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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-14-2007 RTBC~'`~~ r~~~~ JCCOG m e m o MEETING NOTICE JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 4:00 PM Iowa City City Hall -Lobby Conference Room AGENDA 1. Call to order; recognize alternates; consider approval of minutes 2. Public discussion 3. Discussion on identifying a Bicycle Route from Creekside Park to Downtown Iowa City 4. Discussion of Willow Creek Trail /Highway 218 pedestrian tunnel 5. Update on Iowa City's Bicycle Friendly Communities application 6. Update on Safe Routes to Schools grant applications 7. Update on bicycle and pedestrian counts for the regional trails system 8. Update on State Drivers Education curriculum 9. Discussion of future agenda items 10. Other business 11. Adjournment Attachments: 1. Draft minutes from the March 27, 2007 RTBC meeting 2. Bicycle accommodations memorandum 3. Willow Creek Trail /Highway 218 pedestrian tunnel memorandum 4. Safe Routes to Schools letters 5. Regional trail use memorandum 6. TE and STP applications and scoring criteria Call Kent Ralston, JCCOG Assistant Transportation. Planner, at 319-356-5253 with questions. Preliminary Draft Subject to Approval MINUTES JCCOG REGIONAL TRAILS AND BICYCLING COMMITTEE TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2007 IOWA CITY CITY HALL LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM MEMBERS PRESENT: Shelly Simpson, Greg Kovaciny, Terry Dahms, Karin Dils, Terry Trueblood, Sheri Proud, Sally Stutsman MEMBERS ABSENT: Erling Anderson, Michelle Ribble OTHERS PRESENT: Del Holland, Mark Wyatt, Janelle Rettig STAFF PRESENT: Kent Ralston, Adam Ralston CALL TO ORDER Ralston called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 28 2006 MEETING Kovaciny requested a correction in the November 28, 2006 meeting minutes. Motion to approve minutes made by Stutsman and seconded by Dahms. Motion passed with a unanimous vote. PUBLIC DISCUSSION Ralston asked for public input for items not on the agenda. Wyatt stated that North Liberty has formed a bicycle, pedestrian, and trail committee. It will meet April 9 at 7:00 pm at the North Liberty. Community Center Room C. AGENDA ITEM #3: UPDATE ON THE DRAFT BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN SECTION OF THE JCCOG LONG-RANGE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE Ralston stated that comments from the RTBC, IDOT, and FHWA have been integrated into the preliminary draft section of the Long Range Multimodal Transportation Plan update. Ralston noted that the draft is available on the JCCOG website for review. Ralston stated that hard copies can be mailed to committee members only if necessary due to the cost of reproduction. Ralston also noted that hard copies are available for on-site review at the Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty libraries. Ralston asked that any comments regarding the draft be directed to him. Ralston stated that the draft is currently in a 60 day public comment period ending on May 12 and that any substantive comments received would be provided to the JCCOG Urbanized Area Policy Board for review. AGENDA ITEM #4: DISCUSSION ON IDENTIFYING A DESIGNATED BICYCLE ROUTE FROM CREEKSIDE PARK TO DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY Ralston noted that the request to investigate a safe bicycle route from Creekside Park to downtown Iowa City is in the JCCOG FY07 Transportation Planning Work Program at the request of Dee Vanderhoef. Ralston stated that kiosks containing maps, bike lanes, bike boulevards or other signage and/or pavement markings could be used to direct people from Creekside Park to downtown Iowa City. Ralston directed the committee's attention to a route alternatives map distributed in the agenda packet. Holland recommended talking to residents of the neighborhoods in question to formulate ideas. Holland stated that Sheridan is too heavily used for someone that is not a confident bicyclist and recommended construction of a wide sidewalk to alleviate this issue. Kovaciny stated that this is problematic due to the high number of intersecting streets. Dahms asked for clarification on whether Muscatine Avenue, Iowa Avenue, College Street, and Kirkwood Avenue are arterial streets. Ralston stated that Muscatine Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue are arterial streets and that Iowa Avenue and College Street are not. JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee March 27, 2007 Page 2 Ralston stated that a true bike lane on Muscatine Avenue would probably not be possible due to the width of the lanes; however, it would be possible to stripe a line delineating shoulder space for bicyclists. Dahms stated that retrofitting an existing arterial can be very difficult because people have a perception that their property extends to the street curb. Trueblood agreed. Wyatt asked about traffic calming opportunities and the possibility of making bicycles the priority on some streets. Ralston noted that certain conditions must be met before traffic calming can be used and that traffic calming would not be an option on arterial sheets. Rettig