10/4/2013

Leadership
Summit inspires employees to lead by example
ITD’s second Leadership Summit attracted 200 employees committed to developing and improving their leadership skills – employees who embrace the concept of becoming the best. All the inspirational messages delivered at Tuesday’s leadership summit can be reduced to a common denominator and succinct phrase: ”If we’re going to become the best as an organization, I must be my best as an individual.
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Highways
Chubbuck interchange to open Monday
Idaho’s first diverging diamond interchange is scheduled to open Monday morning. The new interchange is designed to improve access to Interstate 86 from Yellowstone Avenue and from the interstate to Yellowstone.
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Public involvement
Public comments solicited on 129,000-pound truck legislation
ITD is soliciting public comments on proposed administrative rules governing 129,000-pound truck routes on the state highway system. The rules are necessary to implement three bills from the 2013 Legislature. The legislation follows a pilot project that began in 1998 and recently ended.
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Outstanding Customer Service
Szplett’s expertise proves invaluable for in property transactions
District 3 Development Services manager Dave Szplett is involved in countless condemnation cases involving southwest Idaho property. He knows the projects, knows the area, and knows the rules of highway access.
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Public outreach
Workshop shows how to do business with the government
Learn basic guidelines for doing business with the government at a free workshop Wednesday (Oct. 16), from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Cascade City Hall, 105 South Main St. The program will feature presenters from ITD, the Idaho Department of Commerce, the U.S. Small Business Administration and a federal agency to be determined.
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Public transportation
PTAC to meet Wednesday in Boise
The Public Transportation Advisory Council (PTAC) will review a funding agreement schedule, vehicle replacement program and performance management program for the group and state district coordination council leaders Wednesday, Oct. 9. The meeting will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Hampton Inn and Suites, 7499 W. Overland Road in Boise.
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Preparedness
Insurance can mitigate losses after fires, floods
September came to a wet close, and October is starting off wet as well.  With increased rainfall and the amount of burned areas across the state, the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security encourage homeowners and businesses to consider purchasing flood insurance.
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Preparedness
Shaking ends, other hazards begin
Ada City/County Emergency Management: October is often associated with scary things. It is also Earthquake Awareness Month in Idaho. Earthquakes can be very scary, but knowing what to expect helps people better plan and prepare for the aftermath of a large quake. Knowledge can help overcome fear; preparing creates confidence and improves personal safety.
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Multimodal system
AASHTO prepares series on commuting, multimodal travel
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is releasing the first parts of Commuting in America 2013 -- a series of 16 briefs analyzing the evolving role of commuting, which accounts for 28 percent of the passenger miles traveled on America's roadways.
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Aeronautics
Encore (9-27-13): Young artists encouraged to enter aviation contest
Fascination with flight usually begins at an early age, as art projects often demonstrate. Pencil drawings of World War I biplanes, sketches of F-14 fighter jets, the Hindenburg, the space shuttle … all capture the imagination of young artists. A contest sponsored by ITD’s Division of Aeronautics will give students a venue for expressing their artistic talents and love of aircraft this fall.
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Walk to School
Encore (9-27-13): Idaho students to participate in international event
Students from an estimated two-dozen schools will participate in International Walk to School Day, Wednesday (Oct. 9), as part of a global event. The annual event involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day.
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Alternative transportation
Encore (9-27-13): Benefits of walking, biking acknowledged
Brent Jennings: Bicycling and walking are often called ‘alternative transportation’ modes. In fact, they are our primary ways of moving from place to place. All of us learned to walk and many of us learned to ride a bicycle long before we slid into the driver’s seat of a car.
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Law enforcement
Encore (9-27-13): ISP forensics services re-accredited
The Idaho State Police’s three Forensic Services (ISPFS) laboratories recently were reaccredited for another five-year period by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) under an international accreditation for forensic crime laboratories.
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