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Home My WebLink About250448 10/07/15 >?' CITY OF CARMEL, INDIANA VENDOR: 353958 ® it ONE CIVIC SQUARE U S 31 COALITION, INC CHECK AMOUNT: $""'10,000.00` ?� CARMEL, INDIANA 46032 ONE NORTH CAPITAL STE 1050 CHECK NUMBER: 250448 �"',�.o„�� INDIANAPOLIS IN 46204 CHECK DATE: 10/07/15 DEPARTMENT ACCOUNT PO NUMBER INVOICE NUMBER AMOUNT DESCRIPTION 1205 4355300 692 10,000.00 ORGANIZATION & MEMBER \i3 fl 3�1 _ 1 IY Invoice Date Invoice# Bill To 6/29/2015 692 City of Carmel The Honorable James Brainard, Mayor One Civic Square Carmel, IN 46032 Description Amount Support of US 31 Coalition, Inc. 10,000.00 M al $10,000.00 The U.S. 31 Coalition is a 501 (c) (6) not-for-profit corporation. Contributions are not deductible. The U.S.31 Coalition is a group of citizens,companies and elected officials who are dedicated to the upgrading of U.S.31 to a free-flowing thoroughfare connecting U.S.20 in St.Joseph County to 1-465 in Marion County. One North Capitol,Suite 1050 1 Indianapolis,IN 46204 1317.822.9205 1 www.us3lcoalition.com �3 X311 1 June 30, 2015 The Honorable James Brainard City of Carmel One Civic Square Carmel, IN 46032 Dear Mayor Brainard, We are reaching a critical point in the progress of the US 31 corridor. We have celebrated the openings of the US 31 project in Howard County and in St. Joseph and Marshall Counties, and are waiting on the completion of the Hamilton County project later this year. This is such an exciting time, and only with your help have we seen these successes. But since day one, the goal of the US 31 Coalition has been to complete the entire corridor to a freeway. Some have asked us if the next segments, in the remaining parts of Hamilton and Marshall Counties, as well as Tipton, Miami, and Fulton Counties, are as important as the first sections that have been completed. The answer is YES! When the first three segments are completed as a freeway, congestion and safety issues will still occur on the non- freeway segments, as driveways and lights still remain on those unimproved segments. But a recent study showed that completing the remaining US 31 corridor segments will result in 1,193 fewer accidents and 15 fewer fatalities per year. And while so important, safety isn't the only reason to finish US 31. That same study found that the counties along the US 31 corridor will see personal income rise by$94M per year, and there will be an additional 814 jobs created annually. We can't afford NOT to finish US 31. The Coalition remains committed to seeing the completion of a freeway on these next segments. At this time, INDOT has not determined a start date for the project. With the time it takes to progress from the early studies to construction, it is critical that we continue pushing for the full corridor now! I have enclosed some additional information about the benefits of the full project, including a recent Letter to the Editor I wrote, and a summary of the study mentioned previously that was performed by Policy Analytics, LLC. Important decisions are being made right now that will impact the future of this project and the future of Indiana. Now is the time to be involved! Your support is very much appreciated as the US 31 project moves forward. Sincerely, Dennis E. Faulkenberg Executive Director The U.S.31 Coalition is a group of citizens,companies and elected officials who are dedicated to the upgrading of U.S.31 to a free-flowing thoroughfare connecting' U.S.20 in St.Joseph County to 1-465 in Marion County. One North Capitol,Suite 1050 1 Indianapolis,IN 46204 1317.822.9205 1 www.us3lcoalition.com A recent opinion letter in the paper questioned the need for continuing the work on US 31 in order to make it a freeway. I would like to take a minute to clarify some misconceptions about the improvement of US 31 between Indianapolis and South Bend. I recently read that the US 31 Coalition can't justify the need for a US 31 freeway based on time savings, so we are instead looking at safety. To be clear, safety has ALWAYS been one of the most critical reasons for this improvement. After the work is complete in Hamilton, Howard, and St. Joseph/Marshall Counties, there will still be 370 times that a person can have an accident with someone crossing US 31, whether on a county road, a driveway, or a rail line. Unfortunately, this is all too common. Just ask two girls in a buggy whose"spooked" horses raced across US 31 only to be caught between two semi-trucks, in November of 2014. Or ask the relatives of a man from Nashville, Indiana, who pulled out onto US 31 in June of last year and was hit and killed. Unfortunately, the 370 cross streets and driveways aren't the only safety problem. A family of five was killed last December when they overcorrected their car and went into the opposite lanes. These are just examples of accidents that happen far too often. Safety is not an imaginary issue that the US 31 Coalition conveniently uses. A