CHAPTER 164
TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
761—164.1(312) Definitions.
“Commission” means the Iowa transportation commission.
“Department” means the Iowa department of transportation.
“Jurisdiction” means the department, a county, a city or any other public agency having responsibility for and control over a road or street.
“Other public agency” means any board, commission or agency having jurisdiction and control over roads and streets in any state park, state institution and other state land. State park, state institution and other state land means as defined in Iowa Code section 306.3(10).
“Traffic safety improvement program” means the funding program created for traffic safety improvement projects pursuant to Iowa Code section 312.2(11).
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.2(312) Information and forms. Information, instructions and application forms may be obtained from the Traffic and Safety Bureau, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010; telephone (515)239-1557; or on the department’s website at www.iowadot.gov.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.3(312) Program administration.
	164.3(1) Purpose. The traffic safety improvement program provides funding for traffic safety improvements or studies on public roads under county, city or state jurisdiction.
	164.3(2) Local participation. The department shall administer the traffic safety improvement program as a statewide program and will coordinate local participation in the review and evaluation of applications for funding.
	164.3(3) Funding.
	a. 	The traffic and safety bureau shall review all applications and the availability of funds in order to make funding recommendations to the commission. The commission may choose to fund all or part of a project or limit funding to specific work items. Funding may also be made dependent upon adherence to a time schedule or fulfillment of specified conditions.
	b. 	The commission need not commit all funds available during a fiscal year. Funds not committed by the commission shall be retained for subsequent programming cycles. Awarded funds not used within a specified period or remaining after project closure shall be retained for subsequent programming cycles.
	c. 	The maximum traffic safety improvement program funding for a site-specific improvement shall not exceed $500,000. Total funding allotted for the traffic control device category shall not exceed $500,000 annually. Total funding allotted for the studies and outreach category shall not exceed $500,000 annually. All project costs exceeding the commitment of traffic safety improvement program funds shall be the responsibility of the applicant.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.4(312) Applicant eligibility. Any jurisdiction in the state of Iowa is eligible to apply for traffic safety improvement program funding. Applicants shall designate one jurisdiction as the principal contact for a project involving multiple jurisdictions.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.5(312) Project eligibility. Projects located on a public roadway within the state of Iowa are eligible for funding. Projects located on a private road or for a private purpose are not eligible.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.6(312) Eligible project costs.
	164.6(1) Site-specific improvements category. Activities considered eligible for funding are those required by, or integral to, the safety aspects of the project. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
	a. 	Road modernization, upgrading or reconstruction.
	b. 	Intersection improvements.
	c. 	Right-of-way purchases.
	d. 	Drainage and erosion control measures.
	e. 	Traffic control devices.
	f. 	Traffic barriers and other roadside safety devices.
	g. 	Removal of trees and other fixed objects.
	164.6(2) Traffic control devices category. The cost of materials purchased for initial installation of traffic control devices or replacement of obsolete traffic control devices is considered eligible for funding. Devices shall comply with the applicable warrants in the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices” (MUTCD) as adopted in rule 761—130.1(321).
	164.6(3) Studies and outreach category. Activities considered eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, the following:
	a. 	Research addressing statewide traffic safety concerns.
	b. 	Studies addressing traffic safety concerns at specific locations.
	c. 	Initiatives emphasizing or improving traffic safety techniques or policies.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.7(312) Ineligible project costs.
	164.7(1) Any and all costs incurred prior to commission approval of funding for a project are ineligible.
	164.7(2) Activities and costs not eligible for traffic safety improvement program funding within the site-specific improvements category include, but are not limited to:
	a. 	Routine maintenance of a road, street, bridge, culvert or traffic control device.
	b. 	Contract administration costs.
	c. 	Design and construction engineering and inspection.
	d. 	Utility construction, reconstruction or adjustment, except as an integral part of a project.
	e. 	Sidewalks, shared-use paths, or railroad-highway crossings, except as an integral part of a project.
	f. 	Maintenance or energy costs for traffic control devices or lighting.
	g. 	Expenditures for items not related to the roadway.
