Development of a New Process for Determining Design Year Traffic Demands, TR-528, 2007

Researchers should continuously ask how to improve the models we rely on to make financial decisions in terms of the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of roadways. This project presents an alternative tool that will supplement local decision making but maintain a full appreciation of the complexity and sophistication of today’s regional model and local traffic impact study methodologies. This alternative method is tailored to the desires of local agencies, which requested a better, faster, and easier way to evaluate land uses and their impact on future traffic demands at the sub-area or project corridor levels. A particular emphasis was placed on scenario planning for currently undeveloped areas. The scenario planning tool was developed using actual land use and roadway information for the communities of Johnston and West Des Moines, Iowa. Both communities used the output from this process to make regular decisions regarding infrastructure investment, design, and land use planning. The City of Johnston case study included forecasting future traffic for the western portion of the city within a 2,600-acre area, which included 42 intersections. The City of West Des Moines case study included forecasting future traffic for the city’s western growth area covering over 30,000 acres and 331 intersections. Both studies included forecasting a.m. and p.m. peak-hour traffic volumes based upon a variety of different land use scenarios. The tool developed took goegraphic information system (GIS)-based parcel and roadway information, converted the data into a graphical spreadsheet tool, allowed the user to conduct trip generation, distribution, and assignment, and then to automatically convert the data into a Synchro roadway network which allows for capacity analysis and visualization. The operational delay outputs were converted back into a GIS thematic format for contrast and further scenario planning. This project has laid the groundwork for improving both planning and civil transportation decision making at the sub-regional, super-project level.

Lake Restoration 2007 Report and 2008 Plan, December 28, 2007

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2008 Report and 2009 Plan, December 30, 2008

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2009 Report and 2010 Plan, December 30, 2009

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2010 Report and 2011 Plan, December 30, 2010

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2011 Report and 2012 Plan, December 30, 2011

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2012 Report and 2013 Plan, December 31, 2012

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2013 Report and 2014 Plan, December 31, 2013

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Lake Restoration 2014 Report and 2015 Plan, December 31, 2014

The Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Lake Restoration Program focuses on restoring impaired lakes to improve the quality of life for Iowans. Communities are rallying around their water resources as they seek population growth and economic success. Communities of the Iowa Great Lakes Region, Storm Lake, Crystal Lake, Creston and Clear Lake are obvious examples, but other communities including Lake View and Brighton are identifying the importance of lakes for their futures as well. The distribution and nature of Vision Iowa grants, Community Attraction and Tourism grants, and now, Great Places, all further emphasize the importance of water to community, quality of life and economic growth.

Transit Assistance Program for Iowa, 1975

This inventory of transit services in Iowa covers urban transit, intercity passenger bus carriers and charter operators, taxicab operations, rural transit services and special services, and includes the results of questionnaire and interview surveys, and the resulting recommendations. The recommendations urge a centralized source of data and expertise, a public information program, the utilization of federal aid, the continuance of existing transit services with no dimunition of service level, the establishment of new services in communities of over 20,000 population, the sponsorship of demonstrations in communities with populations of 10,000 to 20,000, and the development and improvement of rural transit service. Based on state and local community experience, recommendations are made concerning revenue sources to support transit in Iowa, and four alternative state transit assistance programs are presented.