asked whether the objective is to get to downtown or to the Iowa River Corridor trail. Ralston stated that Dee Vanderhoef had requested a route from Creekside Park to downtown. Ralston added that connecting downtown to the Iowa River Corridor trail may be difficult and that is the reason that Kirkwood Avenue is noted as an option to access the Iowa River Corridor trail on the map provided. Wyatt asked if designated bike routes exist. Ralston stated that designated bicycle route signs have been used in the past but are no longer used because individuals felt like the signs forced them to utilize certain roadways when they are legally allowed to ride on all roads. Dahms noted the possibility of adding a 4 foot sidewalk onto the existing sidewalks on Muscatine Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue. Dahms suggesting asking Dee Vanderhoef if she thought a serpentine sidewalk would be possible. Trueblood mentioned that paving over underground utilities might be problematic. Rettig asked if a route from Sheridan Avenue to the Hwy 6 trail would be a possibility. Ralston stated that he thought Vanderhoef had requested researching a route from Creekside park to downtown because this would help connect east Iowa City with Coralville and North Liberty, and that a route heading south to Highway 6 would add to the distance required to get from east Iowa City to those locations. Ralston explained that it would be a good idea for all municipalities in the urbanized area to adopt the same type of mechanisms to guide bicyclists through existing neighborhoods in order to achieve continuity between the communities. Ralston asked the committee if the route from Creekside Park to downtown Iowa City was a RTBC issue. Ralston indicated that he would talk to Dee Vanderhoef about this issue and would return with more information at the next meeting. Ralston stated that he would check on the status of the road condition on Summit Street between Burlington Street and College streets for Kovaciny. AGENDA ITEM #5: UPDATE ON REGIONAL TRAIL PROJECTS Dils stated that the East Tiffin Trail will likely bid in the fall and be constructed in the spring of 2008. Simpson stated that the Liberty Centre Trail has been completed. Proud stated that the Coralville Clear Creek Trail Phase IV bids will be rejected and a public hearing on round 2 bids will be held. Proud noted that a portion of the project will likely be built this year. Ralston stated the IRP Dam and Pedestrian Bridge has been completed and that the Court Hill Trail is funded but construction has been pushed back to 2008. AGENDA ITEM #6: UPDATE ON IOWA BICYCLE SUMMIT Ralston stated that he attended the summit and presented material on bicycle level-of-service in conjunction with the JCCOG Complete Streets Policy while there. AGENDA ITEM #7: UPDATE ON JOHNSON COUNTY TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Ralston stated that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors has created the Johnson County Trails Advisory Committee to oversee projects within unincorporated Johnson County. Rettig stated that the committee met last week and that they voted to pursue finishing the connection between Iowa City and North Liberty via Dubuque JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee March 27, 2007 Page 3 Street. The committee will meet again Apri13, at 4:30 at the Johnson County Administration Building. Rettig added that the committee has advised the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to apply for state grants to complete this connection. Stutsman left at 5:05. AGENDA ITEM #8: UPDATE ON NEW WAYFINDING/GUIDE SIGNS FOR THE REGIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM Ralston stated that new wayfinding signs have been ordered for the regional trails network and are in the process of being installed. Sheri Proud indicated that she had received comments indicating that the signs may be physically too small. Kovaciny expressed concern that the text on the maps may be too small. Wyatt inquired about the implementation of 911 trail location codes for emergency response services on the regional trails system. Ralston stated that there are currently mile markers stenciled on the trails and that all of the major trails have been formally named to aid in emergency response on the metropolitan trails system. Ralston noted he would get more information regarding the use of the 911 trail location codes and bring that information to the next RTBC meeting. AGENDA ITEM #9: DISCUSS UPDATING THE URBANIZED AREA TRAILS MAP Ralston indicated that JCCOG is currently updating the area trails map for summer 2007 and requested that any trail updates be forwarded to him by April 6. Holland stated that Longfellow Nature Trail should be added to the trails map. Ralston stated that he would look into the feasibility of adding this segment. AGENDA ITEM #10: OTHER BUSINESS Ralston directed the committee to a memo from written by John Yapp that updated the Iowa City City Council on recent activities related to the regional trails system. Ralston stated that he attended a meeting in Marion on March 23, 2007 to speak on behalf of JCCOG in support of