Remember the prolonged struggle between Wapello and the Iowa DOT, and Mediapolis and the Iowa DOT, where the communities are fighting tooth and nail to get multiple exits on a four-lane US 61 and the DOT is having none of it? That has been kicked up a notch.
The state representative for both those towns filed a bill (HF2260) to compel the DOT to
provide access or interchanges to the municipality consistent with access or interchanges to other municipalities along the same route, allow for sufficient emergency medical services access to the municipality, and preserve or maintain rural road crossings where possible.
The “explanation” is the bill’s language repeated almost verbatim. The language directly reflects Mediapolis’ argument four years ago that one interchange without access at either end of the bypass would impede emergency services. “[C]onsistent … to other municipalities” is an attempt to override the DOT’s mid-2010s change in philosophy toward such bypasses.
In this case, at least, it can’t be said that a legislator isn’t acting in response to the wishes of their constituents. However, the bill would have to get out of committee this week for future consideration.