City of Columbia, Missouri  
Meeting Minutes  
Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission  
Conference Room  
1A-1B  
Wednesday, July 17, 2024  
Regular Meeting  
7:00 PM  
City Hall  
701 E. Broadway  
Columbia, Missouri  
I. CALL TO ORDER  
II. INTRODUCTIONS  
Chair Elke Boyd called the meeting to order at 6:59 PM.  
Members Present: Elke Boyd, Frank Schmidt, Tommy Fieser, Janet Godon, Carol  
Elliott, Jackson Hotaling, McKenzie Ortiz, Detlef Ritter.  
Members Absent: Sam Phillips, Brad Mitchell.  
Also present: City staff members Mitch Skov, Krista Shouse-Jones, Tim Teddy.  
III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Motion to approve agenda made by Mr. Hotaling, seconded by Mr. Fieser. Motion  
carried.  
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
Minutes from the May meeting are not yet available for approval. There were no  
minutes from June since the June meeting was cancelled due to the Juneteenth  
city holiday. The Commission plans to review May and July minutes at the August  
meeting.  
V. STAFF/COMMISSION REPORTS  
A. Vision Zero Report  
Ms. Shouse-Jones presented preliminary data on fatalities and serious  
injuries and compared year-to-date statistics for 2024 to the same  
period in 2023.  
Ms. Shouse-Jones reported on the status of several grants and grant  
applications.  
·
FY22 SS4A Projects  
Engineering firm CMT (Crawford, Murphy & Tilly) has been  
o
selected for the update of Columbia’s Complete/Livable  
Streets policy.  
o
o
Comprehensive Transit Study is still ongoing  
RFQ for Pedestrian Level of Comfort Map Methodology is  
with the City’s Purchasing Department, where it has been  
since May.  
o
o
RFQs for Vision Zero High-Injury Network (HIN)/Action Plan  
Updates and Highway Safety Manual Analysis are in progress  
RFQ for Leading Pedestrian Interval Analysis Project is  
expected to be completed in Fall 2024  
•
There was a first read of the FY23 SS4A grant agreement to City  
Council on July 15  
Once the FY23 SS4A grant agreement is approved by Council  
o
and executed, there will be a new round of RFQs/RFPs for  
those projects  
•
The FY24 SS4A (“Safe Streets for All”) grant application has been  
submitted. It is an implementation grant for the Clark Lane project.  
B. Parks & Recreation Report  
Ms. Godon reported on the status of work on trails:  
·
·
·
Perche Creek Trail. Work for the Perche Creek Trail is out of the  
City’s Legal department. Work is planned to begin in August.  
The bridge for the trail is on order.  
MKT Trail. The contract for replacing MKT bridge #9 and partial  
replacement/repairs of bridge #10 is still under review by the  
City's Legal Department.  
Impact of recent storms. Columbia received 9 inches of rain in  
the last few weeks which caused considerable trail damage.  
The priority for work is: underpasses and tunnels are cleared  
first; then a one-inch layer of rock is laid; then “fines” are laid,  
which require rollers. The MKT Trail is prioritized for repairs.  
There was significant damage to the Bear Creek Trail, which will  
be contracted out. FEMA money is not available for trail repairs  
since these storms did not result in enough damage to roads for  
FEMA funds to be applied for.  
·
·
Hinkson Creek Trail. Construction of the Hinkson Creek Trail  
extension is delayed waiting for completion of the relevant  
portion of the Improve I-70 project. There may be a need for a  
new trail alignment depending on MODOT’s plans. If there are  
changes to the currently planned trail alignment, additional IP  
meetings would be required.  
Stephens Lake Park Trailhead. An expansion of the parking lot  
had been planned before cancellation of the Treeline Music  
Fest. Since that festival has been cancelled, there is probably  
no need for parking lot expansion. Another IP meeting is likely  
to revisit plans for the trailhead.  
C. Planning Staff Report  
·
·
Mr. Skov reported that Frank Schmidt, Carol Elliott, and Elke Boyd  
were re-appointed to the Commission for 3-year terms beginning  
August 1, 2024, and ending July 31, 2027. Bry Mink with expertise in  
bicycle knowledge was newly appointed for the same term.  
Mr. Skov reported that the City will receive a TAP (Transportation  
Alternatives Program) grant to fill in sidewalk gaps on the south  
side of Broadway between West Blvd. and Manor Drive.  
D. Commissioner IP Meeting reports  
No Commissioners attended these IP meetings.  
1. St. Charles Sidewalk Public Hearing at 5/20 City Council  
2. Rollins Road Traffic Calming IP Meeting, 7/8  
E. Commission Correspondence  
1. MoDOT Response to Bike/Ped Improve I-70 Design Meeting Notes  
Attachments: City of Columbia Bicycle-Pedestrian Commission.pdf  
1. MODOT Response to Bike/Ped Improve I-70 Design Meeting Notes  
Commissioners and City staff discussed the response  
<https://gocolumbiamo.legistar.com/View.ashx?  