the Transportation Investment Moves the Economy in the 215` Century (TIME-21) initiative. Trueblood stated that the gates to the Iowa City Soccer Park on the Sycamore Greenway Trail are sometimes locked to avoid vandalism and that hours the gates will be open cannot be posted because the hours of Soccer Park operation vary due to event scheduling and staff scheduling. Trueblood added that access policies to the park will likely need to be changed at some point in the future. Dahms discussed a meeting he attended regarding the DOT Hwy 1 improvements project. Dahms stated that a separated trail along Hwy 1 would be beneficial for the community. Dahms noted that he would be advocating for a complete roads policy to be in place for the future. Ralston adjourned the meeting at 5:14. s/pcd/jccogrtbc/2007/3-27-07.doc l~ r~~~~ Date: August 7, 2007 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Kent Ralston, Assistant Transportation Planne~~~~`---- Re: August 14, 2007 agenda Items JCCOG m e m o Agenda Item #3: Discussion on identifying a Bicycle Route from Creekside Park to Downtown Iowa City At the March 27, 2007 Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee meeting, we began discussing the issue of how to safely and effectively route bicyclists from Creekside Park in east Iowa City to the downtown area. Options that were discussed at the March 27th meeting included: bicycle lanes, bicycle boulevards, multi-use paths, shared roadways, and use of other general signage; kiosks, etc. The question of whether or not the committee should tackle this specific issue also came up during the discussion, due to it being an Iowa City-specific issue. After discussing this issue with the Iowa City Planning staff, it was determined that this issue would be well suited for the Central Planning District planning efforts currently in progress. Iowa City Planning staff has held a number of public meetings to collect input on the future needs of the Central Planning District, and felt the topic of how to safely navigate older existing neighborhoods by bicycle would be appropriate for their next public input meeting to be held in September. Please be prepared to discuss whether or not you would like to make any specific recommendations regarding bicycle routes through older established neighborhoods. I have attached some general information on bicycle accommodations to help with discussion. This issue will likely continue to come up in other neighborhoods in the metropolitan area. Agenda Item #4: Discussion of Hunters Run Park pedestrian tunnel As directed in the JCCOG 2007 work program, JCCOG staff has conducted a preliminary investigation into the extension of the Willow Creek Trail from its current terminus on the east side of Highway 218 to Hunters Run Park on the west side of Highway 218. I have attached a memo outlining several available options and cost estimates to connect Hunter's Run Park with the existing Willow Creek Trail. Please be prepared to discuss the available alternatives and to make a recommendation to the City of Iowa City on a strategy to pursue. Agenda Item #5: Update on Iowa City's Bicycle Friendly Communities application Per Steve Atkins's request, JCCOG staff has completed the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Communities Application on behalf of the City of Iowa City. The Bicycle Friendly Communities program recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages residents to bike for both transportation and recreation. The application has two parts. Part 1 of the application process provides information about our community demographics, and Part 2 is a detailed audit of the engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and planning efforts our community has undertaken to enhance bicycling in our area. An update on our application status will be provided to the committee at our next meeting. Agenda Item #6: Update on Safe Routes to Schools grant applications Safe Routes to Schools is a Federal program that provides reimbursement grant monies to communities in order to provide infrastructure and education programs ensuring that children can walk or bike to school more safely. JCCOG is available to assist communities in obtaining the necessary information to complete a Safe Routes to Schools application. This can come in the form of data collection, transportation expertise, or other areas where JCCOG may be of assistance. I have attached a letter that was sent to the Iowa City Community and Clear Creek - Amana School Districts offering JCCOG's assistance in completing a Safe Routes to Schools application for 2007. The next Safe Routes to Schools application deadline is October 1, 2007. Agenda Item #7: Update on regional trails bicycle and pedestrian counts JCCOG staff has been actively collecting bicycle and pedestrian counts on regional trails over the last several months. We are now collecting data with an automated infrared counter that was purchased in 2006. The infrared counter gives us the ability to amass 24 hour counts much more efficiently than when previously collected by staff on-sight. If you have any requests for trail counts please let me know