Iowa 32 Trail Mississippi River Trail Side TripMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Iowa 32 Trail - MRT Side Trip and Earmark Funding Request
DATE: September 1, 2010
Dubuque
Al- Amedca City
2007
Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens is recommending approval of the request to
ask DMATS and the IDOT to designate the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail as an official side
trip for the Mississippi River Trail (MRT), and to allocate excess MRT Earmark funding
of $279,000 for extension of the Iowa 32 Trail from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania
Avenue.
The MRT is a 2,000 -mile bike trail system being developed through the river cities and
river landscapes in the 10 states along the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca to the
Gulf of Mexico. Portions of the Dubuque County Heritage Trail and the City's Heritage
Trail Riverfront System are part of the designated route for the MRT through Iowa.
Dubuque County has approximately $279,000 in MRT Earmark funding. A local match
of approximately $69,750 is required.
The extension of the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail south from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania
Avenue can be considered for this funding. The City's $200,000 State REAP grant for
extension of the Iowa 32 Trail from Plaza Drive to Holliday Drive can be the local match.
However, the Iowa 32 Trail must be designated as an official side trip off the MRT as
soon as possible to be eligible for the funding.
Attached is a letter to ECIA requesting that the designation of the Iowa 32 Trail as an
MRT side trip and allocation of $279,000 in MRT Earmark funding to the Iowa 32 Trail
extension from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue be approved by the DMATS Policy
Committee at their September 9, 2010 meeting before the request is forwarded to the
IDOT.
If either DMATS or the IDOT does not agree to designate the Iowa 32 Trail as an MRT
side trip, a "back -up" County project would be repairs to one of the 33 bridges on the
26 -mile Heritage Trail. The County Conservation Board has the local match, and the
bridge repairs are ready to bid.
concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
a elC.
Mic Van Milligen\
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Kelley Deutmeyer, Executive Director, East Central Intergovernmental Assoc.
Chandra Ravada, Co- Director of Transportation & Planning, East Central
Intergovernmental Association
Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
DATE:
Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Iowa 32 Trail — MRT Side Trip and Earmark Funding Request
September 1, 2010
Dubuque
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2007
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request City Council authorization to file a
request to have the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail designated as an official side trip for the
Mississippi River Trail (MRT), and to allocate excess MRT Earmark funding of $279,000
for extension of the Iowa 32 Trail from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue.
BACKGROUND
The MRT is a 2,000 -mile bike trail system being developed through the river cities and
river landscapes in the 10 states along the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca to the
Gulf of Mexico. Portions of the Dubuque County Heritage Trail and the City's Heritage
Trail Riverfront System are part of the designated route for the MRT through Iowa. The
26 -mile Dubuque County Heritage Trail is an official side trip on the MRT.
Dubuque County has approximately $279,000 left in funding from their MRT Earmark
funding, and the County is looking for projects in the city or county that could use this
funding. A local match of approximately $69,750 required. Dubuque County does not
have the local match.
To use the MRT Earmark funding, the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)
requires that the project be on the MRT or an official side trip of the MRT, must not
involve land acquisition, be able to be "categorically excluded" under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), have engineering work completed, and be ready to
bid through the IDOT bid letting process.
DISCUSSION
Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware and I met with Chandra Ravada of ECIA, interim
County Engineer Bob Schutt, and Brian Preston, Director of the Dubuque County
Conservation Board, to discuss possible projects.
We identified a City project and a "back -up" County Conservation project that both meet
the IDOT requirements and have local match.
Iowa 32 Trail — MRT Side Trip and Earmark Funding Request page 2
The City project would be extension of the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail south from Plaza
Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue. The City's $200,000 State REAP grant for extension of
the Iowa 32 Trail from Plaza Drive to Holliday Drive can be the local match. The Iowa 32
Trail has been engineered from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue. The trail will be in
the IDOT right -of -way along Iowa 32, so there is no land acquisition or NEPA impact.
However, the Iowa 32 Trail must be designated as an official side trip off the MRT (like
the County's Heritage Trail) as soon as possible to be eligible for the funding. As an
MRT side trip, the Iowa 32 Bike/ Hike Trail project will allow bicyclists and pedestrians
opportunities to safely access a variety of recreational uses, including hiking, biking,
jogging, picnicking, fishing, and other recreational facilities at City parks and
recreational facilities on the west side of Dubuque. A map of the City, County and MRT
routes is enclosed.
