Council Approves 6.2 Million Dollar Active Transportation Plan
Oskaloosa City Hall
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa City Council met Monday, with Mayor Pro Tem Doug Yates presiding in the absence of Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt.
Several community members stood up during the community comments portion of the evening, asking the Council to consider the Walk, Run, Ride Coalition proposed policy that would add designated bike routes and sidewalks to the city.
The Oskaloosa City Council took up discussion on “Walk, Run, ride Oskaloosa: Oskaloosa’s Active Transportation Plan”.
The plan was developed after a group of Oskaloosa residents, Blue Zones Project representatives, and city staff worked on an initiative to make walking and biking “a safe and healthy choice for Oskaloosa residents”.
In 2014, the Oskaloosa City Council adopted a resolution to support the process of achieving Blue Zones certification. With that, a master bicycle plan and a master pedestrian plan were selected as two of the items to achieve that certification.
According to the agenda for the plan, the budget consideration portion states;
“The overall estimated cost of the “Walk, Run, Ride Oskaloosa: Oskaloosa’s Active Transportation Plan” is $6,190,875. Cost will vary depending on each project. The completion of each action item will depend on funding, community input, topography, and resources.”
“The Oskaloosa Bicycle Coalition will work with the city to apply for local, state and national grants. Several improvement items in the Plan have already been included in future Capital Improvement Projects (CIP); including sidewalks, crosswalks, and ADA accessible intersections.”
After a presentation by Dylan Mulfinger about the project, including what it aims to achieve and some funding sources available in order to work on the plan, it was time for discussion.
Council-member Jason Van Zetten asked Mulfinger if he was presenting a 6.2 million dollar project.
“That is correct,” answered Mulfinger. Mulfinger said the project would take place over an extended period of time, and the expenditure wouldn’t happen all at once.
Overall, the project would cost approximately $180,000 for the bicycle portion of the plan, with 83% used for installing, replacing and repairing sidewalks. Other amounts may be used for things like way-finding and bike racks among others.
Council-member Tom Walling said, the plan has no time-frame for completion, and the council continues to hold the purse-strings on individual projects.
“You’re going to vote for a 6.2 million dollar project, and we didn’t even take this to study session?” Asked Van Zetten. “I’m hearing, let’s vote for something then deal with it later.”
Van Zetten said that he agrees there is “some good stuff here”.
Yates said he considered the plan as any other plan the city passes, like it’s capital improvement plan, in that it doesn’t commit the city to any particular project or dollar amount, but gives planning committees a road map to use during development.
The council moved to adopted the plan as presented, with Van Zetten and Ver Steeg voting against the plan.
