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Board to conclude annual district tours next week

The transportation board’s last scheduled tour for 2008 will be held next week in District 3 as part of its business meeting in Boise, Oct 14-15. Activities are scheduled to start on Tuesday with a tour of the Valley Regional Transit fueling station. In between traveling the I-84 GARVEE corridor and the Kuna Mora corridor, or proposed south Boise bypass, the transportation board also will visit the Homeland Security Office.

Other board discussion

Annual Report on Speed Limit Changes by City Ordinance
In 1997, legislation enabled incorporated cities to make speed limit adjustments within their jurisdiction on sections of the state highway system, with the exception of highways with access control Types 4 and 5. Since then, the Department has been monitoring the effects of the city-established speed zones. The annual report will be presented to the board at the Oct. 15 meeting.

Before the cities decreased speed limits or extended the length of the speed zones, studies indicated drivers in those areas were traveling at speeds averaging 1.6 miles per hour above the ITD-posted speed limit. For 2008, staff investigations reveal that the average driver traveled 8.4 miles per hour above the city-posted speed limit. The results from studies done since implementation of city-imposed speed limits through 2008 suggest drivers are more inclined to disobey city-imposed speed reductions. The data shows better conformance to speed limits established by standard engineering practices.

Upon board approval of the report, it will be distributed to all of the municipalities that changed the speed limit on the state highway within their jurisdiction, the Association of Idaho Cities, and all state legislators.

Unfunded Projects Ready for Construction during 2009 Construction Season
As statewide discussions continue on the need for additional funding for transportation, the question has come up as to what projects could be under construction during the summer of 2009 to utilize additional revenue that may result from the next legislative session. The Department is committed to placing as much money as possible on the road. Staff has conducted an in-depth review of all project development activities sufficiently underway to potentially advance projects to the point of construction by the beginning of the summer 2009 construction season.

Chief Engineer Tom Cole will present the transportation board with a list of projects that are currently not funded that the Districts will have ready for construction next summer. The list varies from restoration of the U.S. 2 Dover Bridge in District 1 to a preservation project on I-84 (Sand Hollow, in District 3), to the U.S. 93 Twin Falls Alternate Route (Stage 2 expansion project in District 4), to safety-turn lane projects on U.S. 30 in District 5. The estimated cost to construct the 14 projects on the list is $253 million.