Public asked to help decide which local transportation projects to fund
Residents of Greater Des Moines are invited to share their opinions on which local transportation projects they would like to see receive funding from the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Nineteen projects are under consideration, ranging from roadways, bridges and transit buses to trails, safe routes to school and on-street facilities. More than $31 million has been requested from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, as well as the Surface Transportation Block Grant Set-Aside Program, which combined have an approximately $13 million in available funding. Both grant programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and administered by the MPO.
The public can find project descriptions and an interactive map of the 19 projects online using the following link: STBG and TAP Projects Public Input Map. and leave comments.
Comments will be collected on the site now through Friday, March 11.
The application process for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 Transportation Alternatives Program, aka Surface Transportation Grant Set-Aside Program is open.
FFY 2026 Program Schedule
December 3, 2021 — Application process opens
January 7, 2022 — Applications Due
February 2022 — Public input meeting at MPO office.
February/March 2022 — Applicants present projects to MPO Funding Subcommittee
March 2022 — MPO Funding Subcommittee recommends project awards
April 2022 — Recommended awards presented to MPO Policy Committee
May 2022 — MPO Policy Committee votes on final awards
FFY 2026 TAP Application
Application Questions (online submittal only)
Additional Resources
- Mobilizing Tomorrow
Chapter 2: Goals, Measures, & Targets - Chapter 4: Policies and Best Practices
- Technical Resources:
- MPO Complete Streets Sample Policy
- Local Complete Streets Sample Policy
- Recommended Roadway Design Standards
- Recommended On-Street Bicycle Facility Standards
- Recommended Parking Guidelines
- Recommended Transit Supportive Development Guidelines
- Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Recommendations
- Trail Gaps (Select correct map layer to view trail related data)
- Proven Safety Countermeasures by FHWA
- FHWA’s Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System (PEDSAFE) – Countermeasures can be selected through interactive selection matrices (crash type or performance objective) or the selection tool
- Federal Highway Administration “Guidebook on Identification of High Pedestrian Crash Locations”
- Federal Highway Administration’s Ped Bike Info Safety Tools and Analysis
- Iowa DOT’s Iowa Crash Analysis Tool (ICAT)
- MPO Environmental Justice Report
- Maps
- Iowa’s Transportation Alternatives Program
- Iowa’s Safe Routes to School Application
- USDOT Safe Routes to School Program
- Safe Routes Partnership
- Iowa Safe Routes to School