Transit systems in Atlantic and Burlington have been honored by the Iowa Department of Transportation for their accomplishments during the 2011 fiscal year. In Atlantic, the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA), also known as Region 13, provides demand-response and subscription services in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. SWITA, based in Atlantic, received the award for “Most Improved Regional Transit System of the Year.” 

Steve Andersen - SWITA Transportation Director (Photo from swipco.org)

 SWITA, headed by Transit Director Steve Anderson, posted a 14.26 percent gain in ridership. This helped reduce the cost per ride by 5.63 percent during fiscal year 2011. Anderson explained that ridership increased due to expanded transit usage in sheltered workshop programs, service to and from Cass County Memorial Hospital during a remodeling project, and service to and from the Glenwood Resource Center. This is the third time SWITA has received the award. The last time was in 2009. 

In Burlington, the Burlington Urban Service (B.U.S.), owned and operated by the city of Burlington, received the award for “Most Improved Urban Transit System of the Year.” It was the third time Burlington has received the award, the first time being in 2009. 

The awards were presented in Waterloo during the annual awards banquet, cosponsored by the Iowa Public Transit Association and Iowa DOT.Each year at the Iowa Public Transit Association Conference and Annual Meeting, the Iowa DOT recognizes one regional transit system and one urban transit system for the highest percentage increase in ridership, coupled with a decrease in cost per ride.

The Iowa Department of Transportation says beginning July 1st, motorists in Iowa who are ticketed and convicted of a violation of Iowa’s “move over” law will face increased penalties. House File 2228, signed into law by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad April 12th, 2012, takes effect Sunday, July 1st. It includes a provision requiring mandatory suspension of a person’s driver’s license/operating privileges if convicted of a violation of the move over law that results in property damage, injury or death.  Iowa’s move over law, originally enacted in 2009, prescribes the rules of the road when it comes to driving on an Iowa roadway where there is a stationary, authorized emergency, tow or maintenance vehicle displaying flashing yellow, amber, white, red, or red and blue lights.

The DOT say by following a couple of simple rules, you can help save lives, avoid receiving a traffic ticket and prevent the potential loss of your driver’s license. Iowa law requires motorists to:

1. Change lanes or slow down when approaching a stationary emergency, tow or maintenance vehicle that has its flashing lights activated.
2. Yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights or giving an audible signal by moving over to the right, stopping and waiting until the vehicle has passed before proceeding.

The scheduled fine for a conviction for violating thos Iowa Codes is $100, plus any surcharge and court costs. Upon receiving a record of a person’s conviction for a violation of the move over law that resulted in a crash causing damage to the property of another person or bodily injury to or death of another person, the Iowa Department of Transportation will suspend the person’s driver’s license/operating privileges, upon 30 days’ notice and without preliminary hearing, as follows.

• For a violation causing damage to the property of another person, but not resulting in bodily injury or death of to another person, the Iowa DOT shall suspend the violator’s driver’s license or operating privileges for 90 days.
• For a violation causing bodily injury to another person, the Iowa DOT shall suspend the violator’s driver’s license or operating privileges for 180 days.
• For a violation causing death, the Iowa DOT shall suspend the violator’s driver’s license or operating privileges for one year.

A person convicted of a violation that resulted in a crash causing bodily injury to or the death of another person may be subject to an additional fine, beyond the scheduled fine for a violation of the move over law and any other penalties allowed by law. The additional fine is $500 for a violation causing bodily injury to another person and $1,000 for a violation causing death.   

The laws are designed to protect motorists, persons being transported in emergency vehicles and personnel at high risk while performing their duties on Iowa’s roadways. A good rule of the road is to change lanes or slow down anytime you are approaching a vehicle that is slow moving, stopped or stranded on the shoulder, if you can safely do so. For more information, log on to:http://www.iowadot.gov/rules/rulesoftheroad.htm

Iowa Republican Governor Terry Branstad will make a couple of stops in the southwest part of the State this week. Branstad is scheduled to be in Lenox at 4-p.m. Tuesday, for a tour of Michael’s Foods, Inc., and on Wednesday, he’s scheduled to attend the Governor’s Volunteer Awards Ceremony at the Western Historic Trails Center (3434 Richard Downing Ave.) in Council Bluffs, beginning at 3-p.m.

Details about the Council Bluffs events are available at www.volunteeriowa.org/awards.

Two people were killed, another was injured during a fiery crash between an SUV and a semi Sunday afternoon, in Shelby County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 1998 GMC Envoy driven by 63-year old John Veral Smith, of Portsmouth, was pulling a boat on a trailer west along Highway 44 at around 4:35-p.m., one-mile east of Portsmouth, at the same time a 2011 International semi driven by 64-year old Dennis Johnson, of Luverne, MN, was traveling east.

The SUV crossed the center line of the road and into the eastbound lane as it was rounding a curve. Johnson saw the SUV approaching and tried to avoid the collision by braking and steering toward the south ditch, but the semi and SUV collided head-on. Both vehicles were then engulfed by fire. Both drivers, and a passenger in the GMC, 68-year old Mary Louise Smith, of Portsmouth, were transported by Medivac Ambulance to Myrtue Hospital in Harlan, where the drivers of the vehicles where pronounced dead. The Patrol says all three of the crash victims were wearing their seatbelts.

The crash resulted in a stretch of Highway 44 from Highway 191 to Shelby County Road M-16, being closed for more than five-hours Sunday, while the accident was investigated, and the wreckage cleared from the scene.