4/19/2013

Environmental stewardship
Support your local osprey
It was the moment of truth. Crews placed an osprey nest atop a high platform and began to tamp down dirt around the base of the supporting pole. Suddenly, an osprey flew by to inspect the nest. The maneuver relieved the minds of ITD environmental planners who worried that relocating the nest from the Del Rio Bridge on the U.S. 20 business loop east of St. Anthony would drive the birds away.
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Transportation board
District 2 board tour takes scenic route
The Idaho Transportation Board took the long road to its monthly business meeting last week, traveling scenic U.S. 12 from Missoula, Mont., to Lewiston. The District 2 tour along the 174-mile corridor preceded the board’s Wednesday meeting, the first of its district visits this year.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Motorists depend on quick Incident Response
ITD’s Incident Response on Interstate 84 in the Treasure Valley always has been timely – just ask the tens of thousands of Treasure Valley drivers who have benefited from the service since it was deployed in the mid-1990s. But, just how speedy the responses have been, was a mystery – until recently.
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Highway safety
Idaho teenagers more likely to die in car crashes
Idaho’s teenagers are more likely to die as a result of a car crash than by other causes, according to the state’s 2011 vital statistics. Idaho parents lost 68 sons and daughters younger than 19, as a result of motor vehicle crashes from 2009-11.
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Public transportation
Mobility council to discuss strategy
Finding a strategy that best coordinates Idahoans with their public transportation needs will be the focus of the Idaho Mobility Council (IMC) when it meets Tuesday (April 23) in Boise. The public meeting is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Vista Inn, 2645 Airport Way.
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Public transportation
Public transportation group to meet Wednesday
The Public Transportation Advisory Council (PTAC) will review annual funding recommendations and discuss roles and responsibilities for the group and state District Coordination Council leaders Wednesday(April 24). The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Best Western Plus Vista Inn, 2645 Airport Way, in Boise.
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Public transportation
ValleyRide posts schedule, status reports on 511
Valleyride, which provides public transportation in the Treasure Valley, has become the latest transit system in Idaho to join the state’s 511 Traveler’s Services System website at www.511.idaho.gov. Now, transit riders in Ada and Canyon counties can find route, schedule and bus stop information on the interactive website.
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AASHTO
Photography contest focuses on transportation
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) this week announced the commencement of its ninth annual Faces of Transportation photography contest. The national competition asks state transportation department employees and private citizens to photograph those people and projects that make communities better, while emphasizing the importance of transportation.
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Revenue proposals
AASHTO website summarizes revenue proposals
From Arizona to Wyoming, 30 states so far have proposed funding initiatives since December 2012, to repair, replace or build a wide range of transportation projects including roads, bridges, railways and bicycle and pedestrian trails.
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ITD Leadership
Encore (4-12-13): Carpenter named ITD Chief Operations Officer
Jim Carpenter, who has been District 2 Engineer the past 19 years, will join ITD’s Executive team as Chief Operations Officer May 12. Director Brian Ness made the announcement Thursday after concurrence of his appointment by the Idaho Transportation Board.
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Highway safety
Encore (4-12-13): ITD's long history of fire-proofing highway rights of way
ITD’s efforts in fire control along busy interstate 84 are part of an ongoing commitment and cooperation between agencies that has been in effect for eight years, according to Roadside Program Administrator, Cathy Ford. The recent article “did not include the overall comprehensive picture of this joint project,” Ford said.
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Highway safety
Encore (4-12-13): Work zone safety week reminds drivers of hazards
ITD joins transportation departments across the country in urging drivers to slow down in highway construction zones and to obey traffic control measures for the safety of workers and other motorists. This year’s Work Zone Safety campaign, “Roadway Work Zone Safety: We’re All in This Together,” will be observed formally next week, April 15-21.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Encore (4-12-13): Shaw extols virtues of UPlan on AASHTO web video
A new concept in highway planning and design, based on geographic information systems (GIS), is revolutionizing the way states approach new projects. Pioneered by the Utah Department of Transportation and adapted for use in Idaho, the process is generating national interest.
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