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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.31.24 UAPB Agenda Packet1 MEETING NOTICE MPOJC Urbanized Area Policy Board Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – 4:30 PM City of Iowa City – Council Chambers 410 E Washington St, Iowa City, IA AGENDA 1.Call to Order a.Recognize alternates & welcome new Board members b.Consider approval of meeting minutes c.Set next Board meeting date (April 3, location TBD) 2.Public Discussion of any item not on the agenda* 3.Administration a.Report from nominating committee for 2024 MPOJC Board officers i.Consider action b.Consider approval of the FY25 MPOJC Budget and financial forecast c.Consider approval of the FY25 Johnson County Assessments for the East Central Iowa Council of Governments d.Consider appointments to the East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board of Directors e.Consider appointment of a representative to the Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS) Board of Directors f.Discuss MPOJC Orientation opportunity for Board members 4.Transportation Planning a.Consider approval of Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 Transit Operating Formula funding apportionment for FY2023 b.Update on the MPOJC FY25 Transportation Planning Work Program and FY25-28 Transportation Improvement Program c.Update on the Metro Area Traffic Collision Analysis d.Update on Metro Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Collision Data e.Update on the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant f.Verbal update on the CRANDIC Bus Rapid Transit Study from the MPOJC Director g.Verbal update on a transit pilot project from the Johnson County Mobility Coordinator 5.Other Business 6.Adjournment Please note the MPOJC Rural Policy Board meeting will start after adjournment of the Urban Policy Board meeting at approximately 6:00 PM. *Public input is permitted on any agenda item. Please indicate to the Chair if you wish to comment on an agenda item. To request any disability-related accommodations or language interpretation, please contact MPOJC staff at 319-356-5230 or Kent-Ralston@Iowa-City.org 48 hours prior to the meeting. MINUTES DRAFT MPOJC URBANIZED AREA POLICY BOARD NOVEMBER 15, 2023 – 4:30 PM IOWA CITY CITY HALL – EMMA HARVAT HALL 410 E WASHINGTON ST, IOWA CITY, IA MEMBERS PRESENT: Coralville: Laurie Goodrich, Meghann Foster Iowa City: Laura Bergus, John Thomas, Pauline Taylor, Shawn Harmsen Johnson County: Rod Sullivan North Liberty: Brian Wayson, Chris Hoffman University Heights: Louise From University of Iowa: Greg Schmitt Tiffin: Steve Berner ICCSD: Molly Abraham STAFF PRESENT: Kent Ralston, Emily Bothell, Hannah Neel, Sarah Walz OTHERS PRESENT: Matt Burkey 1.CALL TO ORDER Thomas called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. The meeting was held in Emma Harvat Hall at Iowa City City Hall. a.Recognize alternates None. b.Consider approval of meeting minutes Sullivan moved to approve, and Berner seconded. The motion carried unanimously. c.Set next Board meeting date, time, and location Tentatively scheduled for January 31st, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. 2.PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA Matt Burkey, the Iowa Safe Routes to School coordinator for the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, noted the success they had with the walk-, bike-, and roll-to-school day this year in Johnson County and proposed a Safe Routes to School committee in collaboration with MPOJC. Ralston recognized members of the Urbanized Area Policy Board who would be rotating off the Board next calendar year. 3.ADMINISTRATION a.Confirm entities that will nominate Johnson County representatives to the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) Board of Directors Ralston explained that the MPO bylaws were revised and approved in 2020. Per the revised bylaws, each January the Johnson County Board of Supervisors appoints one elected official representative and a citizen representative, and the Urbanized Area Policy Board appoints two elected official representatives. Ralston explained that the first Urbanized Area Policy Board seat is filled by the four largest municipalities by population, which alternate annually, and that the 2024 representative is to be designated by the City of North Liberty. The second Urbanized Area Policy Board seat is to be filled by the remaining municipalities which will also alternate annually, with Oxford designating the 2024 representative. Ralston noted that he will be reaching out to each entity to request their designations for each seat and that the designees will be recognized at the January Urbanized Area Policy Board meeting. b.Appoint a nominating committee for Calendar Year 2024 Urbanized Area Policy Board officers Ralston explained that at the January meeting of the Urbanized Area Policy Board, a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson will be elected for the Calendar Year 2024 Urbanized Area Policy Board. Ralston also explained the duties of each position. Ralston then asked for three volunteers to make up the nominating committee to recommend a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. Chris Hoffman, Laurie Goodrich, and Brian Wayson volunteered. c.Preliminary discussion of the FY25 MPOJC Budget Ralston explained he did not anticipate any changes to the MPO scope of services or operations with the Urbanized Area Policy Board before the January meeting where the FY25 MPOJC budget will be brought to the Policy Board for consideration. Ralston reminded the Policy Board of the focus and purpose of the MPO. Ralston then explained an approximate 2.75% anticipated increase in the total MPO budget that is primarily due to increases in staff salaries and health benefit costs. Ralston also explained that there has been an increase in Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) Planning Funds from $230,000 to $280,000 that will be used to ensure an appropriate balance of funds per Iowa DOT guidelines and will defray local funding necessary for MPO operations. 