Board to consider appointments during business meeting

The Idaho Transportation Board will be asked to approve two advisory council appointments when it assembles in Boise next week for its monthly meeting.

JoAnn Wolters is recommended to fill the vacant Public Transportation Advisory Council (PTAC) appointment in District 6. The Salmon resident has experience in air and public transportation and served with the Community Transportation Association of Idaho, the Lemhi County Alternate Mobility Team and a local chamber of commerce.

Transportation board members also will consider appointments to the Trucking Advisory Council, which has two terms expiring at the end of December. Tony Black and John Pocock are recommended to continue serving on the council until Dec. 31, 2015, representing districts 3 and 6, respectively.

The council was established to advise the board on issues related to the trucking industry, such as safety, mobility and freight transportation policies. The TAC also will meet with the board to report on its activities.

Other agenda items

Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan
A corridor management plan (CMP) has been developed for the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway.

The 140-mile route extends from the northern rim of the Snake River plain to the towering peaks of the Lost River Range. It starts at the junction of Idaho 75 and U.S. 20, extends east to U.S. 93 and continues northwesterly to the junction of U.S. 93 and Idaho 75. Attractions along the route include the Carey Lake Wildlife Management Area, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, the Lost River Museum in Mackay and the state’s highest peak, Mount Borah.

The corridor management plan creates a shared vision among the people, communities and businesses along the route. The CMP adapts to changing economic conditions and development. Issues addressed in the Peaks to Craters plan include enhancing existing and new development along the route while preserving the intrinsic natural qualities of the corridor. The plan reviews the safety and vehicle-crash record of the scenic byway, accommodates commerce and maintains a safe and efficient level of highway service.

The plan will be presented to the board at the December meeting, but action will not be requested until January, allowing members sufficient time to review it.

Revisions to Administrative Rule on Right-of-Way Encroachments
Since the board approved revisions to IDAPA 39.03.42, Rules Governing Highway Right-of-Way Encroachments, on state rights-of-way in August, ITD staff members identified several potential conflicts.

In relation to new highway construction, such as the extension of Idaho 16 south to U.S. 20/26, there are no provisions for maintenance of the new portion of the highway as a freeway because the rule permits access at locations other than interchanges.

Another concern is that the new rule does not have a process for ITD to designate existing state highways as freeways or expressways to efficiently and safely accommodate anticipated traffic volumes.

To address those issues, ITD staff members request board approval to revise the rule by changing the definition of “interstate highway” and to add definitions for “freeway” and “expressway.”

Published 12-7-2012