A. Department of Transportation Organization

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is comprised of seven divisions: Highway, Motor Vehicle, Modal, Planning and Programming, Operations and Finance, Information Technology, and Director's Staff.

B. Overview of Department Programs

The Highway Division is the largest program within the DOT. It has a broad range of responsibilities that includes design, construction, maintenance and preservation of more than 10,200 miles of state-owned highways and 4,000 bridges. Funding for these tasks is provided by both state and federal government revenue sources. The Highway Division has six districts with offices in Ames, Mason City, Sioux City, Atlantic, Fairfield and Cedar Rapids. Division staff works with cities and counties on federally funded projects on their roadways and with the sponsors of projects using federal transportation enhancement funds for bicycle/pedestrian trails and historic or scenic preservation projects.

The Motor Vehicle Division is the next largest program, which regulates drivers and vehicles. Its responsibilities include

1) administering programs to test, license and sanction drivers;

2) registering motor carriers for interstate travel;

3) enforcing federal/state laws and regulations governing commercial vehicles and drivers;

4) oversight of the registration/titling processes at County Treasurer offices.

The Modal Division administers programs related to public transit, aviation and rail transportation.

• Public transit responsibilities include providing technical and financial assistance to those urban and regional transit systems organized by local officials under the Iowa Code. The Department administers state funding to all 35 systems, as well as certain federal transit programs that are set up to flow through states. In its role as the primary recipient under these federal programs, the Department becomes responsible for assuring that sub-recipient transit systems comply with various federal requirements. The Iowa Code also makes the Department responsible for working with other state agencies to verify that all passenger transportation supported with public funding is coordinated or consolidated with these public transit systems to assure that maximum benefit is obtained from the public expenditure.

• Aviation tasks include administration of state funding for airport improvements and providing marketing and educational assistance to locally owned airports, fixed base operators and pilots. The Department reviews and comments on local applications for federal financial assistance, but does not administer these funds. It publishes an airport chart and directory for free distribution. Under a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration, safety inventories are conducted at all but the largest airports.
  
• Rail transportation is responsible for monitoring compliance with various provisions of the Iowa Code and for inspecting track. The rail staff also administers state and federal funding to improve rail facilities, including rail/highway crossings.

The Planning and Programming Division assists the Director and the Transportation Commission in developing a long-range plan, and in programming state and federal highway funding. It also works with the metropolitan and regional planning boards that program federal funds available for local highways or other uses.

The Operations and Finance, Information Technology, and Director's Staff divisions provide support functions for the Department.

C. How the Department of Transportation programs relate to the Olmstead Decision and to community living for persons with disabilities

The Department does not provide services of any type that would be involved in the institutionalization of clients, but transportation is a critical factor for citizens seeking to maintain an independent lifestyle within the community. Therefore, the activities of the Department should be part of the assessment of the state's efforts to provide the "real choices" in the Olmstead Decision.

D. Description of existing Department of Transportation services, programs or activities that already support community living

Action that helps support the efforts of persons with disabilities and elderly persons to live in a community setting includes:

Highway
All new or reconstructed roadways are built with ADA compliant curb ramps. This applies to all projects on state-owned facilities as well as to those projects on locally-owned facilities overseen by the Department. Since existing facilities may not need reconstruction for many years, the Department may use part of its state highway funding to assist cities with the cost of retrofitting ADA curb ramps into sidewalks along primary highways. The program pays 55 percent of costs to construct such ramps, with each city eligible to receive up to $250,000/year with a maximum annual statewide expenditure of $1.5 million. Signage/signal standards have been revised for improved visibility to accommodate an aging population. Engineering standards also have been revised to accommodate changed perception and reaction times.

Motor Vehicle
DOT Driver's License stations are ADA accessible and most are equipped with counters for persons with disabilities who are in wheelchairs. Special testing and restricted licenses are available for individuals who are unable to have a full-privilege license but can safely drive under limited conditions. A newly developed program, featuring aging drivers and their physicians, has been developed to help the older driver understand the licensing process and to provide helpful hints for remaining a safe driver. The program is presented by DOT Driver's License staff at a variety of locations and also has information for caregivers on signs that could be indicators of dementia.

Public Transit

• All new fixed-route transit buses must meet ADA accessibility standards. For citizens unable to use fixed routes because of a disability, operators of those fixed routes must offer complimentary paratransit service to/from points within 3/4 mile of the routes.
• Most vehicles purchased by demand-responsive systems have ADA accessibility. Some vehicles have been retrofitted for wheelchair access, which results in 100 percent fixed-route accessibility.
• Private intercity bus companies were given financial and technical assistance to acquire new ADA accessible over-the-road buses. Some existing equipment was retrofitted. Direct financial assistance is available from the federal government for the same purpose.
• Newly built transit facilities are required to meet ADA accessibility standards. Projects have been funded to retrofit existing facilities to ADA standards.
• A new federal program for job access transportation enabled some transit systems to extend business hours or increase the number of days when service is available.

II. Self-Assessment Methodology and Barrier Identification

Methods used:

1) "Transportation Priorities" in the Appendix to the Iowa Plan for Community Development;

2) the U.S. DOT report responding to Executive Order 13217; and

3) the Olmstead reports from other states. Staff participated in a "Regional Dialog on Transit and the ADA," sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, which included representatives of disability groups, public transit systems and state agencies from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Interviews were conducted with staff from other DOT offices and with the Federal Highway Administration - Iowa Division.

Barriers identified:

• Lack of Curb Ramps/Curb Cuts

  The lack of curb ramps is a barrier within the community to the mobility of persons using wheelchairs. People otherwise capable of using accessible fixed-route transit service must depend on more costly paratransit services. The Department installs ADA compliant curb ramps on all new roadways and on roads undergoing reconstruction. A state-funded program assists cities in retrofitting curb ramps along primary highways. Retrofitting for ADA compliance is an eligible activity under most transportation funding programs, and progress is being made to eliminate non-retrofit curb cuts on roadways under state, county and city jurisdiction.

• Inadequate Hours of Transit Service -- Especially in Rural Communities

  The level of public transit service in Iowa is less than major metropolitan areas, with the possible exception of university communities like Ames and Iowa City. In most of Iowa's larger cities, bus service ends at 6 or 7 p.m., with even shorter hours on Saturdays and no Sunday service. Employment options for persons with disabilities in those communities are limited by the lack of public transit. In smaller communities and in rural areas, transit service may only be available a couple of days per week or possibly only a couple days per month.