Iowa Department of Transportation Major Items - Preliminary Quantity Report, December 16, 2014; With Addendums

Weekly letting report.

Pilot Project for a Hybrid Road-Flooding Forecasting System on Squaw Creek, TR-642

A network of 25 sonic stage sensors were deployed in the Squaw Creek basin upstream from Ames Iowa to determine if the state-of-the-art distributed hydrological model CUENCAS can produce reliable information for all road crossings including those that cross small creeks draining basins as small as 1 sq. mile. A hydraulic model was implemented for the major tributaries of the Squaw Creek where IFC sonic instruments were deployed and it was coupled to CUENCAS to validate the predictions made at small tributaries in the basin. This study demonstrates that the predictions made by the hydrological model at internal locations in the basins are as accurate as the predictions made at the outlet of the basin. Final rating curves based on surveyed cross sections were developed for the 22 IFC-bridge sites that are currently operating, and routine forecast is provided at those locations (see IFIS). Rating curves were developed for 60 additional bridge locations in the basin, however, we do not use those rating curves for routine forecast because the lack of accuracy of LiDAR derived cross sections is not optimal. The results of our work form the basis for two papers that have been submitted for publication to the Journal of Hydrological Engineering. Peer review of our work will gives a strong footing to our ability to expand our results from the pilot Squaw Creek basin to all basins in Iowa.

2014 Transportation Coordination in Iowa

The 2012 Iowa Code section 324A.4, subsection 2, states the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) “shall biennially prepare a report to be submitted to the general assembly and the governor prior to December 15 of even-numbered years. The report shall recommend methods to increase transportation coordination and improve the efficiency of federal, state, and local government programs used to finance public transit services and may address other topics as appropriate.” Iowa has long been a leader in transportation coordination, from designated public transit agencies covering all 99 counties with little duplication, to requiring any agency receiving public dollars for the provision of transportation to first coordinate with the local public transit agency before providing the transportation on their own, to the creation of the Iowa Transportation Coordination Council. Coordination allows Iowa to provide much needed transportation services to the citizens of Iowa with the most efficient use of public funds. Coordination has been an important topic in Iowa for many years, but during these times of economic constraint and restraint and Iowa’s changing demographics, coordination of transportation services becomes even more critical.

Iowa Commuter Transportation Study

During the 2014 legislative session, Senate File 2349 was passed which states the Iowa Department of Transportation “shall conduct a study to identify administrative needs, projected demand, necessary capital and operating costs, and public transit service structures including park-and-ride lots, employer or public van pool programs, and traditional fixed-route transit. The department shall submit a report with findings and recommendations to the general assembly on or before December 15, 2014.”

Iowa Department of Transportation Major Items - Preliminary Quantity Report, February 17, 2015; With Addendums

Weekly letting report.

Policy of the Iowa Department of Transportation Highway Division For Accommodating Utilities on Primary Road System, 1990

This policy covers initial placement, adjustment, relocation and replacement of utility facilities in, on, above or below all highway right of way over which the Iowa Department of Transportation exercises control of access. It embodies the basic specifications and standards needed, to insure the safety of the highway user and the integrity of the highway. (1990 revision to 1985 policy.)

Policy of the Iowa Department of Transportation Highway Division For Accommodating Utilities on the Primary Road System, 1992

This chapter covers initial placement, adjustment, improvement, relocation, replacement and maintenance of utility facilities in, on, above or below the right-of-way over of primary highways, including attachments to primary highway structures. It embodies the basic specifications and standards needed, to ensure the safety of the highway user and the integrity of the highway. (1992 revision to 1990 policy.)

