Untitled Document

Board to begin tour with Dover groundbreaking

As part of the District 1 tour next week, the Idaho Transportation Board will participate in the much-anticipated groundbreaking ceremony for the U.S. 2 Dover Bridge. The governor and a number of other dignitaries will celebrate the beginning of a project that will replace “One of the 10 worst structures in America,” according to Popular Mechanics magazine.

Other Wednesday activities include a tour of Quest Aviation in Sandpoint and an overview of and visit to the U.S. 95, Sand Creek Byway project under construction in Sandpoint.

Other board agenda items

Public transportation projects
Several Public Transportation project requests will come before the board at its Thursday business meeting at the District 1 office in Coeur d’Alene. The meeting, which is open to the public, begins at 8:30 a.m.

The federal fiscal year 2010/state fiscal year 2011 grant-funding proposal is for $7,780,206. It includes Federal Transit Administration funding, such as Elderly and Persons with Disabilities and Rural Bus, plus the state Vehicle Investment Program. Upon approval, the projects will be included in the 2010 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

An amendment to the FY09-13 STIP also is on the agenda. The request is to increase the amount programmed based on unprogrammed FY08 Elderly and Persons with Disabilities funds and the increase in the amount of the final FY09 federal apportionments. The projects are for activities such as operations, planning and preventative maintenance.

Legislative ideas
ITD’s staff will summarize the legislative concepts being considered for the 2010 session and request approval to submit the proposals to the Division of Financial Management (DFM). Upon approval from DFM, draft legislation for the concepts will be prepared.

Nine ideas are being considered, including:

Issuing a driver training instruction permit to any person 14 1⁄2 years of age or older;
Restricting the release of personal identity information of individuals involved in crashes;
Strengthening the safety restraint requirement; however, discussions with lawmakers will determine the actual proposal;
Adding court costs to adult safety restraint violations;
Allowing the “IdaShield” railroad crossing markers;
Correcting the commercial drivers’ license program to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration;
Designating ITD maintenance vehicles as authorized emergency vehicles, whereby motorists would be required to slow down and move over for maintenance vehicles along highways when the emergency lights are activated;
Allowing both the application for a duplicate title and the transfer to a new owner in a single transaction for vehicles that are either at least 10 years old, more than 16,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, or have no odometer device and for all vessels; and
Requiring land-use authorities that are responsible for land surrounding public airports to develop compatible airport land-use planning.

Outdoor advertising
An overview on the outdoor advertising program will be presented. Types of signs the department regulate include off-premise and billboards; on-premise; and miscellaneous, such as directional, religious, community and “for sale.” According to federal law, states must provide continuing control of outdoor advertising signs or be subject to a loss of 10 percent of their federal-aid highway funds.

The Headquarters Right-of-Way Section has one full-time position devoted to the advertising program. Each district has one part-time sign agent. Currently, there is a $10 per sign application and permit fee, a $3 per annual sign permit renewal fee, and $50 for an outdoor advertising business license. The fees, which have not increased since 1975, generate nearly $6,000 annually; however, the costs to ITD to administer the program are around $187,000.