4.TRANSPORTATION PLANNING A.Public Hearing and consideration of amendments to the FY24-27 MPOJC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Neel explained that the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the programming document for all surface transportation projects that receive state or federal funds, including street and highway, transit, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian projects in the Iowa City urbanized area. Neel stated that to utilize these funds, projects must be included in the TIP with accurate scope and funding sources and that to maintain this accuracy, four amendments had been requested: a.Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) – Adding Bridge Investment Program (BIP) funding for the Burlington Street / Highway 1 bridge improvements project Neel stated that this project has been awarded $300,000 in earmarked Bridge Investment Program (BIP) funding through the Iowa Department of Transportation. These funds will be used for a study of alternatives, stakeholder involvement and outreach, and environmental review. Neel mentioned that Iowa City will provide a $300,000 local match for these funds. Public Hearing There were no comments from the public. Consider an amendment to the FY24-27 MPOJC TIP Wayson moved to approve; Foster seconded. The motion carried unanimously. b.Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) – Adjusting funding amounts for the Interstate 380 project from north of Forevergreen Road to north of Swan Lake Road Neel stated that the Iowa DOT is requesting this amendment due to project costs increasing by over 50% in FY2024. Total funding amounts for FY2024 increased from $8,523,000 to $13,000,000. Costs for FY2025-2027 remain unchanged. Public Hearing There were no comments from the public. Consider an amendment to the FY24-27 MPOJC TIP Sullivan moved to approve; Bergus seconded. The motion carried unanimously. c.Coralville and University of Iowa – Adding Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) shortfall funding for two light-duty transit buses Neel explained that this funding has been made available through the Iowa DOT to make up for the increase in costs for vehicle replacements. Public Hearing There were no comments from the public. Consider an amendment to the FY24-27 MPOJC TIP Goodrich moved to approve; Hoffman seconded. The motion carried unanimously. d.University of Iowa – Adjusting funding amounts and project description for a maintenance facility expansion project Neel explained the change in project description and changes in federal and local amounts. Public Hearing There were no comments from the public. Consider an amendment to the FY24-27 MPOJC TIP Wayson moved to approve; Bergus seconded. The motion carried unanimously. B.Consider a Resolution for the City of Tiffin’s Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program grant application Bothell explained that the Iowa Department of Transportation administers the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP), an initiative to fund transportation projects that reduce transportation-related congestion and air pollution. Bothell explained that the City of Tiffin is applying for ICAAP funding for the construction of a double -lane roundabout on North Park Road. For the City of Tiffin to be eligible for ICAAP funding, they must receive a resolution from the Urbanized Area Policy Board stating that the project is in compliance with the adopted Long-Range Transportation Plan. Bothell shared that staff recommended approving the enclosed resolution confirming conformance with the MPOJC Long-Range Transportation Plan. Sullivan moved to approve the resolution; Wayson seconded. The motion carried unanimously. C.Consider approval of safety targets and performance measures for the MPO as required by the Federal Highway Administration Ralston reminded the Board of the requirement set by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to set targets for five safety performance measures as part of the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Ralston stated that there are two options for these targets: to support and adopt the State’s targets or to create individualized, quantifiable targets for each measure as a metropolitan area. Ralston recommended the adoption of the State’s targets and mentioned that there is the opportunity to create local targets each year if it is felt that they would provide additional benefit. Ralston then detailed the targets from the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the data behind their methodology and current trends. Berner moved to approve the State’s targets, Sullivan seconded. The motion carried unanimously. D.Update on the CRANDIC Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study Ralston reminded the Board of the Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study discussion that began in the Spring for the CRANDIC Railroad corridor between Iowa City and North Liberty. Ralston noted that the goal of the study is to allow local stakeholders to compare the July 2020 Passenger Rail Studies with the elements of a Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility study. Ralston said that the contract for the work was awarded to Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU) with