Bi-State Regional Commission

December 16, 2015 – Bryan Schmid, Bi-State Regional Commission planner, reported that communities in the Bi-State region are making strides to improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians.  Iowa Trees Forever is working with local leaders in Muscatine to draft the Running Rivers Trail Vision for the city.  The vision will include proposed enhancements that may be included in the Riverfront Master Plan Update.  The city will be extending the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) to the Louisa County line to the south as early as next year, and will be including signage for the MRT and American Discovery Trail (ADT).  Bi-State staff is coordinating efforts with colleagues between the Quad Cities and Cedar Falls/Waterloo to connect gaps in the route of the ADT, which is a national trail running from Delaware to California that crosses the Mississippi River at Davenport.  The City of Geneseo, also, is interested in connecting the city to the Hennepin Canal State Trail.  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources maintains the Hennepin Canal Trail and is planning on investing over $1 million in maintenance projects along the trail in coming years.

December 16, 2015 – Bi-State staff has teamed up with Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI) and other local partners to create a new interactive trails map and website for the Quad Cities Area.  Funding for the project is from the Partnerships to Improve Community Health grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  It’s one of four local efforts focused on improving access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities.  Bi-State staff have been primarily involved in the creation of Safe Routes to School plans, as well as development of the new trails website, QCTrails.org.  The primary goal of the project is to provide a resource showing the trails in the Quad Cities Area, in one convenient website.  It will also show landmarks, points of interest, infrastructure, and other valuable resources such as parking, water, restrooms, information kiosks, parks, and much more.

November 18, 2015 – On October 26, 2015, the inaugural direct flight to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. took off from the Quad City International Airport, making this the 11th city (12 seasonally) with non-stop service to and from the Quad Cities, reported Bruce Carter, Aviation Director.  This is a boon to the Quad Cities with the Arsenal so that military personnel and public officials can travel back and forth to Washington with ease.  The airport carries three major airlines (American Eagle, Delta, and United) and one vacation airline (Allegiant).  Total passengers for 2014 was 738,398 with 380,000 enplanements.

View flyer for more information

Community Outreach Flyer December 10 & 12 2015

October 28, 2015 – Jim Tank, Bi-State Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Board Member and Bi-State Commissioner–RLF Program Representative, stated the Bi-State RLF is celebrating 30 years of providing gap financing to businesses.  Since the inception of the program in 1986, nearly $9.8 million has been loaned to 104 businesses in Rock Island and Scott Counties.  These loans have helped generate approximately $435 million in total investments, accessing city and state public financing programs, financial institutions, and company equity.  In addition, over 3,750 jobs have been created/retained in the two-county area.  Currently, there is approximately $935,000 available to loan with the repayment loan pool growing by $10,000 each month.

October 28, 2015 – More than 50 years ago, the 1964 Civil Rights Act was enacted.  There continues to be an on-going need for awareness and implementation of this and new regulations related to civil rights.  Gena McCullough, Planning Director, reviewed the update to the Bi-State Title VI Program and Non-Discrimination Policy provided to the Commissioners.  The 2013 document was a consolidation of the various parts of the agency’s policies and procedures formalized collectively into one format.  The update revises assigned staff, adds reference to Federal Transit Grant administration and funding allocations, and updates the Limited English Proficiency Plan and analysis.

Celebrate International Walk to School Day, October 7, 2015.
Walk or bike to school this month for a healthier community.  Be safe and be healthy!

September 23, 2015 – A status report on the progress of the 2045 Quad Cities Long Range Transportation Plan was given by Gena McCullough, Planning Director.  Visioning, public input, and development of plan goals and objectives have been underway for the last 18 months.

September 23, 2015 –  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to the future of rural communities with over 40 loan and grant programs in areas of business, community, housing, and economic development. They partner to guide organizations, businesses, communities, and individuals through the process and requirements for their funding programs.

August 24, 2016 – The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) named Bi-State Regional Commission the winner of a 2016 Innovation Award for fostering intergovernmental relationships.  This effort will be honored at the NADO Annual Training Conference in San Antonio in October.