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GARVEE, public-transit funding and safety accomplishments headline
Idaho Transportation Board tour Sept. 16 in Rigby

Approval of public-transportation project funding and the FY16-20 ITIP, discussion of the GARVEE transportation program and recognition of three counties in eastern Idaho with zero highway fatalities on the roads last year will be the focus of the Idaho Transportation Board’s Sept. 16 meeting in Rigby.

Business Meeting
The board will conduct its business meeting in District 6 Sept. 16. The tour was conducted in May in conjunction with the District 5 tour.

Toward Zero Deaths
Clark, Madison and Teton counties recorded zero highway fatalities in 2014. The board will celebrate this milestone with its partners from the counties and law enforcement, including the sheriffs’ office and Idaho State Police.

This is the third year in a row that Madison County reported zero fatalities and the second year in a row for Teton County. As progress is made toward the goal of zero highway fatalities in the state, it is important to recognize these accomplishments and realize that if one county can complete a year without any fatalities, other counties can, too. In fact, in 2014, there were seven counties in Idaho without any fatalities. The others were Adams, Camas, Caribou and Gem.

Public-transportation funding recommendations
Staff will present public-transportation projects for funding in FY16-18, and request board approval to submit the list to the Federal Transit Administration and include them in the FY16-20 Idaho Transportation Improvement Program.

Funds from various programs are available on a competitive basis, including Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities, Rural Areas, Intercity Feeder Services, Bus and Bus Facilities and the Vehicle Investment Program. The Public Transportation Advisory Council reviewed and concurred with the funding recommendations.

Some of the projects the board will be asked to fund include a bus shelter in Driggs; demand-response vehicles for the Aberdeen Senior Center and the Oneida County Hospital; benches, covered shelters and bike racks for Selkirks-Pend Oreille Transit in northern Idaho; a shuttle vehicle for the University of Idaho; and repairs to Treasure Valley Transit’s facility parking lot.

GARVEE program update
The annual Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle (GARVEE) Program update will be presented to the board. Signed into law in 2005, the bonding authority provided a means to accelerate highway-safety improvements and expand commerce through the state. The largest infrastructure program in Idaho history is coming to a close, with the majority of work expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

All $857.6 million authorized, including $17.6 million in interest earnings, has been bonded. More than 300 engineering, supply and construction contracts were issued for the 59 projects in six corridors. More than 150 consulting firms, contractors and subcontractors were involved in the successful program, with the vast majority of those companies based in Idaho.

Innovations also resulted from this program, including advancing final design and right-of-way ahead of the environmental decision, offering bidding on alternatetypes of pavement, providing no-excuse incentive provisions, pre-purchasing materials to mitigate for long procurement times and consolidating traffic-control contracts for consistency and user safety.