	164.7(3) Activities and costs not eligible for traffic safety improvement program funding within the traffic control devices category include, but are not limited to:
	a. 	Maintenance or energy costs.
	b. 	Installation costs.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.8(312) Applications. Applications for funding shall address needs in one of three categories: site-specific improvements, traffic control devices, or studies and outreach. Application procedures for each funding category will be distinct.
	164.8(1) Applications in the site-specific improvements category shall be submitted electronically on forms provided on the department’s website. Required information shall include:
	a. 	The applicant’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and a designated contact person.
	b. 	A preliminary project concept statement, including a location map and a sketch plan. The concept must be reasonable from a traffic engineering standpoint and detailed enough to generate project cost estimates.
	c. 	Justification for the proposed construction project. Justification may be based on a location’s crash history, a location’s crash risk, or recommendations from a traffic study.
	d. 	Data showing the anticipated effect of the project on traffic safety. Data shall include crash history based on the department’s current crash analysis software and the anticipated crash reduction as a result of the project.
	e. 	An itemized cost estimate for the project including a list of the sources and amounts of supplementary funds for the project. Safety-related work items and quantities shall be listed separately.
	f. 	A time schedule for the project.
	g. 	The jurisdiction’s official endorsement, where applicable, of the project and written assurance that the improved site will be adequately maintained for a specified period of time.
	164.8(2) Applications in the traffic control devices category shall be submitted electronically on forms provided on the department’s website. Required information shall include:
	a. 	The applicant’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and a designated contact person.
	b. 	A list of the number and types of devices requested, and whether each is for initial placement or a replacement.
	c. 	Justification for the requested devices, including compliance with the applicable warrants in the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices” (MUTCD) as adopted in rule 761—130.1(321).
	d. 	A cost estimate.
	e. 	A time schedule for installation.
	f. 	The jurisdiction’s official endorsement of the traffic control device project and written assurance that the traffic control device will be adequately maintained for a specified period of time.
	164.8(3) Applications in the studies and outreach category shall be submitted electronically on forms provided on the department’s website. Required information shall include:
	a. 	The applicant’s name, mailing address, telephone number and a designated contact person.
	b. 	A description of the proposed subject matter and the goals or expected results of the effort.
	c. 	A cost estimate.
	d. 	A time schedule.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.9(312) Processing the application.
	164.9(1) Submission.
	a. 	The jurisdiction shall submit the complete application electronically to the traffic and safety bureau. An application may be submitted at any time.
	b. 	Complete applications received before August 16 of each year shall be evaluated for funding in the following state fiscal year.
	c. 	An unfunded application may be resubmitted for consideration during a subsequent funding cycle.
	d. 	An application may be withdrawn at any time.
	164.9(2) Approval of projects. Department staff shall prepare, with input from local officials, a proposed program of projects for each funding category and submit the programs to the commission for approval. The criterion for determining funding priorities in each category is the demonstrated relationship of the project to traffic safety.
[ARC 7618B, IAB 3/11/09, effective 4/15/09; ARC 0033C, IAB 3/7/12, effective 4/11/12; ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
761—164.10(312) Project agreement.
	164.10(1) After the commission has approved funding, a project agreement shall be negotiated and executed between the department and the jurisdiction. The agreement shall specify the conditions for project funding, which may include such items as the responsibility for planning, design, right-of-way, contracting, construction, materials inspection, documentation and the criteria for each. The agreement shall also specify the funding level for the eligible work items.
	164.10(2) The department shall reimburse the jurisdiction for actual eligible project costs not to exceed the amounts authorized by the project agreement.
[ARC 4532C, IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 312.2(11).
[Filed emergency 9/22/88 after Notice 8/10/88—published 10/19/88, effective 9/30/88]
[Filed 1/15/92, Notice 12/11/91—published 2/5/92, effective 3/11/92]
[Filed emergency 11/17/98—published 12/16/98, effective 11/19/98]
[Filed 10/10/02, Notice 8/7/02—published 10/30/02, effective 12/4/02]
[Filed ARC 7618B (Notice ARC 7482B, IAB 1/14/09), IAB 3/11/09, effective 4/15/09]
[Filed ARC 0033C (Notice ARC 9968B, IAB 1/11/12), IAB 3/7/12, effective 4/11/12]
[Filed ARC 4532C (Notice ARC 4385C, IAB 4/10/19), IAB 7/3/19, effective 8/7/19]