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Home My WebLink AboutRTBC Agenda 03.01.2022 MPOJC Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee Tuesday March 1, 2022 – 1:00 PM. Electronic Meeting Notice Zoom Meeting Platform Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by going to: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscu6rrTMsG9QxkG2D wDzcq0vxazTjdSFO via the internet to visit the Zoom meeting’s registration page and submit the required information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the meeting. If you are asked for a meeting or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the email. A meeting password may also be included in the email. Enter the password when prompted. If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you may call in by telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter the meeting or webinar ID. The ID number for this meeting is: 841 5733 8610. Once connected, you may dial *9 to “raise your hand,” letting the meeting host know you would like to speak. Providing comments in person is not an option. 2 AGENDA 1. Call to order; recognize alternates 2. Public discussion* 3. Presentation on “Bike Iowa City” with Elizabeth Hubing 4. Metro Trail Signage a. Review sign inventory b. Preliminary discussion of trail branding 5. Trail Counts a. Review 2021 counts b. Discuss future counts and count locations 6. Discuss Bike to Work Week/Month 7. Discuss trail maps 8. Other business 9. Adjournment *Public input is permitted on any agenda item during discussion of the item. Please indicate to Sarah Walz if you wish to comment. To request any disability-related accommodations, please contact MPOJC staff at least 48 hours in advance at 319.356.5239 or email Sarah-Walz@iowa-city.org. 3 Date: March 1, 2022 To: Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee From: Sarah Walz; Associate Transportation Planner Re: March 1 agenda items Agenda Item #3: Presentation on Bike Iowa City by Elizabeth Hubing Bike Iowa City provides a central hub of information and promotion for bicycling in Johnson County, including bicycle events, rides, and organizations. With an active and creative presence on Facebook and Instagram, Bike Iowa City has established a strong foundation for bicycle culture and tourism in our area. The Bike Iowa City website includes a comprehensive calendar of bicycle events (see https://bikeiowacity.com). Elizabeth Hubing is responsible for much of this work and will be at the March 1 meeting to discuss more of what is happening in the bike community, including the new Bike Ambassador program. Agenda Item #4: Metro Trail Signage Item a: Review sign inventory Over the summer of 2021, MPOJC interns completed an inventory of all signs located along several Metro Area trails, including the entirety of the North Ridge/North Liberty Trail, Court Hill Trail, Clear Creek Trail, Willow Creek Trail, Sycamore Greenway Trail, Muddy Creek Trail, and Iowa River Corridor Trail, including signage around Terry Trueblood Recreation Area. A total of 565 signs were recorded and mapped on Iowa City’s GIS Portal. Additional information was collected on the location, type, face direction, and the condition of signs along the trails. Sign conditions were rated based on the physical wear of the sign as well as the relevant information displayed: SIGN CONDITION NUMBER OF SIGNS Great - looks new 326 Good - readable but worn 150 Fair - difficult to read but possible 43 Poor - needs replacement 17 Needs updating - outdated information 29 This inventory should be useful for communities’ asset management, including maintenance and replacement of signs. Some specific areas of concern are 10 outdated Iowa River Corridor Trail identification signs, 11 outdated map signs spread throughout the metro area, and 17 poor condition signs that are vandalized, covered by foliage, bent out of place, or otherwise unreadable. 