Fiscal Year 2004 Annual Report

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MPO Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

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

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Fiscal Year 2004 Annual Report

The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) membership includes fifteen cities, an associate, non-voting city, and portions of unincorporated Dallas, Polk, and Warren Counties in central Iowa.

The preparation of this report was financed in part through federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and/or the Federal Transit Administration. 2005 Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Please call (515) 334-0075 to obtain permission for use. Annual Report written and edited by Kristin Nanke and Jessica Hekter.

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Executive Directors Message

In this report, the Des Moines Area MPO staff has summarized what we believe to be Fiscal Year 2004 activity high points. Given space constraints, however, we are not able to share with you the width and the breadth of what our day-to-day operations or what those operations have allowed us to become. This years publication is entitled, Under Construction. Our staff chose this theme because the staff felt the year was about constructing a new long-range transportation plan, about constructing major transportation projects in the metropolitan area, and about constructing new working relationships among governments and agencies in the metropolitan area and in central Iowa. The long-range transportation update was the staffs major work activity. The Des Moines Area MPO evaluated, and ultimately selected, a 2030 Metropolitan Growth Scenario. The growth scenario will be used to project future traffic. Those future traffic projections will aid the Des Moines Area MPO governments in deciding what future transportation system improvements need to be anticipated given the adopted growth scenario. The Des Moines Area MPO will complete its work on updating the plan update in early Fiscal Year 2005. In preparing to compose my thoughts for this report, I revisited what I shared with you two years ago. I found my 2002 comments to be prophetic. In 2002, I pondered why would it be so difficult to have a deadline still two years, twenty-four months, or approximately 730 days away. I commented that data preparation would not be that difficult, that selecting socioeconomic data projection methodologies would be difficult, and noted that calibrating our travel demand forecasting model would be difficult. In 2002, I noted What makes the Long-Range Transportation Plan process is the debate about metropolitan growth, distributing that growth among Des Moines Area MPO member governments . . .. Updating the plan always involves discussion and debate, leading to a decision that the Des Moines Area MPOs member governments can agree to in the end.

Executive Director Tom Kane

In publishing this report, we highlight the progress on updating the Des Moines Area MPOs long-range transportation plan. The plan update surely was staffs major work activity last fiscal year. During the past fiscal year, we became more involved in other transportation planning activities through creation of Transit and Bikeway-Pedestrian Roundtables, and initial discussion of a Freight Roundtable. Project funding and project implementation activities also were very important, as we would hope to report each year. Staff believes Fiscal Year 2004 was another very ambitious and a very successful year for the MPO and its member governments. In closing, thank you for your continued support of the Des Moines Area MPO and its transportation planning process. In addition, let me remind you that we are here to serve. If you have questions or comments about the Des Moines Area MPO or the metropolitan transportation planning it represents, please take the time to contact us to share your comments with us. Best wishes,

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2004 Officers
At their January 2004 meeting, the Des Moines Area MPO elected representatives to serve as officers for Calendar Year 2004. Geri Huser, City of Altoona, was selected as Chair. Angela Connolly, Polk County, was selected as ViceChair. Carl Metzger, City of Ankeny, was selected as Secretary/Treasurer. Christine Hensley, City of Des Moines, and Jim Lane, City of Norwalk, each were selected as At-Large officers. Loretta Sieman, City of West Des Moines and immediate past chair, served as the Ex-Officio officer for 2004.
Chair Geri Huser

The Des Moines Area MPO Transportation Technical Committee also elected their Calendar Year 2004 officers in January 2004. Jolee Belzung, City of Ankeny, was selected as Chair and Rita Conner, City of Pleasant Hill, was selected as Vice-Chair.

2004 Greater Des Moines Partnership Trip to Washington, D.C.

The annual Greater Des Moines Partnership Trip to Washington, D.C. occurred in June 2004. Over 150 persons participated in the lobbying event, setting a record number for attendance for the trip. The following transportation projects were included in presentations made to the Iowa lawmakers and their staffs: I-35 Interchange at First Street - Ankeny; University Boulevard - Clive; ML King, Jr. Parkway East Segment - Des Moines; Purchase of ten buses - Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority; Iowa 44 Grimes/Iowa 44 Partnership; Iowa 141 Corridor, I-35/80 Interchanges at NW 100th Street and Meredith Drive - Grimes, Johnston, Polk County, Urbandale; I235 Reconstruction - Iowa DOT; NW 70th Avenue - Johnston; NW 70th Avenue - Polk County; Ankeny Regional Airport - Polk County; NE 56th Street - Polk County; I-35/80 Interchange at NE 26th Street - Polk County; Iowa 92 - Warren County; I-80 Interchange at Alices Road/105th Street - Waukee, West Des Moines; and Southwest Connector - West Des Moines.

