You are Invited to Comment on the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP)

You are invited to comment on the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP), formerly STIP.  The ITIP list includes proposed projects for the next five years (2013 - 2017), and includes programmed improvements to highways, bicycle routes, pedestrian projects and public transportation.  The draft ITIP can be viewed at:
www.itd.idaho.gov

The public comment period is July 30, 2012 to August 30th, 2012.  You can email your comments to comments@itd.idaho.gov or send them via mail to: ITD - ITIP Comment, Attn: Adam Rush, P.O. Box 7129, Boise, ID 83707-1129.

For CD's or paper copies, please contact Adam Rush at (208) 334-8119 or the general email at comments@itd.idaho.gov.

Greensferry Overpass Nearing Reality in Post Falls, Idaho

Greensferry Rd & I-90

It looks like Greensferry overpass in the city of Post Falls, Idaho could become a reality in the next two years.  Greensferry Road  is between the Seltice Way overpass and Highway 41.  The overpass location would be on Greensferry Rd intersecting I-90.

"Greensferry looks really promising now, sooner rather than later" Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin in a statement to the Coeur d'Alene Press. "I can see if we get all the wrinkles ironed out starting construction in a year or so."  

The overpass would improve traffic and pedestrian circulation and emergency response and provide another much-needed connection between the north side of Post Falls and the south side.

Funding issues still have to be worked out, but it looks as though the Greensferry overpass could come to fruition sooner than expected.

To see the full story reported by ITD in "today's News" please visit the link below:
http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/Apps/MediaManagerMVC/NewsClipping.aspx/Preview/65067

River Avenue Just Completed in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

River Avenue just completed

River Avenue & Northwest Blvd.

River Avenue was just completed in the City of Coeur d'Alene. River Avenue ties the college district routes together along with a new signal that was installed at the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and River Avenue.  This is the second of the recent improvements along Northwest Boulevard, in the City of Coeur d'Alene.  Hubbard Avenue was completed just prior to the River Avenue intersection.  Great job city of Coeur d'Alene!!!!!

MPO - Metropolitan Planning Organization ???

I have so many people ask me what an MPO is and comment that they never knew it existed, so I thought it might be a good idea to do a post on it....

Metropolitan planning organization

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities. The United States Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962, which required the formation of an MPO for any urbanized area (UZA) with a population greater than 50,000. Federal funding for transportation projects and programs are channeled through this planning process. Congress created MPOs in order to ensure that existing and future expenditures of governmental funds for transportation projects and programs are based on a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (“3-C”) planning process. Statewide and metropolitan transportation planning processes are governed by federal law (23 U.S.C. §§ 134–135). Transparency through public access to participation in the planning process and electronic publication of plans now is required by federal law. As of 2005, there are 385 MPOs in the U.S.

Core functionsThere are five core functions of an MPO:

1. establish a setting: establish and manage a fair and impartial setting for effective regional decision-making in the metropolitan area (UZA)
2. evaluate alternatives: evaluate transportation alternatives, scaled to the size and complexity of the region, to the nature of its transportation issues, and to the realistically available options
3. maintain a long-range transportation plan (LRTP): develop and update a fiscally constrained long-range transportation plan for the UZA covering a planning horizon of at least twenty years that fosters
   • mobility and access for people and goods,
   • efficient system performance and preservation, and
   • quality of life
4. develop a transportation improvement program (TIP): develop a fiscally constrained program based on the long-range transportation plan and designed to serve the UZA’s goals while using spending, regulating, operating, management, and financial tools
5. involve the public: involve the general public and all the significantly affected sub-groups in the four essential functions listed above.

If the metropolitan area is designated as an air quality non-attainment or maintenance area, then

6. protect air quality: transportation plans, programs, and projects must conform with the air quality plan, known as the “state implementation plan” (SIP), for the state within which the UZA lies.

Presently, most MPOs have no authority to raise revenues such as to levy taxes on their own, rather, they are designed to allow local officials to decide collaboratively how to spend available federal and other governmental transportation funds in their urbanized areas. The funding for the operations of an MPO comes from a combination of federal transportation funds and required matching funds from state and local governments.

If you would like to know more, visit the link to Wikipedia's site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_planning_organization

Commissioner Rodney A.Twete Appointed to KMPO Board

At the regular scheduled Board Meeting of the Lakes Highway District (LHD) held on July 2, 2012, the Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Commissioner Rodney A. Twete as the new LHD representative to the KMPO board with commissioner Weston E. "Monty" Montgomery appointed as the alternate.


 

Rodney A. Twete

"Monty" Montgomery

Looking for a Job? Want to be a Bike Boss in Salt Lake, UT?

This story came across in Today's News and the title caught my attention.  Hiring a "BIKE BOSS" in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Your job would be to make bicycling conditions safer.  The position pays $38,000 a year and the official job title is a Public Works Bicycle Coordinator. In the article, Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw commented on the Council's decision to fund and allocate the position saying "Its a public safety issue" and noted that 66 auto-bicycle accidents occurred in 2011 in the area served by the Unified Police District. With so many people still out of work and the story being transportation related, I thought it worthwhile to post. 

 If you would like to read more or find out more about the position, here is the original story:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54430359-78/bicycle-bike-bradshaw-council.html.csp

Transitplus Transportation Plan Draft Final

TransitPlus Transportation Plan Update Draft FinalKMPO's Transportation Plan Update consultant, Suzanne O'Neill of TransitPlus, Inc., released the Transportation Plan Update Draft Final dated July 3, 2012. If you have any comments or questions regarding the updated Transportation Plan, please email us at kmpo@kmpo.net.

You can visit http://www.kmpo.net/
to view the Transportation Plan Update Draft Final, under News and Notices dated July 3, 2012.

Congress Passes Surface Transportation Bill

Congress has passed a 26 month surface transportation bill last Friday that runs through September 30, 2014.

The transportation bill is 599 pages long and contains a 91 page summary.  More detailed analysis will be coming out over the coming weeks.
The bill will make some stakeholders happy and others not so much, but the bill does have a number of provisions that modernize federal transportation policy and set the stage for more visionary advancements in the next bill.

This Week in Federal Transportation News Congress is conducting an in-state work period this week and is in legislative recess.  The House also passed a fiscal year 2013 transportation spending bill.

If you would like to read the surface transportation bill, I have included the links for your viewing pleasure :) Here is a link to the new surface transportation bill: http://www.rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_2/LegislativeText/CRPT-112hrpt-HR4348.pdf And the link to the Summary: http://www.rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_2/PDF/HR4348crJES.pdf

Update to Earlier Post - A True Original Leata Cabalero 1975 with Fiberglass Panels

A little bit more of Post Falls, Idaho's history in car manufacturing.  I posted a story earlier about the Stinebaugh Leata Cabalero.  Since the original post, I found out there was an earlier version of the Leata Cabalero manufactured by Sonny Stinebaugh in Post Falls, Idaho.  

Below, is a picture of the original car manufactured at Stinebaugh Manufacturing along with a link to the http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1975-leata.htm website that posted the story. Thank goodness for the internet and all of the stories published.  They manufactured a few different models over the years.



Stinebaugh's brochure stated "The Cabalero owner knows he is one of a few people fortunate to experience the pleasure of a truly exceptional automobile meant to be a landmark in automotive history." It's interesting that some of these cars are still around and sought after and at a fair price years later.

Here is a later model, posted by "just a car geek" that kind of reminds me of an older Subaru Brat:

 http://www.justacargeek.com/2011/10/1977-leata-cabalero.html

I thought it might be worthwhile.  I know it's expanded my car knowledge.