1/26/2010
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Treasure Valley's Incident Response team: 100,000 customers served
BOISE - At some time, almost all drivers have a flat tire on
their vehicle, need a tow, run out of gas, have an engine overheat, or are
involved in or are on the scene of a fender-bender. That's why the Idaho
Transportation Department formed the Incident Response unit in 1997.
How many drivers have cleared Christmas trees from the road,
herded animals from the highway, or recovered lost wedding dresses from the
busy I-84 corridor? Chances are...not too many. But it is all part of the
evolving job description for the Incident Response team.
In the dozen years since the service began, crew members
have responded to more than 100,000 incidents on the Connector (I-184) and on
I-84 between Nampa and east Boise. Also, when asked by Idaho State Police, they
have responded to fatal crashes in local or county destinations to provide
traffic control or multi-agency assistance.
Crews also provide updates to the state's 511 Traveler Service through State Communications and assist local law enforcement entities. On the three major summer holidays (Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day), the five-man crew usually sends two trucks to Idaho 55 between Horseshoe Bend Hill and Cougar Mountain Lodge to assist as cars and trucks flood the roadway on the trip home.
Click here for photos of the Incident Response team.
"We respond to everything from stalled cars to
accidents, and anything in between," Incident Response leadworker and
manager Terry Zabel said. Zabel started in 1999.
Over the years, the crew has been called on to remove a Christmas
tree from the highway, as well as water heaters, mattresses and other road hazards.
They've herded animals - horses and dogs, mostly - off the road, recovered
wallets and cell phones, assisted the Idaho State Police in providing traffic
control for vice presidential motorcades of Dick Chaney and Joe Biden, and
escorted the Special Olympics buses to Sun Valley.
And in August 2007, they found a wedding dress in the
westbound lanes on I-84 between Nampa and Meridian, with the message Cherished
Memories written on the box. They eventually were able to reunite the dress
with its thankful owner.
The Incident Response team just wrapped up its busiest year
yet - more than 11,100 incidents in 2009.
The team only operates in the Treasure Valley. Other ITD districts
respond to hazardous materials spills and road hazards, but no other district
has a formal entity dedicated to the service and safety of commuters.
Whether it's changing a flat tire, jump-starting a car,
refilling a radiator, providing a gallon of gas to a stranded motorist,
offering use of a cell phone or other assistance, the Incident Response team
stays busy.
"These
guys do great things almost invisibly," said Dave Jones, district engineer
for the southwest Idaho area who oversees the Incident Response team.
"Running the program for more than a decade on a shoestring budget isn't
ideal, but these guys are dedicated employees. It's a great service to
commuters."
The program was created to improve safety
and facilitate traffic flow on the interstates near Boise. The Incident
Response team provides an invaluable service to commuters by reducing
congestion through responding to disabled vehicles and other issues that impede
traffic, reducing emissions from idling vehicles, and reducing secondary
accidents that occur when traffic backs up. During peak commuting hours Monday
through Friday, the Incident Response team patrols 21 miles from the Garrity to
Eisenman interchanges, and the Connector from the Flying Wye to 13th Street.
The Incident Response team routinely puts 120,000 miles (or more) per year on the odometer and up to 13,000 miles on the trucks in a busy month.
Traffic volumes on the I-84 corridor in
the Treasure Valley have significantly increased in the time the Incident
Response team has been active. The largest increase has taken place
between Nampa and Boise, as daily traffic averages have grown from 60,000
vehicles per day in 1997 to 82,000 per day today.
As traffic volumes have increased, the
number of incidents has correspondingly grown. Traffic is projected to continue
to skyrocket in the Treasure Valley, and the Incident Response team will
continue to provide expected - and unexpected - service to commuters.
NOTE
TO MEDIA: If you would
like to schedule a ride-along with the Incident Response crew, please contact
Reed Hollinshead or June Sparks in ITD's Office of Communications at 334-8005. Ride-alongs
will be accommodated when district schedules and workload allow. A form for the
individual showing proof of workers compensation from the insurance provider
for the media outlet is required prior
to participating in a ride-along. Please have the insurance carrier fax it to ITD at 334-4470.