and we will add it to the program. I have attached a memo outlining the trail count data that we have collected this season. Agenda Item #8: Update on Drivers Education Curriculum Iowa law now requires driver education curriculum to include instruction about sharing the road with bicycles. To assist educators in meeting these requirements, the Iowa Department of Transportation has developed instruction materials for the classroom. The materials include a PowerPoint presentation and a manual that can be integrated into driver education courses. Agenda Item #9: Discussion of future agenda items Please be prepared to discuss any issues that you think should be addressed by the Regional Trails and Bicycling committee during subsequent meetings. Agenda Item #10: Other Business Agenda Item #11: Adjournment j ccogtp/mem/RTBCite ms8-7.doc r~~~~ Date: August 7, 2007 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: -Kent Ralston, Assistant Transportation Planner Re: Bicycle Accommodations JCCOG m e m o Although bicycles are classified as vehicles and can be legally ridden on all public roadways in Iowa (except for interstates), special accommodations can make riding a bicycle more safe and enjoyable. The appropriate bicycle facility design for a roadway may depend on traffic speed and volume, local preferences, neighborhood design, topography, and a number of other factors. Following is a list of basic design practices available to accommodate bicycle travel. Multi-Use Path A multi-use path (often called a trail or off-street path) is a facility separated from motor vehicle traffic. These facilities may exist within the street right-of--way, within an independent right-of- way or easement. Off-street paths are typically open to bicyclists and pedestrians and operate as two-way facilities. Multi-use paths are often appropriate in corridors not well served by the street system, to create short-cuts, to link destination points, or as elements of a recreational trail plan. Pros • More comfortable and enjoyable for casual riders • Provide recreation for bikes, peds, etc. • May link destination points Cons • Typically more expensive than alternatives • Maintenance costs • Land consumption Bicycle Lane A bicycle lane is a portion of the roadway exclusively designated for use by bicyclists in urban areas. Bicycle lanes are most often used on urban arterial and collector streets and must be clearly defined to call attention to its purpose. Typically, the bike lane is separated from other travel lanes by a painted stripe and uses a combination of lane markings and signage to further clarify its use. Pros Cons • Delineates roadway exclusively for bikes Uncomfortable for casual riders • Cost effective May collect debris • No additional infrastructure needed if the • Requires adequate lane width road pavement width is adequate Safety issues at Intersections Bicycle Accommodations Page 2 Bicycle Boulevard A bicycle boulevard is a street with relatively low traffic volumes where the through movement of bicycles is encouraged. Bike Boulevards are created by modifying the operation of a local street to function as a through street for bicyclists while discouraging motor vehicles. This is most often accomplished by utilizing traffic calming techniques such as speed humps or traffic circles, or in extreme cases diverting motorized traffic with signs or physical closures. Pavement markings and appropriate signage are often used to delineate a bicycle boulevard. Pros Cons • Minimal infrastructure requirements with Diffusion of motor vehicle traffic pavement markings and signs Traffic calming infrastructure can be costly • Good for all experience levels Partial or full street closures will result in • Cost effective diminished access to private property, and may inhibit service delivery and emergency response times Shared Roadways On a shared roadway, bicyclists and motorists share the same travel lanes. There are two kinds basic kinds of shared roadways; those with travel lanes less than 14' wide and those with travel lanes 14' wide or greater. The normal shared roadway has travel lanes less than 14' wide and motor vehicles typically have to cross the center lane in order to pass a bicycle. The wide outside lane shared roadway typically has travel lanes 14' wide or greater and can accommodate both a motor vehicle and a bicycle comfortably within the same travel lane; eliminating the need for a motor vehicle to cross the center line to overtake a bicycle. Three-lane roadways are a hybrid design. Vehicles may have to cross into the center turn lane to pass a bicycle, but do not have to cross into opposing traffic. Pros Cons • Safe for both motorists and experienced Inexperienced bicyclists may feel bicyclists uncomfortable sharing a lane • Direct routes for bicyclists Land consumption when constructing wide • Maintenance occurs with scheduled street travel lanes maintenance Bicycle Accommodations Page 3 Examples: jccogtplmemlbikeaccomm8-7.doc Paved Shoulder Multi-Use Path Pavement Markings Bike Boulevard Wide Outside Lane ~f j Date: August 7, 2007 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Kent Ralston; Assistant Transportation Planner 1~-. Re: Highway 218 pedestrian Tunnel at Hunter's Run Park Background J CCOG m e m o As directed in the JCCOG FY2007 work program, JCCOG staff has conducted a preliminary investigation into the feasibility of using an existing storm water culvert passing under Highway 218 as a pedestrian tunnel connecting Hunter's Run Park on the west side of Highway 218 with the current terminus of the Willow Creek Trail on the east side of Highway 218. - Univer Y ~ Heigh P.