SECTION H. TRANSPORTATION The following is a report
from the Transportation Subcommittee: “The
Transportation Committee first met on July 12, 2001, at the Conference Room
of the Lee County Extension Service in Donnellson. There were only three people of the Committee present, and the
balance of the Committee did not show for any of the meetings. Larry Daggs, Chairman of the Committee
opened the discussion by bringing several items to the attention of Merlin
Hellman, Fort Madison, and Dale Dobson of Donnellson. After exploring several ideas on the
subject of transportation, it was concluded by those present that our main
concern was the condition of the surface on secondary roads in Lee
County. It was decided that the Corps
of Engineers was handling the replacement of the Fort Madison Bridge, the
Santa Fe Railroad that owns the bridge, and the Highway Department. Therefore, we had no power in that
issue. Also, since most of the issues
we brought up were already being discussed in the Regional Planning
Department of the area, it would be senseless for us to try and bring one of
those issues to the table. Shortly
after this first meeting, Chairman Daggs met with Dennis Osipowicz to discuss
the quality of rock on the secondary roads.
Dennis informed him that the quality of the rock is basically fairly
good from our present supply in the Vincennes quarry. He also indicated that shortly after that
during the mid to late part of 2001, other sources of rock would be sought in
other quarries around the county. On
January 21, 2002, Chairman Daggs again met with Dennis and discussed the
results that had taken place. Mr.
Osipowicz advised the chair that the Vincennes quarry would no longer be used
starting in the spring of 2002. The
south part of the county will be supplied by an Argyle quarry southwest of
town on the Newberry property. Also,
the north half of Lee County rock would be provided by either the Geode
Quarry northwest of Denmark on 280th Avenue or the Hawkeye Quarry
west of West Point off of 170th Avenue, east of Highway 218. It is the
feeling of Engineer Osipowicz that the quality of road rock in our secondary
road system will be greatly improved using these changes of supply. Any road to be seal coated must have an
adequate base for seal coat to be acceptable, also any road to be seal coated
must be a continuous surface connecting to equal or higher grade surfaces.” The
subcommittee wanted to highlight the following issues: 1.
“We need to place in the needs column the
addition of a four-lane area to the present bypass of Highway 218/61 at
Keokuk. If the anticipated growth in
that area occurs, it will require the addition of two more lanes to that
bypass to accommodate the traffic increase.” 2.
“The development and assistance in
acquiring a new bridge in Fort Madison to replace the current bridge owned by
the Santa Fe Railroad. It is our
committee’s feeling that with the activity going on in Nauvoo that the
tourism traffic could pick up substantially by late 2002 and therefore the
current bridge would be inadequate.” 3.
“Help secure the bypass for Route 61 around
Fort Madison. This bypass is already
in the mill of the Iowa Highway Planning Department but Lee County needs to
press to see that four-lane bypass completed.” 4.
“We will support or are supporting a
connecting four-lane from the Highway 218 corner south of Donnellson
diagonally along the Highway 218 roadway east and southeast to the top of the
Montrose Hill where Highway 218 intersects the four-lane road north of
Keokuk. The purpose of this extension
of Route 218 is simply as a connecting route over to Highway 61 so that truck
traffic can get into the Keokuk area in a more fluid manner.” “We
feel that with the building of Avenue of the Saints four-lane southbound past
Argyle into Missouri it would pose a restriction of traffic into Keokuk,
which the industry of that area simply cannot support. Our committee feels that a connecting
route is one of the most important items on our list.” 5.
