11/18/2011

Winter travel
ITD encourages drivers to prepare for winter driving
Idaho is rugged country with a diverse geography and natural beauty. The qualities that invite exploration, recreation and commerce also can make winter driving a challenge. Safely navigating Idaho’s winter weather and highways requires preparation.
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Winter travel
ITD offers checklist for staying safe on winter highways
Safe travel on Idaho highways in the winter is no accident. It requires preparation and prudence. Motorists can alleviate a lot of problems associated with winter travel by checking conditions before leaving home. That can be done easily and quickly by visiting 511.idaho.gov on the Internet or calling 5-1-1.
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Diversity
Kituku to train spear on cultural diversity
Understanding and managing a buffalo in the workplace like cultural diversity can prove challenging without the necessary spears. Learn about those spears from Vincent Kituku, author of “Overcoming Buffalos At Work & In Life,” at ITD’s third brown-bag lunch program Dec. 6 at noon in the Headquarters auditorium.
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Winter travel
Safe winter travel begins with preparation
As Idaho motorists take to the roads this winter, ITD reminds that a few extra precautions can make winter journeys safer. Plan ahead. Before heading out on the state's roadways, dial 5-1-1 or visit 511.idaho.gov on the Web for updates on winter road and weather conditions, emergency closures and access to highway condition reports.
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Winter travel
Stay safe when driving around snowplows
As winter weather rapidly approaches, the ITD reminds motorists to use caution when traveling the state's highways during inclement weather and to cooperate with highway workers clearing the highways.
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Traveler information
5-1-1 ... Your combination for safe travel
Safe winter travel in Idaho begins with a trip to Idaho’s 511 Traveler Services website or a phone call to the interactive 5-1-1 telephone system provided as a free service by ITD. Information available through the Internet (511.idaho.gov) and the phone system provides drivers with information they need to make safe winter travel decisions, explains ITD’s Tony Ernest, travel services coordinator.
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Traveler information
New features added to 511 website
ITD is committed to ensuring the safest travel possible on state highways. To provide motorists with the latest information on highway and weather conditions, and to help travelers make safe, well-informed travel decisions, the department offers a comprehensive 511 Traveler Services system.
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Traveler information
Traveler services provides information about highways
Idaho travelers have a wealth of information at their disposal to plan winter travel. Those with access to the Internet are encouraged to visit 511.idaho.gov before leaving home if weather and highway conditions are concerns.
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Traveler information
Website reaches growing audience
Website reaches growing audience Idaho’s 511 Traveler Services system continues to grow as motorists become more familiar with its capabilities to enhance safe driving, explains coordinator Tony Ernest. With the widespread use of smart phones and faster Internet connections, more users prefer the web-based site (511.idaho.gov) over the 5-1-1 telephone option.
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Traveler information
A link to highway conditions
ITD joined a consortium of partners from other states in 2005 to introduce a new interactive system to help Idaho residents make informed winter travel decisions. Those partners, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), began to develop a new integrated system about a decade ago.
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Employees
671 employees complete wellness challenge
The 2011 wellness challenge inspired employees to exercise regularly and to experience some of Idaho’s Great Exercise Motivating Sites or GEMS. For the 10-week event, 762 employees participated, with 671 (88 percent) reaching the goal of at least 30 hours of exercise.
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Employees
D-1's Autio retires after 39 years with ITD crew
Kelsey Saintz Shoshone News Press KELLOGG - Dave Autio has a final statement for winter drivers. For starters, slow down and give yourself extra time to get where you’re going. “Relax and enjoy the ride,” the Idaho Transportation Department maintenance foreman said. After all, he and his crew are just trying to make the roads safer.
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Highway safety
Statewide campaign catches more than impaired drivers
Ensuring safe travel on Idaho’s highways is a prime reason for high visibility education and enforcement campaigns that target impaired driving, such as one planned statewide for the Thanksgiving holiday period, Nov. 19-27.
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Highway safety
Encore (11-11-11): Sleepy drivers create safety problems for others
Drowsy driving is often difficult to identify as causing a motor vehicle crash because drivers can be reluctant to admit they simply fell asleep at the wheel. Much like distracted driving, drowsy or fatigued driving involves taking a driver’s attention away from the task of driving while that vehicle travels over highways and through traffic with no one in real control.
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Aeronautics
Encore (11-11-11): Generous groups, individuals help Idaho airstrip system
JV DeThomas Administrator, Division of Aeronautics General aviation in Idaho is blessed with wonderful back country opportunities. We also are fortunate to have active and generous non-government organizations and individuals, who contribute to the maintenance and development of these recreational airstrips.
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Public transportation
Encore (11-11-11): ITD awarded $543,658 grant to help veterans
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week the award of $543,658 to ITD and several public transportation partners to increase mobility options for veterans. ITD submitted a grant application for the “Idaho Statewide One-Click Transportation Information for Veterans,” proposal in September.
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Highways
Encore (11-11-11): District 3 embarks on equipment training
Snow already has made scattered appearances in southwest Idaho, and District 3 is preparing for sequels that inevitably will arrive in the weeks ahead. The district recently conducted its first formal equipment training, with an emphasis on winter maintenance. A dozen new maintenance employees went through the first training.
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Federal funding
Encore (11-11-11): Senate committee approves 2-year highway reauthorization
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a unanimous 18-0 vote, approved a two-year reauthorization of federal highway programs at current funding levels. The bill now moves to the Senate floor calendar, where it will wait for three other committees to approve funding, transit, and safety components that will eventually be merged into one piece of legislation.
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