recent study showed that improving US 31 in Tipton, Miami, Fulton and Marshall Counties will result in almost 1200 fewer accidents per year, according to Indiana Department of Transportation data. In addition, it is estimated there will be 15 fewer fatalities per year. Sadly, having freeway conditions in some counties along US 31 (like Hamilton, Howard, and St. Joseph), but 370 cross roads and driveways in the other counties will only lead to more accidents, not fewer. Drivers will not be expecting the change in the nature of the road, and their attention will not be as close as it should be to the cross streets. But while improving safety is critical, it is also important to realize the economic benefits that will come from a US 31 freeway. The same study mentioned earlier found that building a freeway in Tipton, Miami, Fulton and Marshall Counties will lead to an additional 814 jobs per year, an additional $212 million in economic output per year, and personal income will rise by $94 million per year. The Grissom Aeroplex provides an exciting case study of these types of economic benefits. By having a freeway at its front door(instead of a road with so many driveways), Grissom will attract even more interest from developers. A freeway will encourage the full build out of the facility, leading to up to an additional 3700 jobs, $585 million in gross regional product, and an additional $390 million in personal income. These numbers are ON TOP of the economic impacts mentioned earlier. Imagine the economic futures of our residents with this kind of opportunity! I understand when people are concerned about their time and their convenience. With a freeway, there could be additional time that is needed for trips that cross US 31. That is why Fulton County officials are working diligently to snake sure that any plan that is developed for US 31 includes their input, their concerns, and their needs. The US 31 Coalition has been working with the county for six years to include its extensive planning work into a workable transportation plan for the entire community. This is an opportunity for Fulton County—to be a safer place, to be a thriving place,to be a place where all of our kids want to stay. Dennis E.Faulkenberg Executive Director, US 31 Coalition New US 31 Study: Freeway Coritical TO Our Future SAFETY T JOSEP Do you remember these recent news stories? ELKHART A family of 5 is killed on USS31 near Peru, Dec 2014. Two Amish girls were trapped between 2 semi's on US31. :MAR ALL US 31 was closed for 6 hours when 2 semi's collided, Dec 2014. Sadly, these are not isolated incidents on US 31. But we can make US 31 safer! By improving it to a freeway: VULTONr There will be 1,193 fewer accidents per year. • 119 fewer in Fulton County • 225 fewer in Miami County '-MIAMI O WAR • 123 fewer in Marshall County—J • 116 fewer in Tipton County =.TIPTO AMILN There will be 15 fewer fatalities a year. Almost $20M in the cost of injury accidents and almost $5M in property damage costs will be saved. MARION TRAVEL TIME Travel time will decrease by 61 minutes on the new US 31. ECONOMIC BENEFIT Within 25 years, a US 31 freeway will have: There will be $4.7M in travel times savings a year. CASE STUDY o .e The Grissom Aeroplex area will find 5 o o increased interest from developers from being located on a freeway. A freeway will encourage full build out of the ( Aeroplex, leading to an additional 3700 Q� jobs, $585M in gross regional product and $390M in personal income. Tipton,Fulton o o and Marshall Counties will see the same types of benefits. Q�a o 0 00 U.S.31 Corridor Economic Impact Analysis study performed by PolicyAnolytics,LLC, May 2015 "DON'T LET THEM STOP BUILDING THIS ROAD"— REP. DICK MANGUS Prescribed by State Board of Accounts City Form No.201(Rev.1995) ACCOUNTS PAYABLE VOUCHER CITY OF CARMEL An invoice or bill to be properly itemized must show: kind of service, where performed, dates service rendered, by whom, rates per day, number of hours, rate per hour, number of units, price per unit, etc. Payee Purchase Order No. Terms Date Due Invoice Invoice Description Amount Date Number (or note attached invoice(s)or bill(s)) 06/29/15 692 $10,000.00 1 hereby certify that the attached invoice(s), or bill(s), is(are)true and correct and I have audited same in accordance with IC 5-11-10-1.6 20 Clerk-Treasurer VOUCHER NO. WARRANT NO. ALLOWED 20 U.S. 31 Coalition, Inc. IN SUM OF $ One North Capital, Suite 1050 Indianapolis, IN 46204 $10,000.00 ON ACCOUNT OF APPROPRIATION FOR Administration Department PO#/Dept. INVOICE NO. ACCT#/TITLE AMOUNT Board Members 1205 I 692 I 43-553.00 $10,000.00 1 hereby certify that the attached invoice(s), or bill(s) is (are) true and correct and that the materials or services itemized thereon for which charge is made were ordered and received except Monday, October 05, 2015 Director, Administratio Title Cost distribution ledger classification if claim paid motor vehicle highway fund