Untitled Document

Review of 2015 accomplishments highlight
Idaho Transportation Board’s Dec. 17 meeting

A review of the department’s 2015 accomplishments will highlight the monthly business meeting of the Idaho Transportation Board Thursday (Dec. 17) at the department’s headquarters’ auditorium.

Annual report on outdoor advertising
The annual report on the outdoor-advertising program will be presented.

Only four new sign applications were received during the 2015 federal fiscal year, which is a slight decrease from recent years. There were no appeals of any sign approvals or denials.

Of the 1,151 outdoor advertising signs along the state’s highways, 326 are in District 3. District 6 has the second-most signs with 252, while District 5 has the fewest, 123 signs.

Staff is working with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on ITD’s expanded responsibilities to include some National Highway System routes not on the department’s system. They are inventorying the new routes, measuring the level of compliance with policy and working with the local jurisdictions to bring the system into FHWA standards.

Freight Advisory Committee report
The Freight Advisory Committee (FAC) was established to provide a framework for collaboration, partnership and communication to move forward the recommendations in the 2012 Idaho Freight Study. The Committee is comprised of 13 diverse private industry stakeholders from throughout the state, representing interests such as rail, highway/trucking, aeronautics, agriculture, and manufacturing. The FAC is to present an annual report to the board on its recommendations, activities, goals, and objectives.

A Statewide Freight Strategic Plan is being developed. Some of the plan’s contents will include a network, safety, and policy analysis; the relationship to Idaho’s economy; and short- and long-term infrastructure improvement plans. The document is expected to be completed in October.

A Freight Summit is scheduled in February in Boise. The main focus will be the development of the Statewide Freight Strategic Plan. Another activity underway is stakeholder outreach, which was established under the Economic Opportunity Team. A minimum of two visits are scheduled monthly and 15 visits have been conducted to date.

GARVEE Transportation Improvement Program
All of the GARVEE bond proceeds have been allocated to the three I-84 interchange construction projects in Boise and Meridian, and the program is entering its close-out phase. However, there are two longer-duration projects that will not be completed before the program is closed in spring.

As part of the reconstruction of the Meridian Interchange, FHWA approved the relocation of the ITD maintenance yard facilities at an estimated cost of $410,000. The other project is to construct a future frontage road as part of the Idaho 16 extension from Idaho 44 to U.S. 20/26 for $356,000.

Staff will be requesting board approval to coordinate with the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho to amend the FY16-20 Transportation Improvement Program to include these two state-funded projects.