~ei=ate r~,9?. . ~ ~~. I ~' 4 ~ a ` a ~ ~ ~-- ~ ~ ~"~. ProjeotSite "s'4411o~a'~°eei' Sxr°~^: ~,~,..:...,. Vail ~ ~~ ~ + a a ,~~f~, ~:~~~, ~. ' .~`~ Willow Creek Trail Hunter's Run Park (26.6 acres) was established in 1985 and provides the Hunter's Run neighborhood with amenities such as biking trails, picnic areas, shelters and playground equipment. The Willow Creek Trail is approximately 2 miles long, and connects Willow Creek Park, Kiwanis Park, Walden Square commercial area, and West High School with surrounding neighborhoods. ,- ~~~ ~~ .t .~ The connection of Hunter's Run Park to the Willow Creek Trail would ultimately allow pedestrians on the west side of Highway 218 direct access to the locations previously mentioned and alleviate the need for pedestrians in the Hunter's Run Neighborhood to travel south to use the pedestrian crossings at the Rohret Road I Highway 218 overpass. Evidence shows that pedestrians currently utilize the existing storm water culvert in question to reach destinations on either side of Highway 218. Scope of Project The proposed project would utilize an existing storm water culvert passing under Highway 218 as a pedestrian tunnel connecting Hunter's Run Park on the west side of Highway 218 to the current terminus of the Willow Creek Trail on the east side of Highway 218. The existing culvert is approximately 8' in height, 8' in width (with an additional 6" frost trough), 380' in length, and exists within the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT} right-of-way. In preliminary discussions, Iowa DOT indicated that although the width and height of the culvert do not meet AASHTO standards, there is ~,' ~` ~~ ~- no inherent reason why the project could not proceed as long as local funds were used to finance the project (Federal resources would require that AASHTO standards are met). During an initial assessment, the Iowa City Engineering Division noted that the culvert appears to be in good condition and indicated that it would be reasonable to assume the culvert could be safely occupied by pedestrians pending further study of storm water flows. Additional research `normal' and `hi h flow' storm water conditions will be necessary before the project can on g advance. ro osed ro'ect will also require modified approaches to the culvert, adding appropriate The p p p J he trail on both the east li htin in the culvert, and adequate warning signage and extensions of t 9 g t sides of the culvert. The necessary trail extensions on either side of the culvert would and wes not re uire ro ert ac uisition as the land presently exists in IDOT right-of-way and I~kely q p p Y q i ro ert . Gradin for the necessary trail extensions would be minimal as much of existing C ty p p y g this work was completed during past protects. :~ . ~, I a ~~ ~y ~~, r ,k ~ ~ ~; s ~ ~ ~. a ~~k ~ `, ~. E i ~ ~~ J ~. , Proposed Options There are three basic options available for the proposed project and use of the storm water culvert in question. The first option is to construct a raised floor in the existing culvert similar to that used in the pedestrian tunnel under I-80 near Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville. In this arrangement, a raised and perforated floor is installed so that during `normal' storm water conditions water moves beneath the surface used by pedestrians, and in `high flow' storm water conditions the water is able to rise above the perforated floor as necessary. This allows the existing culvert to manage storm water efficiently during large storm events while accommodating pedestrian use during `normal' conditions. Since the existing culvert does not meet AASHTO guidelines for pedestrian use, federal funding would not be used for this option. Cost estimate $445,000. The second option is to construct a new tunnel to accommodate pedestrians parallel to the existing storm water culvert. This option would be the most costly option available but would allow for design of a more accommodating pedestrian tunnel. The new structure would, by law, meet AASHTO guidelines and therefore become eligible for federal funding. AASHTO guidelines recommend tunnels be 10' wide and maintain 10' vertical clearance. Cost estimate $2,430,000. ,~~, ~ j ~., ~ .~ ~~~~ .. a~* ~ `The third option is to install a separate pipe to manage •~ r~aifel to tf~e existin culvert. This option would make the most of the available storm water pa g existin culvert and be more cost effective that building a separate dedicated space in the g ~ lines for edestrian edestrian tunnel.. Since the existing culvert does not meet AASHTO guide p p eral fundin could not be used for this option. The necessity for this alternative may use, fed g ~ 580 000 become clearer with further study of storm water flows. Cost estimate $ , ase contact me at 319-356-5253 or kent-ralston a(~.iowa-city.orq with any questions you may Ple have. _._.