5/25/2012

Highway safety
Travel safely on Memorial Day weekend
If your holiday weekend plans include travel on Idaho 55, ITD asks you to avoid the heaviest traffic by traveling outside peak travel times or using alternate routes. ITD will arrange for flaggers to help with traffic flow through the Idaho 55 junction with the Banks-to-Lowman Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway.  
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Highways
Highway construction to take holiday break
Work that could impact travel will be suspended on all ITD highway construction projects statewide for the Memorial Day weekend, except in special circumstances. In most cases, work will resume Tuesday (May 29).
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Highway safety
Law enforcement engaged in high visibility patrols
ITD joins the Idaho State Police and other law enforcement agencies across Idaho to make highways safer by funding high visibility seat belt patrols that began Tuesday (May 22) and continue through June 5.
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Highways / GARVEE
New bridge will open door to highway corridor expansion
A Thursday groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the beginning of the Idaho 16 Boise River Crossing (work starts May 29) and the connection of State Street to Chinden Boulevard. The event also advocated for the remainder of the Central Valley Expressway, as supporters have come to call it, extending Highway 16 south all the way to Interstate 84.
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Transportation board
Board members learn of District 5 mobility options
Residents of southeast Idaho use more than automobiles to reach their destinations, according to a report to the Idaho Transportation Board when it met in Pocatello May 16 for its monthly business meeting.
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Economy, environment
Caltrans looks to Idaho 21 fish passage project as an example
The Five Mile Creek Fish-Passage project, wrapping up near Lowman on Idaho 21 in this summer, has received a lot of well-deserved attention – and not just locally. In early May, ITD received a phone call from Steve Thorne of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) about the $1.2 million Forest Service-funded project.
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Highway safety
Drivers learn difficulties of texting while driving
Drivers learn difficulties of texting while driving Members of the news media, high school students and general public learned firsthand the dangers of texting while driving and the perils of driving impaired during “Safe Driving Days,” May 18, 19, hosted by the Idaho State Police.
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Employees
Results of cultural survey available online
The conclusions of a survey about ITD’s current organizational culture and the kind of culture we would like to grow are available online for employees to peruse.
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Highway safety
Pilot study in Boise demonstrates use of CrashHelp system
In an ongoing effort to facilitate communication and improve patient care following traffic crashes, researchers with CERS and the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute have completed a pilot study of the prototype CrashHelp system. Overall results were positive, indicating that CrashHelp allowed for the efficient collection of usable information.
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Accolades
ITD Mailbox
•Impressed with service •Professional, effective and timely
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Bridges
Resurfacing of Perrine Bridge scheduled
Rehabilitation of Perrine Bridge deck scheduled to begin Work to resurface the driving lanes of the Perrine Bridge is expected to begin in early June. After work begins, drivers should expect delays and restrictions while approaching and crossing the bridge for about a month, particularly during high-traffic periods. Half of the bridge, including pedestrian walkways, will be closed at all times during the work.
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Highway safety
ISP, ITD urge caution when traveling this summer
The Idaho State Police joined with local law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates across the country to help save lives by strongly enforcing seatbelt laws around the clock. Too many drivers and passengers on the road at night are not wearing their seat belts, and it all too often ends in tragedy. Seatbelt use saves thousands of lives across America each year.  
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Highways
Encore (5-25-12) ITD partners with INL to assess road conditions
Be my partner. That’s what the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) asked ITD in seeking help with its road inspections. And the transportation department was glad to oblige; partnering is what we do. INL previously used a tedious and time-consuming process of road inspection that involved manual walk-downs and surface grading.
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Technology
Encore (5-18-12): New administrator reflects on role in transportation
The appointment last week of Shannon Barnes as ITD's new Information Technology Administrator is a marriage of several strengths. Barnes, who has been with ITD since 2006, will combine a sound background in technology with strong leadership and management skills and a vision that keeps her on the edge – where today meets tomorrow.
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Mobility
Encore (5-18-12): YMCA executive cherishes 'alone' time on bicycle commutes
Exercise, saving money and helping the planet can be great reasons to trade gas and brake pedals for foot pedals, but don’t underestimate the value that a little “me” time offers to those that choose to commute by bicycle. Jim Everett commutes by bicycle to his Boise office most days. The CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA said he has many reasons for bicycle commuting.
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Adopt-A-Highway
Encore (5-18-12): Communications workers connect people, clean connectors
With Grandma Jeannette as their inspiration, a fifth generation of successors in ACT Communications takes the spirit of helping to a new arena – the shoulders of Idaho 38 near Malad. Volunteers clean the highway between mileposts 7 and 9 twice a year, and in three outings since joining the Adopt-A-Highway program, they have gathered 945 pounds of refuse.
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Adopt-A-Highway
Encore (5-18-12): ISU group finds its own image during cleanup
Sometimes students in the Idaho State University Hearing and Speech Clinic see themselves coming while going. The past met the present during one of their semiannual highway cleanup campaigns as part of the ITD’s Adopt-A-Highway program.
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DMV
Encore (5-18-12): Validation process gives sneak preview of GARNET
Testing of software package components for the DMV’s GARNET modernization project is under way and one participant seems to like what she sees. Leah Allen of ITD Driver Services recently participated in the Solution Validation Process (SVP) for Driver Record and Issuance Verification Solution (DRIVS)
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