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Board revises STIP to provide more funds
for public transportation

The Idaho Transportation Board last week revised the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program to provide an additional $156,540 to Treasure Valley Transit (TVT). The infusion was made possible because Idaho will receive more public transit revenue than it projected a year ago.

ITD’s staff reviewed the existing projects to determine which providers needed additional funding and where local match was available to expand services. Staff recommended allocating the funds to TVT. The additional funds will be used to support new services in Valley County and a fixed route in Mountain Home. As a result of the May 18 board action in Shoshone, the revised STIP will include a total of $606,540 to the public transportation provider.

Other board discussion

District 4 tour
As part of the District 4 tour on May 17, the board met with several local transportation committees. Representatives of the Greater Twin Falls Area group expressed support for the U.S. 93, Twin Falls Alternate Route, Stage 2 project and specifically funding it with GARVEE bonds.

The Minidoka-Cassia County area offered support for constructing a new road that would connect Minidoka and Arco. That area near Craters of the Moon National Monument is becoming more popular with tourists, resulting in the need for improved access. District 4 Engineer Devin Rigby said ITD has been involved in discussions related to that route. The Bureau of Land Management recently completed a comprehensive plan for Craters of the Moon, and it intends to complete a comprehensive transportation plan for that area. ITD will be a partner in that effort and will provide funding assistance.

Hagerman Highway District representatives requested that a route from Hagerman to Wendell be added to the state highway system. The board Subcommittee on Adjustments to the State Highway System will continue discussions on the proposal at its next meeting.

Idaho-34 Pine Bar Landslide
ITD staff provided an update to the board on the Idaho 34 landslide – known as Pine Bar Landslide – and traffic impacts it’s having in District 5. The landslide, approximately 45 miles northeast of Soda Springs, resulted in closure of the south lane. Northbound traffic has been restored on a temporary basis and the route is limited to a single lane through the slide area.

A state-funded project for $200,000 has been established in FY07 of the Restoration and Expansion Program of the Capital Investment Program to investigate and analyze the problem. The results will be used in determining further temporary and permanent construction options and costs.

The governor issued a statewide disaster declaration because of heavy spring runoff and potential flooding. ITD staff will request federal emergency relief funds as reimbursement for Idaho 34 repairs.

Division of Motor Vehicles’ solution systems planner
Board members received an update on efforts to secure a Solutions Planner to conduct research, analyze and provide project management assistance for the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This is part of DMV’s information technology system transition and modernizing its computer system.

Two bids were submitted earlier this month in response to a request for proposal issued in March. A committee of ITD personnel and interested stakeholders has been created to select the vendor.

The award will be based on points for the following criteria: experience and qualifications, approach to the project, presentation and interview and cost. ITD staff members expect to notify board of its recommendation at the June meeting and hope the successful vendor can begin work in July.