HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.23.23 TTAC MinutesMINUTES APPROVED
MPOJC TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2023 - 10:30 AM
CITY OF IOWA CITY – EMMA HARVAT HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Coralville: Vicky Robrock, Scott Larson
Iowa City: Ron Knoche, Mark Rummel, Justin Harland,
Ben Clark, Christina Jones
North Liberty: Ryan Rusnak
University Heights: Louise From
University of Iowa: Brian McClatchey
RTBC: Bob Oppliger
Iowa DOT: Mark Harley
STAFF PRESENT: Kent Ralston, Emily Bothell, Sarah Walz, Hannah Neel, Tunazzina
Alam
1. CALL TO ORDER
Ralston called the meeting to order at 10:30 AM.
a. Recognize alternates
Ralston recognized Christina Jones as an alternate for Darian Nagle-Gamm, Ben
Clark as an alternate for Jason Havel, and Justin Harland as an alternate for Scott
Sovers.
b. Consider approval of meeting minutes
Knoche moved to approve; Larson seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
2. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA
None.
3. CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE URBANIZED AREA POLICY BOARD
REGARDING APPROVAL OF DRAFT FY2024-2027 MPOJC TRANSPORTATION
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP) PROJECTS
Neel explained that the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) includes all federally
funded transportation projects for road and transit between FY24 and FY27. She noted
one correction; the project sponsor for project number 54732 should be University Heights.
This will be corrected and shown in the final draft.
Neel stated that three new Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) projects (awarded
by the Policy Board in March 2023) were added to the TIP programmed in FY27. The
projects programmed include Coralville’s Dubuque Street NE and Forevergreen Road
Roundabout project ($675,000), North Liberty’s South Dubuque Street Reconstruction
project ($1,100,000), and University Heights’ Sunset Street and Melrose Avenue project
($225,000).
The transit portion of the TIP includes operating funding and projects primarily for buses
and equipment, as well as funding for new transit facilities. Buses are usually replaced
using 85% federal funding. Iowa City’s operating costs increased from $1.9 million to $2.95
million in federal aid. There are 10 heavy-duty replacement electric buses with charging
equipment costing approximately $1,069,000 per bus. There was a change reflected to
show four buses without the charging equipment and six replacement buses with charging
equipment.
Knoche inquired about the timing of the Burlington Street Bridge and Highway 6 Bridge.
The draft State Transportation Improvement Program has these projects programmed in
the same year. Harley explained that the Iowa DOT is working with their bridge office to
revise the timing of the local Iowa City metro area bridge projects.
The draft TIP will be submitted to the Iowa DOT by June 15 and the MPO will begin the
public input process before the final consideration in July.
Larson moved to approve; McClatchey seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
4. CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE URBANIZED AREA POLICY BOARD
REGARDING APPROVAL OF THE MPOJC FY2024 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
WORK PROGRAM
Ralston stated that the MPOJC Transportation Planning Work Program includes all locally
requested projects from member entities and general projects and procedures required by
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA). Staff relies on the Work Program to organize data collection and manage project
workflow throughout the year.
Ralston reminded the group that the MPO will continue to accept project requests as they
come up throughout the year. The Work Program represents approximately a quarter to a
third of the total projects the MPO will complete each year. The work program is dominated
by traffic engineering-heavy work, corridor studies, data collection, and signal evaluations.
Oppliger moved to approve; and Knoche seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
5. CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE URBANIZED AREA POLICY BOARD
REGARDING COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION
Ralston stated that per the MPOJC bylaws, the Transportation Technical Advisory
Committee (TTAC) is a permanent standing Committee intended to provide policy and
funding recommendations to the Urbanized Area Policy Board (UAPB). The Committee is
comprised of 16 voting members and four ex officio non-voting members.
Ralston explained there is no current policy established to review representation on the
Committee to ensure that it’s roughly proportional to the population of MPO member
entities. However, a review after each decennial census seems appropriate and is
consistent with the requirement for the Policy Board. After reviewing the 2020 census
populations, the current representation on the Committee shows that North Liberty should
have additional representation. Ralston shared a few options for the Committee to
consider. The options were intended to balance representation while keeping the total
number of representatives manageable.
Option 1: Mirror the Urbanized Area Policy Board (UAPB) representation, which has 16
voting members. This would mean Coralville would lose a representative, the University
of Iowa would lose a representative, Iowa City would pick up a representative and North
Liberty would gain a representative.
Option 2: Remove one Coralville representative and provide one representative to North
Liberty. This option would keep the Committee at 16 voting members. It also affords the
Committee to meet with a quorum of nine.
Option 3: Remove a University of Iowa seat and provide two representatives to North
Liberty. This would increase the Committee from 16 to 17 representatives but still retains
nine voters to meet a quorum.
Option 4: Offer two new representatives to North Liberty. This would put the Committee at
18 total representatives and the Committee would need 10 representatives to meet a
quorum.
Rusnak explained that one additional representative would be adequate.
Rusnak moved to approve one additional North Liberty representative on the Committee;
Larson seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
6. UPDATE ON METRO AREA BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COLLISION DATA
Walz gave an update on current pedestrian and bicycle collision trends in the urbanized
area. In the past ten years, the number of metro area bicycle and pedestrian collisions
began trending downward around 2015, with bicycle collisions reduced by more than 60%
between 2015 and 2021. 2020 has low collision numbers, most likely attributed to the
COVID-19 pandemic when vehicular miles traveled were low.
