8/12/2011

Transportation board
Board to focus on highway operations during Wednesday visit
The Idaho Transportation board will focus on highway operations when it visits District 3 next week as part of its monthly meeting. The board visit is planned for Wednesday with the business meeting to follow on Thursday. Presentations on district activities such as highway striping, vegetation and stenciling are planned as part of the tour.
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Highways
Kiwanis chapter, Payette County inmates to be honored for cleanups
Two diverse groups that share a common commitment will be honored next week for keeping highways clean in southwest Idaho. Gem State Kiwanis, a civic organization founded a half-century ago, will be honored as the District 3 Adopt-A-Highway small group of the year. The Idaho Transportation Board also will honor the Payette County Sheriff’s inmate labor program as the large group of the year.
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Highway safety
NHTSA plans review of state's traffic record data-collection system
Idaho’s system for collecting and storing traffic records is due for a check-up. Representatives from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which provides federal grants to fund a variety of Idaho highway safety programs, will conduct a detailed review of how ITD manages traffic safety information next week (Aug. 15-19).
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Bridges
Ten Mile Interchange featured in bridge magazine
The following feature appeared in the Summer 2011 edition of Aspire Magazine, which focuses on bridge design and construction. The quarterly publication featured Idaho's I-84/Ten Mile Interchange, completed in May. The I-84/Ten Mile Road Interchange project in Meridian, will add much needed interstate access for a growing community.
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GIS & engineering
Utah delegates explain how GIS benefits planning, design
Three Utah Department of Transportation representatives discussed the successful integration of geographic information systems, design and planning to an inquisitive audience at Headquarters Monday. More than 70 employees, representing a broad cross-section of ITD disciplines, learned how UDOT combines GIS into highway engineering.
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Public transportation
Idaho Rideshare continues to grow
CTAI’s (Community Transportation Association of Idaho) Idaho RideShare program, formerly known as Rideshare Online, is growing around the state, according to its weekly newsletter. Several organizations like ACHD Commuteride, Mountain Rides, and the Kootenai Medical Center are among the organizations that have used the online resource for several years now - and the word is getting out.
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Public transportation
Linx partnership provides trial access to Yellowstone
Thanks to the hard work of Yellowstone Business Partnership and its Linx program, there is a new way to travel to and within Yellowstone Park – while avoiding parking headaches! For only $25, Yellowstone National Park visitors and employees can board buses up to seven times over two consecutive days!
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Employees
(Encore: 8-5-11) Questionnaire first step in study of positions
ITD employees have an opportunity to help refine their jobs and define their ITD future by completing the Position Description Questionnaire. The questionnaire is fundamental to a 6-7- month process to evaluate current positions and begin discussions about career paths and advancement opportunities.
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ITD outreach
(Encore: 8-5-11) 'Ta-dah' turns to 'uh-oh' for groups of teachers
About 50 teachers participated in the ITD education outreach activity on Wednesday (Aug. 3) at Stevens-Henager College in Nampa where each leaning tower of pasta strained under the punishing weight of a single 0.2-ounce marshmallow.
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Aviation
(Encore: 8-5-11) Our little-known aeronautics sector is taking off
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter There are a few industries in Idaho that get most of the limelight. We talk a lot about agriculture, technology, and lately renewable energy. But we’re fortunate to have a more diverse base these days, which is a big change from where we were two decades ago. Over time, diversity stabilizes our economy, making us less likely to have disruptive booms and busts.
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Highways
(Encore: 8-5-11) New maintenance shed scheduled for Murphy
ITD will build a new maintenance shed in Murphy next year. The state recently acquired a 10-acre parcel for the new facility. Well drilling and excavation for a septic system is planned on the property this fall. The new shed, which will look very similar to the new Emmett shed, will be built next summer.
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Diversity
(Encore: 8-5-11) Tribal member explains native culture during brown-bag lunch
If Ronald Sam didn’t have the attention of his audience before, he certainly had it after striking the center of a buffalo hide drum. Skilled blows to the traditional Native American instrument rattled light fixtures and hungry stomachs Friday (July 29) during the first installment of a brown-bag diversity series at Headquarters.
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