Idaho

Transportation Department

3/23/2007






Experts to discuss innovative transportation solutions at Boise Centre on the Grove Wednesday and Thursday (April 4 5))
BOISE - More than 350 transportation engineers, planners, designers and consultants from throughout the region will gather in Boise Wednesday and Thursday (April 4 -5) to discuss innovative partnering solutions for transportation projects, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) announced. The conference will be at the Boise Centre on the Grove from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.

The conference theme is Partnering for Transportation Change. In addition to hearing from nationally recognized speakers, attendees will participate in workshops and visit vendor exhibits.

First-day speakers include:

• ITD Director Pamela Lowe
• Glen Hiemstra, visiting scholar at the University of Washington and an expert on preferred future planning and change.
• Rick Singer, business manager for Washington State Department of Transportation's Tacoma Narrows Bridge Project office.
• Lance Hanf, senior legal counsel for the Federal Highway Administration specializing in issues relating to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• David Siegel, community planning expert and director of planning and communications for Parametrix Inc.

An awards banquet is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday. Twenty-five applicants are vying for Excellence in Transportation awards in the following categories: environmental stewardship, transportation planning, construction, design and public participation.

"The Excellence in Transportation awards recognize Idaho projects that make exemplary use of transportation tools and are of exceptional benefit to the public," ITD's Lowe said.

Additional conference information is available on the web.  Go to itd.idaho.gov and click on 2007 Project Development Conference.