Sunday, December 20, 2009

Ring Road Beat for More Taxpayer Money Goes on

Date: 12/17/09

To: Tri-County Planning Commissioners,

I wanted to update you on an important project that we would like to bring to the Executive Board and/or the Full Commission for consideration. It involves some additional work IDOT would like to have done using our Travel Demand Model for the Eastern Bypass project.

In September IDOT asked TCRPC to amend their existing Travel Demand Modeling (TDM) contract with Hanson Engineers in the amount of $10,000. The scope of this amendment called for Hanson to work with IDOT’s Eastern Bypass consultant to produce reliable projected traffic numbers for the Eastern Bypass study using the Tri-County TDM. At that time, IDOT did not have funding that would allow them to pay TCRPC for the work. We verbally agreed to enter into this arrangement with IDOT with the understanding that more work would be needed and we could recoup the cost at a later time.

As expected, IDOT District 4 now has need for further analysis using the TDM. Therefore, we are working with IDOT Dist 4 to develop a letter of agreement that would allow TCRPC to recoup the funds spent in September and do the additional TDM work for IDOT Dist. 4. The amount of this agreement is expected to be $70,000; $10,000 for the work that has already been performed and up to $60,000 for the additional Travel Demand Modeling work.

Staff would like to bring both agreements to the Executive Board/ Commission simultaneously; one with IDOT for $70,000 and one with Hanson Engineers in the amount of not to exceed $60,000. This will allow Hanson to perform up to 20 additional model runs in the Eastern Bypass study area. The timing of this work is important in order for IDOT District 4 to meet key deadlines for the overall project.

We are waiting for the agreement to come from IDOT and once we receive it, we will work with Chairman Klopfenstein to schedule a meeting.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or comments.


Terry Kohlbuss
Executive
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
211 Fulton Street, Suite 207
Peoria IL 61602
309-673-9330
cel 309-251-7883

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