Iowa RPA-18 Transportation Improvement Program Projects Public Comment Period

Residents in Harrison, Mills, Shelby, and eastern Pottawattamie Counties are encouraged to provide their input on a request for federal funding for construction of a five-mile segment of the Great American Rail Trail from Weston to Underwood, Iowa.

The trail funding request is the sole new project submitted for inclusion in Iowa Regional Planning Affiliation (RPA) 18’s FY2027 Transportation Improvement Program.

The public comment period runs from February 12, 2026, to March 9, 2026.

The trail project would be funded through the federal Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program.

Residents can review the project information at mapacog.org/reports/rpa18callforprojects/. Submit written comments by March 9, 2026, to rpa@mapacog.org.

The March RPA-18 Policy Board and Technical Committee meeting will serve as the public meeting for
the trail project funding request.

o Meeting: RPA-18 Policy Board and Technical Committee
o Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
o Time: 11:00 AM
o Location: Pottawattamie County Secondary Roads Dept.
17501 Eastern Hills Dr., Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Iowa Regional Planning Affiliation 18 is the designated transportation planning organization for Harrison, Mills, and Shelby Counties and the eastern non-urbanized portion of Pottawattamie County.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency serves as the administrator for Iowa Regional Planning Affiliation 18.