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Des Moines Area MPO Member Government Representatives

Transportation Technical Committee
Member ALTOONA ALTOONA ANKENY ANKENY BONDURANT CARLISLE CLIVE CLIVE CUMMING DALLAS COUNTY DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES AIRPORT GRIMES JOHNSTON MTA NORWALK PLEASANT HILL POLK CITY POLK COUNTY POLK COUNTY URBANDALE URBANDALE WARREN COUNTY WAUKEE WEST DES MOINES WEST DES MOINES WEST DES MOINES WINDSOR HEIGHTS Advisory FHWA FTA IOWA DOT Representative Vern Willey John Shaw Jolee Belzung John Peterson Mike Flattery Mark Lee Bart Weller Eric Doering Michael Wille Murray McConnell Gary Fox Larry Hulse Jeb Brewer Craig Smith John Gade Gene Martens Sheri Kyras Jeff Wren Rita Conner Bill Kliegl Kurt Bailey David Bovee Paul Dekker Dave McKay Steve Akes Jody Gunderson Larry Read Clyde Evans Kara Tragesser John Wiedman Representative John Cater Mark Bechtel Lorne Wazny

Des Moines Area MPO

Member ALTOONA ALTOONA ANKENY ANKENY BONDURANT CARLISLE CLIVE CLIVE DALLAS COUNTY DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES DES MOINES GRIMES JOHNSTON NORWALK PLEASANT HILL POLK CITY POLK COUNTY POLK COUNTY URBANDALE URBANDALE WARREN COUNTY WAUKEE WEST DES MOINES WEST DES MOINES WEST DES MOINES WINDSOR HEIGHTS Representative Geri Huser Joe Riding Carl Metzger Merle Johnson Darrel Steven Carlyle Neil Ruddy Dan Clute Scott Cirksena Alice Wicker Archie Brooks Chris Coleman Frank Cownie Christine Hensley Tom Vlassis Robert Mickle Eric Anderson Pam Carmichael Dave Caris Tom Armstrong Brian Laurenzo Jim Lane Martha Miller Mary Burton Angela Connolly Tom Hockensmith Donald Brush John Forst Dave Mineart Tony Oberman Ted Ohmart Jim Sandager Loretta Sieman Ned Miller

Advisory Representative DES MOINES AIRPORT Robert Hagener FHWA John Cater FTA Mark Bechtel IOWA DOT Lorne Wazny MTA Steve Spade

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Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan

The theme, Under Construction, truly applies to the work done by the Des Moines Area MPO on the Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan in Fiscal Year 2004. Work was completed on the growth scenario and on the writing of the modal elements of the plan.

Growth Scenario
The Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan Growth Scenario was approved by the

Des Moines Area MPO in Fiscal Year 2004. From the Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan, The Growth Scenario is the set of circumstances that the Des Moines Area MPO feels is a probable reflection of the metropolitan area by the Year 2030. The Growth Scenario identifies factors that will influence or lead to growth in the future. Employment and population projections are two aspects of the Growth Scenario. Many hours of meetings of the Des Moines Area MPO Transportation Technical Committees Planning Subcommittee and of the Des Moines Area MPO Growth Scenario Task Force during Fiscal Year 2004 resulted in the selected employment and population projections for the Des Moines Area MPO Planning Area. The selected employment projection results in a Year 2030 employment total of 432,016 persons. The selected population projection results in a Year 2030 population total of 650,715 persons. The Des Moines Area MPO, at their June 3, 2004, special meeting, selected a Growth Scenario, distributing employment and population numbers to subareas defined by the Urban Spatial Structure geography. The selected Growth Scenario expects all areas of the Des Moines metropolitan area to experience growth over the next thirty years. Subareas 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, known as the Outer Ring, will continue to attract the majority of the growth. Subareas 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11, or the Inner Ring, will experience infill development. The Core, or

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Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan, Continued

Subarea 1, is of vital importance. Investments in the Core will ensure its growth over the next thirty years. Based on these assumptions, employment and population numbers were assigned to each Subarea, followed by assignment to each community, allowing for the prediction of future traffic through the Travel Demand Modeling process to take place in Fiscal Year 2005.

