Public Transportation
New administrator familiar with challenges
Among the most pressing challenges for Randy Kyrias a few years ago was navigating the congested freeways of southern California and managing a medical transport company. Eight years and about 900 miles later his greatest challenge is to help public agencies, rural cities and growing urban areas cope with the prospects of congestion similar to what he left behind.
Continue

---

Employees
Theme basket raffle to benefit charitable giving campaign
ITD employees in the Treasure Valley can help the state’s charitable giving campaign and enjoy the products of their co-workers’ creativity at the same time. Employees assembled two-dozen baskets that will be raffled off Friday, with proceeds going to the United We Care Idaho State Employees Charitable Giving Campaign.
Continue

View the baskets

Board honors employees for service years, achievements
Seven retirees, with a collective 177 years of service to Idaho, were among the ITD employees honored this week during the semi-annual awards ceremony at Headquarters. Matt Moore, administrator of the Division of Planning & Programming, presided over the ceremony that was held as part of the transportation board meeting Thursday.
Continue

---

Planning
COMPASS receives national honor for Communities in Motion
The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) recently received a national award for its efforts to inform the public of its long-range plan for the region. COMPASS delegates accepted the National Award for Outstanding Achievement in Metropolitan Transportation Planning from the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO).
Continue

---

Technology
Out-of-Office notices available Nov. 1
A feature of ITD e-mail programs that previously was not available will be activated next month, enabling employees to let senders from outside the department know when they are out of the office. Beginning Nov. 1 when employees turn on their “Out-of-Office Assistant (in Microsoft Outlook and Entourage), the automated reply will be allowed outside of the ITD network...
Continue

Spyware, malware becomes widespread affliction
Prevx, leaders in Automated Malware Research, this week announced the results from checks for active spyware and malware on nearly 300,000 PCs during the last 30 days. The scans were performed by users who downloaded its free Prevx Computer Security Investigator (CSI). The results show that of 290,647 PCs scanned a staggering 45,251 (15.6 percent) had one or more active spyware or malware infection.
Continue

---

In Memoriam
Railroad official dies unexpectedly Sunday
Charlie Clark, special representative for the president of Union Pacific Railroad Company, died unexpectedly Sunday in his home. He was formally remembered during a service Thursday. Charlie was close to and a good friend of ITD on rail transportation and railroad crossing safety and Legislative issues related to railroads. He was respected throughout the rail and transportation industry. ITD extends its condolences to Charlie’s family on his sudden passing.

Posted previously

Environment
ITD, partners receive one of AASHTO's highest awards
ITD and a coalition of public and private partners dedicated to saving the Yellowstone cutthroat trout population recently earned one of the highest awards given by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The Henrys Lake Fish Passages Project Team received an AASHTO President’s Transportation Award for Environment during the organization’s 2007 annual meeting held in Milwaukee, Wis., last month.
Continue

---

Research
Pavement management tops list of 11 funded projects
ITD’s 14-member Research Advisory Council identified 11 proposals for funding, including three pooled fund projects, and is looking for alternatives to conducting four other projects, said Research Program Manager Ned Parrish. Council members, representing a cross-section of ITD disciplines, met in September and chose a six-month pavement management system evaluation as the department’s highest priority.
Continue

Council looks for projects that improve transportation, efficiency
Members of the ITD Research Advisory Council met Sept. 26 to discuss research proposals and priorities, narrowing an initial proposal list of 29 projects to 11 for funding and committing to fine alternative resources to conduct four other project.
Continue

Funded projects

---

District 4
Employees await start of new facility
This time it is not a drill. The reality of a new District 4 Headquarters building is closer now than ever before with actual building plans being circulated in Shoshone. While the plans provided to the district are far from a final draft, the reality of a new building shows commitment by the state to likely proceed with construction this time.
Continue

Road warriors brush up on winter techniques
The first snow of the season has already landed across the top of District 4’s highest peaks, signaling the beginning of the snow season. The Winter Start-up meeting on Sept. 12 at the District 4 Headquarters highlighted a few of the safety issues, new policies and chemical applications to be utilized this year. Drivers were encouraged to enact “no boundaries” between assigned road sections when other drivers need assistance.
Continue

---