8/9/2013

Transportation board
Board to tour District 4, meet in Burley
The Idaho Transportation Board will get a firsthand look at how rugged snow removal equipment is manufactured when it tours south-central Idaho next week on its 2013 district visits. The meeting in District 4 will include a tour of Kodiak America, a manufacturer of snow blowers, runway sweepers and push plows used to clear snow.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Sand Creek Byway honored for early completion
Already well honored and publicly decorated, the Sand Creek Byway construction project in Sandpoint earned a regional America’s Transportation Award this week and may qualify for consideration on the national level in October. The largest single highway construction in Idaho history received the award for a medium-sized project that was completed ahead of schedule.
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Accolades
ITD projects earn two national FHWA awards
ITD’s innovative program to track winter storm maintenance performances and the completion of a highway safety corridor project captured awards from the Federal Highway Administration this summer.
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Accolades
2013 National Roadway Safety Award
The winter performance measure system that began in District 5 and has become a state standard for winter storm responses received the 2013 National Roadway Safety Award. ITD budgets approximately $30 million annually for winter maintenance, snowplow operations and operator salaries.
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Accolades
Highway Safety Corridor Analysis Project
A project to improve cost effectiveness and safety earned a FHWA award for highway safety corridor analysis. Improving the safety of the state transportation system is one of ITD’s highest priorities. Toward that end, ITD launched an innovative, data-driven program for safety analysis.
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Sand Creek artifacts
Byway 'treasures' go on to display in Sandpoint
There’s more to a new highway than what motorists see on the surface – black asphalt, white and yellow lines, and guardrails. Excavation on highway construction projects often opens a window to the region’s past – historic and cultural treasures that gradually have been covered through the ages. Such was the case with the recently completed Sand Creek Byway in Sandpoint.
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Public involvement
Comments solicited on 129,000-pound truck rules
The public is invited to comment on administrative rules that will govern the addition of highway routes for semi trucks and trailers that weigh up to 129,000 pounds. ITD will conduct meetings throughout the state to gather public input. The rules are necessary to implement three bills approved by the 2013 Legislature.
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Highway safety
Partners join in bicycle, pedestrian, motorist campaign
Bicycling and walking are important ways to travel during nice weather, so ITD and its law enforcement partners remind everyone to follow state laws and abide by the rules of the road. A high-visibility education and enforcement campaign began Wednesday and continues through Aug. 12
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Outstanding Customer Service
Partnership drives improvements on U.S. 95
A unique partnership will accelerate safety improvements this fall on U.S. 95 at Anderson Corner, located at the Canyon/Payette county line. Improvements at the intersection also will enhance traffic flow.
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Highways
ITD repairs barriers damaged by vehicle crashes
ITD’s southwest Idaho maintenance crews have done a number of highway repairs in the region lately – not on the roadway surface, but on the barriers put in place to protect drivers.
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Teen driving
Encore (8-2-13): Program designed to help parents, young drivers
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna announced this week the creation of a new program to help parents and guardians of teen drivers. The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, is designed to optimize the 50 hours (10 at night) of supervised driving teens are required to complete with parents before receiving their license.
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Overland bike tour
Encore (8-2-13): Highway lessons from the seat of a bicycle
Last of a two-part series: When Brent Jennings embarked on a long-distance bicycle trek through northern Oregon and parts of southern Washington to his home in Eagle, he knew that there would be physical and mental challenges along the way.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-2-13): State Farm, ITD provide cash for high school traffic-safety events
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among teenage drivers so State Farm has partnered with ITD to help drive down fatalities and injuries among young drivers. This week, State Farm committed funds to the department that will promote traffic-safety events at high schools in Burley, Minico and Caldwell. The schools will share the $3,750 State Farm grant.
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Employees
Encore (8-2-13): Employees encouraged to check new Learning Hub
The Human Resources Division Training & Development team is eager to offer you this new tool for monitoring and managing your own learning and professional development. Here are the features you can use today ...
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Safe driving
Encore (8-2-13): Idaho drivers second-best for risk of crash
Brent Jennings, PE: I ran across an article from the Allstate Insurance Company whereby they released their eighth annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report™." The report, based on Allstate claims data, ranks America's 200* largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers.
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