Nelson Nygaard Associates in September and that work should be complete by June 2024. Foster stated that there have been some concerns raised by residents of Coralville who live near the CRANDIC Railroad corridor about how this line could affect them. Ralston reminded the Board that this is currently a very high-level study that is intended to determine feasibility and that there will be ample time for public comment before the Board and individual communities make any decisions. E.Update on the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant status Walz explained that in July, MPO staff submitted an application for the MPOJC Urbanized Area for a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant. Walz explained that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the SS4A discretionary grant program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022-2026. These funds would be used to produce a Safety Action Plan to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries. Walz stated that unfortunately the MPO’s application was not included in the first round of awards that was announced in October, but that staff is hopeful that the MPO’s application will be included in the December award announcement. Ralston noted that if the MPO is awarded this grant to produce a Safety Action Plan, the Urbanized Area would then be eligible for more grant funding for the implementation of the Safety Action Plan in the future. 5.OTHER BUSINESS a.Update on 380 Express funding – ECICOG Press Release Ralston shared a press release from the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) regarding the continuation of the Interstate 380 Express service until at least June 2026. The Iowa Department of Transportation will continue to fund the service due to the success of the program with approximately 350 riders per day. b.Update on the final Severson Charity Challenge Walz reminded the Committee of the past 11 years of the Linda Severson Charity Challenge and the approximate $90,000 in donations that have been collected benefitting local charities. Walz shared that a memorial bench was installed at Wetherby Park in Linda’s honor. Walz thanked all who had contributed. 6.ADJOURNMENT Bergus moved to adjourn the meeting, Sullivan seconded. The motion carried unanimously. Thomas adjourned the meeting at 5:10 PM. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston; Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #3(a): Report from nominating committee for 2024 MPOJC Board officers At your November meeting you appointed a three-person nominating committee to nominate the Chair and Vice Chair for the 2024 Urbanized Area Policy Board. The Committee was comprised of Laurie Goodrich (Coralville), and Chris Hoffman and Brian Wayson (North Liberty). As Director, it has been my practice to review agenda items and major work program activities with the Chair prior to each Board meeting. The Vice Chair assumes the duties of the Chair when he or she is not available. The former Chair was John Thomas (Iowa City City Council). John’s last meeting was in November as he is no longer on City Council. The current Vice Chair is Louise From (University Heights Mayor), Louise has served two, one-year terms. There is a two-term limit for this position so she can no longer serve as Vice Chair. Please be prepared to receive the nominating committee’s verbal report and elect the Chair and Vice Chair for the 2024 MPO Urbanized Area Policy Board. I will be available at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions you may have. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston, Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #3(b): Consider approval of the FY25 MPOJC Budget and Financial Forecast The proposed FY25 Budget and Financial Forecast is attached. The primary focus of MPOJC continues to be fulfilling federal and state requirements necessary for MPOJC entities to receive state and federal formula and discretionary funds; and to produce locally-generated traffic studies, grant applications, and mapping services for MPOJC members. These activities, large and small, provide information on which capital project design, funding, policy and programming decisions are made. MPOJC is organized as a division of the City of Iowa City Neighborhood and Development Services (NDS) Department, and MPOJC staff also serve as NDS staff. Personnel costs are determined by the collective bargaining agreement between Iowa City and the American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The overall budget reflects an approximate 2.75% increase from FY24 – primarily due to increases in costs for staff benefits and wages. After accounting for staff time devoted solely to City of Iowa City functions, MPOJC assessments are based on population of MPOJC entities. Population figures for each entity are now based on 2020 decennial census figures – as required per the MPO Bylaws. The budget also reflects the continued use of internal carryover funds and Iowa DOT funding. As noted at your November 15 meeting, I anticipate using $280,000 of Iowa DOT ‘Planning Funds’ in FY25. This is an increase from $230,000 used in previous years as a result of increases provided by the new transportation legislation. This increase ensures an appropriate balance of funds per DOT guidelines and defrays local funding necessary for MPO operations. As in years past, I remain concerned with long-term federal support for MPOJC and its member entities. Ongoing federal budget discussions and the volatile nature of the Highway Trust Fund require that we continue to track federal policy and how it affects transportation funding for MPOs like ours. I intend to keep the Board apprised on federal funding issues as information becomes available. Please consider approval of the FY25 MPOJC Budget and Financial Forecast. With approval, I will forward the assessment schedule to your staff. I will be available at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions you may have. FY25 Budget and Financial Forecast Adopted January 31, 2024 by the: MPOJC Urbanized Area Policy Board MPOJC Rural Policy Board Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board Rural Policy Board From: Kent Ralston, Executive Director Re: FY25 MPOJC Budget and Financial Forecast The Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County (MPOJC) is the designated planning organization for Johnson County, Iowa. Assistance is provided to member agencies in the program areas of transportation planning, administration, and small communities planning assistance by virtue of a 28E agreement. The MPOJC Urbanized Area and Rural Policy Boards have authority over the policies and work programs of the organization. The MPOJC website (www.mpojc.org) provides general information about the organization, published technical reports, agendas, and meeting minutes of all public meetings. MPOJC is organized administratively under the City of Iowa City and staff members are subject to all rights and benefits afforded to City of Iowa City employees. Non-administrative staff are organized under the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). MPOJC staff also serve as staff in the City of Iowa City Neighborhood and Development Services Department. Because MPOJC is organized as a division of the City of Iowa City, MPOJC follows City of Iowa City administrative and personnel polic ies. This overall structure allows for cost-effective sharing of expenditures and services. The focus of MPOJC remains to fulfill federal and state requirements necessary for receiving both formula and discretionary state and federal funding and to produce a wide variety of transportation studies for member agencies. These studies are intended to result in better information on which to base local policy and project programming decisions. The proposed FY25 MPOJC Budget and Financial Forecast reflects the program of services, policies, and staffing approved by the Board. The overall FY25 budget reflects a 2.75% increase from the FY24 budget and is primarily due to adjustments in salaries and benefits. The remaining budget is largely the same as previous years with respect to technical and professional services, travel and education, and software. As in previous years, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is scheduled to contribute a large portion of the overall MPO budget in FY25 – the anticipated Iowa DOT contribution is $280,000 which is a $50,000 increase from FY24. MPOJC also carries reserve funds to buffer against unexpected budget increases, or potential loss of funding. This continues to be important due to ongoing uncertainty of federal funding. MPOJC continues to employ 1-3 planning interns funded by the University of Iowa. The University of Iowa’s $23,817 assessment will be used to fund intern expenses throughout the year. If this amount is not fully expended during the year, the balance becomes available for other expenses. As in the last budget, the FY25 budget is explicit in showing additional assessments specific to Iowa City due to staff time devoted solely to Iowa City specific duties. These duties include traffic engineering services, administration of the traffic calming program, participation in planning committees, review of rezoning and subdivision applications, and other special projects. The budget also reflects capital expenses for the replacement of traffic counters, traffic counting software, and GIS software to maintain our mapping and visualization abilities. The traffic counters are used for the traffic analysis data collection program and are subjected to extreme conditions. It is important that there be a regular program of replacement for this equipment. For our traffic forecasting capabilities, we are proposing to continue to upgrade our travel demand model software to be consistent with the Iowa DOT state-wide travel demand model. Following is a summary of the proposed Budget and Financial Forecast and FY25 assessments. Assessment figures now use the available 2020 decennial Census population data as required by the MPO Bylaws. MPOJC Budget FY25 – FY27 MPOJC is designated by the Governor of the State of Iowa as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Iowa City Urbanized Area. The MPOJC Transportation Planning Division must fulfill the state and federal requirements of the 3-C transportation planning process. This process is required of all urbanized areas to maintain eligibility for grant programs and transportation operations funds of the United States Department of Transportation and the Iowa Department of Transportation. The Administration Division consists of a half-time Executive Director, and a .2 FTE Administrative Secretary. The Administration Division provides oversight and support to the staff of MPOJC. The Executive Director supervises all MPOJC personnel, coordinates the budget process and the preparation of division work programs. As MPOJC staff also serve the City of Iowa City Neighborhood and Development Services Department, this budget reflects Iowa City specific funding for 0.5 FTE Administration and 1.0 FTE Transportation Planner for Iowa City duties. 