“We would like to add the suggestion to our
report that the report from the Miller Company to our Committee relating to
terms and conditions as requirements for the addition and preparation of
roadways applicable to prime coat and double application of the oil and
aggregate chips at $1.70 per square yard be shown. This estimate is a rough estimate at this time, and was given
to our committee depending upon the actual distance of the road preparation
required. Please understand that this
is not a proposal, but rather an estimate of the cost to seal coat some of
the rural areas of Lee County. We
would like to be on record stating that the landowners along any secondary
road should be made aware of this possibility.” The following is the
report the SEIRPC staff formulated. INTENT A
well-functioning transportation system is a must for Lee County as the
efficient movement of people and goods is essential to maintain the quality
of life while providing for economic growth and diversification. This plan is designed to promote the safe
and efficient movement of goods and people throughout the county. The plan will utilize a multi-modal
approach to the transportation network consisting of roadway, transit, bicycle
and pedestrian facilities. The Transportation
Plan will provide the framework to meet the existing and future needs of Lee
County as well as provide a useful guide to the Iowa Department of
Transportation in their efforts to provide transportation improvements in
accordance with the desires of the county. MAJOR ISSUES The citizens of Lee County place considerable
importance on the safety of the transportation system. Accidents are not only traumatic on a
personal level, but are also costly for society. These costs are felt in the form of increased medical costs,
lost work time and economic productivity, and loss of property and
possessions. Maintaining and
improving the safety of the Lee County transportation system by reducing or
preventing accidents should be a top priority. Widening roads, providing or improving pedestrian facilities,
improving bridges, correcting high accident locations, and providing road
signs are some of the ways safety of the transportation system can be
enhanced. Efficient
movement of people and goods is very important to the citizens of Lee County
because it enhances the economic vitality and quality of life of the
region. Population and vehicle miles
traveled are projected to increase at a faster rate than the population
growth. The existing transportation
infrastructure represents a significant investment of capital and labor. To protect this investment, the capacity
and condition of the system need to be maintained. Mobility also affects the quality of life of the people. Maintaining the mobility of the public
will ensure that the quality of life and the economic vitality are not
degraded. Widening narrow roads,
adding additional lanes, adding pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and
improving traffic circulation are some of the ways mobility of the
transportation system can be enhanced. An
efficient transportation system contributes to the economic well being of Lee
County. Economic development can be
improved or enhanced by careful selection of transportation improvements. Maintaining or improving the economic
vitality of Lee County provides employment opportunities, adds to the quality
of life, and improves or maintains Lee County’s revenues. Providing adequate lane widths, increased
turning radii at intersections, improved road curvature and vertical grades
(to name a few) are ways to enhance truck traffic as well as tourist and
recreation traffic. For
most of the last century, transportation improvements have emphasized the
movement of motorized vehicles, especially automobiles. Alternative modes, such as bicycling and
walking, have not been stressed. This
emphasis has resulted in a transportation system largely centered on the
automobile. It is expected that the
automobile will continue to account for the majority of transportation trips
in the foreseeable future, both in the number of trips and in the distance
traveled. However, there is
recognition that alternative nonmotorized modes can play an important role in
the transportation system, especially for relatively short trips. Encouraging
these modes can lessen congestion, reduce maintenance of the built
infrastructure, and reduce air pollution while providing health benefits to
the users. To select these modes,
transportation facilities must be provided with alternative modes that are
safe for both the nonmotorized users and the motorized vehicles. Most
solutions to increasing the transportation system demands involve increasing
the system capacity. This method is
appropriate in many circumstances. However, in some cases, the capacity of
the system can be “increased” by seeking to reduce the demands on the system.
