Iowa
The People Behind America’s Game-Changing Local Infrastructure Grants
The Biden Administration unlocked unprecedented opportunities for local leaders to build transportation infrastructure without their state governments getting involved — if they could beat out the competition. We talk to three mayors who cracked the code.
October 28, 2024
Taking an Amtrak + bike camping trip during the time of the coronavirus
April 5, 2021
Feds Keep Cracking Down on Crosswalk Art
The Federal Highway Administration again asked a town to get rid of its non-conforming crosswalk art despite the fact there have been no studies proving they are dangerous.
September 30, 2019
Des Moines Downzoning is Backward — And Possibly Racist
The Iowa capital is proposing zoning changes that discourage density, will raise the cost of housing, and undermine transit.
August 5, 2019
Highway Boondoggles: Iowa’s U.S. 20 Widening
In a new report, Highway Boondoggles 2, U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group profile the most wasteful highway projects that state DOTs are building. Today we highlight the proposed 40-mile widening of U.S. 20 in Iowa, which will cost many times as much as fixing all the state's structurally deficient highway bridges.
February 2, 2016
Getting Rural Kids Walking and Biking: A Case Study From Northeast Iowa
This post is part of a series featuring stories and research that will be presented at the Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike/Pro-Place conference September 8-11 in Pittsburgh.
July 22, 2014
Study: Bicycling Generates $365 Million in Economic Activity in Iowa
About $1 million per day, or $365 million per year -- that's how valuable the cycling industry is in Iowa, according to a new study by University of Northern Iowa.
January 26, 2012
State Transpo Officials Push to Toll for Maintenance, Not Just Capacity
Last week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told state DOT officials gathered at an AASHTO conference in Washington that he was all in favor of tolling – but only to add new capacity.
March 8, 2011
Heads Up, Tom Latham: Livability Pays Big Dividends in Rural Iowa
You could say Oskaloosa, Iowa, population 11,000, is a model of small-town livability. Families rent apartments over renovated historic storefronts. Local college students take the bike lane down Market Street to grab a bite in the local restaurants. Visitors travel from distant towns to browse the city's local bookstore in its revitalized, walkable town square.
February 1, 2011
The Power of the Pursestrings Shifts to a Livability Denier in the House
The transfer of power in the House of Representatives gives transportation reformers plenty to wring their hands about. Oberstar’s ouster was a shock, and folks are still synthesizing what it means to have John Mica in charge of the next transportation bill.
November 11, 2010