A Literature Review of Urban Bypass Studies, 1992

Urban places attract most highway travel because more people are to be per acre in urban places than elsewhere. In the beginning of highway development the objective was to provide an all-weather road for the rural people to get to town and back to their farms, but there was no consideration of getting motor vehicles through the town to the opposite side. With the development of intercity travel, it soon became apparent that travel through the urban areas would have to be given consideration along with the travel to and from the urban areas. This consideration led to the urban bypass, a provision in highway location whereby the traveler may get to the opposite side of the urban area without going through it, or at least not through the central business district. Bypasses, although highly desired by the through travelers, were not welcomed by local business interests on the basis that the community would suffer a reduction in retail trade. Some discussion of the pros and cons of bypasses and their consequences as observed from experience will shed light upon this type of local highway. The bypass report summaries in this document were based on interviews with businessmen and community leaders of cities that have actually experienced firsthand the impacts of a highway bypass. Several of the studies were conducted by newspaper reporters, city council members and residents of Iowa cities.

Iowa Department of Transportation Major Items - Preliminary Quantity Report, March 17, 2015; With Addendums

Weekly letting report.

Pilot Construction Project for Granular Shoulder Stabilization, TR-634, 2013

Granular shoulders need to be maintained on a regular basis because edge ruts and potholes develop, posing a safety hazard to motorists. The successful mitigation of edge-rut issues for granular shoulders would increase safety and reduce the number of procedures currently required to maintain granular shoulders in Iowa. In addition, better performance of granular shoulders reduces the urgency to pave granular shoulders. Delaying or permanently avoiding paving shoulders where possible allows more flexibility in making investments in the road network. To stabilize shoulders and reduce the number of maintenance cycles necessary per season, one possible stabilizing agent—acidulated soybean oil soapstock—was investigated in this research. A pilot testing project was conducted for selected problematic shoulders in northern and northeastern Iowa. Soapstock was applied on granular shoulders and monitored during application and pre- and post-application. Application techniques were documented and the percentage of application success was calculated for each treated shoulder section. As a result of this research, it was concluded that soybean oil soapstock can be an effective stabilizer for granular shoulders under certain conditions. The researchers also developed draft specifications that could possibly be used to engage a contractor to perform the work using a maintenance-type construction contract. The documented application techniques from this project could be used as guidance for those who want to apply soapstock for stabilizing granular shoulders but might not be familiar with this technique.

Issue review : multimodal transportation funding.

Funding for non-road multimodal transportation is a means to provide for future transportation needs and alternatives to provide safe and efficient transportation options. The state supports multimodal transportation in the annual infrastructure budget. Most of the state's appropriations for these non-road modes of transportation are provided from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund, or infrastructure-related funds such as restricted capital from tax-emempt bond proceeds. Projects that have received funding include commercial and general aviation infrastructure, public transit infrastructure, freight rail, and passenger rail. In addition, recreational trails that encourage walking and cycling are considered part of multimodal transportation. This issue review provides a general overview of the multimodal transportation grant programs that are funded by the state and administered under the Department of Transportation, or DOT. Other means of state funding for multimodal transportation, a sampling of federally funded programs and how other states fund some of their multimodal transportation programs will be briefly discussed.

Transportation in Iowa: A Historical Summary, 1988

“This book traces the development of transportation in Iowa from territorial days to the 19 80s. It shows the evolution of the transportation systems; how they originated, progressed and functioned; their structural organizations; effectiveness in overcoming obstacles, under the guidance of state and federal legislation; and their impact upon the development of the state.” – From the Prologue, page xiii

Transportation Research Board 1920-1995 : 75 Years of Excellence...and IOWA was there from the beginning., 1995

"Certainly no one person or state was the sole impetus for something as monumental as the Highway Research Board. Yet Iowa boasts of having provided many of the key people whose vision and energies literally created and sustained the HRB during its first critical years: Anson Marston, Thomas Agg, Thomas MacDonald, and Roy Crum." -- from page 2

Iowa Department of Transportation Major Items - Preliminary Quantity Report, April 21, 2015; With Addendums

Weekly letting report.

Study to establish an evaluation system for State of Iowa Merit Employment System classifications on the basis of comparable worth, 1984

This final report establishes an evaluation system for the State of Iowa Merit Employment System classifications on the basis of comparable worth. Included in the report are summaries of the project's objectives, methods, analyses, findings, and recommendations.