close up photo of a traffic light for bicycles

Roundtables

The MPO staff facilitates the following Roundtables and Committees.


Bike-Ped Roundtable

The Central Iowa Bicycle-Pedestrian Roundtable (Bike-Ped Roundtable) was formed in 2004 to further the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Central Iowa. The Bike-Ped Roundtable encompasses the planning areas of the Des Moines Area MPO, the Ames Area MPO, and the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance (CIRTPA).

The Bike-Ped Roundtable meets at 12:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held in a hybrid format (in-person at the MPO Office and via Zoom) and are open to the public.


Environment Roundtable

The Environment Roundtable is comprised of local experts that help to guide the efforts of the MPO’s transportation-related activities as well as spearhead other regional planning efforts, including the implementation of aspects of The Tomorrow Plan.

If you have questions about the group or would like copies of past agendas or minutes, please contact Carl Saxon at csaxon@dmampo.org or 515-334-0075.


Freight Roundtable

The Freight Roundtable was created in 2004 and consists of members of both the public and private sectors. The Freight Roundtable’s mission is to assist in the efficient movement of freight in the Greater Des Moines Region. 

The Freight Roundtable meets quarterly on the third Wednesday of the month at 3 PM. Meetings are held at the MPO office and virtually on Zoom.

Freight Roundtable Meeting Dates

  • March 20, 2024
  • June 19, 2024
  • September 18, 2024
  • December 18, 2024

Freight Resources

If you have an active interest in freight and goods movement or have any questions about the group, please contact Zhi Chen.


Traffic Management Advisory Committee

The Traffic Management Advisory Committee (TMAC) is a regional forum to discuss incident management, traffic management, and intelligent transportation systems.

TMAC meets from 10-11 AM on the first Wednesday of each quarter in-person at Polk County Emergency Management and virtually on Zoom. The meetings are open to the public.

TMAC Meeting Dates

  • March 6, 2024
  • June 5, 2024
  • September 4, 2024
  • December 4, 2024

TMAC Affiliations

Free National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Responder Training

If you have an interest in any traffic management-related topics, would like to be added to the TMAC mailing list and receive meeting notifications, or have any questions about the group, please call or email Zhi Chen at 515-334-0075 or zchen@dmampo.org.   


Transportation Advisory Group

The Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) is a committee of transportation providers, human service agencies, state and local government agencies, health care providers, and other interested stakeholders that work to coordinate human service transportation in central Iowa.  The Transportation Advisory Group was developed and is staffed by the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and has been in existence since 2006. The TAG meets every other month, with Catlin Curry and Carl Saxon serving as co-chairs. If you have questions about the group, or would like copies of past agendas or minutes, please contact Carl Saxon.

Passenger Transportation Plan

The Passenger Transportation Plan (PTP) process for Iowa’s 9 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and 18 Regional Planning Affiliations (RPAs) is designed to promote joint, coordinated passenger transportation planning programs that further the development of the local and regional public transportation systems. Public transportation systems in Iowa include the 35 public transit systems PLUS a wide array of human service and private transportation providers. The goals are: 1. Improve transportation services to Iowans 2. Increase passenger transportation coordination 3. Create awareness of unmet needs 4. Develop new working partnerships 5. Assist decision-makers, advocates, and consumers in understanding the range of transportation options available 6. Develop justification for future passenger transportation investments 7. Save dollars and eliminate overlapping of services The PTPs are an Iowa creation, providing needs-based justification for passenger transportation projects and as well as incorporating federal requirements for coordinated planning.

The MPO and CIRTPA FFY 2019-2023 Passenger Transportation Plan (PTP) can be found hereTransportation Provider Inventory (2017)

Need Help?

United Way of Central Iowa 2-1-1Iowa Department on Aging – Lifelong Links


Smart City Roundtable

The Smart City Roundtable formed in 2018 as a joint effort between the Des Moines Area MPO and Capital Crossroads.  The roundtable explores how technology could be used to enhance urban systems, service delivery, and citizen engagement in order to address community challenges identified in regional strategies such as The Tomorrow Plan, Capital Crossroads, and the United Way OpportUNITY plan.

Meetings of the roundtable are held quarterly at the Des Moines Area MPO office.

If you have questions about the group, or would like copies of past agendas or minutes, please contact Dylan Mullenix.