8/21/2020

Leadership
WASHTO’s Emerging Leaders take on new look in virtual world, but features same program goals
ITD Director Brian Ness brought Emerging Leaders training to the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) when he was the association’s president in 2015. Now it has been fully adopted by the group and is a regular program. The two-year program is designed to equip employees with the leadership skills they will need to succeed and advance in their transportation careers.
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Safety Corner
ITD's Schoolcraft recounts harrowing motorcycle crash and long road to recovery
On Oct. 25, 2019, Justin Schoolcraft and his wife, Davis, hoped on their motorcycle for a trip into Twin Falls just before 5 p.m. They were traveling south on Fillmore Street on their red 2019 Harley Davidson Street Glide when a small white SUV heading north turned from the northbound lane toward a Chevron gas station and right into their path, hitting them head-on. Justin recounts the accident and their road to recovery.
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Employee Safety
Saving Those Peepers: Air horns placed near safety stations
An emergency eyewash station is an essential resource in every ITD laboratory that uses chemicals and other hazardous substances. Now those eyewash stations also include air horns to alert the lab in case of an emergency. 
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DMV Innovation
Streamlined driver's training transfers save valuable time
When a young adult completed a driver’s training course in another state and then applied for a learner’s permit in Idaho, a cumbersome, time consuming process ensued. An innovation from the Division of Motor Vehicles promises to shave valuable weeks off each young person's wait time.
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DMV Innovation
Trailer Vehicle Identification Number innovation saves time, money and digits
A new process to install vehicle identification numbers on trailers is improving security and saving both money and time. And fingers.
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Funding
CARES Act portal creates innovative way to serve public transit providers
ITD’s Office of Public Transportation (PT) is making things a bit easier for Idaho transit providers during a time of COVID-19 uncertainty and decreased ridership. Idaho was one of the first five states in the nation to execute a grant with the FTA, securing more than $27 million for public transportation in the state.
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Connected
Exemption to purchasing process makes Intelligent Transportation Systems an even smarter option
You know those rare occasions when you’re driving in your car and it seems that every light in your path turns green? If you’re like me, you feel like it’s your lucky day and everything’s coming up Milhouse. You may want to hold off on spending your paycheck on lottery tickets however, because more than likely that streak of good luck wasn’t luck at all, but rather an Intelligent Transportation System operating in the background.
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Employee Safety
Ideas and videos needed for 2020 Safety Stand Down — September 30, 2-4 p.m. (MST)
Reminder: We are planning this year's Safety Stand Down, for the afternoon of September 30. We will be doing this via a virtual platform this year, focusing on COVID-19 best practices and the "new normal" we have identified in our work areas. There are two main areas where you can help us as we plan this event - your videos and pictures.
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Safety Corner
Powell operators develop “backup buddy” to help guide new drivers
Today, most new cars have rear-view cameras that take the difficulty out of going backwards, but the same can’t be said for ITD equipment. Many operators who come to work for the department don’t already have their CDL and may not be used to driving large loads, creating a problem.
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Time Savings
Reducing monotonous tasks? Why, of course!
Nothing beats fine-tuning a process to the point it ends up saving you considerable amounts of time and money! Well, that’s just what Harry Richter and Ryan Stewart of District 6 did.
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Standardization
New standard bridge detail sheets provide uniform guidance for contractors making concrete repairs
An innovation from Highways is already making concrete repair easier for crews performing the improvements by illustrating typical concrete removal details, providing estimated removal quantities and setting concrete removal limitations. It is estimated to save nearly 1,000 hours per year in repair time statewide, meaning drivers can begin using the improved bridges even more quickly.
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DMV Innovation
Personnel mapping process provides job template for new employees
Hiring and bringing onboard a new employee is a complicated, multi-step process. In the DMV, this tasked was managed solely by its Business Operations Manager. That wasn't always the best option. So DMV came up with a personnel mapping process to solve that problem.
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Workspace
Color-coded zones help Central Lab stay organized and safe
The power of innovation is that a simple change can make a big difference in overall workflow, and you’ll see that at the Central Laboratory. In the last several months, the lab has undergone a reorganizing effort using the 5S method. This process encourages a clean and orderly workplace so employees can safely and more efficiently get their job done. The 5S’s stand for sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain.
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DMV Innovation
Automatic mailing of bulk 30-day temporary registrations streamlines process for dealers
When one of the hundreds of new and used auto dealers sell a vehicle, that company issues a 30-day temporary registration to the customer. But how that temporary registration made it to the dealer from the transportation department used to be a time-consuming and inefficient method.
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Technology
ETS' Office 365 solutions help alleviate stress on overloaded VPN system
Before Covid-19 reared its ugly head, only a handful of ITD employees were set up to work remotely and access department applications away from the office. In March, Enterprise Technology Services guided over 1,600 employees to work from home within a matter of days through a Virtual Private Network, but the new VPN load exposed ITD to numerous cyber concerns. 
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Employees
ITD's MVPs
ITD employees have an avenue to share their appreciation for the assistance and guidance of colleagues. Recognition and acknowledgement can be an essential component of job satisfaction. These are the MVP cards submitted by employees recently:
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Career Development
ITD Jobs
The current list of job openings may help inform employees of the career choices available to them that make ITD a great place to work. It also may assist in external recruitment when looking for the best candidates.
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DMV Innovation
Maps/attachments for Special Permits aid truckers by saving valuable time
Truckers needing special permits to travel Idaho’s highways are required to carry either a hard or digital copy of the applicable maps and attachments in their vehicles. They also needed to stop by a port of entry to obtain copies of the documents or contact the Permits Unit to have them mailed. The maps were hard to print off, but also difficult to see on a phone or tablet. DMV came up with a solution.
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DMV Innovation
Submitting county renewal notices entirely electronically saves time, paper
The county sheriffs and assessors receive a variety of reports from the DMV to assist in their regular operations. One report, a monthly list of vehicle registration renewal notices, was being requested from 18 counties. A DMV employee would extract the data and print an average of 2,700 pages of information. Half of those pages were shredded because they included data that was not deemed relevant.
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Employees
Respectful Workplace training to begin for supervisors in September, all other employees in October
For the last several years, ITD has asked employees to complete online Respectful Workplace Training annually as a part of creating a safe and responsive work environment free from harassment or discrimination. Supervisors and managers will be completing training in September, with employees following suit starting a month later. The employee training must be completed by December 31.
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