Four seasons in, Paving For Progress remains campaign issue in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Street conditions and how officials spend the voter-approved local-option sales tax for street repairs were top concerns during this year's Cedar Rapids municipal election campaigns.

Stephanie Phillips, 66, got a front-row seat to the signature street project of the 2017 construction season. People who doubt Paving for Progress, a streets program fueled by $18 million a year generated from a 1 percent local-option sales tax, should visit her neighborhood near 42nd Street and C Avenue NE, Phillips said.

'I feel like in our area it has been a good investment,” she said. 'People would be impressed. Just drive up C Avenue. They'll see.”

Crews reconstructed a potholed C Avenue NE from 40th Street to Collins Road, upgraded storm sewers, replaced the water main, added sidewalks and on-street bike lanes. The $2.25 million project began in the spring and wrapped up in October.

This fall, Cedar Rapids wound down its fourth construction season of the 10-year street repair program. While some remain skeptical of the program and its priorities, city officials say they are making progress and as time goes on residents will see the benefits as the it expands to more locations.

'It's been a very successful year,” said Jen Winter, the city's public works director. 'We've been able to complete a vast majority of projects on schedule.”

The city spent $17.2 million this year - completing 26 projects and making 7.63 linear miles of pavement improvements, including:

l Third Avenue SW from Sixth to First streets received new pavement, pedestrian 'bump outs” and water main replacement.

l Seminole Valley Road NE from Usher's Ferry to 42nd Street received new roadway, paved shoulders, sanitary sewer extension, storm sewer, water main and sidewalk infill.

l 29th and 30th Street Drive SE from First Avenue to Tama Street received pavement improvements, sidewalk infill and water main replacement.

Three other projects were started this year and will be completed next year.

So far under Paving for Progress, the city has spent $64.3 million, completed 106 projects with 33.91 linear miles of improvements.

The City Council last month approved an estimated $4 million street and sidewalk reconstruction, water main and storm sewer replacement and sanitary sewer on O Avenue NW from 16th Street to Ellis Boulevard. O Avenue is the top project on tap for 2018, and future phases will continue through Edgewood Road NW.

Candidates and voters during the recent election criticized the streets program on a range of fronts. The worst streets were being overlooked while streets in much better shape were being fixed. Residential streets were an afterthought. Citizens weren't being included in the process. Project extras were driving up costs.

Ralph Russell, an outgoing City Council member, took offense at the critiques, which in many cases he felt were off base. He pushed back, he said during a Wednesday meeting of the city's infrastructure committee.

'They heard from me defending the program because I think the Paving for Progress program is outstanding,” he said. 'The communication is outstanding. It is a remarkable program. There is so much good being done.”

Russell and city officials explained what they say are misconceptions.

Underground service line upgrades are included as part of road projects because doing both at once saves taxpayers money and is more convenient for motorists. Sidewalks can be included as part of street projects when they make sense, but are no longer mandated to be included as part of road work.

In the initial years of Paving for Progress, the city focused on simpler rehabilitation project that didn't require as much planning. With a few years time for design, the program has incorporated more complex projects.

Each year, officials strike a balance by including a few reconstructions of the worst roads, which are the most costly, and rehabilitation or maintenance on 20 or so roads in fair or good condition, which saves money in the long run by prolonging the life span.

Road conditions are analyzed every two years using data collected by the Iowa Department of Transportation to prioritize roads and guide decisions about the order of work. Since Paving for Progress began, there has been a 70-30 ratio of residential projects to arterial street work.

Count Phillips among the satisfied customers.

The drive is smoother, the new sewer work should mitigate backups, and she and her husband, Dick, regularly walk their dog, Maggie, on the new sidewalks - an addition they had criticized at first.

Walk down the street, though, and other neighbors are more critical.

Stewart Maida, 70, agrees the street is 'much nicer,” but he is not happy the design lowered the road's elevation and caused a more severe slope of driveways. He paid $3,700 to regrade and pave his driveway to avoid having his vehicle bottom out when he entered.

The part of the road that needed lowering was south of 42nd Street NE where a hill created a blind spot that increased the risk of rear-end collisions, he said. But that was left as is, he said.

Sidewalks and bike lanes were 'bells and whistles” that simply weren't worth the cost, he said. That money would be better spent stretching the dollars further on road repairs.

Residents voiced these concerns during meetings with city officials, but they were 'ignored,” he said.

'They wasted a lot of money on this job,” Maida said. 'They are concentrating too much on doing the bells and whistles and not enough on doing the basics.”

Property owners are no longer being assessed for new sidewalks, although property owners are responsible for maintaining them, including shoveling in the winter.

Emily Breen, a city spokeswoman, said the road's slope meets the city's design standards, and the cost of the sidewalks and bike lanes were less than 6 percent of the budget.

As for communication, she said, the city held two public meetings, mailed residents at least three letters before construction, used the Nextdoor online site and app to share project information and sent biweekly email updates during construction - at least 13 updates between March and October.

'Communicating to property owners is extremely important to us, and we've made intentional efforts to integrate outreach components into the program,” she said.

On Third Avenue SW, road improvements have complemented private investment in the area, including the renovated Matthew 25 building, the face-lift of the building housing Lederman Bail Bond and Wildside Tattooing and Body Piercing, the 2016-built Village Lofts condo complex, and others.

The new road includes protected bike lanes, new sidewalks, bump-outs that shrink the distance for pedestrians to cross the street, and new pavement. This helps support the tone for the emerging commercial drag on the westside of the Cedar River near downtown.

'It looks pleasing and it's functional,” Winter said. 'Business owners invested, then we invested, and now there's more private investment.”

Courtney Ball, owner of Flow Media, which rents space in the Matthew 25 building, said the improvements have encouraged a more bike and pedestrian friendly tone for the area, which is appreciated.

Rebecca Davidson, who owns a new coffee shop on Third Avenue SW called Dash, said the improvements have spurred more traffic to the area. Rather than take First Avenue SW, people will pass down Third, she said. Foot traffic should pick up once winter passes, she said.

'For us, as a business, it's awesome,” she said.

l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com