Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization: Overview

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Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization
Overview

• Creating Sustainable Communities through
  Regional Planning Civic Engagement

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Tonights Agenda

• Opening remarks by Corridor MPO Chair Cedar
  Rapids Mayor Pro Temp Brian Fagan
• Presentation by Corridor MPO Staff
• Overview of the organization
• Current projects
• Upcoming projects
• Transportation Issues / Trends
• Opportunities to get involved
• Small Group Discussions

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Corridor MPO

• Governed by a 19-member Board
• Allocates 3 Million in federal dollars locally
• Officially established in 1964 as the Linn County
  Regional Planning Commission
• Staffed by Cedar Rapids Department of Community
  Development
• Planning area of 326 square miles or 45 of Linn
  County, includes 90 of Linn County population

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Membership in Corridor MPO

• Linn County Supervisors and the Mayors, along
  with citizen reps from
• Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins, Ely,
  Fairfax, Shueyville
• Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of the
  month at 130 pm
• No specific governmental powers other than
  development of plans

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Corridor MPO Members

• Mayor Kay Halloran Cedar Rapids
• Brian Fagan Cedar Rapids
• Jerry McGrane Cedar Rapids
• Pat Shey Cedar Rapids
• Samantha Dahlby Cedar Rapids
• Scott Sylvester Cedar Rapids
• Bill Bogert Cedar Rapids
• David Zylstra Cedar Rapids
• Mayor Paul Rehn Marion
• Boyd Potter Marion

• Kim McCarty Marion
• Supervisor Linda Langston Linn County
• Supervisor Lu Barron Linn County
• Supervisor Brent Oleson Linn County
• Mayor Tom Theis Hiawatha
• Mayor Ian Cullis Robins
• Mayor Jim Doyle Ely
• Mayor Bill Voss Fairfax
• Mayor Tim Carson Shueyville

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Examples of Corridor MPO Responsibilities

• Generally, the preparation of transportation-relat
  ed plans
• Transportation-related can be expanded to
  include land use, preservation, environmental,
  and other topics of metro area interest
• Transportation includes all modes

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How does the Corridor MPO impact Citizens?

• Corridor MPO estimates the metro- population will
  increase by 119,200 people in the next 30 years.
  
• All of these people will need homes, employment,
  schools, and retail and recreational
  opportunities.
• What will make all of this possible?
• The Transportation System

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How does the Corridor MPO impact Citizens?
(continued)

• In order to retain citizens and attract the next
  generation of workers, we need a transportation
  system that provides choice
• A transportation system must provide citizens
  choices in getting to work, shopping, or play
  such as
• Taking public transit (e.g. buses),
• Riding a bicycle,
• Driving an automobile,
• Or simply walking on sidewalks and trails.

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How does the Corridor MPO impact Citizens?
(continued)

• The Corridor MPO is responsible for two planning
  documents that help shape the transportation
  system in the metropolitan area
• The Long-Range Transportation Plan
• The Transportation Improvement Program

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Long-Range Transportation Plan

• Includes all modes of transportation
• Requires the cost of projects to be taken into
  consideration when making the plan The plan
  cant be pie in the sky.
• Makes us think about the future, but is updated
  every 5 years so changing conditions can be
  considered

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Why do we do a Long Range Transportation Plan?

• Federally Required
• To guide growth and development

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Why do we do a Long Range Transportation Plan?

• Corridor MPO estimates the metro- population will
  increase by 119,200 people from 2000 to 2040.
• All of these people will need
• homes,
• employment,
• schools, and
• retail and recreational opportunities.
• How will they get from place to place?
• The Transportation System

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Why do we do a Long Range Transportation Plan?

• In order to attract and retain citizens, a
  transportation system that provides choices in a
  safe and efficient manner will be essential.
• Question What options do we offer now?
• A transportation system must provide citizens
  choices in getting to work, shopping, or play
  such as
• Taking public transit (e.g. buses),
• Riding a bicycle,
• Driving an automobile,
• Or simply walking on sidewalks and trails.

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What is a Long Range Transportation Plan?
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What is a Long Range Transportation Plan?

• Must be done to receive federal funds
• Guiding document of the organization
• Vision
• Goals
• Key objectives
• May include policies

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What is included in the Long Range Transportation
Plan?

• Public Participation
• Population Employment Forecasts
• Key projects to be funded in the near-term,
  short-term, and long-term (Transportation
  Improvements Program)
• Transit
• Non-motorized transportation (trails, sidewalks,
  etc.)

