MPO updates functional classification for G.W. Carver Avenue; roundabout favored but coordination with city needed

Policy committee members discussed a change request to reclassify George Washington Carver Avenue from a collector to a minor arterial between Barcelona Street and Cameron School Road. A committee member asked whether extending the arterial classification slightly farther would increase eligibility for federal funding for a planned roundabout at the intersection.
MPO staff responded that collector routes are already eligible for federal aid and that the entire intersection is federal-aid eligible regardless of whether the segment is designated county or urban. "A collector is also already eligible for federal aid funding," staff said. "The whole intersection is federal aid eligible."
Members asked whether an arterial designation leads to a higher percent of federal funding; staff replied the classification is a clear administrative distinction and that eligibility is what matters for federal aid, not the particular urban versus county label. The committee also confirmed the consultants’ preferred intersection control for the Cameron School Road and G.W. Carver intersection was a roundabout. Members noted development activity nearby and urged coordination with the City of Ames on developer agreements and timing of improvements.
No separate motion was required; the committee approved consent for the related agenda item and moved forward with the classification update. Staff said programming and construction timing remain jurisdictional decisions and encouraged continued coordination between the MPO and the City of Ames.