Enclosed is a letter to ECIA requesting that the designation of the Iowa 32 Trail as an
MRT side trip and allocation of $279,000 in MRT Earmark funding to the Iowa 32 Trail
extension from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue approved by the DMATS Policy
Committee at their September 9, 2010 meeting before the request is forwarded to the
DOT.
If either DMATS or the IDOT does not agree to designate the Iowa 32 Trail as an MRT
side trip, we identified a "back -up" County project. The County project would be repairs
to one of the 33 bridges on the 26- mile Heritage Trail. The County Conservation Board
has the local match, and the bridge repairs are ready to bid.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager to file a request to have
the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail designated as an official side trip for the Mississippi River
Trail, and to allocate excess MRT Earmark funding of $279,000 to the Iowa 32 Trail
extension from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Enclosures
cc: Marie Ware, Leisure Services Manager
Jenny Larson, Budget Director
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Jon Dienst, Civil Engineer
F: \USERS \LCARSTEN \WP \Grants for Trails \Iowa 32 Trail \MRT IA 32 Trail Memo to MVM.doc
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Iowa 32 Bike -Hike Trail Extension
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
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2007
Chandra Ravada, Transportation Director
East Central Intergovernmental Association
7600 Commerce Park
Dubuque Iowa 52002
City Manager's Office
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
(563) 589 -4110 office
(563) 589 -4149 fax
ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org
September 1, 2010
RE: Iowa 32 Trail — Request for MRT Side Trip and Earmark Funding TIP Amendment
Dear Chandra,
The City of Dubuque requests that the following items be considered at the September
9, 2010 DMATS Technical Advisory Committee and DMATS Policy Committee
meetings:
(1) That the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail be designated as an official side trip for the
Mississippi River Trail (MRT).
(2) Amend the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to allocate Dubuque
County's excess MRT Earmark funding of $279,000 for extension of the Iowa 32
Trail from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue, with a local match of $200,000
from the City of Dubuque.
The MRT is a 2,000 -mile bike trail system being developed through the river cities and
river landscapes in the 10 states along the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca to the
Gulf of Mexico. Portions of the Dubuque County Heritage Trail and the City's Heritage
Trail Riverfront System are part of the designated route for the MRT through Iowa. The
26 -mile Dubuque County Heritage Trail is an official side trip on the MRT.
Dubuque County has approximately $279,000 left in funding from their MRT Earmark
funding, and the County is looking for projects in the city or county that could use this
funding. A local match of approximately $69,750 required.
To use the MRT Earmark funding, the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)
requires that the project be on the MRT or an official side trip of the MRT, must not
involve land acquisition, be able to be "categorically excluded" under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), have engineering work completed, and be ready to
bid through the IDOT bid letting process.
The City of Dubuque has identified extension of the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail south from
Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue as a project for consideration. The City has
Iowa 32 Trail — Request for MRT Side Trip and Earmark Funding TIP Amendment
$200,000 on hand for the local match. The Iowa 32 Trail has been engineered from
Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue. The trail will be in the IDOT right -of -way along
Iowa 32, so there is no land acquisition or NEPA impact.
However, the Iowa 32 Trail must be designated as an official side trip off the MRT (like
the County's Heritage Trail) as soon as possible to be eligible for the funding. We
believe the Iowa 32 Trail makes a great side trip off the MRT. A map of the City, County
and MRT routes is enclosed.
As an MRT side trip, the Iowa 32 Bike/ Hike Trail project will allow bicyclists and
pedestrians opportunities to safely access a variety of recreational uses, including
hiking, biking, jogging, picnicking, fishing, and other recreational facilities at City parks
and recreational facilities on the west side of Dubuque.
If either DMATS or the IDOT does not agree to designate the Iowa 32 Trail as an MRT
side trip, we identified a "back -up" County project. The County project would be repairs
to one of the 33 bridges on the 26- mile Heritage Trail. The County Conservation Board
has the local match, and the bridge repairs are ready to bid.
I respectfully request that the DMATS Policy Committee support the City of Dubuque's
request to have the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail designated as an official side trip for the
Mississippi River Trail, and to amend the TIP to allocate excess MRT Earmark funding
of $279,000 to the Iowa 32 Trail extension from Plaza Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue,
with a local match of $200,000 from the City of Dubuque.
Enclosure
Sincerely,
cc: Mayor and City Council Members
Marie Ware, Leisure Services Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Michael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
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