M=F&ID=13138141&GUID=1D55B420-8081-4A60-8B07-218B3A7DA7E0>  
from MODOT dated 6/21/2024 to a letter  
<https://gocolumbiamo.legistar.com/View.ashx?  
M=F&ID=12769101&GUID=48465FCA-02F4-440B-86C5-C22AD80C9A72>  
dated 3/21/2024 summarizing the results of a meeting with MODOT  
representatives and Elke Boyd, Carol Elliott, and Carrie Gartner.  
Motion by Mr. Hotaling seconded by Ms. Ortiz for Ms. Boyd to send an  
email to Mayor Buffaloe, City Manager’s office, and Public Works with  
MODOT’s letter attached, identifying the connections recommended by  
the Bicycle/Pedestrian Commission that do not have funding as part of  
the Improve I-70 Project. Motion carried.  
Additional discussion:  
·
Mr. Teddy stated he is uncertain whether the Municipal Agreement  
for the Improve I-70 project between the City and MODOT has been  
approved. The City Manager’s office is responsible for the  
Municipal Agreement.  
·
Ms. Godon mentioned the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant  
Program <https://www.transportation.gov/reconnecting> with  
applications due 9/30/2024 as another potential source of funding  
for pedestrian and bicycle improvements which have not been  
funded by MODOT as part of the Improve I-70 project.  
·
Mr. Hotaling stated that legislation approved by the Missouri  
legislature to fund the Improve I-70 project did not specifically  
address pedestrian facilities.  
·
·
Ms. Boyd mentioned she was interviewed by KOMU concerning the  
Improve I-70 project. The interview  
<https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/advocates-see  
k-pedestrian-safety-measures-ahead-of-i-70-u-s-63  
-connector-overhaul/article_d1ddcbb8-17b9-11ef-b154-  
5bd7cf48e6b5.html> was published 5/21/2024.  
With respect to MODOT’s plan to exclude construction of a sidewalk  
in the planned Route 63 underpass, Mr. Schmidt questioned the  
source of a policy that disallows construction of a sidewalk if it does  
not connect to an existing sidewalk.  
VI. NEW BUSINESS  
A. COLT RR Greenway Proposal  
Attachments: COLT Greenway proposal.pdf  
·
Ms. Godon clarified that the proposal is to form a planning team,  
and that construction of COLT RR Trail is not planned to begin until  
2027.  
·
The proposal includes a recommendation to remove the rails for the  
COLT RR between Rogers Street and Business Loop 70. Ms. Godon  
stated no decision has been made regarding leaving or removing  
the rails.  
·
Mr. Hotaling stated the MetroBikeLinkSystem  
<https://scctd.org/metrobikelink/> in St. Clair County, IL includes  
segments with a trail along a rail line.  
VII. OLD BUSINESS  
None.  
VIII. OTHER BUSINESS  
None.  
IX. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, MEMBERS AND STAFF  
·
Ms. Elliott asked whether additions to the Sidewalk Master Plan recommended  
by the Commission as part of the Improve I-70 project were approved by the  
City Council. Mr. Skov stated these changes were approved by the City Council  
in May.  
·
·
·
Mr. Hotaling mentioned that public meetings for I-44 expansion may be  
scheduled soon in communities along I-44 such as St. Clair, Joplin, Lebanon, and  
Springfield.  
Ms. Ortiz mentioned Second Ward City Council member Lisa Meyer asked for a  
report on sidewalk policy, design, and maintenance at the 7/15/2024 Council  
meeting.  
Mr. Hotaling mentioned problems in his neighborhood with speeding and  
careless driving. He expressed concern that the City’s process for traffic  
calming improvements takes too long. Members stated that it is possible to  
request a speed study from the City which can increase the priority of traffic  
calming improvements. Ms. Shouse-Jones said the Public Works Dept has had a  
Traffic Engineer position mostly vacant for several years and that the one Traffic  
Engineer Public Works  
does have spends a majority of his time on  
Neighborhood Traffic Management/Traffic Calming projects.  
X. NEXT MEETING DATE  
The next Commission meeting is Wednesday, August 21, 2024.  
XI. ADJOURNMENT  
Motion to adjourn by Ms. Elliott, seconded by Ms. Ortiz. Motion carried. Meeting  
adjourned at 8:12 PM.  
Members of the public may attend any open meeting. For requests for accommodations related to  
disability, please call 573-874-CITY (573-874-2489) or email CITY@CoMo.gov. In order to assist staff in  
making the appropriate arrangements for your accommodation, please make your request as far in  
advance of the posted meeting date as possible.  
USB DRIVES PROHIBITED: Due to cybersecurity concerns, flash drives and other media devices  
are no longer permitted for delivering files or presentation materials. A speaker who desires to  
display a presentation must upload the presentation, in advance, to the city network using an  
upload portal. To upload your files and learn more, visit CoMo.gov/upload. (Effective Jan. 1,  
2023)