Modal Elements
The modal elements of the Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan describe the current varied transportation options available in the Des Moines metropolitan area and describe the future plans of those modes over the next thirty years. Modal elements included in the Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan are: Street and Highway, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Parking, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities, Skywalks, Transit, Taxi, Airports, Goods Movement, Water, Land Use, Noise, and Air Quality. Research and writing of the modal elements concluded in Fiscal Year 2004, with the exception of the Street and Highway mode awaiting the results of the Travel Demand Modeling process in Fiscal Year 2005. The completion of the Growth Scenario and of the Modal Elements were in preparation for the construction of the final Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan. The Des Moines Area MPO will approve the Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan document in the first half of Fiscal Year 2005.

Clive Greenbelt Trail

Public Input Meetings

The Des Moines Area MPO also held numerous public input meetings during Fiscal Year 2004 to gather comments on the growth scenario alternatives and on the modal elements.
Des Moines MTA Buses and Skywalk on Walnut Street

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Surface Transportation Program Funding Awarded

At its February 2004 meeting, the Des Moines Area MPO awarded $5,971,218 in Federal Fiscal Years 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 Surface Transportation Program funds to the following projects throughout the Des Moines Area MPO Planning Area: Federal Fiscal Year 2007 Surface Transportation Program Projects: Major Construction: City of Des Moines - Southeast Connector, $750,000; City of Des Moines - Indianola Avenue, $500,000; City of West Des Moines - Grand Avenue, $750,000; and Polk County, City of Altoona, City of Pleasant Hill - NE 56th Street, $500,000. Preservation: Iowa DOT - U.S. 69/NE 14th Street, $390,000; City of Des Moines - Hickman Road, $445,000; City of Pleasant Hill - Pleasant Hill Boulevard, $267,159; and City of Des Moines - Hickman Road, $360,000. Alternative Transportation: Des Moines MTA - Purchase of Three Heavy-Duty, Fixed Route Buses, $520,000. Reprogrammed Federal Fiscal Year 2004 Surface Transportation Program Funds: City of Clive - 100th Street, $227,000; Polk County - SE Vandalia Road, $596,752; City of Waukee - University Avenue, $280,695; City of Johnston - NW 70th Avenue, $574,087; City of Pleasant Hill - 12th Avenue, $91,220; City of Des Moines - Riverpoint Trail, $150,000; City of Urbandale - Douglas Avenue Bicycle/Pedestrian Facility, $325,000; Polk County, City of Ankeny - Acquisition of Union Pacific Railroad Corridor, $253,880; and City of Windsor Heights - Missing Link Trail, $90,880.

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Surface Transportation Program Transportation Enhancement Funding Awarded

Surface Transportation Program Transportation Enhancement funding also was awarded at the Des Moines Area MPOs February 2004 meeting. The following projects were awarded Federal Fiscal Year 2007 funding: Bicycle/Pedestrian: City of Des Moines - Waveland Trail, $150,000; and City of Urbandale - Raccoon Valley Trail Connection, $145,000. Scenic/Environmental: City of West Des Moines - 74th Street Beautification, $104,250; and City of Grimes - Iowa Highway 44 Beautification, $150,000.

Several Projects Completed During Fiscal Year 2004

Des Moines Area MPO Member Governments celebrated the end of construction with ribbon cuttings for several completed projects during Fiscal Year 2004. In July 2003, the Iowa Department of Transportation and City of Des Moines opened the 2nd Avenue and 3rd Street bridges over I-235. NW Saylorville Drive, or Iowa 415, opened near the City of Polk City in Polk County in August 2003. City of Urbandale and Iowa Department of Transportation officials held a ribbon-cutting for the Douglas Avenue Interchange over I-35/80 in September 2003. The Valley West Drive bridge and interchange at I-235 in West Des Moines opened in November 2003. Also in November 2003, a ribbon cutting was held for North First Street in the City of Carlisle.

Northwest Saylorville Drive Ribbon Cutting, Near Polk City

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Intelligent Transportation Systems

