7/27/2012

Delegates tell board members good transportation is essential
Chamber of commerce members and business representatives emphasized the importance of a multi-modal transportation system and quality air service when they addressed the Idaho Transportation Board last week in Coeur d’Alene. Both are critical to economic vitality and opportunity, they said.
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Act of heroism
POE inspector helps in saving traveler's life
Without much hesitation, Cottrell Port of Entry Inspector Julie Roseborough grabbed her handheld radio and called to the other port building to give a situation status. She ran out of the port office after two people came in to say there was a collapsed man outside near the neighboring Cottrell Rest Area along westbound Interstate 84 in rural Cassia County on the evening of July 12.
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Highways
Sand Creek Byway welcomed traffic today (July 27)
Long-awaited and highly anticipated, the Sand Creek Byway officially opened to traffic this morning (July 27), bringing to a conclusion more than a half-century of discussion, planning and recent construction. Crews prepared the road and removed barriers this morning for northbound traffic; about an hour later, the byway was opened to vehicles traveling in both directions.
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Innovation
District 2 approved for innovative SEP-14 project bidding
Project engineers in District 2 are pioneering the use of innovative construction efficiencies to save costs and complete projects quicker. The district recently received Federal Highway Administration approval of a SEP-14 (Special Experimental Project No. 14) on the Idaho 7 Gilbert Grade north of Orofino.
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Quest to be best
ITD shares right-of-way expertise with Wyoming DOT
Officials in Wyoming are working with private industry to accommodate demands of fiber optic communications in highway right-of-ways. What are the advantages? The limitations? How can contracts of mutual benefit be developed? So many questions. But where to find answers?
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Accolades
New Meadows thanks ITD for assistance
Representatives from the city of New Meadows recently took the time to thank ITD for assistance with a number of items, including installation of new crosswalk and pedestrian signs that will increase the safe walk to school for children. The most recent improvements, according to City Clerk/Treasurer Mac Qualls, came as a result of the Capital for a Day event the city hosted in April.
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Highways
ITD crews removing soil deposited by winter winds
The wind blows everywhere in eastern Idaho, but it doesn't affect any roadway as much as it affects Interstate 15 in the Osgood area. That's where crews from ITD are in the process of hauling away more than 2,000 dump truck loads of soil deposited by dust storms in recent years.
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Transportation Performance
I-TRIPS training, webinars scheduled
ITD’s Division of Transportation Performance (ITD-TP) will host training sessions for Idaho’s Transportation Reimbursement, Integration and Performance System (I-TRIPS) statewide.
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Law enforcement
ISP warns against dark tinting on vehicle windows
The Idaho State Police wants you to know about window tinting. The window tint on your vehicle may be illegal. The focus behind the Tint Law is to provide safety for Law Enforcement officers and other first responders as they approach vehicles during traffic stops
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Idaho Transportation Investment Program
Encore (7-20-12): Board approves plan to expedite key projects
The Idaho Transportation Board this week approved a resolution that will expedite approximately $180 million of highway construction projects in key corridors to improve mobility, safety and economic opportunity for Idahoans. “With low interest rates, the need to improve safety, grow the economy through construction jobs, remove bottlenecks to commerce and improve traffic flow, the board decided unanimously to advance these projects,” said Board Chairman Jerry Whitehead.
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Aeronautics, technology
Encore (7-20-12): ITD develops one-of-a-kind aero tablet 'app'
ITD recently developed and released an “app” for electronic tablets that will improve safety for pilots flying into and out of Idaho airstrips. The app is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. It provides information and runway diagrams for 134 Idaho airports and aviation facilities along with general flight information.
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Highway safety
Encore (7-20-12): 3500-pound weapon wields destructive potential
"Your vehicle is a 3,500-lb. weapon,” said Garden City STEP (Selected Traffic Enforcement Program) coordinator Sgt. Blair Brannan. “Multiply that weight with the speed you’re traveling, and the destructive potential is phenomenal.” With that, Sgt. Brannan begins morning traffic school, as he has done more than 50 times by his estimation.
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Employee safety
Encore (7-20-12): ITD gains 3,200 productive work days in FY '12
What does 3,200 fewer days lost to injury in one year mean to an organization? Greater productivity, to be sure. A more positive working atmosphere. Better mental well-being for employees. Less malingering and complaining. The list goes on. In the recently completed Fiscal Year 2012, there were 938 days lost to injury, compared to 4,147 the previous fiscal year.
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Highways
Encore (7-20-12): Seal coats protect highway surfaces from moisture intrusion
Every year, particularly mid- to late-summer, seal coats and chip seals projects abound throughout the state. The practice always prompts many questions. Here are a few answers from ITD. These applications protect the financial investment taxpayers have made in the road, and they protect drivers.
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