The Iowa Supreme Court determines that the Iowa Department of Transportation did not have the authority from the legislature to issue rules regulating the use of automated traffic enforcement (ATE) systems. As such, the Court found that the IDOT’s rules regulating where cities could place ATE systems was invalid and unenforceable.
The cities of Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Mustatine (the cities) brought suit following the IDOT’s efforts to limit and regulate the cities’ ATE systems placement. The IDOT ordered the cities to remove some of their ATE systems. The cities argued that this order (1) infringed on the Cities’ home rule authority; (2) the IDOT lacked statutory authority for these rules; (3) the IDOT did not follow proper rulemaking procedures; and (4) the IDOT’s directives to remove certain ATE systems were arbitrary and capricious.
The Court held that the IDOT’s statutory authority did not grant it the ability to create rules and regulations dictating the placement and continued use of ATE systems. As such, the Court held that the IDOT did not have the authority to order the cities to remove these ATE systems.
City of Des Moines, Iowa, City of Muscatine, Iowa, and City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, v. Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Transportation Commission, No. 17-0686, (Iowa April 27, 2018).