WATERLOO - A proposed metro-area transportation plan would focus less on new construction and more on rebuilding existing roads over the next three decades.

The Black Hawk Metropolitan Area Transportation Policy Board is hoping by October to finalize its long-range transportation plan - identifying a number of highway, bicycle and pedestrian transit, rail and air projects to be considered through the year 2035.

Major proposals include the continued reconstruction of U.S. Highway 63 through the east side of Waterloo; rebuilding University Avenue from Iowa Highway 58 in Cedar Falls to Highway 63 in Waterloo; extending Katoski Drive through the Katoski Greenbelt; and numerous recreational trail and bike improvements.

A series of public meetings has been scheduled this week to get input on the proposed plan or to hear from residents with ideas about other projects which should be included.

"It's what we hope to get to between 2009 and 2035," said Kevin Blanshan, director of transportation and data services for the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments. "We want people to comment."

The input meetings will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Cedar Falls Public Library, 524 Main St.; from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the INRCOG building, 229 E. Park Ave., Waterloo; and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 207 W. Louise St., Waterloo.

The complete draft plan is available on the INRCOG Web site, www.inrcog.org, under the "MPO Long Range Plan Draft" header. Contacts also are included to comment directly without attending the meetings.

Only highways and major arterial streets can be included as road improvements. "The MPO is not in the business of fixing residential streets," Blanshan said.

And only projects that can be completed within the expected federal funding stream are eligible. Projects like the proposed U.S. Highway 218 bypass around the northeast side of Waterloo or elevating the existing Highway 218 from Mitchell Avenue to downtown Waterloo can't be in the plan for construction, but could be studied.

"They do allow us to do some planning for projects that are well beyond what we have funding for," Blanshan said.

The following are some of the major projects included in the long-range draft proposal:

Extending Katoski Drive in Waterloo south from Black Hawk Road to Ridgeway Avenue. The proposal to cut through the Katoski Greenbelt has been included in long-range plans since the 1980s, but has drawn considerable criticism from environmental groups.

Extending Greenhill Road in Cedar Falls from Hudson Road to the west, turning north up to West 27th Street.

Rebuilding University Avenue from Highway 58 in Cedar Falls to Highway 63 in Waterloo. A study is under way to determine how the road should be rebuilt, including questions about whether six lanes are still required.

A number of projects to deal with intersection improvements are planned, and some roads - such as Highway 63 from Ranchero Road in Waterloo south to Hudson or Hammond Avenue from San Marnan Drive to Ridgeway Avenue in Waterloo - are planned to improve capacity.

"With the high price of gas, vehicle miles traveled are down, so capacity many not be as big an issue as it was," Blanshan said.

The draft plan also includes proposals to "finish up on the recreational trails, but a lot more emphasis in on-road accommodation for bicycles," he added.

Contact Tim Jamison

at (319) 291-1577 or

tim.jamison@wcfcourier.com.