1Forecasts assume a 3% increase 2Student interns are funded entirely by the University of Iowa FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 Budgeted Proposed Forecast1 Forecast1 Salaries and Benefits $665,251 $690,100 $710,803 $732,127 Technical and Professional Services & Maintenance, Travel and Education $70,416 $68,219 $70,266 $72,374 Operating Costs;including office supplies,traffic counting and mapping equipment/software $10,195 $8,700 $8,961 $9,230 Subtotal $745,862 $767,019 $790,030 $813,730 University of Iowa Student Interns 2 $23,817 $23,817 $23,817 $23,817 TOTAL $769,679 $790,836 $813,847 $837,547 Expenditures Summary of FY25 Assessments Note: Figures do not include specific funding for Iowa City Neighborhood & Development Services, equivalent to 0.5 Administration Budget ($89,250) and 1.0 FTE Transportation Planning ($147,130). MPOJC Assessment Explanation 1. Assessment for Rural entities is 1% of the overall MPO assessment. Rural Board communities utilize MPO planning services but are not eligible for MPO grant funds. 2. 0.5 FTE of Administration Division and 1.0 FTE of Transportation Planning Division are for Iowa City related functions and are not reflected in assessments to other communities. 3. This budget does not include East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) assessments. 4. Assessment figures may not reflect exact population percentages shown due to rounding. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston, Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #3(c): Consider approval of the FY25 Johnson County Assessments to the East Central Iowa Council of Governments MPOJC collects East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) dues for Johnson County entities and forwards the funds to ECICOG. ECICOG assessments are calculated on a per-capita basis for the counties ECICOG serves, and we in turn calculate a per -capita assessment for each governmental entity within Johnson County. This budget reflects new population figures for each entity based on 2020 census figures – as required per the MPO Bylaws. For FY25, ECICOG has proposed a 2% increase for all the counties it serves. ECICOG made a modification to its funding structure for FY23 to include an additional planning assistance assessment for all entities – except for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement cities. This change was made for all counites served by ECICOG. The effect of the change was that Johnson County now pays an additional assessment for the rural county population and University Heights is also assessed for its population. These entities historically did not pay the additional assessment. All other non-entitlement communities paid the assessment in the past. These changes are reflected in the attached assessment schedule. ECICOG is the designated Regional Planning Association for east-central Iowa, including Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Tama and Washington Counties. ECICOG provides planning and grant administration services in the areas of community and economic development, housing, transportation, and solid waste management. More information about ECICOG can be found at www.ecicog.org. A member of ECICOG staff plans to attend our January 31st meeting to discuss ECICOG services and answer any questions you have. Please be prepared to consider approval of the FY25 East Central Iowa Council of Governments Assessment Schedule (attached). With approval, I will forward this to your staff for their records. I will be at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions you may have. East Central Iowa Council of Governments FY25 Assessment Schedule Adopted January 31, 2024 by the: MPOJC Urbanized Area Policy Board MPOJC Rural Policy Board Date: January 24, 2024 To: MPOJC Urbanized Area Policy Board MPOJC Rural Policy Board From: Kent Ralston, Executive Director Re: FY25 ECICOG Assessment Schedule The East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) is the Regional Planning Association for east-central Iowa, including Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Tama and Washington Counties. ECICOG conducts planning and grant administration services in the areas of community and economic development, housing, transportation, and solid waste management. ECICOG is governed by a policy board including elected officials and citizen representatives. In 2010, the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County (MPOJC) Urbanized Area Policy Board directed that the schedule of ECICOG assessments be considered separately from the annual MPOJC budget. ECICOG assesses counties on a per capita basis. In Johnson County, governmental entities are in-turn assessed on a per-capita basis. ECICOG has proposed a 2% rate increase for all the counties it serves for FY25. This assessment schedule reflects 2020 Census figures for each entity as required by the MPO Bylaws. East Central Iowa Council of Governments FY25 – FY27 Assessments FY24 FY25 FY26 1 FY271 Actual Proposed Forecast Forecast $85,068 $86,769 $88,505 $90,275 Community Population %Assessment2 %Assessment2 %Assessment2 Iowa City 74,828 48.95%$32,152 ----37.06%$32,152 Johnson County (rural)21,884 14.32%$9,403 28.05%$5,915 17.65%$15,318 Coralville 22,318 14.60%$9,590 28.60%$6,032 18.00%$15,622 North Liberty 20,479 13.40%$8,800 26.25%$5,535 16.52%$14,335 Solon 3,018 1.97%$1,297 3.87%$816 2.43%$2,113 Tiffin 4,512 2.95%$1,939 5.78%$1,220 3.64%$3,158 Lone Tree 1,357 0.89%$583 1.74%$367 1.09%$950 University Heights 1,228 0.80%$528 1.57%$332 0.99%$860 Swisher 914 0.60%$393 1.17%$247 0.74%$640 Oxford 722 0.47%$310 0.93%$195 0.58%$505 Hills 863 0.56%$371 1.11%$233 0.70%$604 Shueyville 731 0.48%$314 0.94%$198 0.59%$512 152,854 100.0%$65,679 100.0%$21,090 100.0%$86,769 Small Communities Planning Assistance Total FY25 ECICOG AssessmentGeneral Assessment Expenditures Payment to ECICOG Assessments ECICOG is a multi-county regional planning agency which includes Johnson C ounty. It is Region 10 in the state’s system of regional planning agencies. Planning assistance is available through ECICOG to the small communities in Johnson County. All municipalities in Johnson County pay a population-based general assessment for the overall support of ECICOG. An additional planning assistance assessment is made to all communities – except Iowa City which is a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement city. 1Assumes a 2% increase. 