill........................Page 8 Review long-term transportation bill spending priorities; consider action REPORT: National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project...Page 9 Review the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project; consider participation INFORMATION: Transportation Event with Congressman Leonard Boswell.....Page 10 INFORMATION: Bike and Ride Data...Page 11 Other Non-Action Items of Interest to the Committee Future Agenda Items 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 Jr. Way, Des Moines, IA Adjournment

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

July 2011 Item No. 4 ISSUE: REPORT: Approve minutes of the June 21, 2011, Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable meeting BACKGROUND: The minutes of the June 21, 2011, Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable meeting are enclosed on the following pages. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the minutes of the June 21, 2011, Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable meeting.

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

June 21, 2011 12:00 PM

City of Des Moines, St. Etienne Room 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 of the Roundtables 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 Planning Alliances (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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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 the count 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 within CIRTPAs 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 development as well as Capital Crossroads and the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authoritys DART 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 Summit 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 Facilities 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. VIII.

Other Items of Interest to the Roundtable 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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July 2011 Item No. 5 ISSUE: REPORT: Brief report concerning the status of the Central Iowa Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan and discussion of implementation measures. BACKGROUND: The Central Iowa Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (Connect) was completed in the fall of 2009. The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance (CIRTPA) received and filed the Connect Plan at that time. The MPO staff notes that Connect is an action plan with a horizon date of 2020. Staff requests that Roundtable members share their thoughts on the Connect Plans impact to date. 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 the implementation of the Connect Plan. RECOMMENDATION: None. Report and discuss only. STAFF CONTACT: Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org; (515) 334-0075, extension #208.

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July 2011 Item No. 6 ISSUE: REPORT: Brief report concerning State and Federal complete streets legislation and discussion of possible Roundtable actions. BACKGROUND: In the past several months, two bills concerning complete streets were introduced in the House 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 House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructures subcommittee on Highways 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 Senate Committee 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 projects that utilize federal funds provide safe transportation options for all users including pedestrians, 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: Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org; (515) 334-0075, extension #208.

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July 2011 Item No. 7 ISSUE: REPORT: Brief report concerning bicycle and pedestrian funding in the proposals Federal transportation reauthorization and discussion of possible Roundtable actions. BACKGROUND: On July 7, 2011, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released their transportation reauthorization proposal. The proposal authorizes approximately $230 billion over a six-year period. This proposal represents a substantial decrease in funding for transportation. This proposal eliminates dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. The funding programs listed for elimination included Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and the Recreational Trails Program. These programs only amount to 1.5% of the transportation budget but are a significant source of funding for alternative bicycle and pedestrian projects. Eliminating these programs will have an insignificant effect on the federal budget. However, staff believes it will create negative implications for local governments that are working to provide their citizens 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: Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org; (515) 334-0075, extension #208.

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July 2011 Item No. 8 ISSUE: REPORT: Brief report concerning the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project and possible participation. BACKGROUND: The National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (NBPD) was established in 2002. Alta Planning & Design along with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Pedestrian and Bicycle Council cosponsor the NBPD Project. The NBPD Project provides a methodology for estimating the existing and future bicycle and pedestrian demand in a community. National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project count dates are as follows: September 13-15, 2011 January 10-12, 2011 May 15-17, 2012 July 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 measure the positive benefits of bicycle and pedestrian investments. Staff requests that the Roundtable consider whether central Iowa should participate in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project. RECOMMENDATION: None. Report and discussion only. STAFF CONTACT: Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org; (515) 334-0075, extension #208.

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July 2011 Item No. 9 INFORMATION: INFORMATION: Brief report concerning transportation event with Congressman Leonard Boswell BACKGROUND: Congressman Leonard Boswell plans to meet with constituents to discuss transportation issues affecting the region. On July 6, 2011, the MPO staff met with Congressman Boswells staff to discuss organizing an event around the visit. Through this meeting, it was determined that August 18, 2011 at 3:00 p.m., prior to the MPO Policy Committee meeting, would be a suitable time to hold an event with local transportation stakeholders. The roundtable event would be approximately an hour long consisting of brief presentations by Congressman Boswell and representatives from the private and public sector. The remaining time will be a question and answer session. The event will spotlight transportation challenges and opportunities facing the region in the coming years, including transportation authorization. The event would also provide an opportunity to focus on two key bills introduced in Congress this year: H.R. 2091: Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act of 2011 Introduced June 2, 2011 by Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA). On June 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 referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructures subcommittee on Highways and Transit. (The MPO staff notes that the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 was also introduced in the Senate as 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 Pedestrian Roundtable, the Freight Roundtable, and the Greater Des Moines Partnership. The event would be open to other organizations with an interest in transportation issues as well as the general public. RECOMMENDATION: None. Information only. STAFF CONTACT: Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org; (515) 334-0075, extension #208.

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July 2011 Item No. 10 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 Transit Authority (DART) and CyRide (Ames):

TABLE 1. DART Bike & Ride User Counts per Month by Year
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER TOTAL 2005 485 321 99 905 2006 334 425 553 771 1,240 1,718 1,803 2,077 1,898 1,623 1,255 1,064 14,761 2007 717 378 833 1,256 1,934 2,632 2,823 3,202 2,823 5,873 2,282 701 25,454 2008 718 623 1,183 1,904 2,739 3,297 3,968 6,636 3,844 3,797 2,248 701 31,658 2009 521 973 1,935 2,792 3,454 4,228 4,446 4,385 4,156 N/A 2,367 910 30,167 2010 341 356 N/A 2,902 3,333 3,828 4,174 4,425 3,945 3,862 2,623 1,316 31,105 2011 636 868 2,252 3,075 3,884

Source: DART

TABLE 2. CyRide Bike & Ride User Counts per Month by Year
2008 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER TOTAL Source: CyRide 2009 17 38 54 53 189 284 336 429 401 289 139 53 2,282 2010 22 63 232 322 248 335 482 582 576 507 293 146 3,808 2011 134 160 297 376

87 169 79 36 370

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RECOMMENDATION: None. Information only. STAFF CONTACT: Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org; (515) 334-0075, extension #208.

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