Roadside Chat – It's the time. It's the place. Deer are in motion.
November 8, 2024
Deer have given significant meaning to today’s date – November 8. What may seem like an average autumn day is statistically Iowa’s most dangerous traffic safety day for drivers and wildlife. When the month of November collides with the eighth day, Iowa DOT crash data shows that it ranks as the No. 1 date for animal crashes in our state over the past decade. Equally important to know, the top 10 dates of animal crashes occur within the first half of the month.
Roadside Chat – Dear Iowa, eyes up, phone down. – Your deer
November 1, 2024
If deer dispensed driving advice right now, they’d warn us that they’re distracted, unpredictable, and pursuing (or being pursued) because of the annual rut. They’d also scold us that we’re too often distracted behind the wheel and not working to avoid them on our travels. Most importantly, they’d tell us to put our biggest distraction – phones – down and get our gaze back on the road.
Personnel updates for Oct. 11 to Oct. 24, 2024
October 31, 2024
Roadside Chat – Tailgating can cause a real monster mash
October 25, 2024
The same adrenalin pump and communal spirit that brings us together to kick up our heels can contribute to the aggressive driving behavior of tailgating. According to AAA, too much togetherness on the road, whether an interstate convoy or rushing little goblins across town on Beggar’s Night, is unsafe and could cause a monster crash.
Roadside Chat – Do you even wear your seat belt bro?
October 18, 2024
Personnel updates for Sept. 27 to Oct. 10, 2024
October 17, 2024
Fall into Winter: How Iowa’s Standing Corn Snow Fence Program Keeps Roads Safer
October 15, 2024
With our days filled with football, apple orchards, warm sunny afternoons followed by chilly nights, and everything pumpkin spice it’s hard to believe that today, October 15, marks the first day of the winter season at the Iowa DOT. We are busy working to make sure we are using this time to prepare for the change from falling leaves to falling snow.
One of the ways we work to keep your drive safer during the winter is through our Standing Corn Snow Fence Program. Around since the 1980s, this program plays a crucial role in keeping snow off the roads, making travel safer for everyone in Iowa.
Here’s how it works: We team up with farmers whose fields are along highways in open, flat areas. Farmers leave corn standing in their fields over the winter, and those rows of corn act like natural snow fences. They help slow down or even stop snow from drifting across the roads. We’ve even had success using round bales as snow fences too!
In return for their help, we pay farmers $5.65 per bushel for leaving anywhere from six to 24 rows of corn standing. This is typically about $2 more than the statewide average price of corn on August 1. For round bales, we pay $1 per linear foot, and the landowners agree to leave the bales in place throughout the winter.
Craig Bargfrede, who oversees our winter operations, put it this way: “Studies show that plowing snow costs 100 times more than trapping it with a snow fence, so these partnerships really pay off.”
While the program is mutually beneficial by saving the DOT money in plowing costs and providing farmers compensation for their participation, the program goes well beyond the financial benefits. By working together Iowa DOT staff and local landowners build strong partnerships. Landowners are familiar with how snow moves across their land and the DOT is familiar with areas of road that suffer from blowing and drifting problems. Together they can identify the best spots for standing corn or round bales to help keep everyone traveling through that area safe. We’ve also worked together to learn which corn hybrids work best for standing up to the winter. Setting up a successful snow fence takes a little planning between our team and the farmers. That’s why we start conversations early—before planting season begins.
We also work with farmers to install permanent or temporary snow fences made from trees, bushes, or other plants in some areas.
Once the corn has done its job through the winter, farmers can decide how to handle it. Sure, there’s a bit of extra work in the spring, but many farmers in the program see the long-term benefits of safer roads all winter. Some have even teamed up to harvest all the snow fence rows together, sharing equipment or donating the corn to local organizations, which turns into a great fundraising opportunity.
While the primary benefit of the Standing Corn Fence Program is keeping roads open and improving access between farms, towns, and essential services, keeping corn standing over the winter can:
- Provide habitat for wildlife.
- Increase soil moisture in the end rows.
- Help control soil erosion.
We are actively looking for more volunteers to participate in our Standing Corn Snow Fence Program. If you think your property could benefit from participating in the program, reach out to your local Iowa DOT maintenance garage. You can find the contact info online at https://iowadot.gov/districts/district-contacts. We’d love to work with you to help keep Iowa’s roads safer this winter!
Roadside Chat – Texting and driving? Weird flex, not cool!
October 11, 2024
Roadside Chat – Broke down? Walk amuck, you could get struck.
October 4, 2024
No matter how good of a shape you keep your car in, at some point, you may find yourself stranded along the side of the road with a flat tire, engine troubles, no gas, or a myriad of other issues. If you are ever in that situation the best course of action may seem counterintuitive, but it’s to stay in your car.