2 Assessment figures may not equal exact percentages shown due to rounding. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston, Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #3(d): Consider appointments to the East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board of Directors At your November meeting, we discussed the MPO entities responsible for appointments to the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) Board of Directors for 2024. Per our bylaws, the entities responsible to appoint elected officials for 2024 include Johnson County, North Liberty, and Oxford. There is also one citizen appointment to the Board of Directors for which the Johnson County Board of Supervisors appoints. The official appointees from each entity include: Johnson County: Jon Green (County Supervisor) North Liberty: Chris Hoffman (Mayor) Oxford: Sean Murphy (City Council) Citizen Appointment: Allison Wells Please be prepared to consider approval of the appointments to the ECICOG Board of Directors. I will be available at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions you may have. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston; Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #3(e): Consider appointment of a representative to the Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS) Board of Directors Every other year MPOJC is asked to appoint an MPOJC representative to the Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS) Board of Directors. SUDAS is a non-profit organization which maintains Iowa manuals for public improvement design standards and specifications, including sanitary sewer, water mains, streets and sidewalks, utility locations, drainage and erosion control, and others. SUDAS is managed by Iowa State University’s Institute for Transportation. Scott Larson, Assistant City Engineer for the City of Coralville, is our current MPO representative and has served on the SUDAS Board since 2005. Mr. Larson currently serves as the SUDAS Board President and has indicated his willingness and desire to continue to represent the MPO for another two-year term. At their January 23rd meeting, the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee unanimously recommended reappointing Scott Larson to the SUDAS Board of Directors. Please be prepared to consider appointment of a representative. The only requirement for this appointment is that the representative be a professional engineer working for one of the MPOJC entities. I will be available at the January 31st meeting to answer any questions you may have. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston; Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #3(f): Discuss MPOJC Orientation opportunity for Board members For new Board members, or current Board members who desire a refresher, I would like to provide a short orientation explaining the designation and role of the MPO, services provided by the MPO, and the structure of the MPO. Please be prepared to indicate if you are interested and I will identify possible dates that will work for a group orientation. I will be available at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions you may have. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Hannah Neel, Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #4(a): Consider approval of Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 Transit Operating Formula funding apportionment for FY2023 Iowa DOT has indicated that MPOJC has a total of $4,672,402 available in FY2023 FTA Section 5307 operating assistance. This amount includes Small Transit Intensive Communities (STIC) funding. Section 5307 funds can be used for transit operating and capital expenses. For more than 10 years, the MPO used the same local formula to distribute these funds based on prior year transit statistics from each of the three systems; 25% operating/maintenance costs, 25% locally determined income (LDI), 25% revenue miles, and 25% fare revenue. Iowa City Transit requested a review of the formula prior to their agency offering a zero-fare system beginning on August 1, 2023. In addition, the University of Iowa Cambus system does not charge a fare and had never received credit for the fare revenue portion of the formula. Although the percentage/allocation to each of the transit systems has fluctuated over time, a review of past allocations showed that year-over-year changes were small. After discussions with the transit managers, the consensus was to simply adopt a fixed percentage-based allocation (starting with FY 2023 allocations and extending through FY 2027), based on a historic average, and to review those percentages if/when there are major changes to any of the systems (e.g. routes or operations costs). At the July 11, 2023 meeting, the MPOJC Urbanized Area Policy Board approved the following fixed percentages to apportion FTA 5307 funds (Coralville 16.10%, Iowa City 60.50%, and University of Iowa Cambus 23.40%). The following table shows the approved FY2022 apportionment and the FY2023 proposed funding apportionment amounts. Once approved, the MPO will complete and submit the required annual FTA Section 5307 applications on behalf of each transit system. Staff is requesting