Mississippi Rvr Trail Pl IDOTMEMORANDUM
November 10, 2003
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Michael C. Van Mi[ligen, City Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Comments on Iowa's Mississippi River Trail Plan
The City has received the enclosed letter from the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)
requesting comments on Iowa's Mississippi River Trail Plan.
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is part of a ten-state initiative to develop a continuous
bicycle trail along the Mississippi River from its headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. A
brochure describing the main points of the MRT plan is enclosed. A copy of the plan itself is on
file in the City Clerk's Office.
The portion of the Mississippi River Trail that runs through the City of Dubuque is the Hedtage
Trail Riverfront System that the City has developed with state and federal grants. A map of the
MRT route through the City of Dubuque and Dubuque County is enclosed.
City staff has reviewed the plan and attended an IDOT presentation on the MRT plan. City staff
has the following comments:
The plan refers to off-road trails, which the City of Dubuque has developed along the
Hedtage Trail Riverfront System. The plan also refers to bike lanes, which the City's trail
system does not have. Bike lanes are more typical along the rural cross-sections of
County roads. The City's Heritage Trail Riverfront System includes about 10.5 miles of
on-street signed routes. This type of bike trail is not discussed in the plan, but should be
to acknowledge the use of on-street signed routes in urban areas.
The plan states that bike lanes will be paved with asphalt. While asphalt is a preferred
surface over granular trails, the use of concrete for bike lanes should also be allowed.
The use of asphalt or concrete should be the choice of local governments.
¸3.
Leisure Services Manager Gil Spence has been attending the regional meetings on
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail, and he should continue to be kept up-to-date on the
development of this trail.
I recommend that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the enclo~d~l,~,~ IDOT
providing these comments on Iowa's Mississippi River Trail Plan.
Enclosures
cc Gil Spence, Leisure Services Manager, with enclosures
Office of the Mayor
and City Council
City Hall, 50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
November 10, 2003
Fred Dean
District 6 Highway Division
Iowa Department of Transportation
PO. Box 2646
Davenport, IA 52809
Dear Mr; Dean,
The City has reviewed Iowa's Mississippi River Trail Plan. The portion of the trail that runs
through the City of Dubuque is the Heritage Trail Riverfront System. The City has the following
comments on the plan:
The plan refers to off-read trails, which the City of Dubuque has developed along the
Heritage Trail Riverfront System. The plan also refers to bike lanes, which the City's trail
system does not have. Bike lanes are more typical along the rural cross-sections of
County roads. The City's Heritage Trail Riverfront System includes about 10.5 miles of
on-street signed routes. This type of bike trail is not discussed in the plan, but should be
to acknowledge the use of on-street signed routes in urban areas.
The plan states that bike lanes will be paved with asphalt. VVhile asphalt is a preferred
surface over granular trails, the use of concrete for bike lanes should also be allowed.
The use of asphalt or concrete should be the choice of local governments.
Leisure Services Manager Gil Spence has been attending the regional meetings on
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail, and he should continue to be kept up-to-date on the
development of this trail.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Terrance M. Duggan
Mayor
cc Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Gil Spence, Leisure Services Manager
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Iowa Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 2646, Davenport, IA 52809 563-391-4643
Fax: 563-388-9266
Email: Frederick. Dean~dot. state.ia.us
September 26, 2003
Ref. No. 763, Mississippi
River Trail
The Honorable Terrance M. Duggan
Mayor of Dubuque
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 520014864
Dear Mayor Duggan:
Enclosed with this letter is a copy of Iowa's Mississippi River Trail (MRT) Plan: This plan was
prepared at the direction of the department by the Center for Transportation Research and
Education, Iowa State University. My purpose in writing you is to better acquaint you with the
plan and the Mississippi River Trail initiative. I would like to encourage you to review the plan
with appropriate city staff, as well as others in the community interested in the trail's
development.
There is presently a lO state initiative underway to develop a continuous trail along the
Mississippi River fi.om its headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The desired outcome
is for the trail to be situated as close to the river as possible. As such, the trail when fully
developed in the future would become a system of interconnected trails. This accomplishment
will require the cooperation of municipal, county and state governments, and various trail
operators along the proposed route. The Wail will include both on and off-road segments in order
to serve a diverse range of users fi.om the expert rider to families with children.
The enclosed plan presents a recommended route through Iowa. As the route undergoes further
evaluation, changes are anticipated to occur, including multiple routes in selected areas.
Furthermore, the majority of the route as presently proposed is on-road versus off-road. As you
can see, there are route segments that would use the city's trail system.
The department has been visiting with the Natural Heritage Foundation, Metropolitan Planning
Organizations, Regional Planning Affiliations, and others to identify how we can work together
to develop the MRT in Iowa. We will also be holding some regional meetings with interested
parties to discuss this project.
I welcome your thoughts, concerns, etc. in regards to the plan and the MRT initiative overall. If
you would like to discuss this in more detail, I would be happy to meet with you.
Sincerely,
Fred Dean
District 6
Highway Division
FWD:fwd
Enclosures
m
IOWA'S MISSISSIPPI
RIVER TRAIL
OUR NATION'S MISSISSIPPI RIVER TRAIL
The Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is a world-class bicycle trail that will
follow the Mississippi River all the way from its headwaters in
Minnesote to the Gulf of Mexico. The trail is partially completed;
much of it is still in the planning and development stages. When
complete, the MRT will link over 2,000 miles of recreational trails
through 10 states, including 280 miles in Iowa.
Designeted as a National Millennium Trail, the Mississippi River Trail
will preserve precious natural environments elong the river, stimulate
economic growth in dver communities, and provide bicyclists eccess
to a variety of landscapes, history, and culture.
