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Board to focus on rail, aeronautics topics July 19-20

The Idaho Transportation Board will consider a staff report on the Railroad Grade Crossing Protection Account when it meets July 19-20 in Coeur d’Alene.

Obligated projects included in the railroad account are: the Kootenai Cutoff Crossing in Ponderay, the Jameston Road Crossing in Idaho Falls, the Milwaukee Street Crossing in Boise and the Eight Mile Road in Caribou County.

In addition to summarizing the railroad grade crossing projects, ITD staff members will present a report on rail-highway grade crossing collisions. In 2004, there were 23 train-vehicle collisions statewide, resulting in three fatalities. Three persons also died in 18 collisions the previous year.

District 5 has the most railroad crossings, with 601, followed by District 3 with 514, and District 4 with 425. District 1 recorded the highest collision rate, 0.1135, followed by District 3 and 4 with 0.0642 and 0.0494, respectively. District 2 had the lowest collision rate, 0.0036, and also has the fewest crossings, 276.

Last year’s statewide collision rate was 0.0466.

The Division of Aeronautics will ask board members to approve the FY06 Airport Aid Program. Aeronautics projects are being integrated into the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, a five-year schedule of highway construction and public transportation projects.

If the Division of Aeronautics plan is approved, all seven of the state’s commercial airports will receive funds in FY06.

Proposed projects include a master plan study (Moscow), construction of a taxiway and acquisition of an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle (Pocatello) and an environmental assessment and construction of an air traffic control tower (Hailey).

Some of the requested projects for general aviation airports include: acquiring development land and constructing taxiways in Caldwell, installing perimeter fencing in Jerome and Soda Springs, rehabilitating the runway at Salmon and maintaining the runway at Craigmont.

Nearly $33 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program and Idaho Airport Aid Program grants will be available for Idaho community airports. Most of funds are from FAA.

A state and/or local match is required for the projects.

A tour of District 1 construction areas will precede Wednesday’s (July 20) monthly meeting. Beginning Tuesday morning, board members and ITD staff will visit the Setters to Bellgrove realignment/reconstruction project on U.S. 95 south of Coeur d’Alene.

After stopping at Black Rock Development Corp., a major developer in the Coeur d’Alene area, board members will travel to Sandpoint for lunch at the maintenance shed. The afternoon includes stops at projects on Idaho 200 before a return to Coeur d’Alene.