Not all transportation demand measures are appropriate for Lee County. However, by selecting effective demand
management measures, the transportation system demand can be reduced and
system capacity can be essentially “increased” at a lower cost. Effective
demand management measures can have the added benefit of reducing air
pollution. In addition, there is a
strong connection between land use and its impact on the adjacent
transportation system. By proper and
effective land use planning, demand placed on the transportation system by
the adjacent land uses can be directed to corridors that have excess
capacity, or have future improvements planned. The demand on a transportation system can be managed by
providing opportunities to reduce the number of vehicles using the roadway
system. Financial
resources necessarily constrain the number of transportation projects
agencies are able to perform. In
order to maximize the number of transportation projects it is important to
aggressively search for available funding opportunities. It is also important to utilize the funds
available to Lee County in as efficient a manner as possible exercising
fiscal prudence and innovative funding methods. Prioritization of projects permits the most important projects
to be constructed first to better utilize limited available funds. Using a combination of these methods will
maximize the number of transportation projects Lee County can construct or
enact for its citizens. The
transportation improvement program identifies specific projects that are
needed to mitigate impacts to the transportation system due to existing
system deficiencies and expected future growth. Growth in population, employment, or traffic will create a need
to improve some areas of the transportation system where existing facilities
are inadequate. The county needs to
continue the improvement program they currently have and continue to receive
public input on what specific projects are important to them. GOALS & ACTION
STRATEGIES GOAL
T-1: Improve service levels of all
transportation modes throughout the county. Action Strategies 1.
Plan roadways to operate at an adequate
level of service. Monitor the county
road systems’ operation in order to project when arterials, collectors, and
intersections will achieve a level of service. 2.
During the subdivision design review
process, require the applicant to set forth techniques to maintain the level
of service for those intersections and roadway sections which would otherwise
have their levels of service lowered below this point by the traffic impacts
of the requested development. 3.
During the subdivision design review
process, require the applicant to set forth techniques to maintain existing
levels of service for those intersections and roadway segments already
operating below level of service and which would be further reduced by the
traffic impacts of the requested development. 4.
Encourage the continuous maintenance of all
bridges and grade separated interchanges. 5.
Support and assist in the creation of a
feasibility study on replacing the Fort Madison Bridge to accommodate the
estimated increase in tourism from Nauvoo. 6.
Encourage a safe and continuous system of
bike lanes or trails along arterial and collector roads. 7.
Plan and promote the development of
pedestrian/bike-compatible roadway facilities for all new arterial and
collector roads in the county. 8.
Support the creation of a connecting
four-lane from the Highway 218 corner south of Donnellson diagonally along
the Highway 218 roadway east and southeast to the top of the Montrose Hill
where Highway 218 intersects the four-lane road north of Keokuk. This will help make truck traffic flow in
an efficient manner between Highway 61 and 218. 9.
Support the creation of an additional
four-lane area to the present bypass of Highway 218/61 at Keokuk. This will accommodate the anticipated
growth in that area. GOAL T-2: Minimize
the adverse impacts of the transportation system on the county’s
environmental resources. Action
Strategies 1.
Review new roadway improvement proposals so
as to ensure that they recognize natural and critical environmental features
as set forth, in part, by the Natural Resource Section of the Comprehensive
Plan. 2.
Discourage uses that generate high levels
of truck traffic along those roads, which are scenic and pass critical
natural areas. GOAL T-3:
Encourage planned transportation employment/economic development
centers which provide opportunities for public/private partnerships and
enhance the functional marketability of adjacent lands for their intended
use. Action
Strategies 1.
Plan and promote the construction of roads
consistent with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan when all other relevant
Comprehensive Plan components have, on balance, been met. 2.
Plan and promote the construction or
improvement of a system of arterials, which will function as connectors to
major activity centers. GOAL T-4: Explore
and promote innovative mechanisms of funding transportation system
improvements. Action
Strategies 1.
Review the use of ‘impact fees’ as an
alternative funding source for road construction or improvement projects. 2.
Research and apply for all available State
and Federal assistance in developing a bicycle and pedestrian transportation
network. GOAL T-5: Promote
and coordinate with area local governments, regional agencies, IDOT, and the
private sector on transportation issues and the development of new
facilities. Action
Strategies 1.
Continue to play a leading role in
communicating and participating with IDOT, SEIRPC, and the public in
transportation planning issues.
Friday - November 21, 2008 - 12:47 pm CST
Safety
Mobility
Economic Development
Alternative Modes
Transportation Demand
Management
Funding
Transportation Improvement
Program
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