Former Iowan To Lead The Federal Highway Administration

Paul Trombino III is President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Highway Administration. In his last public sector role, as director of the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), Trombino was a champion of big data, private sector collaboration and new thinking about infrastructure investment. From road diets and supply chain mapping to autonomous vehicle testing, Trombino helped place Iowa at the forefront of transportation infrastructure in the 21st century.

First Ever Statewide Supply Chain Optimization Study
Iowa is the only state that offers a supply chain model to help in-state businesses and those looking to expand into Iowa the opportunity to optimize their supply chain and reduce costs. The Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa DOT developed a model of the state’s major supply chains. With public and private freight data, the predictive computer model can forecast demand, transportation and inventory capacity, and quantitative performance data. The model will also provide an analysis across a company’s supply chain and pinpoint optimization opportunities.

This advanced model informed Iowa’s plan to build a new logistics park in development in Cedar Rapids. This is the only place in the country that can serve Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Omaha by freight carrier in a one-day round-trip as permitted by federal regulation.

While big data is guiding smart infrastructure investments, Iowa is also leading the charge with driverless vehicle safety research.

“Iowa is the only state that offers a supply chain model to help in-state businesses and those looking to expand into Iowa the opportunity to optimize their supply chain and reduce costs.”

No State Has Gone Further To Advance Autonomous Fleets
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently named the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids I-380 corridor one of 10 automated vehicle proving ground sites in the nation. Unlike other proving grounds, the corridor features weather, road users and roadway landscape varieties. Plus, the National Advanced Driving Simulator—one of the nation’s largest virtual reality simulators—is located at the University of Iowa.

This announcement came after the Iowa DOT partnered with HERE, a digital mapping company owned by Audi, BMW and Daimler, to map the I-380 corridor. The Iowa DOT is now offering this data for free to private companies that would like to test advanced vehicle technologies in the area.

Iowa has smart plans and funding in place to improve the state’s 3,851 miles of rail and the highways, bridges and connections along major U.S. interstates (I-29 / I-80 / I-35). Plus, a unique plan to modernize the upper Mississippi River navigation corridor was presented at the White House earlier this year. It’s the latest progressive move for a state focused on innovation and dedicated to maintaining a competitive edge for Iowa companies. Learn more at iowaeconomicdevelopment.com.