Citylink Numbers Show Another Increase For June

Another record month for Citylink ridership. Not all areas were up in June,but as a whole there was a significant increase in rider numbers over last year. Here are the latest numbers, just released.

Two Big Road Projects In Final Stages

A couple of North Idaho construction projects are in the final stages of completion.

The 6-mile resurfacing project of US 95 between Appleway and Wyoming avenues is expected to be completed this week. And the 4-mile overhaul of highway from Worley to Setters south of Coeur d'Alene is expected to be done by the end of August. Here's more on the state of local construction.

ITD Using Twitter To Alert Drivers

The Idaho Transportation Department is breaking out of its' shell and trying a new method to alert the public to road closures, lane restrictions, and construction zone backups... Twitter!

That's right, you can now get traffic information via the social networking company.

Initially, ITD will test the advantages of Twitter by notifying users of construction information on I-84 in the Treasure Valley. If the pilot program proves successful, ITD will consider posting "tweets" about additional construction projects in the state.

You can begin following ITD on Twitter by clicking here.- SL

Free Beach Cruiser Ride Tomorrow

A lot of us have tomorrow (Friday) off. So what are you going to do? Sit around in your underwear watching TV or actually get out and do something? How about a bike ride? The 'Tour De Franzia' beach cruiser ride is tomorrow. The poster says "Any and all with wheels encouraged." And my contact for this event says it will begin as a cruise for all ages, but eventually meander past multiple 'watering holes' throughout the afternoon and evening.

So here are the details, meet at the NIC Beach at 2 p.m. Decorate your bike if you wish. Then just ride around and have a good time. The organizers are hoping to critical mass up Sherman around 6 p.m.-SL

Bike Commuting While Pregnant- Safe Or Risky?

Most people who know me know I'm pretty squeamish about pregnancy, so here's a topic I never expected to discuss on this blog: should pregnant women continue to bike commute? My first reaction was no, they should be hidden away out of the site of the non-pregnant public. I have to admit that's not fair though. This thread on the 'Bike Commute Tips Blog' by author Paul Dorn says bicycle commuting can be a particularly healthy activity for expectant mothers, even up to the week before giving birth.

He emphasizes that pregnancy is definetely a time when women need to use caution in their physical exertion, but says bicycling is among the best exercise during pregnancy because of it's smooth motion, it doesn't require lifting or jumping, and you can choose your level of exertion.

So read the article and let me know if you, your spouse, or a friend commuted by bike while pregnant and how that worked out.- SL

Holiday Closures, Schedule Changes, Etc.

Because the Independence Day holiday falls on a Saturday this year, we've got some schedule changes in the works this week. Most government offices will be closed on Friday, July 3. Here's a roundup of what's going on:

- KMPO will be closed on Friday, July 3. We will reopen at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 6.

- Work will be suspended on all Idaho Transportation Department highway construction projects statewide for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, except in special circumstances.

- Coeur d’Alene City Hall will be closed on July 3. Other city offices and facilities will be closed as well.

- City of Post Falls Business Offices will be closed on Friday July 3rd.

- All trails at Q'emiln Park will be closed on Saturday, July 4.

- The Q'emiln Park boat launch will close at 8 p.m. on July 4 and reopen after the fireworks.

Gas Tax Cuts Could Take ISP Troopers Off Roads

Idaho State Police officials today told lawmakers that if they have to absorb the loss of gas tax funding by this time next year, they won't be able to pay anyone to patrol the roads.

The loss of gas taxes would allegedly force ISP to lay off 204 people, including 123 troopers, plus numerous officers and dispatch personnel. Here's the Spokesman-Review story.

Two People Hit By Trains In Two Seperate Incidents

Is it a full moon or something? Yesterday, not one, but TWO poeple were hit by trains in North Idaho.

The first happened early yesterday morning when Rathdrum police found a man lying next to tracks near the Mill Street crossing. He had severe head and back injuries and told officers a train had struck him, but wasn't able to elaborate due to his injuries.

Then, just before 10:00 last night, Idaho State Police say a woman was hit and killed by a train at the intersection of West Prairie Avenue and North Idaho Rd. That woman was allegedly lying on the tracks, although police haven't been able to determine why.

I'm usually warning people not to try to beat trains across the tracks, but I guess that doesn't apply to either of these cases.

Second Study On Transporatation Fees & Taxes To Be Conducted

Idaho is going back to the drawing board for a study to determine if owners of heavy trucks and cars are paying their fair share for roads. An earlier study suggested heavy trucks underpay and owners of cars and pickups pay too much in transportation fees and taxes. Problems with data suggested the study might not be valid though, so it was scrapped in 2007.

