The Long-Run Impact of Corn-Based Ethanol on the Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Sectors: A Preliminary Assessment, November 2006

The ongoing growth of corn-based ethanol production raises some fundamental questions about what impact continued growth will have on U.S. and world agriculture. Estimates of the long-run potential for ethanol production can be made by calculating the corn price at which the incentive to expand ethanol production disappears. Under current ethanol tax policy, if the prices of crude oil, natural gas, and distillers grains stay at current levels, then the break-even corn price is $4.05 per bushel. A multi-commodity, multi country system of integrated commodity models is used to estimate the impacts if we ever get to $4.05 corn. At this price, corn-based ethanol production would reach 31.5 billion gallons per year, or about 20% of projected U.S. fuel consumption in 2015. Supporting this level of production would require 95.6 million acres of corn to be planted. Total corn production would be approximately 15.6 billion bushels, compared to 11.0 billion bushels today. Most of the additional corn acres come from reduced soybean acreage. Wheat markets would adjust to fulfill increased demand for feed wheat. Corn exports and production of pork and poultry would all be reduced in response to higher corn prices and increased utilization of corn by ethanol plants. These results should not be viewed as a prediction of what will eventually materialize. Rather, they indicate a logical end point to the current incentives to invest in corn-based ethanol plants.

Concrete Paving Training & Field Reference for Preventing Common Problems, August 2006

To ensure that high-quality materials are used in concrete mixing, all materials delivered to the site should be inspected to ensure that they meet specification requirements. All materials should be delivered with the proper certifications, invoices, or bill of lading. These records should indicate when the shipment arrived, the amount and identification of material delivered, and the laboratory report certification number, invoice number, and ticket number.

Technology Governance Board Information Technology Strategic Plan, 2006

The Technology Governance Board (TGB), established pursuant to Iowa Code Section 8A.204, developed and published this strategic information technology plan in December 2006. This plan contains the TGB's vision, mission, goals, and strategies that will lead the executive branch to an information technology infrastructure and policies that will enhance and unify the technology infrastructure to support business operations for electronic government, consistent with the vision of providing sustained support for “extraordinary customer service”.

Iowa Department of Transportation Office of Contracts Letting Summary, July 1, 2005 thru June 30, 2006

Pursuant to the Code section 307.12(14)the DOT is providing the summary of contracts let from July 1, 2005 to June 20, 2006.

Lane Closure Policy Development, Enforcement, and Exceptions: A Survey of Seven State Transportation Agencies, February 2007

Traffic volume increases and an aging infrastructure create the need for reconstruction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of existing facilities. As more motorists feel that delays should be minimal during highway renewal projects, lane closures that reduce capacity through the work zone should not create unreasonable delays. In order to facilitate the determination of when a lane closure is permitted during the day, some state transportation agencies (STAs) have developed lane closure policies, or strategies, that they use as guidance in determining daily permitted lane closure times. Permitted lane closure times define what times of the day, week, or season a lane closure is allowed on a facility and at a specific location or segment. This research addresses the lane closure policies of several STAs that were reputed to have good lane closures policies or strategies and that were selected by the project advisory committee for further research.

The Annual Condition of Education Report, 2006

Statistics about public edcuation in the state of Iowa including graduation rates, No Child Left Behind Act.

Safety Impacts of Pavement Edge Drop-offs, 2006

A vehicle may leave its travel lane for a number of reasons, such as driver error, poor surface conditions, or avoidance of a collision with another vehicle in the travel lane. When a vehicle leaves the travel lane, pavement edge drop-off poses a potential safety hazard because significant vertical differences between surfaces can affect vehicle stability and reduce a driver’s ability to handle the vehicle. Numerous controlled studies have tested driver response to encountering drop-offs under various conditions, including different speeds, vehicle types, drop-off height and shape, and tire scrubbing versus non-scrubbing conditions. The studies evaluated the drivers’ ability to return to and recover within their own travel lane after leaving the roadway and encountering a drop-off. Many of these studies, however, have used professional drivers as test subjects, so results may not always apply to the population of average drivers. Furthermore, test subjects are always briefed on what generally is to be expected and how to respond; thus, the sense of surprise that a truly naïve driver may experience upon realizing that one or two of his or her tires have just dropped off the edge of the pavement, is very likely diminished. Additionally, the studies were carried out under controlled conditions. The actual impact of pavement edge drop-off on drivers’ ability to recover safely once they leave the roadway, however, is not well understood under actual driving conditions. Additionally, little information is available that quantifies the number or severity of crashes that occur where pavement edge drop-off may have been a contributing factor. Without sufficient information about the frequency of edge drop-off-related crashes, agencies are not fully able to measure the economic benefits of investment decisions, evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments to mitigate edge drop-off, or focus maintenance resources. To address these issues, this report details research to quantify the contribution of pavement edge drop-off to crash frequency and severity. Additionally, the study evaluated federal and state guidance in sampling and addressing pavement edge drop-off and quantified the extent of pavement edge drop-off in two states. This study focused on rural two-lane paved roadways with unpaved shoulders, since they are often high speed facilities (55+ mph), have varying levels of maintenance, and are likely to be characterized by adverse roadway conditions such as narrow lanes or no shoulders.