Board approval of the proposed apportionment of the FY2023 FTA Section 5307 operating funds. The Transportation Technical Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval of the apportionment at their January 23rd meeting. If you have any questions or comments regarding this information, please contact me at 319-356- 5235 or Hannah-Neel@iowa-city.org. 2 Approved FY2022 and Proposed FY2023 Section 5307 Operating Apportionments System FY2022 Multiplier* FY2022 Total Apportionment FY2023 Multiplier** FY2023 Total Apportionment Coralville 0.1583 $ 722,663 0.1610 $ 752,257 Iowa City 0.6133 $ 2,799,804 0.6050 $ 2,826,803 CAMBUS 0.2284 $ 1,042,679 0.2340 $ 1,093,342 TOTAL 1.0000 $ 4,565,146 1.0000 $ 4,672,402 *FY2022 Multiplier was based on an average of the percentages of total operating costs, locally determined income, revenue miles, and fare revenue. **FY2023 Multiplier is a fixed percentage based on the average of 10 years of historic multipliers. Historic multipliers were calculated based on total operating costs, locally determined income, revenue miles, and fare revenue. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Kent Ralston; Executive Director Re: Agenda Item #4(b): Update on the MPOJC FY25 Transportation Planning Work Program and FY25-28 Transportation Improvement Program FY25 Transportation Planning Work Program The Transportation Planning Work Program is a document developed each year to identify projects which will be addressed by MPOJC the following fiscal year. The Work Program is developed in a coordinated effort involving the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), and Urbanized Area Policy Board. Annual Work Program items include all state and federally required planning processes and documentation, ongoing and routine projects, and special projects requested by member entities. We will begin soliciting for FY25 Work Program projects in February. If you have special projects in mind for the Work Program, please feel free to discuss them with any MPO staff person. The draft Work Program must be submitted to the Iowa DOT, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) by April 1. The Urbanized Area Policy Board will approve the final Work Program in May. FY25-28 Transportation Improvement Program The MPOJC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the programming document for federally funded transportation improvements within the Iowa City Urbanized Area. This document includes federally funded transportation projects for all modes of transportation including streets, highways, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian projects. The importance of the TIP is that it formalizes the specific projects to receive federal funds, and the year in which the projects receive funding. The Urbanized Area Policy Board considers approval of the annual TIP after receiving a recommendation from the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC). In 2023, the Urbanized Area Policy Board allocated $9.3 million in Surface Transportation Block Grant funds which will be reflected in the FY25-28 TIP. In the spring of 2025, the Board will again allocate funds – approximately $7 million in Surface Transportation Block Grant funds, $1.8 million in Transportation Alternative Program funds and $2.8 million in Carbon Reduction Program funds which will be reflected in the FY26-FY29 TIP. In July, the Urbanized Area Policy Board will consider the FY2025-28 TIP for adoption. In preparation for public review of the draft TIP, we will work with your staffs to ensure projects are programmed in the appropriate fiscal year. I will be at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions you have. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Emily Bothell; Senior Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #4(c): Update on the Metro Area Traffic Collision Analysis MPO staff has completed an update to the Metro Area Traffic Collision Analysis. The updated analysis identifies any intersection or mid-block location that experienced three or more collisions in the urbanized area between 2020 and 2022. The analysis then ranks these locations based on a formula using number of collisions, crash rates, and severity of collisions. The document helps determine which locations, by jurisdiction, could benefit from potential countermeasures, such as infrastructure improvements, that could reduce the number and severity of collisions. The analysis in its entirety will be available in a few weeks. Attached is a portion of the analysis identifying the top ten highest-ranking intersection collision locations (Figure 1) and the top five highest-ranking midblock collision locations (Figure 2) in the urbanized area. I will be available at your January 31st meeting to answer any questions. . Figure 1: Top Ten Intersection Collision Locations in the Urbanized Area North Liberty Coralville Iowa City Figure 2: Top Five Mid-Block Collision Locations in the Urbanized Area Iowa City Coralville Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Sarah Walz; Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #4(d): Update on Metro Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Collision Data One of the guiding principles in the MPO’s adopted 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan is the safety of all modes of transportation. The Plan identifies the number of pedestrian and bicycle collisions and resulting injuries and fatalities in its safety performance measures. The following shows the changes in reported bicycle and pedestrian collisions since 2012 and the severity of those collisions. The data were obtained from the Iowa DOT’s Crash Analysis Tool on 01/11/2024. These data do not include collisions that occur on private property. Also excluded are any collisions on I-80/380 and U.S. Highway 218. Figure 1. Annual Metro Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Collision Trends, 2012-2023 The number of reported collisions involving bicycles and pedestrians began trending downward around 2016, with bicycle collisions reduced by more than 60% between 2015 and 2021. The record lows for both bicycle and pedestrian collisions in 2020/21 may be related to the COVID- 19 pandemic, when vehicle miles travel declined. Both bicycle and pedestrian collisions then increased in 2022 as COVID restrictions ended and travel normalized. In 2023, collisions appear to be returning to the previous downward trend, with pedestrian collisions at their second lowest and bike collisions at their third lowest in a decade. 