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Idaho Transportation
Department

Office of Communications
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
E-mail

 


March 7, 2008

Time marches ahead ...

Move clocks ahead an hour Sunday for Daylight Saving Time
There’s good news and bad news on the horizon this weekend. The good news is you’ll have a little more daylight for evening walks or early yard work, beginning Sunday. On the down side, your morning commutes will revert to near dark conditions. Attribute the shift to Sunday morning’s arrival of Daylight Saving Time.
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Budget
JFAC approves, forwards $492.4 million FY09 budget
With limited discussion and only minor changes, the Legislature’s Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee approved ITD’s fiscal year 2009 budget as proposed by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. In contrast to other budget-setting sessions that sometimes required a morning of deliberation, JFAC needed less than two hours to approve and send to the full House and Senate the department’s budget appropriation and the GARVEE Program request.
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GARVEE
Bus tour provides policymakers, media look at I-84 projects
An informational bus tour this week showcased several construction projects planned on Interstate 84 in Nampa and Meridian as part of the state’s GARVEE (Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicle) Transportation Program. Nearly 30 Idaho lawmakers joined city leaders from Meridian and Nampa, local officials, and members of the Treasure Valley media on the bus tour Tuesday (March 4).
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Communication
Revised style guide to help consistency
Do you know how to make a phone call to District 1 on the state’s microwave system? Have you ever wondered how to properly format a multi-page letter on ITD letterhead? Would you like some helpful hints in dealing with e-mail? If so, you will want to get a copy of the new ITD Style and Communications Guide.
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Highway Safety
AAA says crashes cost U.S. motorists $164.2 billion annually
The societal cost of crashes is a staggering $164.2 billion annually, nearly two and a half times greater than the $67.6 billion price tag for congestion, according to a new report released today by the American Automobile Association (AAA). 
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Crashes cost Idahoans $1.8 billion in 2006
The financial toll for traffic crashes in Idaho was nearly $1.8 billion in 2006, or $1,210 per Idahoan throughout the state, according to ITD’s Office of Highway Operations and Safety. “Our figures are based on crash cost estimates established by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA),” said Mary Hunter, ITD’s Highway Safety Manager.
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Plan ahead if St. Patrick's celebration includes alcohol
St. Patrick's Day is a popular time to celebrate with family, friends and a bit of green spirits, but impaired drivers also have made this festive night out dangerous for themselves and others, cautions ITD. That's why the transportation department reminds all of those whose holiday celebrations include alcohol to drink responsibly and arrange for alternative transportation.
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Disaster preparation
Is the nation's No. 1 disaster waiting at your door?
In the last 10 years this natural disaster has cost $24.5 billion dollars in losses nationally. Depending on the location of your home, you could have a 26 percent chance of experiencing damages from this hazard over the 30-year life of your mortgage. 
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Environment
Energy savings may be as close as your fingertips
Are there energy savings waiting to be discovered on your desk? A recent report by Nancy McPherson, Technology Investment Program manager for ITD, indicates laptop computers are slightly more energy efficient than a stand-alone computer and monitor. She compared energy consumption of an MPC TransPort T2500 laptop computer with a desktop MPC Client Pro computer linked to a 17-inch flat screen monitor.
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Highways
Kindergarten students experience feel of snow removal equipment
For the past three months, children in southeast Idaho watched the equipment operate from a distance – throwing plumes of snow from highways and applying blankets of sand, salt and de-icer. The trucks made travel to and from school safer. Kindergarten children in Pocatello recently got a chance to meet the ITD snow removal equipment and operators in person.
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Employees
Adequate sleep needed for peak job performance
Quality sleep is essential to physical and emotional health. Poor sleep can contribute to feelings of fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, and susceptibility to illness. Difficulty falling asleep due to focusing on thoughts and concerns can be a symptom of anxiety. Experts say it’s possible to get a good night’s sleep by making only minor adjustments.
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Transportation board
Formal farewell planned for retired board member Combo
ITD and the transportation community will assemble March 20 in Boise to bid a formal farewell to Jack Combo who retired from the board in January. A reception is planned Thursday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to 11 am. in the Headquarters Auditorium. Mr. Combo served ITD, the board and state for 18 years, missing only five meetings during that span. He has been a champion of ITD employees and continuing educational opportunities. He also was a voice for strong fiscal stewardship and maintained a statewide perspective when debating transportation needs. Please join ITD, the board members and friends in saying thank you for nearly two decades of faithful service.


ITD Mailbox
• DMV provides aid from afar
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Published previously

Winter triumphs
Success measured in crashes prevented
Success often can be measured in multiple ways. In winter highway maintenance it can be judged by what you accomplish and what you prevent. That was a conclusion by a traveler who assessed ITD’s performance during a journey on Interstate 15 during one of the most challenging periods of winter.
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Accolades
Rainbow Bridge renovation received international honor
Recognizing the slow but steady assault nature was exacting on the structure, ITD began a major Rainbow Bridge makeover project in 2006. Although work on the arch piers, floor beams, deck joints and columns took place outside the view of the motoring public, someone was paying close attention. The International Concrete Repair Institute chose the Rainbow Bridge facelift as its 2007 Project of the year. 
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U.S. 95 Setters to Bellgrove garners engineering award
A 7.5-mile highway reconstruction/realignment project that significantly improves safety for travelers on U.S. 95 in northern Idaho was selected recently for a national engineering award. The American Council of Engineering Companies awarded National Finalist status to the U.S. 95 Setters to Bellgrove project that added new lanes, eliminated hazardous curves, replaced aging bridges and realigned portions of the highway.
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Aeronautics
Drill helps division prepare for aviation emergencies
Staff from the Division of Aeronautics hovered over maps and tables in what resembled a war room Friday (Feb. 22), looking for the location of a lost aircraft. . They focused on an area between Banks and McCall. The object of their scrutiny – the state-owned Cessna 206 single-engine plane – never crashed; indeed it was never missing.  The mock search-and-rescue effort was a training exercise for Aeronautics personnel and representatives of the department’s Communications Office.
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