Iowa DOT increases public access and eliminates subscription fees
Posted on: November 22, 2010
AMES, Iowa – Nov. 22, 2010 – In an effort to increase access to public documents, eliminate subscription fees and make resources more user-friendly, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing that it is now making all weekly construction bid letting reports and tabulations of highway bids available online at no cost to the public. Find the reports at http://www.iowadot.gov/contracts/lettings.html.
The decision to go paperless and offer the products online is considered a win for taxpayers, the businesses that rely on the information and the State of Iowa. The decision has many advantages:
- Going paperless eliminates printing, processing, envelope, and postage costs, saving taxpayers nearly $30,000 annually.
- Suppliers, contractors, consultants, disadvantaged businesses, local governmental agencies, and others can subscribe to an E-mail distribution list and receive notifications when updated letting information is posted to the Web site. This will allow businesses and agencies to access the information as soon as it becomes available, versus having to wait for it to arrive in the mail.
- Subscription fees are being eliminated, which means a direct savings for Iowa businesses and local governmental agencies. Previously, the Iowa DOT’s Weekly Letting Report and tabulations of highway bids for all types of work or tabulations for specific categories of work (i.e., structures, paving, grading, miscellaneous, maintenance work and bridge painting) were available only by subscription and annual fees ranged from $10 to $100. Paper subscriptions will be discontinued Dec. 31, 2010, at the end of the current subscription period.
- Going green will result in a major reduction in printing, saving substantial paper and ink. Now, customers can view or print the specific information they need for making business decisions.
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Media contact: Contracts Engineer Roger Bierbaum, 515-239-1414 or [email protected]