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P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
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Board hears report on funding for local highways, streets

The Local Rural Highway Investment Program, similar to ITD’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, helps small cities, counties and highway districts improve their investments in public highways and streets. Jim Zier, asset manager for the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC), presented a report on the annual plan to ITD’s transportation board when it met in Boise Dec. 12.

Three kinds of projects are funded under LHTAC’s program for cities, counties and highway districts: construction, signs and transportation plans. A maximum of $2.8 million is made available each year for the program, and no jurisdiction may receive more than $100,000 annually.

LHTAC received 84 applications this year, seeking a combined total of $27 million. Of those, 31 projects were approved for funding, Zier reported. They included 16 construction projects, six transportation plans, eight sign projects and one emergency project. Zier said that three more projects could be funded with the surplus of emergency funds.

He also summarized a number of projects that were completed and outlined projects planned for 2008. Although there are many more needs than funding available, Zier said the program is making a difference throughout the state. It was established to assist the small cities, counties, and highway districts to improve their investment in their public highway and street infrastructure.

Zier thanked the board for its support of the program.

Other board discussion

ITD Comprehensive Study of Fee Structures for Vehicles Exceeding 16,000 Pounds
Todd Pickton, director of BBC Research and Consulting, presented the comprehensive study of Idaho’s fee structures for vehicles exceeding 16,000 pounds. The objective was to compare Idaho to other states and to survey Idaho-based truck owners/operators. His findings included:

  • Idaho’s registration fees and taxes for an 80,000-pound gross vehicle weight intrastate vehicle traveling 50,000 miles per year, including state fuel taxes, is $4,581. The average of Idaho and its surrounding states is $5,051.
  • Idaho is not overly burdensome when compared with registration procedures and requirements of other western states. Factors contributing to registration convenience in Idaho are online services, various registration payment methods, fleet registration programs, international registration plan/international fuel tax administration coordination and unified carrier registration participation
  • In surveying Idaho truckers on the state’s registration fees and process, the majority agreed that the current registration process is fairly easy, ITD staff is extremely helpful, and online registration is convenient and efficient. A few respondents commented on the need for more physical locations to register vehicles, the significance of the cost and time of registration, a desire for accountability in the use of highway funds and how they minimize registration costs.
  • Most states are seeking to increase funding to address unmet transportation needs. There are clear, long-term trends shaping state approaches to funding: partnerships and contributions from private entities, proceeds from bonds and tolling and innovative mechanisms to replace reliance on the motor fuel taxes.

Director’s Memo No. 34 – Strategic planning
The board was briefed on the efforts of the Strategic Planning Team to develop a new mission, vision, and strategic plan. The mission is: “Our Mission. Your Mobility.” (See related story.)

The vision statement, which is a description of what ITD will do and where its work efforts will be focused, is: “We will be an industry leader in providing transportation systems and services that are safe, efficient, promote economic vitality and use innovative technology. We will achieve quality through: investing in our people, expanding and enhancing partnerships, leading through agency performance, and improving our customer service culture.”

Additionally, four teams were established to address the focus areas. The respective team leaders provided a brief outline of their charge and introduced the team members. The teams and their leaders are:

  • Investing in Our People – Mary Harker
  • Expanding and Enhancing Partnerships – Steve Hutchinson
  • Leading through Agency Performance – Julie Pipal
  • Improving Our Customer Service Culture – Alan Frew

The board approved a resolution adopting the new mission and vision and instructed ITD staff to proceed with the focus teams and report back with draft focus area action plans.

Published 12-21-07