Renew Iowa (WHO) |
Green energy is now driving a safer way for the state to collect traffic information. And, Iowa is leading the way in using the technology.
You'll see a 20 foot wind turbine on the side of Interstate 35/80 at N.W. Beaver Road near the Merle Hay Road exit. It's harnessing energy from the wind. Iowa Department of Transportation Communications Technician Jarrod Green says, "I'm super excited, Iowa is the first to do this."
Iowa is the first to use a wind turbine to drive a safer way of collecting traffic data. Crews put it up last month for the Iowa Department of Transportation. It powers lasers to collect traffic data. Karen Carroll with the DOT says, "When a vehicle goes by, the tires break that beam and so it classifies the vehicles that way."
Carroll says the DOT needs that information to build safer roads. She says they have 160 sites across the state counting cars. But, those sites use underground loops. Crews have to shut down interstate lanes when they need to do maintenance. She says the $30,000 laser is cheaper and safer because it cuts the expense and danger of working on the road, out of the picture. Carroll says, "And you can't put a cost on human safety."
This is the first location in the country to use the technology at a permanent site. Typically, the state uses the sun, and sometimes electricity, to power their data collection units. But, the new lasers presented a new challenge. Green says, "The lasers, they draw a lot of power, so the sun wasn't enough. The amount of sun we get wasn't enough to power the site. So, what we did was augment the wind turbine."
The turbine and mast cost about $1,700. The DOT bought both from suppliers in the state.
You'll see a 20 foot wind turbine on the side of Interstate 35/80 at N.W. Beaver Road near the Merle Hay Road exit. It's harnessing energy from the wind. Iowa Department of Transportation Communications Technician Jarrod Green says, "I'm super excited, Iowa is the first to do this."
Iowa is the first to use a wind turbine to drive a safer way of collecting traffic data. Crews put it up last month for the Iowa Department of Transportation. It powers lasers to collect traffic data. Karen Carroll with the DOT says, "When a vehicle goes by, the tires break that beam and so it classifies the vehicles that way."
Carroll says the DOT needs that information to build safer roads. She says they have 160 sites across the state counting cars. But, those sites use underground loops. Crews have to shut down interstate lanes when they need to do maintenance. She says the $30,000 laser is cheaper and safer because it cuts the expense and danger of working on the road, out of the picture. Carroll says, "And you can't put a cost on human safety."
This is the first location in the country to use the technology at a permanent site. Typically, the state uses the sun, and sometimes electricity, to power their data collection units. But, the new lasers presented a new challenge. Green says, "The lasers, they draw a lot of power, so the sun wasn't enough. The amount of sun we get wasn't enough to power the site. So, what we did was augment the wind turbine."
The turbine and mast cost about $1,700. The DOT bought both from suppliers in the state.
