Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Iowa

State Transpo Officials Push to Toll for Maintenance, Not Just Capacity

By Tanya Snyder | Mar 8, 2011 | 10 Comments

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. “We believe in tolling,” LaHood said. “You can raise a lot of money with tolls. If a state comes to us with good […]

Heads Up, Tom Latham: Livability Pays Big Dividends in Rural Iowa

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 1, 2011 | 6 Comments

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. […]

The Power of the Pursestrings Shifts to a Livability Denier in the House

By Tanya Snyder | Nov 11, 2010 | 7 Comments

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. But flying under the radar is another big shift with potentially enormous consequences. […]