Iowa: La Porte Road Revitalization Project

Revitalizing a Route in Waterloo

Challenge: La Porte Road has been described as the “southern gateway” to the city of Waterloo, Iowa. But what greets people upon entry is anything but welcoming. The 2.7 mile corridor is plagued by congestion. Aging power poles line the streets and sidewalks are non-existent. Side roads create challenging on/off access and cars inch along at 11 miles per hour (mph). Over a five-year period, there were 133 crashes. 

Solution: With help from the bipartisan infrastructure law, La Porte Road is being transformed from an outworn, “auto-centric,” commercial street into a multimodal corridor that meets modern design standards for safety and performance. The project calls for eliminating obstructive poles, reallocating rights-of-way to provide separated bike and pedestrian paths, and adding more turn lanes in select locations. ADA-accessible transit stops are being added, along with lighting, trees and native plants. Once complete, the project will increase speeds for drivers to between 25 mph. City leaders see the project as a foundational step toward establishing a local recreational/tourism corridor that diversifies the economy. 

What they’re saying: “Right now, La Porte Road looks like a 1960’s road…and as we’ve seen with the University Avenue project and how we transformed it – you see what [La Porte Road] could look like.” – Jamie Knutson, City Engineer, Waterloo (News 7 KWWL, 03/04/2024)