8/26/2011

Transportation board
Board considers report from Valley Regional Transit
Valley Regional Transit (VRT), created by voters in Ada and Canyon counties in 1998, coordinates transit services in both Treasure Valley counties and operates a regional public transportation system. Executive Director Kelli Fairless provided a report on VRT’s activities to members of the Idaho Transportation Board when they met in Boise last week.
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Aeronautics, highways
ITD partners team up for first backcountry airstrip paving
A unique partnership of ITD highway personnel, workers from its Division of Aeronautics and a private contractor combined to accomplish something never done before in Idaho. ITD celebrated completion of a paving project on a section of the Stanley airstrip this week. It is the first of the 31 airstrips owned or operated by ITD to receive an asphalt surface.
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National attention
ITD generosity helps create junk removal empire
You never know what will attract national attention. Sometimes you don’t even need to pursue notoriety, it just lands in your lap. ITD played a minor role in a television segment that aired this week on ABC’s Nightline news magazine program. But you had to listen carefully to hear it.
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Highway safety
Idaho STAR reports motorcycle crashes declining
Motorcycle crashes and fatalities on Idaho roadways are down, according to information released by Idaho STAR, the state’s motorcycle rider-training program. Initial numbers for 2011 appear to be substantially lower in comparison to prior years, based on unofficial first- and second-quarter
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Employees
Gregorys make ITD a family affair
Sometimes a last name is so common that you may not realize the connection immediately. Sometimes it takes years to figure it out. Richard Gregory retired from ITD’s District 3 Special Crew in 2008. Years earlier, Jeramie Gregory came from eastern Idaho to the Marsing shed. Same last name, but “Gregory” is not at all uncommon.
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Employees
Wave your pennant and show your true colors Friday
Friday, Sept. 2, is not a sanctioned state holiday, but it will afford employees a chance to dress more casually than usual. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter invites state employees to show their true (collegiate) colors on the eve of college football kickoffs around the country.
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Highways
Four projects request federal scenic byway funds
Funding has been requested through the Federal Highways Administration’s scenic byway program for four projects in Idaho, according to ITD’s Division of Transportation Performance. A newsletter distributed last week by the division lists the following excerpts from the application narratives for each of the successful projects.
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Employees
Phone calls about P-cards appear to be bogus
It has been reported of cardholders within ITD and other agencies are receiving automated phone calls stating that their Pcard had been locked and that to remove the lock the cardholder must enter his or her four digit PIN number on the phone. Wells Fargo, provider of ITD's P-cards, does not make phone calls to individual cardholders. Please do not provide any information to anyone.
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Accolades
District 3 commended for Idaho 55 repair
On a late July Sunday afternoon, a 20-foot section of Idaho 55 about a half-mile west of Marsing washed out because of a failed culvert under the roadway. A few days after the project was completed and the highway reopened, the South Board of Control (irrigation district) sent a letter of appreciation to District 3 Engineer Dave Jones.
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Funding
AASHTO emphasizes urgency to extend federal funding
At a news conference Tuesday (Aug. 23) , Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, along with several top officials of state transportation departments, sent an urgent message to Congress.
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Employees
NCPERS open enrollment accepted through Nov. 30
PERSI retirement members are eligible to purchase additional term life insurance through HealthSmart NCPERS (underwritten by Prudential). The downloadable brochure details the coverage available. If you are interested in applying for this coverage please fill in the sections of the enrollment application (last page of the brochure), print, sign and date and return the completed form to Human Resource Services or your District Business Office.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-19-11): ITD working to reduce single-vehicle run-off-road crashes, fatalities
A wide-open stretch of rural roadway may lull drivers into complacency. No jockeying for lane position or suffocating cluster of cars and trucks in sight. It’s just open road and the rhythmic sound of tires gliding over pavement. Sadly, it’s also when too many motorists die in single-vehicle crashes.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-19-11): ITD urges caution as schools reopen
Playgrounds and classrooms, lonely places for the past three months, are attracting crowds again as schools across Idaho open for the academic year. School openings, while exciting for children, their parents and teachers, also bring renewed traffic concerns.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-19-11): Prepare for safe walks to school
ITD recommends that children walk to school if they live within a reasonable distance and if they can do so safely. The added daily physical activity promotes good health, reduces congestion, improves air quality and saves natural resources while teaching children important traffic safety skills.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-19-11): School bus operations demand motorist attention
Motorists should be keenly aware of the risks that accompany the reopening of schools as more children use sidewalks and bicycle paths. But drivers also need to watch for buses transporting children to and from schools in the morning and afternoon.
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Highway safety
Encore (8-19-11): ITD emphasizes safe driving during Labor Day holiday weekend
Labor Day picnics and activities offer people many choices, from what to eat to what to do. One important choice ITD encourages everyone to make is to not drive impaired. Law enforcement officers throughout Idaho will be participating in a high-visibility impaired driving education and enforcement campaign Aug. 26-Sept. 6.
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Employees
Encore (8-19-11): Credit union urges students to do homework before college
Whether you or your children are heading back to school or even just looking at colleges, conversations of how much will it cost always comes up. As you explore options, a plan to anticipate the costs of school can drastically impact the costs of education.
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