6/18/2013
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
ITD outreach to small towns offers planning and traffic support, helps preserve highway corridors
BOISE - To provide support for communities needing planning and traffic assistance, and safeguard highway corridors for future use, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has increased outreach efforts to small towns in southwest Idaho.
These efforts will ease the workload on staffs in these small towns, save money by eliminating the need to hire outside consultants, and allow ITD and the towns to streamline and coordinate transportation planning.
“We have contacted the local jurisdictions to offer assistance on planning, funding and operational issues,” said Dave Szplett, ITD's development services manager for the southwest Idaho region.
“Most of the smaller cities have limited planning staff and often rely on consultant services,” he added. “None of the small towns have traffic-related staff. We are trying to help out, and protect our roadway corridors in the process.”
Here's a summary of those efforts:
MOUNTAIN HOME
ITD has a pair of collaborative projects with the city. One is a comprehensive reorganization of American Legion Boulevard (I-84 Business Loop) needed to support a major new project south of the Wal-Mart in town.
“The existing approaches cannot support the anticipated traffic increase,” said Szplett. A new traffic signal and driveway relocations will likely be required.
Szplett and southwest Idaho Senior Planner Mark Wasdahl attended an open house May 16 to show ITD’s plans to local property owners. Click here to see a picture of Szplett presenting to the Mountain Home group. Click here for a picture of Bonnie Harper, Mountain Home's city planner, at the presentation May 16.
The second Mountain Home project is an access-management plan for U.S. 20 north of I-84, which currently has too much heavy truck traffic and too many full-access approaches. Szplett said ITD is developing a plan and has met with local property owners.
“The city is spearheading the efforts. They have an excellent planner but no traffic staff to assist in the process. We are providing that technical support.”
Wasdahl also helped Mountain Home with recent grants to fund needed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements.
McCALL
Wasdahl is working with the city of McCall to conduct bicycle and pedestrian counts as the next step in implementing a bicycle plan, and updating local facilities to become compliant with ADA requirements. McCall has a city planner but no traffic staff. Wasdahl is helping plan a program and provide funding.
MELBA
Wasdahl is working with the city as part of their Safe Routes to School grant. The grant funding will construct a sidewalk along Carrie Rex Avenue from 4th Street to 6th Street - the primary route for students traveling to and from Melba Elementary and the middle/high school campus.
NEW MEADOWS
Szplett is working with the city on a future alternate route for the state highway, similar to the Council and Middleton bypasses. Half the vehicles downtown are classified as "through" traffic, and 10 percent of all traffic comes from heavy trucks. The city has no planning staff, but contracts with a consultant.
ITD also is helping New Meadows with an access-management plan to prepare for an upcoming U.S. 95 highway overlay project involving a full rebuild. Szplett explained that the city has “no access control, limited staff experience and an increasing need to maintain capacity and safety.”
WILDER
Wasdahl is working with the city, as part of their Safe Routes to School grant, to fund a sidewalk on Avenue A from 2nd Street to 2nd Street East. This is the route for students traveling to and from Wilder Elementary and the middle/high school campus.
GARDEN CITY
Garden City and ACHD are developing a livable streets program. ITD joined the team “to protect our highways and provide technical support,” Szplett explained.