HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - September 23, 2025, Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) Transportation Policy Committee Minutes1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO)
TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE
AMES, IOWA SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
CALL TO ORDER: The Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO)
Transportation Policy Committee meeting was called to order by Ames Mayor Pro Tem
and voting member Amber Corrieri at 5:59 p.m. on the 23rd day of September, 2025.
Other voting members present were: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, City of Ames; Gloria
Betcher, City of Ames; Tim Gartin, City of Ames; Rachel Junck, City of Ames; Anita
Rollins, City of Ames; Linda Murken, Story County Board of Supervisors; and Emily
Boland, Ames Transit Agency Board of Trustees.
CONSENT AGENDA: Supervisor Murken requested to pull Item No. 7 : Resolution
approving formal request to FHWA to update the Federal Functional Classification
(FFC) for various roadways in the Ames urban area.
Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Murken, to approve the consent agenda less
Item No. 7.
1. Motion approving Minutes of the Regular Ames Area Metropolitan Planning
Organization Transportation Policy Committee Meeting on July 8, 2025, and the
Special Meeting on July 29, 2025
2. Motion adopting CyRide's Transit Safety Targets
3. Motion adopting the Iowa DOT's Roadway Safety (PM1) Targets
4. Motion appointing Ames Public Works Director Justin Clausen as the 2026
AAMPO representative to the Statewide Urban Design Specifications (SUDAS)
Board of Directors
5. RESOLUTION NO. 25-463 certifying project shown in the Iowa Clean Air
Attainment Program (ICAAP) Grant Application conforms to the AAMPO's
regional transportation planning process
6. RESOLUTION NO. 25-464 approving designation of AAMPO 2026
representatives to the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance
(CIRTPA)
7. RESOLUTION NO. 25-465 approving formal request to FHWA to update the
Federal Functional Classification (FFC) for various roadways in the Ames urban
area
Vote on Motion: 9-0. Motions/Resolutions declared carried/adopted unanimously,
signed by the Chair, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.
REQUEST TO FHWA TO UPDATE THE FEDERAL FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION
(FFC) FOR VARIOUS ROADWAYS IN THE AMES URBAN AREA: Supervisor Murken
inquired about the change in classification for George Washington Carver Avenue from
a collector to minor arterial from Barcelos Street to Cameron School Road. She
wondered why the change did not extend further to include the area that would be part
of potential intersection improvements. Transportation Planner Kyle Thompson
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explained the FFC classifications, highlighting that both collection and arterial streets
are eligible for federal funding. Thus, even under a different classification, the potential
future intersection improvements would be eligible for federal funding. Supervisor
Murken inquired if a higher functional classification would result in a higher percentage
of federal funding. Traffic Engineer Damion Pregitzer replied in the negative, stating that
once a road has crossed the threshold of being federally classified, it is eligible for
funding allocations of any percentage of the project cost.
Moved by Murken, seconded by Junck, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-465 approving
formal request to FHWA to update the Federal Functional Classification (FFC) for
various roadways in the Ames urban area.
Vote on Motion: 9-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Chair,
and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.
HEARING ON 2050 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN (MTP), AMES
CONNECT 2050: Transportation Planner Thompson presented the final version of the
2050 MTP, noting that since the draft was approved by the Policy Committee in July,
staff had completed the public comment period and received input from state and
federal partners. This resulted in minor updates to figures and tables, but the fiscally
constrained project list remained the same as the draft version. The public engagement
summary in Appendix E summarized all public input received during the draft to final
phase, but none of the comments warranted adjustments to the plan.
Chair Corrieri opened the public hearing.
Grant Olsen, 3812 Ontario Street, raised concerns related to the high priority project list ,
highlighting the opportunity cost for the proposed projects.
Chair Corrieri closed the Public Hearing when no one else came forward to speak.
Supervisor Murken asked about plans for Cameron School Road and George
Washington Carver Avenue, confirming that the preference for intersection control
would be a roundabout according to the plan. She noted the area is expected to have
approximately 1,300 new housing units, making it the most densely developed area
where intersection improvements were being considered. She emphasized the need for
consistency, as other nearby intersections were also roundabouts. Traffic Engineer
Pregitzer highlighted that the potential future improvements to the intersection would be
advised by the plan; however, the local agency responsible for completing the project
would determine how the intersection would be engineered and funded.
Regarding the Duff Avenue railroad grade separation, staff clarified for Council Member
Gartin, that due to its high cost, the project was not in the fiscally constrained plan but
was listed as an illustrative high-priority project. A corridor study of Duff Avenue from
the railroad crossing to 16th Street was beginning, which would examine the crossing in
more detail.
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The S. Duff Avenue expansion project was referenced by Council Member Betcher.
Traffic Engineer Pregitzer explained that the transportation plan use d a detailed
technical model to forecast future needs based on traffic capacity. The model show ed
that with projected growth in the South Growth area, traffic on South Duff Avenue would
double by 2050, which would approach the threshold where expansion to 5 lanes may
be needed. He emphasized that the plan identified needs at a planning level but does
not address design details, which would be determined by the local agency when
implementing the project.
Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-466
adopting 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Ames Connect 2050.
Vote on Motion: 9-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Chair,
and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.
HEARING ON COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY ACTION PLAN (CSAP): Transportation
Planner Thompson explained that the CSAP was developed in coordination with the
MTP and was tied to the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program from the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT). Unlike the broader MTP, the plan was specifically
focused on safety, with the goal of minimizing or eliminating fatal and serious injury
crashes. The project list was unchanged from the draft version presented in July, with
only minor tweaks made to tables in response to federal highway comments.
The Public Hearing was opened and closed by Chair Corrieri when no one came
forward to speak.
Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Rollins, to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 25-467
adopting Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.
Vote on Motion: 9-0. Resolution declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Chair,
and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.
POLICY COMMITTEE COMMENTS: None.
ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Gartin, to adjourn the
meeting at 6:18 p.m.
Vote on Motion: 9-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.
_______________________________ ________________________________
Carly M. Watson, Deputy City Clerk Amber Corrieri, Mayor Pro Tem
__________________________________
Renee Hall, City Clerk