Now the state is going to try again, only using different study methods.Here's the story.

4th Street Reconstruction Entering Phase 2

Coeur d'Alene's 4th Street Reconstruction Project enters its 'second phase' tomorrow, June 30th. Phase two construction will begin at the alley north of Lakeside Avenue and proceed north to Foster Avenue. It includes grinding of the asphalt and replacement of the stormwater utility, curb and gutter, and electrical utility.

'LightLane' Gives You Your Own Bike Lane

Start saving your money folks, because I can envision a lot of people running out to buy this little gadget. The gadget blog Gizmodo says this new product called 'LightLane' will be available soon. Using lasers affixed to your bicycle, the LightLane projects a virtual bike lane around you, letting cars know their boundaries and, hopefully, making riding safer for you. It's got it's obvious flaws, such as the fact that it probably isn't very visible during daylight hours, but all in all I think it's pretty cool. No word yet how much 'LightLane' will cost but I'm sure it won't be cheap.

Transit Center Open House Tonight

Don't forget that our Transit Center Location Study open house is tonight. Swing by the offices of The Land Group, Inc., 611 E. Sherman Ave. in Coeur d'Alene, anytime between 4-7 p.m. and let us know which proposed location for an intermodal facility you prefer.

Low Bids Mean Record Amount Of Maintenance

A record amount of Post Falls streets could get much needed maintenance this year, due to construction bids coming in much lower than expected. The city plans to have a record 8.6 miles of chip- and fog-seal placement done as a result.

Here's more.

Fourth Street Businesses Need Customers

Coeur d'Alene residents- don't forget to frequent your local businesses located on Fourth Street. Those businesses need customers now more than ever, since a construction project has the street torn up and a detour takes people to the next street over. Most realize it will be worth the trouble when done, but say the construction is causing them some hard times now. Here's the story from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

We're Done Retreating Now

So I'm happy to report that we all made it through the first annual KMPO/SRTC staff retreat with no deaths, injuries, or even cuts or scratches. Centerplace was nice enough to let us use one of their rooms, where we not only had some fun but also figured out some ways we can

work more effectively, work better with other agencies and jurisdictions, work better with each other, and how we can serve our 'clients' (other agencies, local electeds, the public, etc.)better.

One thing I'm really excited about is that Glenn agreed to let us take 'field trips.' We talk to all the area jurisdictions on a daily basis about their projects, but ask me about the NSC and I'm pretty fuzzy on a lot of the details. Same with some of our planners and some of the area bike paths. So we decided to take periodic field trips where we either ride a local bike path, take a hike or a walk through a park or neighborhood, or even take a drive through an area of interest. This will make us better prepared to answer questions when we're out in the public.

Oh yeah, and he also said we can grow vegetables on the deck if we do it on our own time. Whoo hoo!

Scrapped Study Dug Up Again

As talk continues of raising vehicle fees to address a huge shortfall in road funding, a 2007 state study that was scrapped has been dug up through a public records request.

The study says that car and pickup users are overpaying about 10%, while all trucks are underpaying about 10 percent. Some people disagree though.

Here's the story from the Spokesman-Review.

Transit Center Study Public Meeting This Thursday

A reminder that KMPO is hosting an open house meeting this week to collect public input on three possible locations for an intermodal facility. This new 'transit center' will be used as a park and ride by users of Citylink, Greyhound, KATS, and other public transportation providers, so we want to know where you feel would be the best location for it.

The open house is Thursday, June 25 from 4-7 p.m. at the office of The Land Group, Inc., 611 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene. Because it is an open house format, there will be no formal presentation, meaning you can drop by anytime during the meeting hours. Here's more information on the Transit Center Location Study.

KMPO Closed On Wednesday

If you've got business to conduct with KMPO, better do it today or you'll have to wait until Thursday. The office will be closed all day tomorrow (Wednesday) for a staff 'retreat.' Rumor has it we're getting a dunk tank and taking turns trying to knock the boss into the water. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen though. KMPO will reopen at 8 a.m. on Thursday.

775 Pages Of Transportation Bill Reading

Chairman Jim Oberstar and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee late last week released the full 775-page transportation bill text. Jeff in our office is looking it over to glean the highlights, but if you don't want to wait, or need something to help you sleep at night, here's a link to it.

City Dwellers Healthier Than Suburbanites- Because Of Sidewalks

No matter which country you're in, new research finds those who live in an urban neighborhood are twice as likely to be physically active than those in the suburbs. According to a San Diego State University study published in this month’s American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the biggest single factor influencing physical activity around the world is accessibility to sidewalks. Here's more on this study.