Since 2007, we have been working with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to design and oversee construction of more than 200 miles of fiber and wireless communications to more than 350 traffic surveillance devices, DOT facilities, and partner agency locations around the state. The Iowa DOT uses this system, known as an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), to connect its Traffic Management Center in Ankeny, Iowa, with these traffic surveillance devices. The devices include cameras, traffic-volume and speed sensors, electronic freeway ramp gates, highway advisory radios, and electronic message boards. These tools allow the Iowa DOT to respond to traffic incidents, weather conditions, and special events in real time, thereby saving lives, time, and money. 

Our team prepared the design, plans, specifications, and estimates and provided construction management and inspection services for numerous ITS improvements in Iowa. Areas that benefitted included Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Ames (including the I-35 corridor from Ames to Des Moines and US-30 from Boone to Nevada), Cedar Rapids, and along I-80 between Newton and Iowa City. Design elements included fiber and wireless communications, power distribution, cabinets, and poles. We also provided construction oversight services, including specific observation of the fiber optic system installation and review of final test results. 

In addition, we recently designed and assisted with integrating a high-speed redundant backbone that routed from Ames to Des Moines to Iowa City to Cedar Rapids using carrier-grade technology. Our team assisted with developing multiple equipment procurement request for proposals (RFP) for cameras, sensors, camera poles, screw-in foundations, device cabinets, and field switches.

We helped develop an RFP for a statewide Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) software package, referred to by the Iowa DOT as SIMS (Statewide ITS Management System). We also developed software-functional requirements to support the RFP process.

Further, our team developed performance specifications for servers, network hardware, and system interoperability, including requirements for innovations such as server visualization. We assisted the Iowa DOT in evaluating the RFP responses, participated in interviews, and provided input in the final selection process, which included a hybrid decision matrix that comprised both qualifications and overall cost.