The Iowa Department of Transportation has commissioned the
Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State
University to develop a plan for a safe, economically beneficial, end
scenic MRT route through Iowa.
BENEFITS OF THE MRT IN IOWA
Safety Benefits
lowe's Mississippi River Trail will create safe new
routes for bicycles and improve safety on existing
routes for both bicycles and motor vehicles. The
MRT will add bicycle lanes to many roadways
and thereby remove cyclists from the same travel
path as automobiles and trucks. The additional
paved shoulder width required for bicycle lanes
has also been shown to reduce motor vehicle
crashes.
Top: Bicyclists on the rJverfront.
Bot[om: View of the Mississippi River from Fire Point.
Economic Benefits
The MRT will also stimulate tourism all along
Iowa's eastern border, bdnging approximately 20
million additional dollars to the state's economy
each yeah The trail construction plan is designed
to be as cost efficient as possible while
maintaining safety as the first priority.
Recreational Benefits
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail will be located as
close to the Mississippi River as is practical,
never more than 10 miles away, and will provide
convenient access to dyer views, area
attractions, and connections to trails in all
adjacent states. The MRT will encourage
exercise, sight-seeing, and appreciation of Iowa's
natural, historic, and cultural riches along the
Mississippi River.
IOWA'S UNIQUE MRT PLAN
In Iowa, in-depth analysis has been used to determine the best route for the bike
trail and a strategic plan for implementation.
THE ROUTE
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail is envisioned to include both off-road bicycle trails
and clearly marked bicycle lanes on roadway shoulders.
On-Road Segments
On-road bicycle lanes are generally less costly than off-road bicycle trails. Iowa's
MRT will include 255 total miles of bicycle hanes on roadway shoulders, some of
which are already existing or planned.
An analysis has determined which roadways along the route are suitable for the
addition of bicycle lanes. Eastern Iowa is home to the Great River Road, a
National Scenic Byway that follows the Mississippi River from border to border.
This and other roadways, with minor improvements, can be made to safely and
affordably accommodate bicycles. About 205 miles of paved shoulders will need
to be constructed for new MRT bicycle lanes.
All bicycle lanes will be four to six feet wide and paved with asphalt, which is
generally less expensive than concrete. In addition, about two miles of bridges
may need to be redecked in order to accommodate bicycle lanes. The total
estimated cost associated with on-road bicycle lanes is $25.3 million.
Off-Road Segments
iowa's MRT will incorporate already existing or planned off-road bike trails,
including the Heritage Trail in Dubuque, the RiverWay Trails in the Quad Cities,
and many others. Only an additional nine miles of new off-road trails will need to
be constructed where roadways were found to be unsuitable for bicycle lanes.
The MRT's off-road bike trails will be 10 feet wide to accommodate both bicyclists
and pedestrians. The total estimated cost of paving new bicycle trails with asphalt
is $920,000.
Mississippi
River
IMPLEMENTATION
Strategic Phases
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail will be constructed, marked
with MRT signs, and publicized in phases, with the order
generally determined by the segments' capability to be
quickly and affordably completed.
Because the first MRT segments will have a great impact
on public interest end support, three initial segments have
been chosen for their ability to extend existing trails in the
shortest time possible.
By completing these segments for which federal funding
will be sought, a network of about 40 miles of bicycle
facilities will be created in Allamakee, Scott, and
Muscatine Counties. These three segments will run
directly along the dver and have fantastic views.
Cooperative Effort
Within Iowa, the MRT is a cooperative effort of all the cities
and counties along the route, area councils of government,
municipal and regional planning organizations, local and
regional organizations for economic development, the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources, the lows Natural
Heritage Foundation, the Iowa Department of
Transportation, MRT, Inc. (the trail's national nonprofit
organization), and many other organizations and
individusIs.
Of the 280 miles of MRT in Iowa, the state of Iowa will be
responsible for about 100 miles, counties will be
responsible for about 125 miles, and municipalities will be
responsible for the remainder, just over 50 miles.
Biking and recreational organizations and area businesses
are expected to derive great benefits from the trail system
and are invited to contribute to the implementation of the
plan.
Total Cost
The total cost of the 280-mile MRT in Iowa is estimated to
be between 25 and 32 million dollars, depending on
structural accommodations and site characteristics.
Iowa's Mississippi River Trail will be funded through a
vadety of existing and new local, state, and federal
sources.
WHAT TO SEE ON THE MRT
Throughout history, the Mississippi River has
served as an impodant passageway, carrying
native peoples, explorers, fur traders, steamboats,
barges, and much more. The river has also made
its way into the hearts and imaginations of
Americans through its great power and beauly.
According to Mark Twain, the dyer "has a new
story to tell every day."
Iowa's port/on of the MRT offers
the following attractions:
parks and wildlife areas with breath-
taking views of the Mississippi River
national treasures such as Effigy
Mounds National Monument and
Keokuk National Cemetery
locks, dams, ports, and riverboat
cruises
museums and histodc neighbor-
hoods such as Snake Alley in
Burlington
art galleries and antique shops
arboretums and botanical gardens
casinos, sporting events, and
entertainment
restaurants and lodging
Kathy Ridnour
BicycIe and Pedestrian Transpodation Planner
O@ce of Systems Planning
iowa Depari~nent of Transpodation
k~thy, ddnour @ dot.state.ia.us
David Plazak
Associate Director for Policy
Center for Transportation Research and Education
Iowa State Universib/
515-296-0814
dplazak@iastate.edu
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