4 This sign inventory should also be useful if the RTBC chooses to pursue a branding of the regional trail system (see item b). MPO intern Hannah DeBruin will demonstrate how the inventory system works and answer any questions you may have at the March 1 meeting. Item b: Preliminary discussion of trail branding The planned Clear Creek trail link under I-380 to Tiffin (2025) will close a significant gap and bring all metro communities into the trail network. The completion of the Clear Creek Trail to Kent Park along with the existing Iowa River Corridor Trail, which provides access to the Hoover Trail and Cedar Valley Nature Trail, present new opportunities for local and regional bicycle tourism. The idea of “branding” the regional trail system as part of tourism promotion is mentioned in the Metro Bike Plan and was a goal of the Convention and Visitor Bureau’s bicycling committee. This agenda item is intended to spark discussion and to measure interest in the creation of an up-to-date wayfinding plan and uniform trail identification system or “brand” to increase awareness of the trail network. Such a plan would include design elements (including a logo) as well as guidelines for materials, fabrication, installation, and placement to ensure that each jurisdiction is using the trail signage in a similar way. Consistency in the placement and style of signs will help to tie the network together across jurisdictional boundaries, re-enforcing the trail system as a cohesive network as opposed to a disconnected collection of local trails. The Rails to Trails Conservancy provides a very helpful webinar Trail Network Signage: Creating a Unified Brand - YouTube that discusses how multi-jurisdictional trail systems in other parts of the country (Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) developed their unified trail brands. The video reviews signage systems and guidelines that serve diverse trail systems encompassing multiple communities—including one system that crosses state lines. The webinar also discusses how various systems are implemented and maintained over time. Metro communities last worked on a joint project in 2010 when the MPO submitted a Transportation Enhancement grant application for bicycle way-finding signage. The grant application was submitted with the City of Coralville as the lead applicant and was awarded $15,600. Participating communities provided a 20% match. Through the RTBC and individual consultation with each community, the plan established the destinations that would be included on signs and locations where signs would be installed. The MPO assembled all the content and distance measurements for the signs and coordinated the fabrication. The next round of Transportation Alternative Program funding applications will be due in 2023, with funding available in 2027-2028. Additional funding sources include the State Recreational Trail Grants and Wellmark Foundation Grants. These grants all require a community match. MPO staff will staff will lead discussion and provide examples from other trail systems. Left to right: Original Iowa River Corridor Trail identification signs and maps installed in the early 2000s. Trail wayfinding signs funded in 2011. 5 Agenda Items #5: Trail Counts a: Review 2021 Counts Each year, the MPO collects bicycle and pedestrian counts along the regional trail network. Data are collected using an infrared device that does not differentiate between bicycles and pedestrians. Counts typically last 7 days; the daily averages are presented in the charts included in this report. Various factors influence these counts, including weather, nearby construction or closures, the opening of additional trail access points, etc. These variables make it somewhat difficult to draw clear conclusions based on year-over-year comparisons, though it is possible to see general trends over longer periods of time. As you may recall, trail usage was up significantly in 2020. This was true not only here in Johnson County but also nationally. This was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic as many people looked to the trail system as a healthy alternative to indoor recreation, which in many cases was subject to restrictions or closures. What follows are trend lines for the locations counted in 2021. Several include notes on conditions that may have influenced the counts. In 2020 we began keeping track of the season in which counts are taken as communities cleared additional trails during the winter and the MPO promoted winter trail usage during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. At some locations, we were able to do multiple counts in a single year. 326 548 425 576 918 190 431 180 2015 2017 2019 SUMMER 2020 FALL 2020 WINTER 2020 SPRING 2020 WINTER 2022 Iowa River Trail at Trueblood Trails are plowed in Winter Intermittent trail closures in area due to flooding and trail repair 6 247 161 213 360 391 236 151 2015 2016 2017 2019 SUMMER 2020 FALL 2020 FALL 2021 Pedestrian Bridge from Peninsula to Iowa River Power in Coralville 130 155 368 130 67 2017 2019 SUMMER 2020 FALL 2020 FALL 2021 Iowa River (Dubuque St) Trail northwest of Liberty High School Peak pandemic restrictions 71 86 63 157 225 2015 2017 2019 SUMMER 2020 