Idaho

Transportation Department

8/21/2008






Federal Highway Administrator Tom Madison will be featured speaker at transportation conference on Tuesday, Aug. 26
    BOISE - Federal Highway Administrator Tom Madison will be one of the featured speakers at the seventh in a series of statewide meetings examining how best to pay for the growing backlog of repair, maintenance and improvement needs for Idaho's roads and bridges.

    The Idaho Transportation Funding Conference -  Building Roads, Building Bridges, Building Consensus -  will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Boise Centre on the Grove. From 4 to 7 p.m., the public is invited to comment about the state's transportation system after brief presentations.

    Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo will host the morning session.  Governor Otter, Congressman Mike Simpson and Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Darrell Manning will host the afternoon session. Both meetings are open to the public.

    Governor Otter held six statewide transportation-funding conferences this summer. The all-day conferences and evening public meetings provided opportunities for dialogue on state and local transportation needs and ways to fund them. Conference sessions were held in Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls.

    "Idaho has reached a critical point in the funding of both its state and local transportation systems. The safety of our citizens and the strength of our economy require action," Governor Otter said. "Growth, increasing demand, soaring construction costs and shrinking revenue projections require a solution. Greater efficiency is necessary, and must continue. But we can't save our way out of a decades-long backlog. I appreciate that Idahoan's are looking at the challenges and understanding that our highways and bridges are in trouble."

    The purpose of the conference is to review what was heard from citizens at the meetings, listen to presentations on some of the key issues facing Idaho's highways and bridges, and hear how other states are tackling the same challenges, said Senator John McGee, chair of the Idaho Senate Transportation Committee. McGee will introduce and summarize the morning meeting.

    "In addition, through Senator Crapo and Federal Highway Administrator Tom Madison, we will learn what the outlook is for future federal transportation funding," said McGee.

    The morning session of the conference also will feature the following speakers:

•         American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Director John Horsley;
•         Utah Transportation Department Deputy Director Carlos Braceras;
•         Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Director Toni Hardesty;
•         Idaho Department of Commerce Director Don Dietrich;
•         Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Darrell Manning;
•         Idaho Transportation Department Director Pamela Lowe;
•         Idaho Senator John McGee;
•         Idaho Representative Ken Roberts;
•         Idaho Association of General Contractors Director Mark Dunham;
•         Idaho Association of Highway Districts Director Stuart Davis; and
•         Idaho Department of Labor Chief Research Officer Bob Uhlenkott.

The conference agenda is below. It can also be accessed at itd.idaho.gov




Welcome                                    9 a.m.
John McGee
Chair, Idaho Senate Transportation Committee

Opening comments
The Honorable C.L. "Butch" Otter
Governor of Idaho
   
The Honorable Mike Crapo
United States Senator, Idaho

Transportation at the crossroads: Funding our nation's roads
Tom Madison
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration

John Horsley
Executive Director,
American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials
                               

Break                                        10:25 a.m.

Moving Idaho's economy: The critical role of transportation    10:35 a.m.
Don Dietricht
Director, Idaho Department of Commerce

Bob Uhlenkott
Chief Research Officer, Idaho Department of Labor

The rough ride home: A look at Idaho's roads and bridges
Darrell V Manning
Chairman, Idaho Transportation Board

Stuart Davis
Executive Director Idaho Association of Highway Districts   

Soaring construction costs: Putting the brakes on road repairs
Mark Dunham
Executive Director, Idaho Associated General Contractors

Clearing the air: Idahos transportation challenges
Toni Hardesty
Director, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

Authorize or unauthorize? Streamlining highway construction
Pamela Lowe   
Director, Idaho Transportation Department

Funding our future transportation needs: A new vision
Ken Roberts
Representative, Idaho House of Representative

Looking down the road: Funding transportation for the future
Carlos Braceras
Deputy Director, Utah Department of Transportation
   

The next steps: Summarizing the proceedings                    Noon
John McGee
Chair, Idaho Senate Transportation Committee