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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
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Moore picked to lead research effort

ITD has been engaged in research for over 50 years. This is a clear measure of the understanding that in order to remain a strong agency serving our customers well we need an active and well managed Research Program which focuses on a broad range of topics.

During the summer of 2004 the Department was fortunate to have Dr. Michael Kyte from the University of Idaho lead a review of our current activities in research and engage a variety of people to develop a series of recommendations to move our program to the next generation. Dr. Kyte engaged over 36 professionals and senior staff in developing a series of findings and recommendations to help us take the next steps.

First a short review of what we heard.

  • The most commonly mentioned suggestions included improving awareness through better communications, better implementation of research results, tying research more closely to the strategic plan, establishing success metric, moving the program to a more visible location, broadening the scope of the program, focusing on problems that we cannot address, and expanding the budget
  • There is a belief that over 80 percent of the problems facing transportation can be helped by research.
  • That we need to invigorate the deployment of research results.

Dr. Kyte’s final report contained a series of 7 recommendations focused at:

  • Redefining research as an activity that gathers information in a scientific manner to help us do our jobs better and deliver programs and services more effectively.
  • That Research should be designated as one our key programs.
  • To establish a fulltime Research Program Manager position to have Department wide scope.
  • And to establish a Research Council reporting to the Executive Team.

The Executive Team considered the report and held two discussion sessions with Dr. Kyte. As a result we have adopted the report and the spirit and intent of its findings and recommendations.

As a significant first step we have established in the Division of Transportation Planning and Programs the position of Department Research Program Manager. It will be the focus of this position to implement the findings and recommendations necessary to bring the Research Program to the next level.

We are pleased to announce that Matt Moore has been selected to be the new Research Program Manager. Previously, he served as the Senior Transportation Planner responsible for administering Idaho’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program for ITD from 1998 to 2005; co-managed Idaho’s Transportation Future: Getting There Together from 2000 to 2005.

He also provided liaison to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, LHTAC and FHWA on transportation/environmental quality issues.

Matt was promoted into ITD in 1998 from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, where he served for four years as the transportation/environmental quality liaison to ITD, LHTAC and FHWA.

Prior to that, Matt was in the transportation and environmental consulting business as a project manager. Matt has a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the Claremont Graduate University, and a Bachelor of Science in Resource Management and Public Administration from Northern Arizona University.

Please extend Matt your utmost cooperation as he works with our many partners to reformulate and modernize Idaho’s Research Program.

A copy of the report from Dr. Kyte is available from the Division of Transportation Planning and Programs.

David S. Ekern, P.E.
Director

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