Fish Tissue Monitoring in Iowa, 2006

Iowa has nearly 72,000 miles of streams. With one week of camping, miles of paddling, on-going educational opportunities, and hundreds of dedicated and hard-working Iowans, Project AWARE can make a difference – one stretch of river, one week a year, one piece of trash at a time. If it seems like a vacation to the participants…it is. They just learn and improve the river as they go.

Water Quality Summary 2000-2005, 2006

Iowa has nearly 72,000 miles of streams. With one week of camping, miles of paddling, on-going educational opportunities, and hundreds of dedicated and hard-working Iowans, Project AWARE can make a difference – one stretch of river, one week a year, one piece of trash at a time. If it seems like a vacation to the participants…it is. They just learn and improve the river as they go.

Departure Survey Report, 2006

This project was initiated by the Department of Personnel, now the Department of Administrative Services (DAS)– Human Resources Enterprise (HRE), to assist executive branch agencies in determining why employees leave their employ or state government as well as provide insight into past employee perceptions of their employer. As the workforce continues to age and at the same time the available workforce declines, employers must have data to manage their turnover effectively.

Iowa Department of Transportation Office of Contracts Letting Summary July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007

Twelve regularly scheduled lettings and seven emergency/special lettings were held by the Iowa Department of Transportation for construction and maintenance work during the period covered by this report. At these lettings, projects totaling $492,299,871 were approved.

2009-2013 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program

The Iowa Transportation Improvement Program (Program) is published to inform Iowans of planned investments in our state's transportation system. The Iowa Transportation Commission (Commission) and Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) are committed to programming those investments in a fiscally responsible manner. Iowa's transportation system is multi-modal; therefore, the Program encompasses investments in aviation, transit, railroads, trails, and highways. A major component of the Program is the highway section. The FY2009-2013 highway section is financially balanced and was developed to achieve several objectives. The Commission's primary highway investment objective is the safety, maintenance and preservation of Iowa's existing highway system. The Commission has allocated an annual average of $321 million to achieve this objective. This includes $185 million in 2009 and $170 million annually in years 2010-2013 for preserving the interstate system. It includes $114 million in 2009, $100 million in 2010 and $90 million annually in years 2011-2013 for non-interstate pavement preservation. It includes $38 million annually in 2009 and 2010, and $35 million annually in years 2011-2013 for non-interstate bridges. In addition, $15 million annually is allocated for safety projects. However, due to increasing construction costs, flattened revenues and overall highway systems needs, the Commission acknowledges that insufficient funds are being invested in the maintenance and preservation of the existing highway system. Another objective involves investing in projects that have received funding from the federal transportation act and/or subsequent federal transportation appropriation acts. In particular, funding is being used where it will complete a project, corridor or useable segment of a larger project. As an investment goal, the Commission also wishes to advance highway projects that address the state's highway capacity and economic development needs. Projects that address these needs and were included for completion in the previous program have been advanced into this year's Program to maintain their scheduled completion. This program also includes a small number of other projects that generally either represent a final phase of a partially programmed project or an additional segment of a partially completed corridor. The TIME-21 bill, Senate File 2420, signed by Governor Chet Culver on April 22, provides additional funding to cities, counties and the Iowa DOT for road improvements. This will result in additional revenue to the Primary Road Fund beginning in the second half of FY2009 and gradually increase over time. The additional funding will be included in future highway programming objectives and proposals and is not reflected in this highway program. The Iowa DOT and Commission appreciate the public's involvement in the state's transportation planning process. Comments received personally, by letter, or through participation in the Commission's regular meetings or public input meetings held around the state each year are invaluable in providing guidance for the future of Iowa's transportation system. It should be noted that this document is a planning guide. It does not represent a binding commitment or obligation of the Commission or Iowa DOT, and is subject to change. You are invited to visit the Iowa DOT's Web site at iowadot.gov for additional and regular updates about the department's programs and activities.

Site Development and Facility Expansion Regularly Assistance Program, November 1, 2006

The Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) helps businesses expand or locate all or part of their business in Iowa. It just makes sense for companies engaged in advanced manufacturing, biosciences and information solutions/financial services to look at Iowa and IDED helps to ensure theireconomic development timelines are met. Iowa is nationally recognized as an innovator in helping businesses by meeting their development needs in a timely and effective manner. IDED networks with Regulatory Assistance Coordinators in agencies across state government to reduce response time to businesses. This agency coordination helps to ensure that regulatory and compliance questions, or other needs associated with project site development and facility expansion are serviced quickly. We have listed information below about some of the more common regulatory requirements related to site development and expansion.

Highways and Your Land, January 2006

For most people, highway engineering, design and right of way acquisition are not of immediate concern. However, when you own or rent property that will be affected by highway construction, you begin to consider road building from a different and personal viewpoint Right of way is the land on which highways are built. The amount of land needed depends on the engineering standards that must be met for the type of highway that will be built or improved. This booklet will acquaint property owners, tenants and the public with the procedures the Iowa Department of Transportation follows in acquiring right of way for a highway. It is not a source of technical definitions or legal advice. Further, it is not intended to establish a legal standard.

News, I-74 Iowa-Illinois Corridor Study, Issue 5, Spring 2006

Newsletter updating the corridor study of the Mississippi Bridge project for the states of Iowa and Illinois.