` Johnson County Council of Governments 4)0 E V~/ashington St. Iowa City, Iowa 5ZZ40 ~r ~ July 17, 2007 Lane Plugge Iowa City Community School District 509 S. Dubuque St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: Safe Routes to Schools grant applications Mr. Plugge, The Safe Routes to Schools grant program offers grant monies for educational programs and infrastructure improvements to enable children to more safely walk or bike to school, and to generally promote healthy lifestyles for children. The Safe Routes to Schools program is funded through the 2005 SAFETEA-LU federal transportation bill and includes approximately $1 million in funding for reimbursement grants in Iowa each year through 2009. Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG) would like to offer assistance to the Iowa City Community School District to complete FY2008 Safe Routes to Schools grant applications. JCCOG can offer assistance with research, data collection, and transportation expertise should the school district wish to compete for grant monies. Safe Routes to Schools funding can be used for new sidewalks, bike racks/shelters, educational programs, and/or other necessary bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. All projects are required to address both infrastructure and non-infrastructure components. have attached a Safe Routes to Schools Brochure which further explains the program. Contact me at kent-ralston(a~iowa-city.org or 319-356-5253 should the Iowa City Community School District wish to utilize JCCOG as a resource to aid in the completion of a Safe Routes to Schools grant application. The next application deadline is October 1, 2007. Sinc rely, Kent Ralston Assistant Transportation Planner Jccogtp/Itrs/kr-srts. doc Johnson County Council of Governments 410 E.V~ashingtonSt. Iowa City, Iowa SZZ40 r~ ~i July 17, 2007 Paula J. Vincent CCA District Office PO Box 487 327 S. Augusta Oxford, Iowa 52322 Re: Safe Routes to Schools grant applications Paula J. Vincent, The Safe Routes to Schools grant program offers grant monies for educational programs and infrastructure improvements to enable children to more safely walk or bike to school, and to generally promote healthy lifestyles for children. The Safe Routes to Schools program is funded through the 2005 SAFETEA-LU federal transportation bill and includes approximately $1 million in funding for reimbursement grants in Iowa each year through 2009. Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG) would like to offer assistance to the Clear Creek Amapa School District to complete FY2008 Safe Routes to Schools grant applications. JCCOG can offer assistance with research, data collection, and transportation expertise should the school district wish to compete for grant monies. Safe Routes to Schools funding can be used for new sidewalks, bike racks/shelters, educational programs, and/or other necessary bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. All projects are required to address both infrastructure and non-infrastructure components. We feel the Safe Routes to Schools grant program could be of particular assistance this year as the school district nears construction of the new Clear Creek Amana School in North Liberty. All public schools located within the JCCOG Urbanized Area planning boundary are eligible for JCCOG's assistance in filling out Safe Routes to Schools grant applications. The proposed Clear Creek Amapa School in North Liberty is within our planning boundary. have attached a Safe Routes to Schools Brochure which further explains the program. Contact me at kept-ralston(a.iowa-city.org or 319-356-5253 should the Clear Creek Amapa School District wish to utilize JCCOG as a resource to aid in the completion of a Safe Routes to Schools grant application. The next application deadline is October 1, 2007. Sincerely, Kent Ralston Assistant Transportation Planner J ccog tp/ltrs/k r-cca_s rts. d oc r~~~ Date: August 7, 2007 JCCOG m e m o To: Kent Ralston; Assistant Transportation Planner From: Adam Ralston~Darian Nagle-Ga m; Transportation Planning Interns Re: Summary of Trail Counts JCCOG has been collecting data on bicycle and pedestrian usage on the regional trails system over the last several months. Data is being collected using an infrared counter that counts both bicycles and pedestrians, but cannot differentiate between the two. Data was collected at four locations within the City of Iowa City, two locations within the City of Coralville, and one location in the City of North Liberty. A reference map is attached. We will continue to take trail counts throughout the metropolitan area through October. The count locations are based on requests from JCCOG entities, and on our desire to collect a broad sample of count information. Daily Weekday Weekend Location Ave Ave Ave Dates Weather Clear Creek Trail (at Camp rain on two Cardinal Blvd 302 244 446 6/05/07 - 6/13/07 da s Iowa River Corridor Trail (at sunny all week, Crandic Park 231 