Beginning Fall 2003 and ending June 2004, the Des Moines Area MPO staff worked under contract of Jacobs Civil, Inc. to participate in the Incident Management Plan for the Des Moines metropolitan area. Des Moines Area MPO staff worked with Jacobs Civil on several elements of the plan. The first aspect of the Incident Management Plan the Des Moines Area MPO staff worked with Jacobs Civil on was to identify route diversions and to create route diversion maps for the interstate system within the Des Moines metropolitan area. Route diversions were designed to alleviate traffic congestion on the interstate system during major incidents and to alleviate traffic congestion during major roadway construction by diverting traffic to the arterial street system. Des Moines Area MPO staff utilized its Geographic Information Systems (GIS) directory to analyze the identified route diversions and to create maps displaying the identified primary, secondary, and tertiary route diversions. There were several street and highway construction projects occurring in 2004 that directly affected the identified route diversions, primarily the reconstruction of Interstate 235. The Des Moines Area MPO staff worked with Jacobs Civil to identify route diversions to operate during the 2004 construction season. In conjunction with the route diversion maps, the Des Moines Area MPO staff worked with Jacobs Civil to create route diversion signage maps. Route diversion signs were intended to guide motorists to and from the interstate when route diversions were being implemented. Route diversion signs were located along all identified route diversions at decision points running the length of the route. Des Moines Area MPO staff again utilized its GIS directory to analyze sign locations and to create maps displaying the located signs. Another aspect of the Incident Management Plan was modeling traffic operations using the Des Moines Area MPOs micro-simulation model, MITSIM. The Des Moines Area MPO staff worked with Jacobs Civil to simulate incidents on the interstate system and analyze the resulting traffic operations. Dynamic Message Boards and other Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies also were tested during the simulation process to analyze their effects on traffic operations.

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Intelligent Transportation Systems, Continued

The Des Moines Area MPO staff also attended and participated in Incident Management Plan working groups. Three working groups were created; Traffic Management, Incident Management, and Traffic Management Center. The groups met regularly to discuss the various issues surrounding the Incident Management Plan.

Major Project Construction

Construction on I-235 continued in Fiscal Year 2004. Much of the construction along the corridor involved the rebuilding of interchanges and overpasses and the placement of noise walls. Several I-235 projects of note include the Valley West Drive Interchange in West Des Moines, Polk Boulevard bridges in Des Moines, 19th Street bridge and approaches in Des Moines, pedestrian overpass in Des Moines, East 6th Street and Penn Avenue Interchanges in Des Moines, and the East Euclid Avenue Interchange in Des Moines. Work continued in Fiscal Year 2004 on the M.L. King, Jr. Parkway project in Des Moines. The connection from the existing M.L. King, Jr. Parkway to Fleur Drive was the focus of construction, with a bridge being built over the Raccoon River. The Corporate Woods Drive Interchange construction and widening of I-35 in Ankeny also took place in Fiscal Year 2004. The Corporate Woods Drive Interchange will open in Fiscal Year 2005. Work began on the widening of the University Avenue bridge over I-35/80 in Clive and West Des Moines. This project will be completed in the first half of Fiscal Year 2005.
M.L. King, Jr. Parkway Bridge Construction over the Raccoon River in Des Moines

Grimes widened Iowa 44 from Iowa 141 to Gateway Drive in Fiscal Year 2004, with opening of all lanes of this facility scheduled in early Fiscal Year 2005.

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Transit Roundtable
The Des Moines Area MPO Transit Roundtable first met on September 2, 2003, to discuss transportation issues in the Des Moines metropolitan area, including topics such as: commuter rail; bus rapid transit; intermodal transit facility and location; coordination of bus and taxi services; vanpools; transit customer service; bike racks on buses; bus lanes along I-235; park and ride facilities; and rail corridor preservation. Since then, the Roundtable has continued to meet about once every six weeks, or as needed. The Roundtable includes attendees from the following agencies: the Des Moines Area MPO; Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA); Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA); Transportation Management Association (TMA); Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT); Trans Iowa (taxicabs); Greyhound Bus Lines; Jefferson Bus Lines; the former Five Oaks Charter Buses, Inc.; Burlington Trailways Bus System; and the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

Bicycle-Pedestrian Roundtable
The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) formed a roundtable to discuss issues relating to bicycle and pedestrian facilities in central Iowa in the Spring of 2004. Representatives from the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance (CIRTPA) member governments, Des Moines Area MPO member governments, county conservation boards, county engineers, and other interested parties participated in the first Central Iowa Bicycle-Pedestrian Roundtable on March 30, 2004. The Roundtable has continued to meet monthly to discuss bicycle and pedestrian-related topics, such as the following: maintenance; funding; trails inventory and mapping; identifying needs and costs; coordination of trails and transportation planning; bike lanes; education; regional signage system; regional trail design standards; bike racks on buses; and emergency response systems. The Roundtable is currently working towards writing a bicycle and pedestrian facilities plan to help implement goals for improving and expanding the current bicycle and pedestrian system in central Iowa.