• Intelligent Transportation Systems (Using
  technology to improve traffic flow and safety)
• Environment
• Air Transportation
• Rail Transportation
• Financial Consideration

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Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

• Requirement of the U.S. Department of
  Transportation to prioritize federal funding in
  the metro area over a four-year period
• Allocate approximately 3 Million
• Includes a Transit Element

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Guidance to the Corridor MPO

• The Corridor MPO receives guidance from various
  subcommittees that are either technical or
  non-technical in nature. They are
• Transportation Technical Advisory Committee
  (TTAC)
• Transportation Enhancements Committee (TE)
• Metro-area Advisory Committee (MAC)
• A 15-member Citizen Advisory Board
• Human Services Transportation Advisory Group
  (HSTAG)

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TTACs Role

• Analyze the Corridor MPO transportation network
  and recommend improvements as necessary
• Review Project Applications to ensure they
• Comply with Corridor MPOs policies
• Reduce congestion
• Reduce crashes
• Use the limited federal funding in an efficient
  manner

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TE Committees Role

• Analyze the trail network within Corridor MPOs
  planning boundary and make recommendations as
  necessary
• Review TE project submittals to ensure they
• Comply with Corridor MPOs policies (Corridor
  MPOs Priority Trails)
• Use the limited federal funding in an efficient
  manner (Priority Trails)

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Metro-area Advisory Committee

• Provide non-technical review of project
  applications for funding
• Advise the MPO Board on public outreach
  initiatives
• Assist the MPO in providing communication,
  marketing, and outreach of on-going and upcoming
  activities

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Corridor MPO Priority Trails

• Comprised of 16 trails in the metro area that
  connect directly or indirectly to the American
  Discovery Trail, which is the Cedar River Trail,
  Cedar Valley Nature Trail, and the Hoover Nature
  Trail
• 11 of the 16 trails are multi-jurisdictional
• Make connections to parks, schools, and
  communities
• Help jurisdictions with budget planning for trail
  development

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Trends in Transportation

• What are people talking about?

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Complete Streets

• http//www.completestreets.org/
• Complete streets are designed and operated to
  enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians,
  bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all
  ages and abilities must be able to safely move
  along and across a complete street.

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Streets Are Inadequate
www.completethestreets.org

• NO SIDEWALKS

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Streets Are Inadequate
www.completethestreets.org

• TOO NARROW TO SHARE WITH BIKES

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What Is a Complete Streets Policy?
A complete streets policy ensures that the entire
right of way is routinely designed and operated
to enable safe access for all users.
www.completethestreets.org
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The Many Types ofComplete Streets
www.completethestreets.org
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Transit-Oriented Development

• http//www.transitorienteddevelopment.org/tod.htm
  l TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT  is the
  exciting new fast growing trend in creating
  vibrant, livable communities. Also known
  as Transit Oriented Design, or TOD, it is the
  creation of compact, walkable communities
  centered around high quality train systems. This
  makes it possible to live a higher quality life
  without complete dependence on a car for mobility
  and survival.

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FACTORS DRIVING THE TREND TOWARD TOD

• Rapidly growing, mind-numbing traffic congestion
  nation-wide
• Growing distaste for suburbia and fry-pit strip
  development
• Growing desire for quality urban lifestyle
• Growing desire for more walkable lifestyles away
  from traffic
• Changes in family structures more singles,
  empty-nesters, etc
• Growing national support for Smart Growth
• New focus of Federal policy

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TOD some images
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Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

• http//www.nbrti.org/
• What is Bus Rapid Transit?
• BRT is an innovative, high capacity, lower cost
  public transit solution that can significantly
  improve urban mobility.  This permanent,
  integrated system uses buses or specialized
  vehicles on roadways or dedicated lanes to
  quickly and efficiently transport passengers to
  their destinations, while offering the
  flexibility to meet transit demand.  BRT systems
  can easily be customized to community needs and
  incorporate state-of-the-art, low-cost
  technologies that result in more passengers and
  less congestion. 

http//www.nbrti.org
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Bus Rapid Transit Systems

• United States
• Alameda, CA
• Albany, NY
• Boston, MA
• Charlotte, NC
• Cleveland, OH
• Chicago, IL
• Dulles Corridor, VA
• Eugene, OR
• Hartford, CT

• Honolulu, HI
• Louisville, KY
• Miami, FL
• Montgomery County, MD
• San Juan, PR
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Santa Clara County, CA
• Los Angeles, CA
• Las Vegas, NV

• World
• Curitiba, Brazil
• Brisbane, Australia
• Adelaide, Australia
• Ottawa, Canada
• Leeds, England
• .more

http//www.nbrti.org
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Bus/Transitway on Freeway ROW
Median Houston Transitways
Shoulder Brisbane SE Busway
http//www.nbrti.org
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http//www.nbrti.org
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http//www.nbrti.org
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Project Corridor
Dedicated Right of Way Bus-Only lanes
MAX Line LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD NORTH
22 MAX stops Including the Downtown
Transportation Center
The Strip Las Vegas Blvd South
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Any Questions
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Small Group Discussions (20mins)

• How can the Corridor MPO and ImpactCR Civic
  Committee work together for the upcoming Long
  Range Transportation Update?
• What information would be most helpful in
  generating interest amongst ImpactCR members?
• How would you individually and as a group like to
  impact the metropolitan transportation system?