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Idaho Transportation
Department
Office of Communications
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
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2-22-08

Transportation funding

Tough economy not good reason for procrastinating
 There’s been lots of talk lately about our cooling economy and its impact on the state budget. Some legislators are even talking about delaying a serious investment in addressing our mounting backlog of highway work. “Too expensive,” they say. “Better wait ‘til times get better.”
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Greenhouse Gas reduction
Group completes action plan, forwards to DEQ
ITD employees commuting to and from work contribute an estimated 3,468 tons of carbon dioxide to the earth’s atmosphere annually, according to a greenhouse gas report submitted to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The 2008-09 Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Action Plan was created in response to an executive order issued by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter last May.
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Alternative work schedule could cut emissions
ITD may consider expanding options for alternative commuting times and work schedules as part of its Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Action Plan – as long as altered schedules do not negatively impact the department’s commitment to customer service.
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Winter
Marooned motorists find shelter amidst a storm
No one expected the 700 to 800 motorists stranded last weekend in Swan Valley to be happy campers! Blowing and drifting snow closed U.S. 26 between Swan Valley and Ririe just after lunch on Thursday, Feb. 7, and the severe conditions persisted for two days. Traffic backed up more than a mile – both on U.S. 26 and on Idaho 31, which intersects U.S. 26 in Swan Valley – unable to proceed until Saturday afternoon.
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Open and shut case: Crews battled to keep highways clear
If you think it’s been difficult to travel from point A to point B during the relentless waves of winter early this month, there’s good reason. All six of ITD’s districts reported at least one closure and one highway in District 6 was closed nine times.
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Survey says...
Drivers provide input about I-84 conditions
Responses to a telephone survey conducted Jan. 17-20 by Elway Research, Inc. will serve as a benchmark by which ITD and motorists will judge the outcome of a $113 million improvement and expansion project for the heavily traveled 6.2-mile Interstate 84 corridor from Garrity (Nampa) to Meridian interchanges.
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Employees
HRS urges employees to ensure beneficiaries are up to date
Life changes. Have you kept up? Changes could affect beneficiaries of the life insurance and supplemental life insurance policies offered as part of ITD employment, supplemental life insurance through the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) and survivor benefits through the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI).
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Highway Safety
Mobilizations scheduled to curb impaired driving
Drivers, be forewarned: more highway safety mobilizations targeting impaired drivers are planned for 2008. Law enforcement agencies throughout Idaho will participate in impaired driving mobilizations March 12-19 (St. Patrick’s Day), July 2-7 (Independence Day), Aug. 20 – Sept. 3 (Labor Day) and Dec. 19 – Jan. 2, 2009 (Christmas and New Year’s Day).
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Legislature
Bell won't be tolling on Idaho highways this year
 Idaho already has the authority to set up state toll roads, thanks to a long-unused state law - and some lawmakers want to expand that to local highway districts, as a new way to fund urgent local road and bridge improvements.But while praising Sen. Tim Corder for innovative thinking, the Senate Transportation Committee killed the bill, SB 1360.
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ITD Mailbox
• 'Team player' facilitates FHWA agreement
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Published previously

Winter ... It's snow picnic
Crews labor overtime to keep highways open
 Winter returned to Idaho in December and it’s been vastly different than the conditions motorists grew accustomed to the past few years. The first snowfall in northern and eastern Idaho did not provide a hint of what was to come. December gave way to January and normal gave way to extraordinary.
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New avalanches set back cleanup of U.S. 12
Conditions improved this week on Idaho’s highways, thanks to a short reprieve from the weather. But the calendar – and history – suggests winter has not run its full course yet. U.S. 12 remained closed between Lowell and Lolo Pass as crews remove avalanche debris from the highway. They made significant progress the previous week and hoped to restore traffic early this week. But the discovery Tuesday of two new large avalanches will extend the closure into a third week.
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Users of 511 Traveler Services weight in on system
 Winter weather and resulting highway challenges elevated use the past two months of the 511 Traveler Services Web and telephone system to record levels. Many of the people responding to the system, introduced in 2005, have recommended changes that ultimately will lead to an even better, more responsive system.
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Transportation Board
Governor appoints Gagner to fill District 6 spot on board
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter Thursday appointed Lee Gagner (GAHN’-yay), an Idaho Falls builder/developer and former four-term Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives, to fill the eastern Idaho position on the Idaho Transportation Board.
He succeeds John X. Combo of Idaho Falls, whose term expired Jan. 31.
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511 Traveler Services
Telephone system to move from Atlanta to Iowa
 The telephone system that supports Idaho’s 511 Traveler Services will relocate from an IBM call center in Atlanta to a facility operated by Qwest Communications in Ames, Iowa, beginning Monday said Alison Lantz, manager of Idaho’s system.
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Employees
ITD fills two positions that have statewide impact
 ITD recently filled two positions that have statewide responsibilities. Amy Schroeder was named the new GARVEE Program Engineer, effective Feb. 10, and Adam Rush was chosen to be ITD’s public involvement coordinator.
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Environment
ITD employees offer suggestions to reduce paper use
Matt Moore, Administrator of the Division of Transportation Planning and Programming, recently received a tip for reducing paper consumption – simply expand the margins by one-half inch on both sides of a document. Several ITD employees, in response to the Feb. 1 Transporter article, suggested taking the concept a couple of additional steps.
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Customer service
ITD installs telephones to help hearing impaired
 Telephones to receive incoming calls from members of the public who are hearing impaired and are using a TDD have been installed at Headquarters and district offices. In addition to the phone that has been located in DMV for some time, others recently were installed at the Headquarters information kiosk and at the reception desk in each district.
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Digital television
FCC urges viewers to prepare for digital transition
As many people already may know, on Feb.17, 2009, full power broadcast television stations will stop broadcasting in analog format and will continue broadcasting in digital only, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announces.
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