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Home My WebLink AboutA045 - Motion approving Minutes of Regular AAMPO Transportation Policy Committee MeetingTo:Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) Transportation Policy Committee Members From:City Clerk's Office Date:May 26, 2026 Subject:Approval of MInutes Item No. 1 MEMO Attached are the minutes from the Regular Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Committee meeting on March 24, 2026. ATTACHMENT(S): C26-0324 AAMPO.pdf Public Works 515.239.5105 main 515.239.5142 fax 515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811 Ames, IA 50010 www.CityofAmes.org 1 1 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (AAMPO) TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE AMES, IOWA MARCH 24, 2026 CALL TO ORDER: The Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) Transportation Policy Committee meeting was called to order by Ames Mayor and voting member John Haila at 5:59 p.m. on the 24th day of March, 2026. Other voting members present were: Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, City of Ames; Gloria Betcher, City of Ames; Amber Corrieri, City of Ames; Tim Gartin, City of Ames; Jonathan Popp, City of Gilbert; Linda Murken, Story County Board of Supervisors; and Emily Boland, Ames Transit Agency Board of Trustees. Rachel Junck, City of Ames, and Anita Rollins, City of Ames, joined the meeting electronically. Erich Kretzinger, Boone County Board of Supervisors, was absent. CONSENT: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Murken, to approve the consent agenda. 1. Motion approving Minutes of the Regular Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Committee Meeting on January 27, 2026 Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. DRAFT FY 2027 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING WORK PROGRAM: Transportation Planner Kyle Thompson, alongside Public Works Director Justin Clausen, presented the draft Transportation Planning Work Program (TPWP), explaining that it was an annual federal requirement for all Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to develop a work program for the upcoming fiscal year. The work program identified planning activities the MPO would undertake and included a program budget, primarily funded through federal planning dollars from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration with a required 20% local match. Planner Thompson outlined the federal funding sources for FY 2027, including carryover funds from FY 2025, new federal highway planning funds, and Complete Streets funding that did not require local match. He highlighted several major activities planned for the fiscal year, including creation of a regional safe routes to school plan and three corridor studies. The Duff Avenue corridor study, already underway, cover ed the area from the railroad crossing near Main Street to 16th Street. Planner Thompson explained staff completed traffic analysis and data collection and were preparing to begin public outreach. He noted that staff were using continuous turning movement counts from upgraded traffic signals . Committee Member Gartin raised concerns about study timing, emphasizing the importance of conducting studies when students were present to capture accurate data. Planner Thompson assured the Committee that data collection for all studies was being timed appropriately, with outreach scheduled to reach the full community before students leave for summer. 2 2 Two additional corridor studies would begin in July: the Lincoln Way Corridor Study from Duff Avenue to Grand Avenue, and the South Dayton Corridor Study from South Dayton Place to the US 30 interchange. The Lincoln Way study would focus on The Linc development area and operational concerns at key intersections like Clark and Kellogg Avenues. The South Dayton study addressed existing operational concerns with queuing on ramps and development impacts, including consideration of the new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus (R3C). Council Member Gloria Betcher inquired about potential impacts from Highway 30 traffic rerouting onto Dayton Avenue during roadway and ramp improvement efforts lead by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). Planner Thompson confirmed that staff collected baseline data before the rerouting began to avoid skewing results. Mayor Haila suggested expanding the South Dayton study to include the Southeast 5th Street intersection with South Dayton, noting potential increased traffic from the R3C campus opening. Public Works Director Justin Clausen explained how staff envisioned transfer truck routing and confirmed staff would examine the feasibility of including Southeast 5th Street in the study scope. Planner Thompson then presented the work program budget, organized into categories including administration, regional planning, transit planning, and data analytics. The budget included consultant costs for major projects with local match funding budgeted in the City of Ames Capital Improvements Plan. Mayor Haila identified a mathematical discrepancy in the budget presentation, which Planner Thompson acknowledged and committed to correcting before filing with the federal government. Planner Thompson concluded with an outline of next steps, including opening a public comment period in April, review by Iowa DOT and federal partners, and final approval with a public hearing scheduled for May 26, 2026. Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Popp, to approve Draft FY 2027 Transportation Planning Work Program and set May 26, 2026, as date of Public Hearing. Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. FFY 2027-2030 SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT (STBG) FUNDS: Planner Thompson explained that the MPO annually administered three formula grant programs: Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) for roadway construction projects, Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for multimodal projects, and Carbon Reduction Program for emission-reducing projects. This year, staff did not solicit Carbon Reduction Program applications due to uncertainty about the future of the program under the next infrastructure bill. The MPO released a Notice of Funding Opportunity in December 2025 with an application 3 3 deadline of February 20, 2026, for projects spanning federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2027-30. Proposed projects must be included in the short-term fiscally constrained plan from Ames Connect 2050 or demonstrate alignment with plan goals for maintenance and reconstruction projects. Four applications were received for STBG funding, with no TAP applications submitted. The evaluation criteria weighted impact on transportation network at 6 0%, alignment with adopted plans at 25%, project readiness at 10%, and public involvement at 5%. All four projects demonstrated strong alignment with planning documents and network benefits, leading to full funding recommendations. The approved projects included a bus purchase for CyRide, the reconstruction of East 13th Street eastbound between I-35 ramps combined with the reconstruction of the Lincoln Way and Dayton Avenue intersection, the reconstruction of East 13th Street from McCormick to Dayton Avenue, as well as mill and overlay on Duff Avenue from 6th to 13th Street. Committee Member Gartin inquired about bike infrastructure improvements on Duff Avenue concurrent with the mill and overlay project. Public Works Director Clausen explained that while the current project maintained existing configuration due to funding constraints, the ongoing corridor study would inform future multimodal infrastructure improvements for the 15-year reconstruction timeline. Committee Member Beatty-Hansen asked whether street repair projects displaced other potential applications. Planner Thompson clarified that member agencies decided which projects to apply for, and these reconstruction projects did not push back other programmed improvements. Moved by Murken, seconded by Corrieri, to approve the 2027-2030 Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds to various regional transportation projects and adopt the corresponding resolutions as follows: • RESOLUTION NO. 26-197 awarding STBG funds in the amount of $864,000 for FFY 2028 to the City of Ames for the E 13th Street Eastbound (between I-35 ramps) and Lincoln Way/Dayton Avenue Intersection Reconstruction • RESOLUTION NO. 26-198 awarding STBG funds in the amount of $995,000 for FFY 2030 to the City of Ames for the E 13th Street (McCormick Avenue to Dayton Ave) Reconstruction • RESOLUTION NO. 26-199 awarding STBG funds in the amount of $400,000 for FFY 2028 to CyRide for the purchase of a 40’ Heavy-Duty Transit Bus • RESOLUTION NO. 26-200 awarding STBG funds in the amount of $840,000 for FFY 2028 to the City of Ames for the Duff Avenue (6th Street to 13th Street) Mill & Overlay Vote on Motion: 10-0. Resolutions declared adopted unanimously, signed by the Chair, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes. POLICY COMMITTEE COMMENTS: None. 4 4 ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Betcher, seconded by Murken, to adjourn the meeting at 6:24 p.m. Vote on Motion: 10-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. _______________________________ ________________________________ Carly M. Watson, Deputy City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor __________________________________ Renee Hall, City Clerk 5