CHAPTER 164
TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
761—164.1(312) Definitions.
“Jurisdiction” means the department, or the county or city having responsibility for and control over a road or street.
“Traffic safety fund” means the fund created for traffic safety improvement projects pursuant to Iowa Code section 312.2.
761—164.2(312) Information and forms. Information, instructions and application forms may be obtained from the Office of Traffic and Safety, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010; telephone (515)239-1557.
761—164.3(312) Program administration.
	164.3(1) Purpose. The traffic safety fund provides supplemental 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 fund as a statewide program and will encourage local participation in the review and evaluation of applications for funding.
	164.3(3) Funding.
	a. 	The commission shall review all applications and be responsible to program selected projects, subject to the availability of funds. The commission may fund all or part of a project and may make funding 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. Unexpended funds shall be retained for subsequent programming cycles.
	c. 	The maximum traffic safety funding for a site-specific project shall generally not exceed $500,000. Total funding allotted for the traffic control device materials category shall not exceed $500,000 annually. Total funding allotted for all research, studies and public information initiatives shall not exceed $500,000 annually. All project costs exceeding the commitment of traffic safety funds shall be the responsibility of the applicant.
761—164.4(312) Applicant eligibility. The department, a county or an incorporated city in the state of Iowa is eligible to apply for traffic safety funds. Joint applications are encouraged when applicable, but the applicants shall designate one jurisdiction as the principal contact.
761—164.5(312) Project eligibility.
	164.5(1) Types of projects. Eligible applications shall address needs in one of three categories: construction or improvement of traffic operations at a specific site; purchase of materials for initial installation or replacement of obsolete traffic control signs; or transportation safety research, studies or public safety information initiatives.
	164.5(2) Public roads. Only applications involving a primary road, secondary road, or city street presently open to public use shall be considered. A project for a private purpose or road is not eligible.
761—164.6(312) Eligible project costs.
	164.6(1) Site-specific improvements. The costs of construction or improvements eligible for traffic safety fund reimbursement include, but are not limited to, the following:
	a. 	Road modernization, upgrading or reconstruction.
	b. 	Bridge and culvert modernization, replacement or removal.
	c. 	Road intersection and interchange improvement including channelization, traffic control devices or lighting.
	d. 	Right-of-way required for a traffic safety project.
	e. 	Drainage and erosion measures which are an integral part of the project.
	f. 	Traffic control devices required by the project.
	g. 	Guardrail.
	h. 	Tree removal.
	i. 	Other construction activities directly related to or required by the safety project.
	164.6(2) Traffic control devices. The cost of materials purchased for initial installation of traffic control devices or replacement of obsolete traffic control devices to comply with the applicable warrants in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) adopted in rule 761—130.1(321), Iowa Administrative Code, shall be eligible for funding.
	164.6(3) Research, studies and public information initiatives. Funding shall be available for research, studies or public information initiatives related to traffic operations safety.
	a. 	Research shall address statewide traffic safety concerns.
	b. 	A study shall address remedies for traffic operations safety at a specific location. Study funds may be used to supplement federal Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) funding.
	c. 	A public information initiative shall emphasize traffic safety techniques or policies, and should be of statewide interest. An initiative of local scope may also be considered.
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 funding as a portion of a site-specific improvement include, but are not limited to:
	a. 	Routine maintenance of a road, street, bridge, culvert or traffic control device.
	b. 	Safety-related activities associated with projects initiated for purposes other than traffic safety.
	c. 	Contract administration costs.
	d. 	Design and construction engineering and inspection.
	e. 	Utility construction, reconstruction or adjustment, except as an integral part of a project.
	f. 	Sidewalks, bicycle paths, or railroad-highway crossings, except as an integral part of a project.
	g. 	Maintenance or energy costs for traffic control devices or lighting.
	h. 	Expenditures for items not related to the roadway.
	164.7(3) Activities and costs not eligible for traffic safety funding as a part of an application for traffic control device materials include, but may not be limited to:
	a. 	Maintenance or energy costs for traffic control devices or lighting.
	b. 	Installation costs.
761—164.8(312) Applications. Application procedures for each funding category will be distinct.
	164.8(1) An application by a city or county for funding site-specific construction must be submitted on a departmental form specifically used for the traffic safety fund. Comparable information will be provided by the department for state-initiated projects. Required information shall include:
	a. 	The applicant’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and a designated contact person for the project.
	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. 	The justification for the proposed construction project. Justification may be based on a location’s inclusion in the department’s list of high accident locations, a TEAP-type study recommendation or a similar study generating a positive benefit/cost analysis for the proposed improvement.
	d. 	Data showing the anticipated effect of the project on traffic safety. Data shall include accident history from the department’s Accident Location Analysis System (ALAS) and the anticipated accident reduction, both in number and type, expected 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.
	f. 	A time schedule for the project.
	g. 	The jurisdiction’s official endorsement of the project and written assurance that the improved site will be adequately maintained.
	164.8(2) An application for funding to pay the cost of materials for traffic control device installation shall be submitted in writing and 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. 	An inventory or similar documentation providing justification for the requested device.
	d. 	A cost estimate and time schedule for installation after delivery.
	e. 	The jurisdiction’s official endorsement of the traffic control device project and written assurance that the traffic control device will be adequately maintained.
	164.8(3) Research, a study or a public information initiative shall be proposed in writing and 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.
761—164.9(312) Processing the application.
	164.9(1) Submission.
	a. 	The jurisdiction shall submit an original and three copies of the complete application to the office of traffic and safety. An application may be submitted at any time and shall be dated when received by the office of traffic and safety.
	b. 	All complete applications received before August 15 of each year shall be evaluated for funding.
	c. 	If an application is incomplete, the department shall return the application to the applicant to be resubmitted when complete. A resubmitted application shall be dated when received by the office of traffic and safety.
	d. 	An unfunded application may be resubmitted for consideration during a subsequent funding period.
	e. 	An application may be withdrawn at any time.
	164.9(2) Approval of projects. Department staff shall prepare, with input from city and county 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.
761—164.10(312) Project agreement.
	164.10(1) After the commission has approved funding for a county or city project, a project agreement shall be negotiated and executed between the department and the local 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 county or city for actual eligible project costs not to exceed the amounts authorized by the project agreement.
	164.10(3) Rescinded IAB 10/30/02, effective 12/4/02.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 312.2.
[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]