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Iowa 44 Plan Complete

Since January 2002, the Des Moines Area MPO worked in conjunction with the Region XII Council of Governments, the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance, Snyder & Associates, and the Iowa 44 Corridor Partnership to create the Iowa 44 Corridor Coordinated Land Use and Transportation Plan. Members of the Iowa 44 Corridor Partnership presented the Iowa 44 Coordinated Transportation and Land Use Plan to the Iowa Transportation Commission at their Public Input Meeting in Decorah, Iowa on June 2, 2004. The Iowa 44 Corridor Partnership was well represented at the Iowa Transportation Commission meeting presentation, with Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance staff, Des Moines Area MPO staff, Region XII Council of Governments staff, Pioneer Hybrid, City of Grimes, City of Panora, a City of Perry resident, and Lake Panorama Association, among others in attendance. The Iowa 44 Corridor Partnership hopes that this planning study will invoke the Iowa Department of Transportation to do a more in depth study and evaluation of the Iowa 44 Corridor.

Freeway Interchange Working Group

In response to concerns by the Iowa Department of Transportation and by the Federal Highway Administration, Iowa Division, about the number of proposed interchanges in the Des Moines metropolitan area, the Des Moines Area MPO formed the Freeway Interchange Working Group. Any member government with an interchange proposed during the next 30 years was invited to participate in this group. As part of the Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan process, the Freeway Interchange Working Group discussed construction timing, necessity, and costs of the proposed interchange improvements and construction projects.

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Staff Travel and Training

The Des Moines Area MPO staff appreciated the opportunity to attend several training sessions in Fiscal Year 2004. Training sessions included, but are not limited to: FHWAs Freight Transportation Planning Workshop, Fargo, ND; Iowa Association of Regional Councils Retreat, Dubuque; Iowa State Universitys Mid-Continent Transportation Research Symposium, Ames; Midwest Arc Users Group Conference, Omaha, NE; Iowa DOT Traffic and Safety Forum, West Des Moines; Inland Port Seminar, Monterrey, Mexico; Transportation Research Boards Conference on Census Data for Transportation Planning: Preparing for the Future, Washington, DC; Intersection Capacity (SYNCHRO Modeling) Workshop; National Association of Regional Councils 2003 Executive Directors Conference, San Francisco, CA; REMIs Transight Seminar; FTAs Region VII Conference, Kansas City, MO; FHWA/EPAs Travel Model Improvement Program Review Panel, Washington, DC; Midwest Transportation Planning Conference, St. Louis, MO; Inland Ports Meeting, Kansas City, MO; FHWAs Transportation and Land Use Conference, Springfield, MO; Iowa Public Transit Association Conference, Cedar Falls; Iowa DOTs Geographic Information Systems Training, Ames; FHWAs 49 CFR Part 18 Common Rule Course, Ames; Community Development through Philanthropy, Fort Dodge; Representative Leonard Boswells Recreational Trails Summit, Des Moines; American Planning Associations 2004 National Conference, Washington, DC; Travel Model Improvement Program Panel Review Meeting, Alexandria, VA; FHWAs Census Transportation Planning Package Training, Ames; and FHWAs Interchange Design Course, Ames.

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Des Moines Area MPO StaffFiscal Year 2004

Executive Director Tom Kane Transportation Planners Kristin Nanke Adam Garms Rebecca Wymore Adam Noelting Jessica Hekter Executive Secretary Angela Defenbaugh Transportation Planning Interns Alan Huff Zach James Adam Michalski

www.dmampo.org
For more information about the Des Moines Area MPOs transportation planning projects and activities, please connect to our website. The following is a sampling of the topics you will find at www.dmampo.org: Year 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan Iowa 44 Corridor Partnership Coordinated Transportation and Land Use Plan Des Moines Area MPO Committees and Staff Meeting Agendas and Minutes Transportation Improvement Program Surface Transportation Program Surface Transportation Program Transportation Enhancements Public Input Opportunities and Newsletters Intelligent Transportation Systems Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance Des Moines Area MPO Publications, Reports, and Map Gallery Links to Member Government and Transportation-Related Websites The Des Moines Area MPO can also be contacted by mail at Merle Hay Centre, 6200 Aurora Avenue, Suite 300W, Urbandale, IA 50322-2866, by telephone at (515) 334-0075, by fax at (515) 334-0098, or by e-mail at dmampo@dmampo. org.

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MPO

Website: www.dmampo.org E-mail:dmampo@dmampo.org Telephone: (515) 334-0075 Fax: (515) 334-0098