7/28/2019 Executive Committee Agenda | August 18, 2011

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7/28/2019 Executive Committee Agenda | August 18, 2011

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Agenda ReportExecutive Committee

FY 2012 Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Please call (515) 334-0075 to obtain permission for use

Special August 2011Item No. 3

ISSUE:

REPORT and OPTIONAL VOTE: Brief report and optional vote on agreements to study

interstate designation on the Purple Heart Highway.

BACKGROUND:

In J une 2010, the MPO, upon request of the Purple Heart Highway Collaborative,requested the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to consider re-designating thePurple Heart Highway (U.S. Highway 65/Iowa Highway 5 bypass) to an interstate route.

The Iowa DOT, in December 2010, responded that a Safety Assessment and anOperation Assessment would need to be completed on the corridor before determining thefeasibility of an interstate designation for the route. The Iowa DOT has estimated theseassessments to cost $100,000.

The Iowa DOT has offered to fund half ($50,000) of the assessment costs. The MPO hasworked with the Purple Heart Highway Collaborative to develop a funding package for theCollaborative members to fund the other $50,000. The Iowa DOT has indicated they canbegin the assessments at any time and can collect the matching funds at a later date.

BUDGET IMPACT:

The Iowa DOT has proposed fronting the $100,000 for the entire study and taking $50,000off the top of the MPOs Fiscal Year 2013 federal planning fund allocation when thosefunds are released to the MPO in J uly 2012. Members of the Purple Hearth HighwayCollaborative would pay their contribution to the MPO to make up for the reduced Fiscal

Year 2013 federal planning funds. There would be no net loss of funds to the MPO.

RECOMMENDATION:

Recommend the MPO allow the Iowa DOT to take $50,000 off the top of the MPOs FiscalYear 2013 federal planning fund allocation to help study interstate re-designation of thePurple Heart Highway, contingent upon agreements with the Purple Heart HighwayCollaborative members to collectively pay the MPO $50,000 to make up the reducedfederal planning allocation.

STAFF CONTACT:

Todd Ashby, tashby@dmampo.org;

(515) 334-0075;Zach Young, zyoung@dmampo.org;(515) 334-0075, extension #208; and,Dylan Mullenix, dmullenix@dmampo.org;(515) 334-0075, extension #202.