May 20, 2011

Celebrate
Meridian officials, citizens welcome Ten Mile Interchange
About 250 people joined with the city of Meridian, local legislators and long-time advocates to celebrate the new Ten Mile Interchange at a ceremony on the northeast quadrant of the bridge deck Tuesday (May 17). Mayor Tammy de Weerd spoke extensively about how the new interchange will open the western end of Ada County to greater opportunity and development, and got choked up when describing the teamwork, focus and single-mindedness required to make the $33.8 million interchange a reality.
Continue

ITD spotlight
FHWA asks for presentation on innovative GARVEE
The Federal Highway Administration's Office of Innovative Program Delivery (OIPD) recently invited ITD to give a presentation about Idaho's GARVEE program. Specifically, FHWA is interested in highlighting ITD's program as partof a dscussion about Early Development Agreement and SEP-15s. The GARVEE program office is coordinating with FHWA's regional office and OIPD to use Idaho's Idaho 16 project as a case study for a breakout session on innovative financing, explains Amy Schroeder, GARVEE Program Engineer.
Student input
Vallivue students exchange highway information
About 20 students from Vicki Scaggs’ sophomore English II class at Vallivue High School visited District 3 Monday (May 16) morning to present a petition to ITD suggesting safety improvements on Idaho 55 through the Nampa and Caldwell areas. Students presented the petition to Michael Garz, the district’s program manager, who then spent the next two hours giving a “Highways 101” lesson to the class...
Continue
Helping hands
Kamaih students help clean highways, city
Students from elementary grades through high school reached out – and down – last week to leave their community a better place. A community-wide cleanup and litter patrol along three Idaho highways originally was planned to coincide with Earth Day and Arbor Day. Nature dictated otherwise as cloudy skies created a one-week rain delay. Determined to do their part, children, teachers, school staff members, parents and community volunteers spread out across Kamiah on May 10.
 Continue

Aeronautics
Showers of blessing coming to Garden Valley airstrip
Pilots and other visitors landing at the scenic Garden Valley airstrip soon will be able to grab a quick shower. Construction of new shower facilities at the popular mountain-area airstrip is under way and should be completed this summer, weather permitting. ITD’s Division of Aeronautics is working with the Idaho Aviation Foundation (IAF), the Idaho Aviation Association (IAA), ITD District 3 personnel and local authorities to construct the new facility, located 30 miles north of Boise and adjacent to the South Fork of the Payette River.
Continue

Highways
Broken weld, dropped load prompts U.S. 26 closure
An electric transformer dropped from the trailer on which it was being hauled Tuesday afternoon, resulting in damage to U.S. 26 east of Shoshone and closure of the route for repairs. Southwest Industrial Rigging of Phoenix was transporting the oversized load from Gooding to Jerome when a weld on the trailer apparently failed at about 1:30 p.m., dropping the 952,000-pound transformer onto the highway.
Continue

District 1 introduces bright energy savers
When Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb more than a century ago, he changed the world forever. But these days, there’s a new kid in town, ready and willing to save you energy and help you keep a few bucks in your pocket. His name? LED.

Continue
Adopt-A-Highway
Burley youth learn find rewards for cleaning highways
Members of the Star Second Ward Youth program from Burley prove that you’re never too young to take pride in your community and to lend a hand in keeping it clean. Youths between the ages of 10 and 18 were honored this week as the District 4 Adopt-A-Highway group of the year during the Idaho Transportation Board’s business meeting and tour.
Continue

DMV
Central-issue process expands to Ada County
The Ada County Driver's License Office on Benjamin Lane in Boise will introduce Idaho's the new central-issue driver's license system beginning Monday (May 23), becoming the second pilot location in the state. The Payette County Driver's License Office in Payette was the first.

Continue

Roadeo circuit
Equipment operators begin annual quest for driving honors
ITD cowboys, disguised as heavy equipment operators, returned to the roadeo grounds for barrel racing and other skill events. But there are no bulls, or horses, or steers. Not even a clown. The roadeo circuit – one event in each of the six districts – brings operators together for driving competition, including frontend loaders and motor grader and trouble-shooting (diagnostics) tests.
 Continue
Highway safety
ITD partners to promote seat belt use
ITD joins the Idaho State Police and other law enforcement agencies statewide to make highways safer by funding high visibility seat belt patrols beginning Monday (May 23) and continuing through June 7. During the campaign, Idaho State Police troopers will increase enforcement of speed limits and traffic laws and cite drivers/occupants who are unbelted.
Continue
Employees
PERSI retirement workshops scheduled
The PERSI trainers have scheduled the PERSI Retirement "Beach Workshop" exclusively for ITD employees. The hands-on workshop is intended to help anyone within 10 years of PERSI retirement. Employees will be shown how to combine PERSI Base benefits with Social Security and other income sources for a rewarding retirement. If you have never attended the workshop in the past, you are encouraged to sign up.
Continue
Preparedness
Emergency leaders prepare for potential floods
Emergency managers throughout Idaho are keeping a close eye on weather and flooding conditions and making preparations for rivers and lakes to exceed their boundaries. This spring has a higher-than-average potential for damaging flooding due to high levels of snowpack in many areas of the state, and several rivers already have reached flood stage.
Continue

Encore
 Published May 13, 2011

Highway safety

Safety summit focuses on rural highways
The chance of being seriously injured or dying in a motor vehicle crash on a rural highway is significantly greater than on an urban highway. More than 200 law enforcement officers and highway safety professionals learned why during a presentation delivered at a recent Highway Safety Summit by Prof. Nicholas Ward, with Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute.
Continue

Accolades
 Communications staff earn 10 Idaho Press Club awards
ITD and its Office of Communications brought home 10 awards from the Idaho Press Club's Best of 2010 awards, presented at the organization's annual meeting Saturday in Boise Saturday. ITD swept the “Feature Writing – Public Relations” category with Mel Coulter, Bruce King and Reed Hollinshead honored. Hollinshead received first place for his feature on efforts to increase organ, tissue and eye donations through a driver's license designation.
 Continue
Employees
Insurance open enrollment period begins
The FY2012 Open Enrollment Information page includes the following changes to our health insurance starting July 1. Please review the brochure for detailed information: premium rates for FY2012; new EAP vendor; new eligible dependents maximum age; lifetime maximum rules change; change in pre-existing conditions waiting period for minors.
Continue
DMV
Conversion to centrally issued driver's licenses begins Monday
Idaho driver's licenses and identification (ID) cards will have a new look, beginning Monday in select southwest Idaho locations. The new licenses and ID cards will have state-of-the-art security features and be issued through a new process. The Payette County Driver's License office in Payette will pilot the new system beginning Monday (May 16). Based on results there, a second pilot is scheduled to begin May 23 at the Ada County Driver's License Office on Benjamin Lane in Boise.
Continue