Statewide Iowa — Iowa’s record 2021 corn harvest led to a significant increase in traffic on the rail lines that run through Iowa.
That’s Iowa DOT director Scott Marler, who says railroad traffic nationwide increased seven percent in 2021, but has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Marler says the volume of cars and trucks on Iowa streets and highways dropped over 40 percent at the beginning of the pandemic.
Marler says that’s likely because of the high volume of trucks carrying freight on Iowa highways and interstates. Passenger traffic at Iowa airports that offer commercial flights dropped significantly during the first year of the pandemic and Marler says it’s bouncing back.
Marler made his comments during a briefing for the Iowa House Transportation Committee.
