Evaluation of the Confirmation Light System at Signalized Intersections in Medium to Large Iowa Communities to Reduce Red Light Running Violations”, TR-657, 2015

Red light running continues to be a serious safety concern for many communities in the United States. The Federal Highway Administration reported that in 2011, red light running accounted for 676 fatalities nationwide. Red light running crashes at a signalized intersections are more serious, especially in high speed corridors where speeds are above 35 mph. Many communities have invested in red light countermeasures including low-cost strategies (e.g. signal backplates, targeted enforcement, signal timing adjustments and improvement with signage) to high-cost strategies (e.g. automated enforcement and intersection geometric improvements). This research study investigated intersection confirmation lights as a low-cost strategy to reduce red light running violations. Two intersections in Altoona and Waterloo, Iowa were equipped with confirmation lights which targeted the through and left turning movements. Confirmation lights enable a single police officer to monitor a specific lane of traffic downstream of the intersection. A before-after analysis was conducted in which a change in red light running violations prior to- and 1 and 3 months after installation were evaluated. A test of proportions was used to determine if the change in red light running violation rates were statistically significant at the 90 and 95 percent levels of confidence. The two treatment intersections were then compared to the changes of red light running violation rates at spillover intersections (directly adjacent to the treatment intersections) and control intersections. The results of the analysis indicated a 10 percent reduction of red light running violations in Altoona and a 299 percent increase in Waterloo at the treatment locations. Finally, the research team investigated the time into red for each observed red light running violation. The analysis indicated that many of the violations occurred less than one second into the red phase and that most of the violation occurred during or shortly after the all-red phase.

Asian and Pacific Communities in Iowa, November 2013

• According to the US Census Bureau 18.9 million Asians live in the US today (2012) • The Asian population rose by 530,000 or 2.9 % making it the fastest growing population in the US, exceeding the growth rate of Latino population which grew at 2.2% in 2012. • More than 60% of this growth is accounted by international migration. • Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are growing at a rate of 2.2% totaling of 1.4 million

A Compilation of the Bioscience Professional Development Opportunities Offered to K-12 Teachers in Iowa, September 14, 2005

Professional development opportunities are offered piecemeal to K-12 teachers in Iowa through Area Education Agencies (AEAs), Regents’ institutions, community colleges, private colleges, private corporations, and out-of-state institutions (often online). Compiling a comprehensive list of in-service and pre-service opportunities for primary and secondary public school educators is not feasible for a variety of reasons. However, this report briefly summarizes most of the bioscience-related options for professional development available for K-12 educators this summer and over the past year.

Update Regarding Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Progress of Iowa Communities, December 1, 2015

The Iowa State Court Administrator’s Office (SCA) created the CASP Advisory Committee in October 2013 to develop a state plan addressing disproportionate minority contact (DMC) in the juvenile justice system. The planning was assisted with a discretionary grant awarded from the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).