The Ames City Council is hoping the recently approved Transportation Master Plan will fix many of the city’s current transportation problems.

At its May 12 meeting, the council approved the goals and objectives for the plan, thereby completing Phase I of the transportation study.

“We haven’t had an officially updated master plan for 30 years,” said Ames Public Works Director Paul Wiegand.

The intent of Phase I was to establish the goals and objectives of the study, said Scott Logan of the Ames Public Works’ traffic division.

“The basic goal of the plan is to meet the needs of the Ames community,” Wiegand said.

The goals of the study, according to a newsletter released by Public Works, include increasing mobility, improving transportation performance, extending non-motorized travel, economic development, environmental and natural resource protection, integration with land use policy, interagency coordination, financial feasibility and commitment to implementation.

“While all these goals are important, I believe the issues involving non-motorized travel, economic development and environmental and natural resource protection are the most significant,” Logan said.

“This study will provide Ames with a transportation plan for the next 20 years,” he said.

It provides a transportation schedule as well as cost estimates, and it should help Public Works serve the needs of the community, Logan said.

“We want to know what modes and services will serve the community as we move into the year 2020,” Wiegand said.

Logan said there are many deficiencies in the current transportation system. The congestion and slow travel speed on Lincoln Way, as well as Grand Avenue and Duff Avenue, are problems.

Wiegand said north-to-south travel in Ames also is a dilemma. He said it is difficult to have a fast trip north-to-south in Ames.

Logan said the master plan will also address CyRide routes and the accessibility and availability of bike paths in Ames.

Logan said the intersection of Dayton Avenue and 13th Street is currently being worked on.

According to a survey released by Public Works, 74 percent of Ames residents drive to and from work, 7 percent use CyRide, 5 percent ride bicycles, 5 percent walk and 9 percent do not work outside the home.

When traveling to school, 74 percent of Iowa State students walk, 15 percent drive, 5 percent ride bicycles, 4 percent use CyRide and 2 percent do not leave their homes.

The most frequently used CyRide routes are the red, green, blue and orange routes, according to the survey.

Logan said two separate surveys were sent to Ames residents. The first survey was sent in January to the Ames community as a whole, with an 8 percent student response. The second survey was sent about three months later to only ISU students.

“It was really interesting how similar they are,” he said.

Logan said keeping the ISU and Ames communities informed about the Transportation Master Plan will be an ongoing process involving the use of the newspaper, radio and a Web site.