South-central Idaho highlights, public transit
funding through CARES Act, transportation plan
approval highlight recent
Idaho Transportation Board meeting

A poignant safety reminder, District 4 highlights, a discussion of the department’s CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding portal, and approval of the draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program at the September 16 meeting of the Idaho Transportation Board in Shoshone.

Safety/Security Share
District 4 provided the safety message that opened the meeting, telling the tragic story of a Wyoming DOT employee. Last month, the employee was operating a street sweeper and pulled his vehicle off to the side of the road, and exited the vehicle to visit with his co-worker. The street sweeper began rolling and crushed the driver, killing him.

The story was a vivid reminder that it is so important when exiting your vehicle to put it in park; set the emergency brake; shut off the engine or ground your equipment if appropriate; and/or chock the wheels if appropriate. Take steps to ensure the vehicle does not move.

District 4 Annual Report
The board also heard about District 4’s current activities.

An additional Snake River crossing in the Twin Falls and Jerome area has been discussed for many years. A local committee has been formed to pursue the proposal and is completing an Origin Destination Study.

Some upgrades are being made to the office building in Shoshone to make it more comfortable and accessible through Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) updates and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades. Staff is still exploring moving the office to I-84 and US-93. The Division of Military signed a lease to build its facility at the site. It is preparing to do utility work, and will run enough capacity to accommodate a future District 4 facility.

The maintenance crews were commended for keeping the roads clear of ice and snow 89% of the time during the 2019-2020 winter, exceeding the goal of 73%. Staff delivered 13 of the 14 projects by the March 2020 deadline. Some of the major construction projects underway are the I-84/I-86 Salt Lake Interchange, US-93 and 200 South, and rehabilitating I-84 between Jerome and Twin Falls.

CARES Update and Fund Transfer Proposal
The board also heard about the Public Transportation Office’s commendable actions related to COVID-19.

Idaho received $27.3 million from the federal CARES Act for public transportation. Staff developed an online portal for these funds and began processing payment authorizations in May. Idaho was one of the first states in the nation to execute a CARES grant. Over $17.7 million has been awarded to date. It was noted that staff built the portal and oversaw the additional CARES funds while maintaining the normal level of service.

The CARES Act included $2.7 million for administrative purposes, such as office payroll, supplies, technology, and marketing to manage these funds. Normally, ITD expends just under $400,000 annually for administration. The board approved transferring $2 million from administration to general funds to execute a competitive call for applications for technology improvements for transit providers.

Recommended FY21-27 Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP)
The board approved the recommended FY21-27 ITIP. Comments received on the ITIP during a 30-day public comment period were presented to the board.

The public comments and requests received were considered and incorporated into the updated ITIP when appropriate. The draft ITIP was also revised to include the additional obligation authority the department received in August and other end-of-year changes. Other revisions made to the program since June included fiscally constrained changes requested by stakeholders and correction of oversights and errors.

 

Published 09-25-20