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MPO update: demographic projections, traffic model to 2055 and letting results discussed
Summary
Staff reported completion of demographic projections to inform the metropolitan transportation plan and described a new traffic model that will run no‑build and scenario analyses to 2055; committee members pressed on whether planned development and employment growth are included and staff offered a technical briefing. Recent bid results, including a $962,000 low bid for an emergency vehicle preemption project, were shared.
Tim, a staff member, told the committee that staff completed a demographic-projections exercise to estimate future housing and employment that will feed the metropolitan transportation plan. "We look at both estimates for future housing in the community and future employment," Tim said, adding that the projections will be used with a traffic model Doug is building.
Doug said the traffic model will run a "no-build" scenario using 2022 baselines and then add project scenarios to assess how proposals interact with the roadway network out to about 2055. "It's a very fun tool to play, once it's all put together and developed," he said, and offered to present detailed maps and modeling outputs at the APC technical meeting next month.
Committee members asked whether the model would account for major planned employers and developments; Doug confirmed the projections include the employment and housing numbers for those areas and said the modeling will show where growth and employment are expected to concentrate.
On project delivery, Doug reviewed the 18-month letting list and reported five projects were on the March bid letting; several projects were awarded in the Crawfordsville district (raised pavement markings, bridge maintenance, sign installation and repair). He also reported low bids from the April letting: the emergency vehicle preemption project had a low bid of $962,000.54, and an ITS traffic management project in two districts returned a low bid around $832,000, significantly below the engineer’s estimate of about $1.4 million.
A staff member noted a project on I‑65 (State Road 28 to State Road 38) will include a change order to add more pavement work at the worst section, enabled by additional agency funds; a contractor is ready to start.
Doug also updated members on FY26 funds: staff have completed the local obligations needed, but INDOT central office has not yet processed a January policy-board amendment that moves Northern Corridor funds from TIP to the work program; Tim signed the contract April 2 and staff are following up to avoid losing those funds.
The committee requested the technical briefing and asked staff to report back on obligation status and any schedule changes for the projects discussed.
