BOISE - The Idaho Transportation
Department will open a month-long public comment period Sunday (Sept. 20) to
collect input on its FY2010-13 draft of the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP).
The comment period will extend through
Oct. 21.
The document can be accessed online at itd.idaho.gov/planning/stip/index.htm,
explains Sonna Lynn Fernandez, intermodal planning manager. Copies also
are available on a CD by contacting Mark McNeese, senior transportation
planner at P.O. Box 7129, Boise, 83707-1129, or request a copy by e-mail at TPSTIP@itd.idaho.gov. Citizens can review a printed copy at any of ITD's district
offices in Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, Boise, Shoshone, Pocatello and Rigby.
All comments on the STIP draft will be
reviewed in late October. The Idaho Transportation Board is expected to vote on
the planning document in November.
The STIP is a four-year roadmap for
planning transportation projects, including:
The draft describes more than $1
billion in Idaho projects planned for construction through the year 2013 and
the GARVEE Transportation Program, a construction program that relies on bonds
to expedite projects in six key Idaho corridors.
The STIP lists projects by highway
route and location that are planned for each of the department's six
administrative districts. It identifies projected years for right-of-way
acquisition, preliminary engineering and construction, as well as estimated
project costs. The document lists construction projects on the state highway
system and local projects funded with federal aid.
The
STIP is not just a document, but a fully integrated process for
transportation planning and transportation project selection, according to ITD.
The STIP is updated annually and follows a year-long planning cycle to ensure
that projects are identified, selected and prioritized.
Production
of the STIP is year-round and relies on extensive public involvement
and input from transportation stakeholders, including citizens, elected
officials, Tribal governments, other state and federal agencies, each of Idaho's
six metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), the Local Highway Technical
Assistance Council (LHTAC) and other interested organizations.
Input
helps the Idaho Transportation Board prioritize projects and identify new
improvements to meet the needs of Idaho travelers.
Once approved by the transportation
board, the STIP is submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal
Transit Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The multi-year and multi-modal program identifies the transportation projects that have been selected through an inclusive and ongoing public involvement process.