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Iowa

The Rural Context For Transportation Consultations

Iowa is the 25th largest state in the U.S. in land area, 30th largest in population, and 33rd most densely populated. Approximately 67 percent of Iowa's population and jobs, and 99 percent of the land, is non-urban. About 91 percent of Iowa's roads are rural. Federally owned lands amount to just over one percent of the state's land area.

Iowa is a slowly growing state, as measured by population, with a moderately growing rate of employment. The portion of the state's jobs that are in the uniquely rural agriculture sector is fairly large (11 percent) while the portion in the mining sector is small (less than one percent). Most jobs in Iowa's rural areas are in sectors also common in urban areas: construction, transportation & utilities (11 percent); manufacturing (18 percent); business & trade (26 percent); and services & government (33 percent).

Demographically, Iowa's non-urban population is predominately white (98 percent). Iowa has the 17th lowest proportion of non-urban adults who did not graduate from high school and the 16th lowest proportion who did graduate from college. The 11 percent of Iowa's non-urban population who are poor is lower than in many other states. About 45 percent of the state's non-urban population is in non-working age groups (28 percent 18 years or younger, and 17 percent 65 years or older).

Governmentally, Iowa has 99 counties, a fairly large number compared to many other states. The state also has 950 municipalities, but no towns or townships. It has the 15th highest number of sub-county governments. Iowa has one federally recognized Indian tribe.

In addition, the 1997 U.S. Census of Governments has identified 13 independent, special-purpose governments in Iowa that have transportation responsibilities. This number is lower than in many other states. These special-purpose governments include 14 for highways, three for airports, and 6 for transit. Iowa also has 35 other public transit providers serving rural areas.

Iowa has 18 regional councils that cover approximately 85 percent of the state, and 8 MPOs. These regional units help to coordinate the other local governments and play a role in rural transportation programs as described below.

Of Iowa's 112,586 miles of roads, approximately 9 percent are state-controlled, while less than one percent are federal. Of the total miles of non-federal rural roads, about 8 percent are state, 86 percent are county, none are township, and 6 percent are municipal and other.

Processes For Consultation And Cooperation With Local Officials In Non-Metropolitan Areas

Iowa DOT, under the direction of the State Transportation Commission, conducts multi-modal transportation planning and programming. The process relies heavily on participation by Iowa's 8 MPOs and 18 non-urbanized area Regional Planning Affiliations (RPAs). In the planning and programming process, MPOs and RPAs use public participation processes designed by, and similar to that used by, the Iowa DOT in its transportation planning and development activities. MPOs and RPAs develop long-range plans and 3-year Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs). Iowa DOT develops a 20-year long-range plan, a 5-year improvement program, and a 3-year STIP.

The RPAs were created in an effort to improve the process after passage of ISTEA. RPAs cover all rural areas of the state and have roles comparable to MPOs. Each RPA has a transportation policy committee comprised of local elected officials (representing the cities and counties in the region). Iowa DOT developed the transportation planning guidelines used by each RPA. The RPAs provide input to Iowa DOT's preparation of the long-range plan and the STIP. The RPAs have full discretion in setting project priorities and programming funds under their control for projects in their regions. Representatives of non-metropolitan areas included within a metropolitan planning area have voting representation on the MPO's policy and technical advisory committees.

The RPA transportation policy committees are responsible for, among other things, establishing policy and making decisions concerning the long-range plan and the TIP, and assuring public participation in the planning and programming process. Each RPA also has established a technical advisory committee consisting of city and county engineers, planners, public works directors, and sometimes transit managers. The technical advisory committees are responsible for providing direction to their staffs in preparing transportation planning work programs, long-range transportation plans, and TIPs, and making recommendations to their policy committees.

Iowa DOT contracted with Iowa State University's Department of Community and Regional Planning to assist the RPAs in developing their long-range transportation plans and TIPS. Iowa DOT also added more state transportation planner field positions to work with the local planners and elected officials. Ten transportation district planners are located throughout the state and serve the MPOs and RPAs. They serve as ex-officio members and participate in the RPAs' policy and technical advisory committee meetings. They also provide technical support and assist the RPAs in developing and updating their long-range plans and TIPs.

Iowa DOT developed a public participation process that outlines how the public could be involved in decision-making for state-sponsored projects. It is used in developing the statewide long-range plan, the STIP, and individual projects. During the development of the long-range plan, Iowa DOT reached out to the public through surveys, several statewide video conference meetings, regional information meetings, and modal advisory committees. Local elected officials were co-hosts for the public information and discussion meetings, and they also assisted in hosting the video conference meetings, which had 19 interactive sites located throughout the state. In addition, individuals from rural areas serve on Iowa DOT's transportation modal advisory committees and on the State Plan Advisory Committee. The statewide long-range plan and STIP are also made available for formal public comment before being finalized.

The transportation planning that occurs in the 18 RPAs throughout Iowa includes modes in addition to highways. Each RPA does rural transit planning and includes transit projects in its TIP. Iowa DOT continually encourages the RPAs to include non-traditional interests in their transportation planning efforts, and has also worked with some RPAs in inter-modal facility planning. The RPA plan guidelines call for integrating existing local and state plans concerning land use, economic development, housing, tourism, multi-modal transportation and the environment. Each RPA has the flexibility to create a transportation plan and improvement program that meets the existing and future needs of its region.

Iowa has one Native Indian settlement, known as the Mesquaki Indian Settlement, and its representatives are invited to meetings concerning planning issues, which either impact them or are of interest to them. There are limited federal lands in Iowa, so federal land management agencies are seldom involved in the state's transportation planning.

Transportation is funded in Iowa through federal, state, and local monies. The funds are used for planning (developing long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs), construction, maintenance, and operations. All of Iowa's MPOs and RPAs share STP funds, which are distributed on a per-capita basis. Significant amounts of federal dollars are directly targeted to the RPAs and MPOs; additionally, federal bridge funds go directly to cities and counties and do not go through the MPOs and RPAs.

Federal transit funds for planning, operations, and improvements are programmed through the RPAs and MPOs. Transit projects are submitted, evaluated, and prioritized by the transit agencies.

Iowa uses these practices:

State Hearings: The long-range plan and STIP are made available for formal public comment before being finalized.
State Processes for Interactive Exchanges With Local Elected Officials: Ten transportation district planners work closely with RPAs.
Roles of RPOs: The RPAs serve in the capacity of RPOs for transportation planning.
Allocation of Transportation Funds and Responsibilities: In addition to giving RPAs direct authority over some funds, counties and cities have direct authority of a portion of federal funds.
State Policy-Making and Advisory Committees: State Transportation Commission, modal advisory committees, and the State Plan Advisory Committee.
Other Practices: During development of the long-range plan Iowa DOT used surveys, video conferencing, and regional informational meetings.

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