11/13/2015

Idaho Transportation Board
Idaho Transportation Board monthly meeting set for Nov. 18 at Headquarters
A presentation by the Dealer Advisory Board (DAB), discussion of professional services agreements and term agreement work tasks, and review of the department's financial situation will lead agenda items for the Idaho Transportation Board's November meeting in Boise. The board's monthly business meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. in the Idaho Transportation Department Headquarters' Auditorium.
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WASHTO
WASHTO'S new secretary should look familiar to ITD staffers
When Idaho Transportation Director Brian Ness was named president of the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) in July, one of his first tasks was to select a WASHTO secretary to help him keep tabs on the 18-state regional organization. He could have picked an engineer, a communication professional or anyone from inside or outside his staff. He chose his current assistant, Carla Anderson.
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Division of Aeronautics
Idaho's young artists invited to enter state's 2016 Aviation Art Contest
"Flying Saves Lives" is the theme for Idaho's 2016 Aviation Art Contest, sponsored by Idaho Transportation Department's Division of Aeronautics. Young artists ages 5 to 17 are invited to submit their creative entries until March 31, 2016.
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Office of Highway Safety
Drive safe this Thanksgiving and buckle up
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with more people on the road increasing likelihood of crashes. The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) encourages everyone to drive safe and buckle up. "More than half the drivers and passengers being killed in crashes aren't wearing seat belts," said Sherry Jenkins, with ITD.
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Headquarters
Headquarters’ annual giving campaign tally surpasses last year’s total
Contributions to the 2015 State Employees' Charitable Giving Campaign made by Headquarters' employees fell just short of the $10,000 goal, but far exceeded last year's total of $7,096. During the month of October, more than $9,400 was raised, a few dollars at a time, for supporting the United Way and charitable organizations across Idaho.
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Public Transportation
Public transportation group hosts PTAC conference call Friday, Nov. 20
Reviewing applications for a new member of the Public Transportation Advisory Council (PTAC) to represent eastern Idaho and a format for the group’s annual funding report, and discussion of the yearly PTAC presentation to the Idaho Transportation Board will be topics of a statewide conference call Friday, Nov. 20.
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U.S. DOT
Happy Birthday to the MUTCD!
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) turned 80 last week, and this octogenarian is still going strong. The secret of its vitality? The MUTCD remains active by helping the rest of us get to where we need to go safely and efficiently.
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AASHTO
House passes long-term bill, to negotiate with Senate on first major bill in a decade
The House overwhelmingly approved its version of a six-year reauthorization of highway and transit programs on Nov. 5, setting the stage for House-Senate negotiations that could see Congress soon pass the first long-term bill in 10 years. Under the most recent short-term extension, Highway Trust Fund programs would expire Nov. 20 unless Congress passes a final bill or another extension before then.
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District 6
Encore (11-6-15) U.S. 20 interchanges save lives
The interchanges on U.S. 20 between Idaho Falls and Sugar City have helped reduce serious-injury crashes despite increased traffic levels and higher speed limits.
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Innovation
Encore (11-6-15) Lancaster’s crash-cushion innovation saves lives, infrastructure
Expense should not drive every decision — sometimes, the right fit does. Ryan Lancaster in ITD’s Engineering Services simplified the process for selecting crash cushions, saving support structures for interchanges and overpasses, guardrail, and most importantly, lives.
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District 4
Encore (11-6-15) Big Wood River Bridge initial construction begins this month
Construction activities for the Idaho 75 Big Wood River Bridge Replacement Project are planned to begin later this month. Preliminary activities include removing trees in the construction area to avoid possible conflicts with migratory bird nesting and initial work to adjust utilities.
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