AMES, Iowa – May 11, 2026 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is working across the state this spring and summer to determine how many cars, trucks, and other vehicles are using the state, county, and city roadways. The data gathered allows transportation officials to better predict traffic trends. That lets them plan for improvements that will give Iowans the most value for each dollar spent.
This year's efforts will be concentrated in southeast Iowa. Some employees will be setting up portable video recorders at defined locations. The videos will be used to count and classify vehicles, track which directions vehicles turn at intersections, and gather other necessary data to assist in planning the future of Iowa’s roadway system.
Other employees will be placing and monitoring portable traffic recorders using air-pressure tubes (thin rubber hoses) placed across the roadway. When the recorders are set, they typically record data for one or two days and are checked periodically. Employees responsible for the recorders may be working nights and weekends.
Additional statewide work scheduled for this summer includes installation, upgrading, and maintenance of permanent traffic recorders and weigh-in-motion equipment at continuous count stations.
Other data collection activities include taking inventory on railroad crossing characteristics, such as number of tracks, types of warning devices, and control gates present at crossing locations. This information is then used for rail crossing planning, engineering, and safety improvements.
Watch for Iowa DOT employees and vehicles in southeast Iowa at all hours — this work is critical to the future of the state's transportation system.
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Department of Transportation
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