The 2013 TRI-P—A Triathlon with a Twist!

• Leg #1—2-person canoe race from Valley Canoe Launch to Gilbertson Park
• Leg #2—Bike race/ride from Gilbertson Park to 245th Street (Pleasant Valley Sports Club)
• Leg #3—9 hole 2-person best shot golf round
• Entry Fee—$100 / per team
• Must be 18 or older to participate
• Participants must provide their own equipment—canoe, bike, and golf clubs. Rentals are available locally for an additional fee. Please visit www.turkeyrivercorridor.com for a complete listing.
• Registration is online at www.turkeyrivercorridor.com or in person at Pleasant Valley Sports Club. Registration deadline is June 21, 2013. Late registration fee is $125 after that date.
• All canoes must have proper Iowa registration and life jackets will be required for all participants.
• Bike helmets are required during the bike race/ride.
• Early bird event registration will be available on Friday, June 28th from 7:00—9:00 p.m. at Pleasant Valley Sports Club. Avoid the rush the morning of the event by attending this orientation session the night before. Enjoy snacks and a cash bar and meet other triathlon participants!
• Get your team together NOW and have a day of FUN on the Turkey River! Cash payouts, door prizes, & more.

Some of the headlines you can read about:

• News from Lime Springs
• Employee Spotlight, Lori Brockway
• IA Benchmarking Program
• Disaster Funding Available
• Regional Transportation Update

Iowa Public Transit Photography Contest Deadline is June 1st

You have less than three weeks to submit photos documenting the great public transit activity in Iowa! It is a perfect time of year for outdoor photography, so grab the camera and get some pictures of your transit system in action! If you already have good photos on your computer or camera, get them entered!

Information on how to submit your photos is available at http://www.iowadot.gov/transit/2013TransitPhotoContest.pdf.

Whether your photos represent rural or urban transit, mobility management, employee transportation, medical transportation, customer service, facilities, vehicles, bus stops or another transit related category, we want to see and share your transit photography! 

The Iowa Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the release of two new interactive websites for planning travel adventures on Iowa's byways and bicycle trails.

These full-feature sites are ideal for planning trips to explore Iowa's two national scenic byways and nine state scenic and heritage byways along with Iowa's many bicycle trails that crisscross and complement the byways. The byways website is: http://www.iowabyways.org; the bicycle website is:  http://www.iowadot.gov/interactiveiowabikemap.htm.

Iowa byways website and tour guide
Discover your Iowa adventure at the Iowa byways interactive website. It is loaded with information about the byways, including a route description and its history, contact information, and listing of local events, attractions and travel services. The stunning photography will undoubtedly draw visitors to discover Iowa's scenic, natural, historic and cultural resources. The website is updated regularly by local byway organizations. Come see what Iowa's nationally recognized byways have to offer. You can plan, map and share your adventure, save notes or even send an e-postcard.

The Iowa Byways website offers several unique features:

• Customize your search: This is not your ordinary search option. Visitors can search the site by type (event, attraction or travel service); category (arts and culture, dining, events and festivals, historic sites, natural areas, recreation, and shopping); or cost. The search results can be added to the user's trip; saved as a favorite; or shared using social media.
• Plan your trip details: Sign up for free and then create trips by selecting events, attractions and travel services of interest; or add something from your list of favorites. Once you've finished, you can print an itinerary for your trip; share your trip plans via Google Plus™, email or as a tweet; export the information; or save it for later use.
• Share an e-postcard: Choose a postcard photo from one of the byway galleries. Then add a personalized message and email it to a friend or family member.  
• Create your favorites list and make notes: Once you've discovered an interesting attraction or event on the site, save it as a favorite. Then you can add it to a trip, print a list of your favorites, come back to it later or retrieve the information en route using your smartphone.

You can also order a free copy of the Iowa Byways travel guide, or simply print a copy. 

Iowa interactive bicycle map
One of Iowa DOT's most popular publications, the Iowa Transportation Map for Bicyclists, is now online. Explore this interactive map to plan your trip and find bicycle trail routes and amenities, right down to available rest stops and restaurants.
 
Features include trailheads, parking, rest rooms, bicycle shops and other key features.  

• Plan your bike trip ahead of time: Simply enter the starting address and destination address and a suggested route will be generated.
• Discover Iowa's bicycle facilities: This interactive map shows bike lanes, paved trails, unpaved trails, roads with paved shoulders, sidepaths and bicycle-friendly roads.
• Locate bicycle amenities: Features such as trailheads, restrooms, and water fountains along trails of 5 miles or longer.
• Need repairs: Bicycle shops are also shown. 

 
You can also request a free Iowa Transportation Map for Bicyclists.