Sustainability and Resiliency Working Groups at the Iowa DOT

Meet the Groups involved

First Annual Visioning Workshop in West Des Moines

Sustainability Working Group

Sustainability is a concept that allows decision-makers to make balanced decisions while considering the economic, social, and environmental effects of the agency’s actions. The Sustainability Working Group aims to provide agency-wide guidance in developing and implementing best practices through the creation of focus areas and agency-wide goals.

1. What they do

The committee serves as the sustainability governance body within the department and acts as a resource for new sustainability programs.

2. Being adaptable

This ongoing support will help ensure that the Iowa DOT considers or adopts new sustainability practices as appropriate that best serve those using the transportation system.

3. how it's done

The group will accomplish this through the creation of focus areas with metrics that can be utilized to gauge the department’s performance, research of potential opportunities to reduce the department’s environmental impact or carbon footprint, and the unification of the Iowa DOT behind these initiatives.

Resiliency Working Group

The Resiliency Working Group provides guidance, support, and coordination of resiliency efforts within the Iowa DOT.

1. Being Responsible

Resiliency includes proactive efforts to increase the system resiliency and response efforts to get the system functioning quickly and safely after a disruption.

2. Taking Action

The group plans to accomplish this through looking at existing efforts for consistency and redundancy, meshing together programs as appropriate, developing standard operating procedures, and strategically planning for future events.

3. main focus

The mission of the Resiliency Working Group is to properly prepare for and reduce the impact of future disruptions to Iowa’s transportation system.

You and the Iowa DOT

Iowa’s transportation system is owned by our customers (You). The Iowa DOT serves as the steward of your resources. While resiliency and sustainability activities have been occurring for some time, the focus on them and enhancement of them has increased significantly in recent years.

Building Blocks

Resiliency and sustainability are building blocks of stewardship. As stewards, we have the responsibility not only to meet our customer’s expectations to ensure that the system is available and in good condition, but that it will continue to be so in the future, despite pressures from fiscal constraints and increasing natural disasters

1+1 = Stewardship

Incorporating resiliency and sustainability principles into the decision-making process and project development will further support the Iowa DOT’s commitment to stewardship of Iowa’s transportation system.

Why it's important

Being good stewards ensures that the system Iowa needs is maintained in a condition that enables safe, efficient passenger and freight movements.

Sustainability & Resiliency