FALL 2021 Iowa River Landing south of Marriott Peak pandemic restrictions Growth of residential units in area with Latitude 7 132 505 195 199 2018 SUMMER 2020 WINTER 2021 WINTER 2022 Waterworks Park entrance Peak pandemic restrictions Trail is plowed in Winter 127 168 206 159 341 84 245 2014 2015 2016 SUMMER 2020 FALL 2020 WINTER 2020 SPRING 2020 Clear Creek Trail at Camp Cardinal Trail is not plowed in winter 221 397 89 228 2015 SUMMER 2020 WINTER 2020 SUMMER 228 North Ridge Trail near Oakdale Campus Trail is not plowed in winter Peak pandemic restrictions 8 281 205 235 333 285 287 2013 2014 2016 2017 2019 SUMMER 2021 North Liberty Trail near Rec Center 215 232 406 242 2014 2017 SUMMER 2020 SUMMER 2021 North Liberty Trail near Forevergreen Rd Peak pandemic restrictions 142 186 177 128 203 316 2007 2009 2011 2014 FALL 2020 FALL 2021 Sycamore Greenway Trail 9 299 397 458 327 2010 2015 FALL 2020 FALL 2021 Court Hill Trail east of 1st Ave 5b: Discuss future counts and count locations The MPO has acquired two additional trail counters, bringing our total to 4 counters. These additional counters afford us an opportunity to do longer counts: month-long to season-long counts (May through September). We believe longer counts will be useful along our major trails, especially as we consider opportunities for local and regional bicycle tourism. With this in mind, we are proposing to concentrate our 2022 counts on the Clear Creek and Iowa River Corridor Trails with counters left in place for 2 to 3 months at a time. With the assistance of Johnson County, which now has its own set of trail counters, we could measure activity along the entire length of both trails in a single year. Having several counters placed simultaneously would also give us a better sense of overall trail usage and would allow us to reduce some of the variability due to weather and other factors. A map of count locations is attached. While the proposed counts would be longer in duration, we are able to reserve the opportunity to schedule special counts at the request of communities. PROPOSED 2022 TRAIL COUNTS May-July 2022 Iowa River Corridor Trail locations: 1. Near Mehaffey Bridge (Johnson County) 2. Near Penn Elementary 3. Near West Overlook Road (Johnson County) 4. Between Butler Bridge and Waterworks Park 5. I-80 Underpass Waterworks Park to Mackinaw neighborhood 6. Pedestrian Bridge from Peninsula to Iowa River Power 7. Trail from Crandic Park to Coralville 8. Trail entrance to Terry Trueblood Rec Area August -September 2022 Clear Creek Trail: 1. At RR underpass south of 2nd Street 2. Near Tom Harkin Trail Head at Camp Cardinal 3. West of Camp Cardinal near 25th Ave 10 4. In Tiffin near Ireland Ave 5. West of Tiffin on County Trail (Johnson County) In addition to our new trail counters the MPO has also established an account with Strava Metro. This will allow us to download ridership data anywhere in the County—trails, streets, and elsewhere. One advantage of Strava data is that it separates bicyclists from pedestrians and runners. However, because Strava is an app that individuals voluntarily choose to activate on their devices, the data only represents a certain segment of those using the trails and should not be interpreted as representative of all bicyclists or pedestrians. We believe Strava data will be useful for tourism, economic activity, and assessing special events such as rides and races. We plan to use Strava data as a supplement to our counts. MPO staff will share information about Strava Metro during the March 1 meeting. 11 12 Agenda Item 6: Discuss Bike to Work Week/Month The MPO will once again assist with promoting Bike Month in May and Bike-to-Work Week May 16-20. This includes working with communities on their Bike Month proclamations and distributing the Bike Month calendar. There is some interest in reviving the Bike, Bus, Car Race and/or adding an event that involves participation of local elected officials. Please be prepared to discuss planned activities or opportunities at the March 1 meeting. Agenda Item #6: Discuss Metro Area Trail Maps Metro Area Trail Maps will go to press in April. The map will include all planned facilities for 2022 and 2023 as well as all fix-it stations. We hope to incorporate additional information on water and public restrooms along the trails and instructions for using bike racks on Iowa City and Coralville buses. We have traditionally printed 10,000 copies of the map. We are considering printing 20,000 maps as a two-year supply to save on costs. Agenda Item #8: Other Business Agenda Item #9: Adjournment