CONNECTIONS

IDAHO
ITD HOME
IDAHO DMV
ITD NEWS
HIGHWAY SAFETY
IDAHO STATE POLICE
TRAVEL SERVICES
STATE OF IDAHO

NATIONAL
AASHTO
AAMVA
AAA of IDAHO
FEDERAL HIGHWAYS
FEDERAL AVIATION
IDAHO STATE POLICE
NHTSA
NTSB
TRB
U.S. DOT

 

Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


ITD, NIATT join to put research into hands of users

Matt Moore, the Idaho Transportation Department's new research manager, recently met with researchers and staff of the National Institute for Advanced Transportation to discuss future research collaboration.

"Matt brings new vision to our 17-year-old research program, showing how our work can impact ITD’s long-term objectives," said Michael Kyte, NIATT director at the University of Idaho.

The UI, through NIATT, and ITD have worked together since 1998 to solve some of the state’s transportation problems. Greater opportunities for collaboration will be identified as ITD implements the visioning process initiated by ITD Director Dave Ekern. In addition, funding sources for research could increase as a result of the renewal of a surface transportation bill being considered by the U.S. Congress.

Moore was selected last December to be ITD’s new research program manager. He faces the challenge of opening the “storehouse of research and make information widely available to his ITD colleagues for improving Idaho’s transportation system,” according to ITD. The research manager position was created following a study of ITD's research needs by Kyte.

“Research,” emphasized Moore, “is not an end, but a means” to manage the myriad issues involved in transportation. Approaches to highway and roadside maintenance, safety and traffic concerns, compatibility with the environment, and sustainability must be both practical and innovative, and be available for use throughout the state.

Some recent projects completed by NIATT researchers to meet ITD needs include:

  • An investigation of the performance, durability and emissions of an alternative alcohol-water fuel and catalytic ignition system on fleet vehicles operating under road conditions;
  • Workshops about best management practices for slope maintenance and re-vegetation projects;
  • Data collection and analysis to develop a pavement design measuring seasonal moisture, temperature and frost variation and predicting the resilience of soils for other pavement layers;
  • Test methodologies for forecasting passenger car and truck annual average daily traffic to function within the ITD database management system;
  • Plans to implement Intelligent Transportation Systems project in the City of Moscow that will upgrade the signal system and improve long-term traffic growth management.