9/6/2013

Accolades
Winter storm index claims national ITS innovation award
ITD’s innovative winter storm performance index and tracking program received a national award last week as the nation’s best new innovative practice. Mobility Services Engineer Robert Koeberlein accepted the award on behalf of ITD and the development team Aug. 26 at the National Rural ITS conference in Minnesota.
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Accolades
Sand Creek Byway among 10 finalists for national AASHTO award
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) announced this week the Sand Creek Byway in Sandpoint is one of 10 finalists for an America’s Transportation Award. It is among those considered for completion ahead of schedule.
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Preparedness
ITD's emergency program to be featured in TRB publication
ITD realignment in 2011 provided an opportunity to strengthen the department’s commitment to emergency preparation and response. Changes in reporting responsibilities moved ITD’s emergency program manager under Chief Deputy Scott Stokes.
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Environment
ITD to transfer land to Coeur d'Alene Tribe for wetlands
ITD announced it will soon transfer the ownership, easement interests and management of five parcels of wetlands to the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. The transfer of about 160 acres, all in Kootenai County and with a value of roughly $1 million, marks the end of more than 13 years of planning
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Outstanding Customer Service
EEO serves businesses working with ITD
Ken Angell: The ITD EEO section exists to help you successfully do business in Idaho in many ways: not only with getting you comfortably situated with federal laws and guidelines, but also through skills trainings and service referrals.
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HIghway safety
Steps needed to increase use of seat belts
Brent Jennings: Recently the Office of Highway Safety invited a team of experts to do an assessment on Idaho’s occupant protection (seat belt) program with the goal of looking for ways to improve the usage rate. Here are just some of the preliminary findings and suggestions from this assessment ...
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Outstanding Customer Service
Backup systems keep communication lines open
Having an alternative “work-around” proved indispensable this week after a key telephone line failed between ITD Headquarters and the Century Link facility in downtown Boise. The exact cause was not immediately known, but technicians indicate it might have been related to a heavy rainstorm compromising a copper telephone line.
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Employees
Encore (8-30-13): Idaho State Employees Charitable Giving Campaign begins
Carla Anderson: The State Employees’ Charitable Giving Campaign begins Sunday (Sept. 1) and runs through Oct. 31. We have the opportunity each year to extend our public service commitment to help our neighbors and our communities every day, all year long.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Encore (8-30-13): ITD offers phone callers better experience
Time spent with a phone on hold is time lost for many people. Averaging 10 minutes per week on hold, each of us will spend a total of three weeks of our lives “waiting for the next available representative."
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Highway safety
Encore (8-30-13): 'Buckle Up for Bobby' scholarships awarded
Idaho’s Alive at 25 free driver awareness courses teach young drivers, ages 15 to 24, the importance and value of safe and defensive driving. They also helped provide some cash to students for college this fall, thanks to a local non-profit organization.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-30-13): Boise area drivers second-safest in nation
Allstate Insurance Company this week released its ninth annual overview of driver safety and indicated Boise’s are among the safest drivers in the nation, based on the potential of becoming involved in a collision. Only Fort Collins, Colo., ranked better than Boise in a list of America’s 200 largest cities.
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Preparedness
Encore (8-30-13): College prep: Send students off with tools for survival
Parents spend valuable time preparing their children for college. Whether it is time management, financial or personal responsibility advice, it is passed on to help students achieve success in what may be their first time living away from home. What may be overlooked is disaster preparedness advice.
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