March 6, 2009
Daylight Saving Time will cost an hour of sleep Saturday night
There’s good news and bad news on the horizon this weekend. The good news is you’ll have a little more daylight for evening walks or early yard work, beginning Sunday. On the down side, your morning commutes will revert to near dark conditions.
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ITD prepared to manage stimulus fund projects
ITD colleagues,
Our efforts to improve Idaho’s transportation system took a major step forward this week when the transportation board forwarded recommendations for use of federal stimulus funds to Governor Otter.
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Transportation board
Board forwards stimulus recommendations to governor, committee
The Idaho Transportation Board this week forwarded recommendations to the governor’s office for the use of more than $200 million in federal stimulus funds. One resolution identifies eight highway construction projects on the state system along with a list of local (city, county and highway districts) improvements. Combined, they represent about $182 million of the funds Idaho anticipates receiving.
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Headquarters
Parking lot reserved for March 7 TV, monitor collection
ITD’s parking lot behind the main building at Headquarters will become a repository for unwanted televisions and computer monitors on Saturday (March 7). The department has volunteered the use of its parking lot from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the collection site.
ITD employees are asked not to park in the lot behind the Headquarters building after Friday evening.
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Public Transportation
Use of Rideshare skyrockets 340 percent statewide
Idaho’s Rideshare program has experienced a 340 percent increase in participation in less than one year. Rideshare offers carpooling and vanpooling in which vehicles carry additional passengers. ITD funded Idaho’s Rideshareonline.com licensing to make access available statewide last May.
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Motor Vehicles
ITD's Hunter produces article for national magazine
Idaho’s IRP technology has drastically changed over the years. Idaho joined the International Registration Plan in 1976, and until 1985, we had a very cumbersome transmittal process. Then, Idaho implemented an automated system to process IRP registrations, requiring a separate monitor and keyboard so each employee had two “dumb terminals” on their desk.
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Highway Safety
DUI campaign coincided with St. Patrick's celebrations
Don’t rely on good luck if you choose to drive impaired this St. Patrick’s Day, cautions the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). Law enforcement agencies throughout Idaho will be out in force to catch and arrest impaired drivers beginning Sunday and continuing through March 22.
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Holiday impaired driving campaign produces 390 arrests
ITD's Christmas/New Year's impaired driving law enforcement mobilization shows that more people than just impaired drivers were arrested. According to statistics gathered by ITD's Office of Highway Operations and Safety, 41 agencies statewide participated in the holiday patrols that were funded through a federal grant administered by ITD.
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In Memoriam
Orion L. Grunerud
Orion L Grunerud, known and respected for his many years of service to Idaho as an ITD construction engineer, passed away this week in Boise. He was honored last summer with completion of a recreational trail that connects forest campgrounds at Red Fish Lake. (Please see the Oct. 31, 2008, edition of the Transporter).
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Employees
Time for a financial health checkup?
A financial fitness regimen is best when it is started early, but you can always make positive changes to your fitness level. Whether you’re interested in developing a workable spending and savings plan, getting out of debt, understanding and improving your credit report, buying a home, or planning for your financial future, you should focus on the benefits of aligning income with expenses.
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Emergency planning
Spring brings renewed threat of flooding
Flooding is a natural and inevitable part of life along any river. Nationwide, 75 percent of Residentially declared Disasters are due to floods. The Boise River is a beautiful amenity in our community, but we must never forget that is still a force of nature. March 16-20 is Flood Safety Awareness Week. Now is the time to heighten our awareness of the flood history and flood potential of our community.
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Submit your News/Views to Share
News to Share
Even during hard times, remember the troops
Submitted by Erika Stoddard
During times like these it’s easy to keep our thoughts just on our problems at home. But we need to remember that there are still deployed troops overseas who are making sacrifices everyday on our behalf. My fiancé recently received the below letter from a friend (U.S. Paratrooper) in Alaska. It touched our hearts and we are trying to spread the word to as many people as possible to see if they can send a care package to these remarkable dedicated soldiers.
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Views to Share
Do you have a question related to ITD processes, policies or projects? Has something been puzzling you about why we do what we do? Share your questions using the e-mail link above and let us find the answers. |
Employees
Stimulus act to reduce employee withholding
Middle income workers across America and in Idaho may be among the first to benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus act) Congress passed last week. ITD Controller Gordon Wilmoth issued a memo Thursday to employees indicating that new tax rates will be evident in March 6 paychecks covering time worked from Feb. 8 to Feb. 21.
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Life beyond work
Subhead
District engineers rekindle love for music
Somewhere in their pursuit of engineering careers, raising families and the busyness of life, Ed Bala and Dave Jones parted ways with the music they once loved. High school band faded into distant memory. Instruments collected dust... Until their 2003 trip into the heart of the Grand Canyon.
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ITD's Conner participates in Lincoln 're-unveiling'
ITD’s Judi Conner, who works in the Division of Highways training unit at Headquarters, was among the speakers during the one-hour ceremony that included a host of dignitaries, historic vignettes and several student groups.
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Headquarters
Classes, activities planned at HQ
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News to Share
Golf league to begin play in April
Plans are almost finalized for the Monday night ITD Twilight Golf League. League play will start April 13 at Shadow Valley (along Idaho 55 north of Boise) and ends on Aug. 31. It will be a shotgun start – tentatively at 5:30 p.m. early in the season and then moved to 5:45 p.m. when there is more daylight.
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Please share information about your accomplishments or those of your colleagues with the ITD community. Send contributions to the e-mail link above. |