2 Figure 2. Annual Reported Metro Pedestrian Collisions and Injury Severity, 2012-2023 The trendline of collisions recorded each year tells only part of the story. To get a complete picture of safety of our roadways, we also consider the number and percentage of serious injuries and fatalities that result from these collisions. Figure 2 (above) shows the number of pedestrian collisions for each year with the percentage of collisions that resulted in serious injury or fatality. While the total number of pedestrian collisions dropped by more than a third from 2022 to 2023, the percentage of pedestrian collisions resulting in serious injury or fatality increased by nearly a quarter. Figure 3. Safety Performance Measures for Pedestrian Collisions, 5-year trends Pedestrian Collisions Total number of collisions 146 106 Serious-injuries/fatalities Total number of serious injuries & fatalities 21 19 Severity rate Severe injuries & fatalities / collisions 14%18% Performance Measure Definitions 2014-2018 2019-2023 As shown above in Figure 3, the five-year trends for pedestrian collisions and resulting severe injuries and fatalities show that despite a decrease in the number of collisions and resulting severe injuries, the likelihood that a collision will result in severe injury or fatality is increasing. 3 Figure 4. Annual Reported Metro Bicycle Collisions and Injury Severity, 2012-2023 Figure 4 presents bicycle collision numbers in comparison to severe injuries and fatalities. Similar to the pattern with reported Metro Area pedestrian collisions, the number of bicycle collisions has been trending downward since 2016, reaching its lowest numbers in 2020 and 2021. Again, changes in travel due to the COVID 19 pandemic likely contributed to this significant drop in collisions. As travel normalized in 2022, bicycle collisions increased by more than 50% though serious injury/fatality numbers remained low. In 2023, bicycle collisions dropped by 18%, returning to a downward trend. The trend of serious injuries and fatalities for bicycle collisions is more favorable than the pedestrian trend. Though the rate of serious injuries and fatalities increased in 2020 and 2021, the rate dropped significantly in 2022 and again in 2023. Last year, the Metro Area recorded no serious injury or fatal bicycle crashes. This was the first year that no fatal or serious-injury bicycle collisions were recorded in more than a decade. Figure 5. Safety Performance Measures for Pedestrian Collisions, 5-year trends Bicycle collisions Total collisions 200 122 Severe Injuries/fatalities Total number of serious injuries & fatalities 17 7 Severity rate Severe injuries & fatalities / total collisons 9%6% Definitions 2014-2018 2019-2023 Performance Measure As shown above in Figure 5, the five-year trends for bicycle collisions and resulting severe injuries and fatalities show a decrease in all measures. 4 The safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, our most vulnerable road users, is a top priority for the MPO. Complete streets policies and the investments each community has made in sidewalks, trails, and intersection treatments play an essential role in reducing pedestrian and bicycle collisions and making active modes of transportation and recreation accessible. As the recently awarded Safe Streets and Roads for All grant allows us to move forward in developing a Safety Action Plan, we will identify those locations and conditions where bicycles and pedestrians may be most at risk and propose countermeasures to improve safety and eliminate serious injuries and fatalities. Date: January 24, 2024 To: Urbanized Area Policy Board From: Sarah Walz; Associate Transportation Planner Re: Agenda Item #4(e): Update on the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant In July 2023, MPO staff submitted an application on behalf of the MPOJC urbanized area for a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the SS4A discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022-2026. SS4A program grants go directly to regional, local, and Tribal communities for implementation, planning, and demonstration projects driven at the local level to improve safety and help prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. On December 13, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced its second round of grant awards. The MPO’s application was awarded a $300,000 grant to create a Safety Action Plan focused on reducing roadway deaths and serious injuries. The adoption of such a plan will in turn make urbanized area communities eligible for demonstration and implementation grants through the same program to correct issues identified in the Safety Action Plan. There are several steps we must go through before publishing a Request for Proposal to hire a consultant. We will be in touch with communities soon regarding matching funds and other details.