Bill Text: IA HF493 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the control of traffic on certain highways within certain cities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 374. [HF493 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2025-HF493-Introduced.html

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House File 493 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 493
BY WHEELER
A BILL FOR
An Act relating to the control of traffic on certain highways
within certain cities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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H.F. 493
DIVISION I
REQUIRED PLACEMENT OF TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNALS
Section 1. Section 321.345, Code 2025, is amended to read
as follows:
321.345 Stop or yield at highways —— signal required .
1. The department, based Based on an engineering study,
the department with reference respect to primary highways,
and a local authorities authority with reference respect to
other highways under their the local authority’s jurisdiction ,
may designate through highways and erect stop signs or yield
signs , in accordance with specifications established by the
department at specified entrances to the highway , or may
designate any intersection as a stop intersection or as a yield
intersection and erect like signs at one or more entrances to
such intersection.
2. The department shall erect and maintain one or more
official traffic-control signals at the intersection of United
States highway 18, including where the highway designation
overlaps with black forest road or 320th street in the city of
Hull, and division street in the city of Hull.
DIVISION II
CONSTRUCTION OF OVERPASS OVER RAILWAY TRACKS
Sec. 2. Section 364.8, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2025,
is amended to read as follows:
A city may by ordinance require a railway company operating
railway tracks on or across a city street or nonprimary
highway within the city limits to construct or reconstruct,
and maintain, an overpass or underpass to permit the street to
pass over or under the tracks, and may establish specifications
for the construction or reconstruction of such an overpass or
underpass, subject to the following:
Sec. 3. Section 364.8, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended
to read as follows:
1. The requirement may shall not be enforced until the Iowa
state department of transportation approves the specifications
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for a construction or reconstruction, after examination and a
determination that the overpass or underpass is necessary for
public safety and convenience. The department shall approve
construction of an overpass in Plymouth county on county
highway C44 over the railway tracks located within the city of
Merrill on the east side of the city.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
Under current law, the department of transportation (DOT),
based on an engineering study, with reference to primary
highways, and local authorities with reference to other
highways under their jurisdiction, may designate through
highways and erect stop signs or yield signs in accordance with
specifications established by the DOT at specified entrances
to the highway, or may designate any intersection as a stop
intersection or as a yield intersection and erect like signs at
one or more entrances to such intersection.
This bill requires the DOT to erect and maintain an official
traffic-control signal at the intersection of United States
highway 18, including where the highway designation overlaps
with black forest road or 320th street in the city of Hull, and
division street in the city of Hull.
Under current law, a city may require by ordinance a railway
company operating railway tracks on or across a city street
to construct or reconstruct, and maintain, an overpass or
underpass to permit the street to pass over or under the
tracks, and may establish specifications for the construction
or reconstruction of such an overpass or underpass, subject to
certain restrictions required under Code section 364.8. The
restrictions include that the construction requirement may
not be enforced until the DOT approves the specifications for
construction and determines that the overpass or underpass is
necessary for public safety and convenience; at least 20 days’
notice is provided to the involved railway companies; the same
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H.F. 493
railway company cannot be required to construct overpasses
or underpasses closer than on every fourth parallel street,
or more than one overpass or underpass each year, or require
approaches longer than 800 feet for a single overpass or
underpass; a city must provide for the appraisal and assessment
of damages to private property and pay the assessed damages;
and a city must pay half of the required maintenance costs and
may divide the remaining costs between the railway companies
whose tracks are crossed by the overpass or underpass. A
city is authorized to enforce the construction of an overpass
or underpass, if approved, through an action in mandamus, as
provided in Code section 327C.16 for actions brought by the
DOT. If the city wins the mandamus action, it can have the
required construction, reconstruction, or maintenance work
completed and obtain judgment for the cost of the work against
the railway companies.
The bill authorizes a city to require by ordinance a railway
company operating railway tracks on or across a nonprimary
highway within the city limits to construct an overpass or
underpass, subject to the same restrictions applicable to an
ordinance requiring construction of an overpass or underpass
on a city street. The bill requires the DOT to approve
construction of an overpass in Plymouth county on county
highway C44 over the railway tracks located within the city of
Merrill on the east side of the city.
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