204 300 7/03/07 - 7/10/07 ver warm North Liberty Trail (at rain on five Forever reen Rd 171 170 172 5/29/07 - 6/05/07 da s North Ridge Trail (at Oakdale Cam us 133 87 157 6/20/07 - 6/23/07 rain one da Sycamore Greenway Trail near Grant Wood School 142 145 134 7/10/07 - 7/17/07 rain one da Willow Creek Trail (in rain one day, Willow Creek Park 368 392 308 6/13/07 - 6/20/07 ve warm Willow Creek Trail (near West Hi h 93 93 94 5/18/07 - 5/24/07 sunn all week ZE ER ST N North Libert W E Y s 111 r`~' FOREVERGREEN RD ~. North Liberty Trail (at Forevergreen) ,~~ ~~, w ~, 5129 - 615 '~~ 'a ° z OAKDALE 6LVD j a N z < °' w H~ ~ Tiff i n ~ ~ o ~ N d ~ 33 r -~ ~' North Rid a Trail at Oakdale ,y' x g ( ) 6120 - 6123 Cora vi a NOLlpAYRD ~' HWY 80 340 ST SW ° HIfVY 80 ~ w ~ 10 ST ~ • ~, ~ ~ Q ~' «' ~y ~ 302 615 - 6113 ~ Clear Creek°Trail+(at Cardinal RiR ge), 2 Iowa River.Corridor:Trail (at Crandic Park) ti~ ®N ~ 713-7110 ?r8 ~ 0 ~ ~G COURT ST ~OWa It ~ ~ 3 sc~'~ g'~' _ 511$ - 5/24 BENTON ST ~ ~, '~~~ ~ ,, -~ ~ willow Creek Trail (at West High)c ~ KR~~ ~a Willow Creek Trail (at Park) ~ m 0 0.45 0.9 1.8 Miles RO ' . 6113 - 6120 ~ ~' o ~ ~ i i l ~ i i l 3 ~ ~ ~ o 14~ COUllter ~OCatlOn ~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~ ~' Sycamore Greenway Trail 7110-7117 - Trail ~~~~~ ... a Iowa Rlver `~~ Streets ~a~ e; ~. ~,~~~r~ Urbanized Area ~'®"'~'~ Design: Darian L. Nagle-Gamm - JCCOG 7!5107 Data Source: Johnson County, JCCOG _ ~~ ~~ r~ ~- r r~~ Date: August 7, 2007 To: JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Kent Ralston, Assistant Transportation Planner (~-~- Re: JCCOG grant applications JCCOG m e m o JCCOG will begin our competitive grant application process this. fall for FY09-10 Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds. We will allocate approximately $2,000,000 in STP funds and $191,000 in TE funds for FY09-10. Either of these funding sources may be spent on trails, but unlike TE funds, STP funds are also available for road projects. JCCOG funds may be spent anywhere within the JCCOG transportation planning boundary (see attached map). Typically, JCCOG receives requests from each of the JCCOG Urbanized Area municipalities totaling 4-5 times the amount of funding available. Funding decisions are ultimately made by the JCCOG Urbanized Area Policy Board, following a public input process and recommendations made by both the JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee and Transportation Technical Advisory Committee. Grant application packets will be distributed to members of our Technical Advisory Committee at our September 11, 2007 meeting. Feel free to contact me at 31.9-356-5253 or kent-ralston(a~iowa-city.org with questions. O N ~ r ~r ~i I IN G ~? O O O K] co O , ~ C I ~, ~ N to In l l') 1u7 i Q p In M M ~' C ~ C .` a o0 O y M ~ ICJ l~ t~ ~ C~ i •~" ~ N r M .- AIM •~ ~ i U ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ in u'> ' u~ .~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~dp1 ~ W y y O o "B 0 o Q o O o ~ 300 Or ~ p~ t~ C ~ EA ER b4 EA r.+ O b V O O •a ~ ~ 0 ~ V O 0 O 0 O cS ~ Q a ER ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ N N N ,~ O w '> '> ;~ U '~ O ~ ~ ~ ~ L' I1 oo V~ U V U . C r ~ ..• !A O o ~ cn ~, t '` ~ ~ a ~ ° ~ M ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ a ~' ~ ~N ~ I N as ~ .c o ~ ! `~ > . 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N U 00 ca C tiS d v N 3 Q C a Q tNt~ MG ~~ iA 69 d d ~~ ~ c `~ p .~- ems- ~ ~I t~l N r ~.. a p M ~ ~ ~ ' ~ ~ ~ d 0 !V M M O ! ~ ~ M C7 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 7 d ~ H~ O ~o O oa O g'o p 00 O 00 ~o C ~ ~ ~- O 00v O O OO O O QO O~ O~ 0 0 OO r 0 cDOD ~ ~ ER ~ v to e- ~... ~, ~ ~ ~ v p V 0 O O C O ', O O S O ~ ~ °'' ~ O o M 0 ~ ~ ~~ 4 a ~ ~ ~ ~! ~ C ~ U U: U U ~ 0 ~ ~ ~ o N U o O! ~ O O ~ O ~, *~ ~ .~ ~ O ~ I ~ ~ ..~ ,t'' O > ~ 'fl ~ ~ i O ; N ~- V 0 O C ~ Q ~ o _ v~ > ~ y .+ 3 o ~ d O m ` ~~ ~ ~ ., ai ~ ~. cU '~ O _ N ~ c ~ ~ ~ F- ~~ ~ ~ roC :°~ 4 Q ~ _ te ~ _ ~ ' o s ~ . a~i ~ ~ ~ v . a a o ~ v ~~ ~ ~ _ . ~ ~ -`° ~- c (i ~ .- cV c+'i ! ~ ~ c0 '~ ~ _ L N ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ C '~ C ~~ tCV . . ~ ~, M ~ a~ i c ~ ~ Z 0 0 ~ : O ~ ~ ~ w ~' '~ a ° ~ ~ E a. ~ C °' o o p~ O . f' c pZ a~ ~ L C N C C CO ~_ ~ C O C ~ ~ J C C O ~ ~ ~$ `~ r o ~ 'r c O U C `' ~w ~ ~.~ v- ~ M ~ .~ ' ~ >, ` O L ...+ ~ C O °~ L .C1 `~ ` C c O ~ rn C ~ o N "' • O c v Q I O to L ~ a ~ ~ '~ O O cc C p O ~ '~ O .~ ~ ~Q ~ a tUV :~ ~p t U N N U 3 ~ C ~ ~. ~~~ o o g ~ ~ o :~ p ~ a i ;C7 U . ~ N N 'o ~' _ ~ ~ . o .t~ ,~' C ~ t a ~ M ~ a ~- ~ ;~ ~ ,~ ai O U) O O ~ ~ ~p uj 0 •C ~ ~ N '~ O n "'" c ~ 'o U to ~~ -, C ~ '~Q~ `C'1 . ~ O °' 'V p ti `~ p °a.t1 ~ ~ ~~ .