From 1000 Friends of Iowa Central Iowa Update Dear Friends, As the price of gas continues to reach record highs, and flooding causes Iowans to question the way we build our communities, Polk County leaders are prepared to unveil the progress on two road studies: the Northeast Polk County Beltway and the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway Extension/ NW 26th Street Interchange. Two public input meetings are happening in the near future: one on the NE Polk County Beltway this Thursday, July 10, and another on the MLK/NW 26th St. project next Thursday July 17. Thursday, July 10 - Northeast Polk County Beltway Thursday, July 17 - NW 26th Street Interchange and MLK Extension These proposed road projects would o Provide infrastructure for further development in the last quiet, rural expanses of Polk County o Place more pavement to funnel stormwater to creeks and rivers, like the Des Moines River o Invest taxpayer dollars in an expanded highway system that may not be utilized as much as projected while gas prices continue to climb o Threaten prime farmland that may have a better and higher use as food prices also continue to climb o Threaten natural areas and wildlife o Drain money from much-needed repair projects for existing neighborhood streets and flood-damaged roads across the state. We encourage you to attend the upcoming meetings, email comments to the addresses listed at the end of this email, and/or write a letter to the editor. Voices for common sense are needed now more than ever. Please join other Des Moines metro area residents in the long-term commitment to create more sustainable communities for future generations. Sincerely, Stephanie Weisenbach 1000 Friends of Iowa Thursday, July 10 - Northeast Polk County Beltway 4:30 - 6:30 PM Snyder & Associates, Inc. 2727 SW Snyder Blvd Ankeny, IA 50023 The Northeast Polk County Beltway is a proposed traffic corridor around the northeast side of the metro area. The proposed beltway would extend from Altoona at I-80 north to the edge of the city of Elkhart (or possibly much farther north), west to the Polk City area, and then south to IA 141/IA 415. This will be an open house format and held by Snyder and Associates, the engineering firm doing the study for Polk County. This will be a meeting to provide an update on the study and collect input on proposed alternative locations for the beltway. This is a part of the Environmental Impact Statement, a federally required evaluation for a project that has extensive environmental impacts. Thursday, July 17 - NW 26th Street Interchange and MLK Extension 4:30 - 6:30 PM Snyder & Associates, Inc. 2727 SW Snyder Blvd Ankeny, IA 50023 Polk County and other leaders are now calling this project the "NW 26th Street Corridor." This proposal consists of: o Reconstruction of NW 26th Street to a 4-lane facility between IA 415 and I 35/80, o Construction of a new interchange at I-35/80 and NW 26th Street, and o Construction of a new four-lane roadway on new alignment from near Euclid Ave/U.S. 6 and MLK Jr Parkway and the proposed NW 26th St interchange (through the heart of the Des Moines River Recreational Greenbelt.) This will be an open house with some audio/visual presentations, and held by Snyder and Associates, the engineering firm doing the study for Polk County. This will be a meeting to provide an update on the study and collect input on proposed alternative locations for the project, including possible expansion of existing streets in Des Moines like Beaver Avenue and 6th Avenue. This is a part of the Environmental Impact Statement, a federally required evaluation for a project that has extensive environmental impacts. How to Get There & What to Do Both of these meetings will be held at Snyder and Associates' office in Ankeny. For a map to the Snyder & Associates office, visit http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Ankeny&state=IA&address=2727+SW+Snyder+Blvd For both projects, you will see maps of proposed alternatives and other information. You'll be asked to choose which alternative location you prefer. Make sure to put your comments in writing at the meeting, using the forms provided. If you purely give verbal comments to the consultants, there is no assurance that your views will be captured and conveyed to Polk County leaders and the Federal Highway Administration. You should also be sure to sign in, so there is proof of the people who attended. If you sign in, you will NOT automatically be put on the mailing list for the project. If you aren't receiving mail notices about the road project and you want to, then you should make a point to ask consultants to put you on the mailing list. You also might consider recommending better locations for public input meetings on these projects than the Snyder & Associates office. In the past, these consultants have traveled to community-based locations like the American Legion Hall in Bondurant, the Elkhart Community Center, and the Senior Center at Park Fair Mall. If there is a place that is more comfortable and conveniant for you, put it in your written comments. Email your comments to: Jamie Tunnel at Snyder and Associates [log in to unmask] Polk County Board of Supervisors [log in to unmask] Thanks to Stephanie Weisenbach for this notice. Forwarded by Jane Clark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp