EXPECT DELAYS - US 95 & Chilco Rd Paving through November 1st, 2012

Giving you a heads up on construction for U.S. 95 and the Chilco Rd/Silverwood area.  If you are planning on going to Silverwood anytime soon (until November 1st), plan an alternative route to get there!

The Idaho Department of Transportation announced today that the roadway paving project on US 95, between Chilco Road and Silverwood will begin paving this week causing expected delays.  Motorists are encouraged to take other routes.

The contractor will be doing test strips of asphalt until Thursday (August 23rd), with paving on U.S. 95 following.

Delays of up to 2 hours are anticipated for those using Chilco Rd during paving operations.

Motorists can expect intermittent delays at Chilco Road through November 1st.

You can visit www.itd.idaho.gov for more information or follow their "Twitter" (@IdahoITD) for more information.

KMPO Transportation Improvement Plan 2013-2017 TIP Amendments

We have posted two TIP Amendments for 2013 - 2017, on our webpage at www.kmpo.net, please visit our webpage to view the amendments.

SpaceX Reusable Futuristic Dragon Space Vehicle

Ok, I know that this is a bit out of the ordinary norm for transportation, but space travel has always intrigued me. 

 The video below was recently posted on You Tube.  Here are experts of some of what the video documents:

On May 25, 2012, SpaceX became the first private company in history to send a spacecraft to the space station and in August of 2012, NASA chooses to prepare Dragon for a crew. It will be able to transport up to seven astronauts to the space station.

Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Initiated internally by SpaceX in 2005, the Dragon spacecraft is made up of a pressurized capsule and unpressurized trunk used for Earth to LEO transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or crew members. 

This video from You Tube is worth watching, and you never know, the ordinary American may be traveling to space one of these days!



 You can also go to SpaceX.com for more information at http://www.spacex.com/updates.php/

Optical Speed Bumps Tested In Oregon To Slow Drivers Down

Oregon engineers are testing optical speed bars to slow traffic down.  It's basically an optical illusion used to get speeders to step on their brakes and slow down.  The speed bars are being tested at the intersection of Oregon 211 and Dubarko Rd.  Studies have shown to decrease the average speed at problem intersections by up to 5 mph depending on the location. It's a low cost alternative to getting drivers to slow down.  The speed bars make a driver think they are going faster than they actually are.  Each bar is a foot wide and 18 inches long, they are spaced at gradually decreasing intervals to create the illusion.
Here is a link to the Oregon Live.com website, just click on the video in the middle of the page and watch it and see what you think....
 http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2012/08/oregon_traffic_optical_illusio.html

USDOT Announces Hundreds of Millions $$$ Allocated to Highway Improvements

AASHTO Journal, August 3, 2012
FHWA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (announced last Thursday) that more than 363 million was allocated to 12 grant programs set to fund highway improvements, from interstate rehabilitation and reconstruction to technology aimed at improving safety and reducing congestion.  The funding was made possible through the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II.

FHWA is encouraging states, cities, tribal governments and local planning organizations to apply for the funding from the 12 programs. 

The grant programs that will be doling out the funding are:  Public Lands Highway; Interstate Maintenance; Transportation, Community and System Preservation; Ferry Boat; National Scenic Byways; Value Pricing Pilot; Highways for LIFE; National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation; Railway-Highway Crossing Hazard Elimination in High Speed Rail Corridor; Delta Region Transportation Development; Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment; and Truck Parking.

For more information on the programs and grant awards is available at bit.ly/fhwagrants.  Additional information on MAP-21's effect on highway provisions is available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/summaryinfo.cfm .

To see the full article from AASHTO, please go to: http://www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/080312hwyimprove.aspx.

KMPO 2013-2017 "Draft" Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - Public Comments Welcome

KMPO 2013-2017 "Draft" Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
Available for Public Comment - August 1, 2012 to September 1, 2012.

KMPO's 2013-2017 "Draft" TIP is now available. The draft TIP includes a short range, six-year program of fiscally constrained projects for highways, transit and non-motorized projects within the Kootenai Metropolitan Area. 

Public comments can be emailed to: gmiles@kmpo.net or mailed to KMPO, Attn: Glenn F. Miles, 250 Northwest Blvd, Suite 209, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814. You can also reach us by phone at: (208) 930-4164.