Several organizations, counties, and colleges in Iowa will receive millions in funding through the Department of Transportation (DOT) through Senator Chuck Grassley-backed infrastructure law to build safer roads, support public safety and increase opportunities for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) training. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is a bipartisan law that supports several programs, including Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A), High Priority Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV), The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) and more. Grassley says he voted to pass the bill four years ago, as Iowans rely on sound infrastructure to stay connected with loved ones and move Iowa’s world’ class agriculture products and manufactured goods to market.
It’s not just Iowa bridges that are also in focus. Just north of the listening area, $6.8 million was awarded in grants to Clay, Buena Vista and Pocahontas Counties to implement safety upgrades on 26 miles of county roads, and at three intersections and curves that have contributed to either fatalities or serious injuries in car accidents as identified in the counties’ Safety Action Plans. Grassley says other components to the bill that he strongly supported was financial assistance to enhance commercial vehicle safety, support projects to reduce crashes involving large trucks and to strengthen connectivity by increasing high-speed internet services to support education, conduct business and deliver health services in rural Iowa.
Another piece of the bill was to expand access to Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, to build up local economy through job creation by offering additional certification opportunities. Nearby, three community colleges: Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge all been awarded over $70,000 to enhance CDL training programs.
