Board receives report on access management

The Idaho Transportation Board received a high-level overview on access management at its Dec. 14 business meeting in Boise. Good access management enables vehicles to enter various locations while preserving or improving the safety and operation of the highway system.

Between 2005 and 2009, 117 fatal crashes, 7,414 injury crashes and 11,177 propert- damage-only crashes occurred at intersections or driveways on the state highway system, 47 percent of which involved a left turn. Reducing access points reduces the potential for vehicle conflicts, thus reducing the potential for crashes.

A committee has been exploring updates to the department’s access management procedures. The committee is considering ways to streamline the access permitting process; coordinate access management with other safety, mobility and economic opportunity efforts; improve access management in transitional areas; and develop legislation, rules and policies as needed to provide more flexibility.

Other business discussion

Local Rural Highway Investment Program
The Local Highway Technical Advisory Council (LHTAC) provided its annual report on the on its highway investment program.

The council received 107 applications for funds this year, but was able to fund only 32 projects. Eligible projects include construction, signs, transportation plans and federal aid match. LHTAC also sets aside $200,000 for emergency projects. Prioritization of those applications is based on local public entities’ efforts on planning, multi-jurisdictional cooperation, pavement and sign management and development of a five-year Capital Investment Program.

Before and after pictures of the emergency project funded in Idaho County:


The Gooding Highway District also received emergency funds to repair this washed-out road:

Central Valley Expressway Coalition
The Central Valley Expressway Coalition (CVEC) was established in 2010 as a grassroots effort to recognize and elevate the importance of extending Idaho 16 south approximately 6.5 miles to Interstate 84.

The existing highway starts in Emmett and continues south to Idaho 44 west of Boise. Construction to extend the road just over two miles south to connect to U.S. 20/26 is scheduled to start next year, funded through the GARVEE Program.

Members of the CVEC told the board that completing the highway to I-84 will reduce congestion on other major highways in the Treasure Valley, decrease travel times, decrease emissions and increase the quality of life. The economic benefits also were touted. In addition to the construction jobs that building the four-lane, full access-controlled expressway would create, the public-private partnership believes the route would create an employment corridor, particularly for development of high-technology jobs.

Delegates said the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) might be a possible funding mechanism, with revisions to the STARS (Sales Tax Anticipation Revenue) legislation to accommodate the TIFIA proposal. TIFIA basically is a loan from the federal government.

Garnet update
The board received an update on the Garnet project, also known as the Division of Motor Vehicles’ modernization project.

Following are highlights of some of the activities completed or in progress.

  • A kickoff video for the project was created and presented to some of ITD’s partners
  • A number of joint application development sessions were held with dealers on titles and vehicle registrations
  • Data staging efforts continued; and
  • An extensive interface list of applications that needs to work with Garnet was developed.

A scheduling issue was recently identified in the modernization project, but the consultant is working diligently to remedy that and anticipates getting the project back on track.

Published 12-23-2011