Iowa receives $400,000 for rail planning
AMES, Iowa – Oct. 29, 2010 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) received word that the state will receive $400,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to support development of a rail component to the Iowa Travel Analysis Model (iTRAM), a tool currently used to forecast state travel capacity needs and alternatives for highway corridors.
Iowa DOT Director Nancy Richardson said, “iTRAM funding will play a vital role in development of an integrated, statewide freight and passenger rail system plan. The feasibility of future expansion of passenger rail service in the state is contingent, in part, on reliable forecasted travel demand data for the corridors being studied.”
The total cost of the iTRAM rail component is $500,000; $100,000 in state matching funds will be used to leverage the $400,000 in FRA funding.
The FRA received 54 applications requesting more than $2.5 billion for grants, of which $50 million was available for planning projects under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program.
For additional information about Iowa’s rail program, visit the Iowa DOT’s Web site www.iowadot.gov/iowarail.
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For more information, contact: Tamara Nicholson, 515-239-1052 or [email protected]