8-24-07
Administration
Tolman chosen to lead Division
of Administration
Dave Tolman, who been acting administrator for the Division
of Administration since mid-June, was selected to fill
the position on a permanent basis Thursday (Aug. 23) by
ITD Director Pam Lowe. Tolman joined ITD as controller
in October 2001.
"Over
the past few years, Dave has proven himself to be a valuable
member of the ITD team," Lowe said in announcing
the appointment. "His leadership ability, technical
expertise, and ability to work cooperatively across all
divisions are the skills that Dave will bring to his new
position. His appointment is effective immediately."
The
Transporter will feature an in depth look at the new administrator
in the Aug. 31 edition.
Highways
Attention,
anticipation key to safety around schools
Bicycle
and pedestrian lanes, playgrounds, yellow buses and classrooms
return to life this fall as children from Port Hill to
Fort Hall make the annual pilgrimage back to school. Motorists
who have grown accustomed to sailing undeterred through
school zones the past three months need to renew their
vigilance around schools.
Continue
New
program encourages students to walk, bike
As
summer fades and children prepare for a new school year,
Idaho's First Lady Lori Otter urges parents to revive
an old tradition - encouraging children to walk or bike
to school regularly. Mrs. Otter wants schools and parents
to put Oct. 3 on their calendars and to organize a walking
event for "International Walk to School Day."
Continue
Patrols
focuses on impaired driving
ITD
reminds drivers that law enforcement agencies in Idaho
and across the nation will be working overtime through
the Labor Day weekend to catch and arrest impaired drivers.
At least 30 Idaho law enforcement agencies are expected
to participate in the statewide overtime enforcement campaign
that begins today (Aug. 24) and continues through Sept.
4.
Continue
511 Survey seeks ideas from commercial vehicle drivers
Two
years after the Idaho Transportation Department launched
the 511 Traveler Information phone system and the 511.idaho.gov
Web site, the service is ready for a major upgrade. In
preparation for rolling out the new generation, ITD wants
input from a segment of the traveling public that depends
on Idaho’s highways for their livelihood –
commercial vehicle operators.
Continue
District
takes tough approach with weeds
At
a pace that could see a roadside jogger actually race
around the truck working along the side of the road, the
District 4 Vegetation Management crew has continued to
roll down the local highways to do its part in keeping
the roads presentable. The process doesn’t appear
to be the most important in District 4 operations, but
the eradication of noxious and hazardous weeds has several
benefits...
Continue
Public
Transportation
Remote
cabin awaits retiring Larry Falkner
A
small rustic cabin near Grand Jean Junction awaits the
occupancy of its owner and part-time resident. It has
no electricity; the refrigerator and sparse lighting is
powered by a gas generator. Light rail does not stop there.
Neither does a public transit bus. The haven for hunters
will become more than a weekend retreat for Larry Falkner
after he retires as administrator of ITD’s Division
of Public Transportation. It will become a second home.
Continue
Wildfires
Fire worries Ketchum-area residents
A
dozen wildfires continue to burn in central and south-central
Idaho, charring nearly 415,000 acres as of Thursday morning.
The fire drawing the most attention is the Castle Rock
fire in the Sawtooth National Forest, approximately eight
miles west of Ketchum. As of Thursday morning, the fire
had consumed about 15,600 acres of timber and was threatening
Ketchum in the Sun Valley area.
Continue
Fires
burning almost 415,000 acres in Idaho
Fire
activity report from the National Interagency Fire Center,
as of Friday, Aug. 23...
Continue
Letters
• Thanks for helping spread the message
Continue
Highways
ITD
inspects bridges to ensure safety
Idaho
has 1,761 bridges on its state highway system. A veteran
crew of professional bridge inspectors and bridge engineers
inspects each bridge at least every two years –
or more often, if necessary. The inspectors use special
equipment that allows them to view the bridge from all
angles. ITD also uses a trained dive team to conduct underwater
inspections of piers and pilings.
Continue
Bridge conference planned in Boise
ITD
will serve as the host agency in September for the Western
Bridge Engineers’ Seminar that will bring engineers
from seven western states to Boise. “Practical Solutions
for Today’s Challenges,” a managed by Washington
State University in Pullman, is scheduled for Sept. 24-26
at the Boise Centre on the Grove. It will include representatives
from Idaho, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada
and Arizona.
Continue
Cleanup
campaigns reveal nature of motorists
Larry
and Sherry Mundt find messages in abundance as they clean
a one-mile segment of U.S. 95 about four miles south of
Coeur d'Alene. Debris that was unintentionally lost or
carelessly left behind speaks volumes about the people
who travel the highway. Over the past 14 years, we have
salvaged quite a diverse collection of loot, including
entire sets of screw drivers, wrenches, bungee cords,
ratchet straps and beach towels.
Continue
Planning
& Programming
Parrish assumes lead of ITD research program
Matt
Moore laid a solid foundation for transportation research
at ITD and passed the program to Ned Parrish a month ago
after becoming Administrator of the Division of Planning
and Programming.
Continue
Public learns of options for I-84 segment near Boise
Proposed
and planned changes to the Interstate 84 corridor near
Boise were shown to the public Wednesday when ITD held
both a public hearing and public meeting at the Holiday
Inn – Airport in Boise.
Continue
Administration
ITD to participate in Sept.
8 Career Fair
ITD is stepping up efforts to attract
qualified, motivated professions to fill the positions
it has available. In an effort to attract applicants,
representatives of ITD’s Human Resource Services
will join other public departments and agencies at the
sixth annual Law Enforcement Career Fair and Public Safety
Day Sept. 8 in Boise.
Continue
|