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Board to consider report on STIP improvements

Painstaking efforts by staff in the Division of Planning and Programming have resulted in a more user-friendly version of the department’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program document. The STIP is a detailed schedule and report on construction priorities that are programmed for the next five years and those being considered for the sixth year.

Improvements to the STIP are part of the department’s ongoing commitment to customer service. The Idaho Transportation Board will preview the latest improvements during a report during Wednesday’s business meeting at Headquarters in Boise.

ITD staff members will demonstrate to the board the changes that have been incorporated into the STIP document through the interactive CD. The CD includes important contact information, with direct access to e-mail addresses and Internet links to documents and Web sites. Major projects can be found by route, county or district.

The maps are easier to read and comprehend. Each fiscal year is indicated in a different color. A section of the document also is dedicated to educating STIP readers about the financial issues the state’s transportation infrastructure faces.

ITD staff will continue to refine and improve the STIP and the interactive capabilities of the CD. Future enhancements will include an interactive map page, better project information and descriptions with photos, and improvements to navigate within the CD.

Other board agenda items

Annual Report from Dealer Advisory Board
The Dealer Advisory Board (DAB) assists and advises the transportation department in the administration of the Idaho Dealer Salesman Licensing Act and other programs related to motor vehicles.

The governor appoints the eight-member body, including a representative from recreational vehicle dealerships. It provides a report to the board annually on its activities. Following are some of the items the advisory board will summarize for the board:

• During FY07, the DAB concurred with ITD’s recommendations for revocation and denial of two dealer and salesman licenses.
• It developed two legislative proposals for the 2008 session: changing the definition of a “principal place of business” and requiring the title and registration of all pick-up mounted campers that are at least six feet long.
• The DAB also submitted a letter to the Transportation Board supporting the need to increase funding for road, highway and bridge improvements.

Update to the 129,000 Pound Pilot Project
In 2003, the Legislature created a pilot project to allow truck and trailer combinations up to 129,000 pounds on specified state highway. On all other routes, the maximum gross vehicle weight allowed is 105,500 pounds. The project is an effort to provide a more efficient means of freight transport. One of the conditions of the pilot project was that ITD track the impact of these heavier loads on highway surfaces and bridge structures and to provide a report to the Legislature every three years for the duration of the 10-year pilot project.

The initial 2007 report to the Legislature inadvertently omitted pavement data. Although ITD’s engineers analyzed the data and determined the missing data neither adds to nor detracts from the report, staff believed the omission was significant enough to inform the governor’s office, Legislature, and other interested parties of the omission and re-issue the report.

Following are some highlights of the draft report that will be presented to the board: