At the June 23, 2026, City Council meeting, staff prepared a report and presented on the pedestrian crossing along Lincoln Way at South Russell Ave following a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred there on February 18, 2026. The staff report from that meeting is attached. At the meeting, Council passed the following motions relating to this item:
- Approve the purchase of a set of dynamic feedback signs to be placed at the South Russell intersection of Lincoln Way, with placement of a temporary speed feedback trailer until installation occurs and request increased enforcement of speeding by the Police Department (These signs have been installed.)
- Place the intersection at South Russell and Lincoln Way on the list of high-priority intersections identified by the Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (Walk Bike Roll Ames).
- Request that staff investigate lighting improvements along the Lincoln Way corridor from Grand Avenue to University Boulevard.
After the above motions were approved, Mayor Haila inquired whether the limits of the Lincoln Way Corridor Study from Duff Avenue to Grand Avenue could be expanded westward to also include Grand Avenue to University Boulevard. Staff indicated it would explore this possibility and would return to Council with a proposed course of action.
At the August 25, 2026, City Council meeting, the Council considered a memo from Public Works Director Justin Clausen regarding potential options for an expansion of the Lincoln Way Corridor Study limits. Council then unanimously passed a motion to place this item on a future agenda.
EXISTING STUDY (LINCOLN WAY - DUFF AVE TO GRAND AVE):
The City Council approved a professional services agreement with Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC, for a study of the Lincoln Way corridor from Duff Avenue to Grand Avenue in the amount of $125,000 at its June 23, 2026, meeting. The Council Action Form from that action is attached.
This study was identified as a need in the Ames Area MPO's (AAMPO's) Metropolitan Transportation Plan (Ames Connect 2050) and was subsequently included in the MPO's FY 2027 Transportation Planning Work Program (TPWP) with $100,000 in federal planning funds budgeted for the project. The City also included the project in the 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Plan in the 2026/27 Traffic System Capacity Improvements Program with a local match of $25,000 in Road Use Tax funds.
A total of six proposals were received for completion of the study, and Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC, was selected following a qualifications-based selection process that adhered to state and federal purchasing requirements due to the use of federal MPO planning funds.
POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL STUDY (LINCOLN WAY - GRAND AVE TO UNIVERSITY BLVD):
Following the Mayor's request on June 23, 2026, staff developed a high-level scope for a potential study of Lincoln Way from Grand Avenue to University Boulevard. This approximately 0.7-mile segment carries substantial vehicle, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic and serves seven CyRide stops. The study would generally mirror the existing Duff Avenue to Grand Avenue study and would evaluate crash history, vehicle speeds, corridor lighting, pedestrian crossings, traffic operations, and cross-section alternatives. It would also produce conceptual designs and planning-level cost estimates to guide future capital planning and funding decisions.
Staff requested a quote from Foth for budgeting purposes based on the scope described above. Foth indicated that the study would cost $116,500.
OPTION 1: Perform the additional study at the same time as the existing Lincoln Way corridor study
Under Option 1, the City Council would direct staff to study Lincoln Way from Grand Avenue to University Boulevard in parallel with the ongoing Lincoln Way study from Duff Avenue to Grand Avenue. This would provide the most coordination with the adjacent corridor study along Lincoln Way. Additionally, the data collected would be consistent for each study.
Because the existing Lincoln Way corridor study is identified in the Ames Connect 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the study limits are explicitly defined and cannot be changed without significant effort, which includes concurrence by the MPO Policy Committee and Iowa DOT, with no guarantee of approval. Therefore, simply modifying the current study limits is not recommended.
Staff believes that a separate, locally funded agreement with Foth would be the most effective approach if Council wishes to study this segment now. Because the two segments are directly adjacent, using the same firm would allow shared tasks to be performed once and help ensure compatible recommendations across the corridor. It would also avoid the time and cost of a new solicitation, and Foth was ranked first among six firms in the competitive selection process completed earlier this year for the adjacent study. City of Ames Purchasing staff has affirmed this approach.
This study could be funded by $116,500 in available Local Road Use Tax revenue from the Accessibility Enhancements Program. Funding for this study is not currently programmed in the Capital Improvements Plan; however, the Accessibility Enhancements Program currently has an unobligated balance of $216,385 in Road Use Tax funding that could be used for the study. Staff would prepare a professional services agreement with Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC, for the Council's consideration, along with a request to waive the City’s Purchasing Policy requirement for competitive proposals.
OPTION 2: Program the additional study in a future fiscal year
In Option 2, the City Council would direct staff to program this study in a future fiscal year, using local Road Use Tax funds, through the Transportation Planning Program in the upcoming Capital Improvements Plan (CIP).
The study would be considered by the City Council during the approval of the CIP. It is likely that the study would be programmed in 2028 or beyond based upon prioritization of Road Use Tax funding across the CIP.
OPTION 3: Delay the study until the upcoming Metropolitan Transportation Plan update
In Option 3, the City Council would direct staff to delay the study of this segment and instead wait for the AAMPO's upcoming 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) update to identify this segment as a regional priority requiring further study.
The MTP update occurs every five years and involves several rounds of public engagement and data analysis to determine the short, medium, and long-range priorities for the AAMPO. Following the public engagement and prioritization of projects, the MTP is fiscally constrained, meaning that projects are identified that can be planned and funded based upon estimated federal funding allocations.
Planning for the 2055 MTP would begin in FY 2028/29 so that adoption occurs in 2030. The study would be evaluated and ranked in the MTP development process and would then be eligible for federal planning funds in lieu of being strictly locally funded.
Option 1 would allow the study to be conducted concurrently with the adjacent Duff Avenue to Grand Avenue study, with shared tasks performed once and recommendations coordinated across the full corridor. This option would use $116,500 in Road Use Tax funding that would otherwise remain available for future accessibility improvements, including addressing other priorities identified in Walk Bike Roll Ames.
Option 2 funding would be available no earlier than FY 2027/28. Coordination with the adjacent study is not likely to occur as that study would be substantially complete, so the benefits of conducting the two studies together would no longer be a factor. This option would require Road Use Tax funding to be identified in future fiscal years to support the inclusion of the study in the CIP.
Option 3 would defer the decision to the regional planning process. The 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) is anticipated to be adopted in 2030. If this segment is identified as a regional priority, a future study could be eligible for federal MPO planning funds. Historically, the majority of the larger corridor studies are programmed through the MPO process. Option 3 would be the most consistent with previous corridor planning efforts across the City. However, benefits of conducting the studies together would not apply.
While the process in Option 3 does require that the study is identified in the MTP, the use of federal funding reduces the City’s local share to a 20 percent match of the federal funding level. By reducing the local funding level, priorities that are already identified in the CIP can continue to move forward as planned rather than reallocate current funding.
Options 2 and 3 would both delay the study. However, improvements already directed by the City Council, including dynamic speed signs, evaluation of lighting, and prioritization of the intersection of S. Russell and Lincoln Way in the Walk Bike Roll Plan would continue to move forward. The installation of the dynamic feedback signs is already complete. In either of these options, the lighting improvements would be evaluated separately and reported to the City Council at a future meeting.