~ ~ ,~ j ~ p GG ~ o a C ~" ~ ~ a ~ ~ Z ~Z ~ } ~ 'N ro ~ ~ ~ Z O ~ ~;~ =U Q ~ Q. +J •~ cn o.Y ~ Q ~°~ _- y 5~8 'S ~ r fV M ef' ~~ ~ '°~~ ~_ ~ i j ~;, ` ~ a._....._ ~ ~ . i AUG - 7 2001 ;;. ~.:'° July 30, 2007 To: Mayor and Members of the Iowa City City Council Mayor and Members of the Coralville City Council Mayor and Members of the North Liberty City Council Johnson County Board of Supervisors Johnson County Council of Governments ei''' From: Karen Thielman 52 Lakeview Place NE Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Re: Safety concerns about the multi-use trails Please see the enclosed letter to the editor which was not published. It may well be that you are the more appropriate people to hear this concern. This concern is not mine alone. Many friends who also use the trails have reported similaz experiences (of neaz-misses) and concerns. Thank you for your attention to this matter. July 04, 2007 Letter to the Editor Iowa City Press-Citizen P. O. Box 2480 Iowa City, IA 52244-2480 Congratulations and thanks to everyone who worked on the multi-use trail system that now connects Iowa City, North Liberty, Coralville, and parts of rural Johnson County. The trails are great and much-used. I use the trails several times a week, for walking and biking. Nearly every time I am out, I witness anear-calamity. Bikers moving very fast around families with children just learning to ride; bikers failing to announce themselves ("biker on your left"); walkers moving two or three abreast and not getting into single file when bikers approach; etc. Some trails post information about trail etiquette to alert people to safety issues. It would be a great addition to our trails to have such information posted every five miles or so. I encourage JCCOG, or whoever is responsible for overseeing the trails, to consider this. Thank you, aren Thielman S2 Lakeview Place NE Iowa City, IA 52240 (319)338-6077 kthielman@mcshi. com AIJG-07-2007 1210 'The Gazette, Wed., July 18, 2007_ I.C.'s `complete streets' sef example for state I was disappointed in the June 28 Gazette: editorial, "Innovation the key to LC. highway plans," which ..rationalized that two pedestrian bridges over ' Interstate 80 were a bit too _. much to ask of the Iowa Department of Transportation. It is exactly this sort. of response that has ` gotten us into the mess we ` are now in with a` transportation model' that favors motor vehicles. It is true that each bridge would ~ost,.$1 million to $2 million... because, in part, the bridge must now cross six lanes of interstate. You failed to mention, however, that the two additional-,lanes between Highway 1 and. Interstate' 380 ~ ~' will cost about $100 million, which means the two bridges ~.re about 4 percent of the total project cost. You also failed to mention,that the Dubuque Street bridge would link to the North Dubuque Street trail.. ' The Johnson County Trails Committee has applied for a ,$00,000 grant to extend .at trailto North Lz~erty, w ere , it will link with other trails ~It also makes sense to gut in '~ a;~ bridge on 1Voriil`Dodge Street. You' also failed to mention that Iowa City-has reconstructed North Dodge Street to include an 8-foot wide sidewalk on one side, to which a bridge could connect: Because Iowa City builds "complete streets;" a wide sidewalk is automatically included as part of the design -and budget for an arterial street. The sidewalk is an additional, but marginal cost.. Iowa City is showing the ; Iowa Department of Transportation how it could ' be innovative and progressive by. building "complete roads." The miles of trails available "~ in Iowa City have doubled with ``complete streets" in 10 , ~, :years: Until the Department of Transportation-.starts to build "complete roads," it ,should be criticized and ';asked "why?" ~~``~ ~ Terry Dahms '~F Johnson County '' Trails Committee :- ,: °Iowa City I IOWA CITY GAZETTE o~~~a~ ~'d b~1D~~~~~~~G as ~ p.~ ~ ~~ ~' ~, S~ ~ ~ y ~ e ~ di ~~~+~+ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ O ~ ~ ~i m ~ ~~~~~ p~~~y5~~~~~ ~~o ~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~ ~° ~'~ ~~~~~~ ~e,~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ CFA ~ ~~~~ :i e~~ p r~,' C n ~ ' ~ ~' o ~' ~, ~ ~ ~ , m F"', ~.vo ~ t0 m ~ ~ ~, ~~'~ ~ ~~'~'F ~ ° ~S a:fD ~~~~~s~~~~~4~~~~~'~ ~.~~~~~~ a~~.~ ~~g ~~~ ~ w~~' ~p~* ~~~~y ~o~ o~o~~~~~'~ ~~ ~ ~~~ M ~ ~ .~ ~i cop,.. pc . Q` -.. rt `~l ~~~ ~ ~ ~j~tp~ ~ ~ ~. ° no ark, ~_ ~ m ¢. ~ v ~• ~' ~o ~ ~~ Q2s ~~o ~~ ~ 4' "~ ~+' p ~ ni o 8 .q ~ G rt 'Y ~O ~~ m 4 ~'~ a~~ ~ ~ ova ~'~ ~~.~ ~~ ,~ ~ ~ a ^' 319 0 e as rt 0 354 1266 P.02 m c~ ,~ 6 ' ' 1 7 7 T ''"Ct ~ Ga F--' ~~ ^ f- z aro~ w N TOTAL P.02 July 04, 2007 Letter to the Editor Iowa City Press-Citizen P. O. Box 2480 Iowa City, IA 52244-2480 Congratulations and thanks to everyone who worked on the multi-use trail system that now connects Iowa City, North Liberty, Coralville, and parts of rural Johnson County. The trails are great and much-used. I use the trails several times a week, for walking and biking. Nearly every time I am out, I witness anear-calamity. Bikers moving very fast around families with children just learning to ride; bikers failing to announce themselves (biker on your left"); walkers moving two or three abreast and not getting into single file when bikers approach; etc. Some trails post information about trail etiquette to alert people to safety issues. It would be a great addition to our trails to have such information posted every five miles or so. I encourage JCCOG, or whoever is responsible for overseeing the trails, to consider this. Thank you, aren Thielman 52 Lakeview Place NE Iowa City, IA 52240 (319)338-6077 kthielman@mcshi.com