Walz explained that despite the rapid growth in population across the Metro area and
increased vehicular miles traveled since 2012, the number of bicycle collisions reported in
2022 is lower than any year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Trail count data also shows
an increase in people biking and walking on the trails. The number of collisions that result
in serious injury or death has been trending downward. The most serious injuries tend to
occur on higher-speed roads and two of the bicycle fatalities happened outside of city
limits on higher-speed roads.
Walz added that the investments communities have made to update pedestrian
crosswalks have paid off. Based on the Iowa City pedestrian collision data, the Iowa City
Metro compares very well to other cities in the state as our area has a lower collision rate.
This is a feat considering the higher bike and pedestrian numbers as compared to other
areas of the state.
7. UPDATE FROM IOWA DOT DISTRICT 6 STAFF ON MAJOR PROJECTS IN THE
URBANIZED AREA
Mark Harley, from the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), gave an update on
relevant projects in the Iowa City area. The Interstate 80-380 project has had minor traffic
shifts and the Iowa DOT has been communicating that all ramps and lanes will be open
to traffic this year. The project is weather and contract dependent. Contractually the ramps
and lanes can be closed until the end of this year, but the Iowa DOT is optimistic it will be
completed by September.
The Interstate 80 and 1st Avenue interchange project in Coralville is operating with head-
to-head traffic on the southbound lanes to accommodate the new bridge for the
northbound lanes. There is ramp grading, median work, and pedestrian tunnels being
worked on. The bridge will remain in this configuration for this year.
Harley next reported on the Herbert Hoover Highway interchange. Currently, there is
head-to-head traffic in the eastbound lane on Interstate-80, built last year. The westbound
ramps are currently closed to allow for the westbound lanes to be built. The interchange
opened in the winter and has been functioning with the roundabouts.
Harley shared that the Interstate 380 widening project (northbound lanes) is being let
sometime in August. Ultimately, this is for a six-lane section. There will be some minor
work completed this fall. This overall project includes the Penn Street interchange, which
will be let next year, 2024.
Lastly, Harley shared that the Iowa DOT is prioritizing pavement replacement across the
state. The list of affected locations is being drafted and reworked. The current projects in
Iowa City and Coralville are moving along and the Iowa DOT is looking into using Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dollars. The major project in Johnson County
is the replacement of the Highway 6 bridge.
8. UPDATE ON THE CRANDIC BUS RAPID TRANSIT STUDY FROM MPO STAFF
Ralston explained that the Board asked the MPOJC to move forward with the bus rapid
transit study. The idea is to look at the passenger rail studies that had previously been
completed and compare them to bus rapid transit along the same corridor.
Robrock, McClatchey, and Nagle-Gamm have been helping to get a consultant hired to
do these studies. The timeline would be to have a consultant hired in the next two or three
weeks. The project is on track to be completed by the first of the next year.
Ralston stated that the goal is to analyze the studies and investigate what the costs and
benefits would be of implementing a bus rapid transit system. The impetus of this was the
CRANDIC Railroad deciding they didn’t want to operate the passenger rail, which
happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, since that time Iowa City has
purchased four electric buses, and Coralville and North Liberty are looking to buy electric
buses. A parallel trail will also be evaluated with bus rapid transit which might not have
been possible with a rail system.
9. OTHER BUSINESS
Rusnak mentioned Josiah Bilskemper will be the new contact for North Liberty’s
engineering services, replacing Kevin Trom. He also introduced Clint Conklin who works
in the Planning Department.
Rummel stated Iowa City Transit recently implemented several small route changes.
Additionally, Darian Nagle-Gamm presented Iowa City Transit fare-free options to the Iowa
City Council and the next step is for this to be considered at an April City Council meeting
with public input.
Oppliger discussed bike month, which takes place in the month of May, and that it has
been successful.
Ralston mentioned that Walz coordinated the Bike, Bus, and Car race and thanked all
communities for participating in the event.
Knoche mentioned that it is National Public Works Week, and the City held an open house
at their water plant the previous Saturday. For ongoing projects, the Gilbert Street
project/Ralston Creek Bridge did not get any bids. The City is revising and will bid again
this fall. The trail project along Highway 6 is getting pavement and the project is expected
to be complete this fall. The American Legion Road and Taft Avenue intersection is under
construction and is expected to be complete at the end of July. Finally, the Rochester
Avenue project is in Phase 2.
Larson reminded the Committee that Coralville rejected bids for their 5th Street project
(12th Avenue to 20th Avenue) as the bids were very high. The plan is to rebid the project
through the Iowa DOT in September. There is an ongoing trail project along Camp
Cardinal Boulevard between Highway 6 and the Tom Harkin Trailhead. The trial is
expected to be completed in early June though Iowa Interstate Railroad is improving the
crossing at the Camp Cardinal Boulevard and Highway 6 intersection. The City hopes that
will be completed soon.
McClatchey explained that the west campus is experiencing a lot of changes. More
specifically, the crossing into the Finkbine parking lot is under construction and the
University is diverting traffic as well rerouting buses. Construction of a new parking ramp
on lot 43 will begin in June (close to 1,000 spaces). Lot 14 will also be closed for the
construction of a new ramp.
Knoche mentioned the Riverside Drive project did not receive any bids – this is for the
pedestrian accommodation under the Iowa Interstate Railroad bridge. The City will rebid
the project next week. Knoche further shared that Scott Larson was reappointed as
President of the Iowa Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS) Board of
Directors.
10. ADJOURNMENT
Knoche moved to adjourn; McClatchey seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Ralston adjourned the meeting at 11:25 AM.