Celebration Tomorrow For Idaho's First ' Safe Routes To Schools' Project

Students, teachers, and parents will celebrate Idaho’s first Safe Routes to Schools project tomorrow– the completion of 930 lineal feet of new sidewalks.

The City of Coeur d’Alene was awarded $101,600 from the Safe Routes to Schools grant program to build sidewalks and to promote October’s “I Walk to School” month. The new sidewalks will connect the neighborhoods in the northeast corner of town to Lakes Middle School, Sorenson Elementary, Fernan Elementary, North Idaho Head Start, and Person Field. They will connect neighborhoods in the southeast corner of town to Cherry Hill Park, Sunset Field, North Pines Park, Canfield Natural Area, Canfield Sports Complex, and Canfield Park.

A celebration will be held at noon tomorrow (October 8th), at the Lakes Middle School courtyard.

Safe Routes to School (SR2S) is a federal, state, and local effort to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school - and to make walking and bicycling to school safer and more routine.

What to do with Mullan and Selitice in PF?

It looks like the City of Post Falls is going to revisit the traffic issues primarily along Mullan Avenue as it relates to traffic on Seltice Way. The city has looked at the issue in the past and considered developing a couplet, similar to Third and Fourth streets in Cd'A where each street is designated a one-way. Plans for the couplet were not well received, so the city is looking at other alternatives to calm traffic in the area. You can read the Post Falls Press article here.

Planes, trains and automobiles: Which is the most cost effective for Seattle get away.

The Spokesman Review analyzed the cost of travel from Spokane to Seattle using three different modes of travel (four if you consider the difference between a hybrid and a gas fueled automobile). They looked at planes, trains and automobiles. The published results are in a table format here.

I decided to calculated what it would cost to drive my Blazer to Seattle using Google Map's estimate of a 608-mile round trip from Post Falls, and I added 20 miles for cruising around downtown Seattle for a total of 628 miles. I came up with a trip cost of $105.27. Because I live in Post Falls, I also used $3.19 a gallon instead of the $3.65 the SR used.

Using the SR's gas price, my trip would cost $120.45, but the real cost is going to be slightly higher because I would have to gas up in Seattle. So if it were just me traveling, the cost of train and air travel would fairly competitive -- especially when time is a consideration.

How much would it cost to drive your car to Seattle? For those who are story-problem challenged, just divide 628 (for Post Falls residents) or 644 miles (For Cd'A residents) by the miles per gallon your car consumes and then multiply that answer by the price per gallon you pay. Have fun!

New survey shows tremendous support for light rail -- in Spokane.

Apparently WSU conducted a new scientific poll in Spokane to gauge support for construction of a new light rail system. The results are somewhat surprising. Check them out here. If a light rail was built between downtown Spokane and Liberty Lake, how often would you use it? I live in Post Falls and work in downtown Spokane, so I would definitely use it to commute on the days that I don't need my car. Rail is always much faster that bus or auto travel. Whenever I am in a large city, I use the light rail system. If our neighbors in Spokane build a light rail system, would you favor a North Idaho connection? Would you be willing to pay $5 a month to build it?

Hybrids Can Be 'Silent Killers' Of Visually Impaired People

Apparently, hybrid cars aren't as good for everyone as we thought. Because they can be nearly silent, hybrids pose a serious threat of injury and death to blind and visually impaired people, says the American Council of the Blind. Here's the story.

United Arab Emirates Contact KMPO About Crosswalks

I received some very interesting correspondence today. A while back I blogged about the 'Virtual Wall' crosswalk; a crosswalk that projects laser beams across the street, depicting pedestrians walking. This gives drivers the idea that walkers are in the crosswalk, and they shouldn't drive through it for fear of either hitting a pedestrian or damaging their car with the laser beams.

Well, today I got an email from someone allegedly working at a government agency in the United Arab Emirates. They had questions about the Virtual Wall and wanted to know if I could provide more information, because they actually want to install some of these at their busier intersections!

Cool! I say let them be the guinea pigs, then we can all follow if it works (and if we can afford it. We're not exactly United Arab Emirates-rich around here).

NIC Automotive Students Learn To Work On Electric Cars

It makes sense when you think of it; electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular, but who fixes them if they break down? Your regular mechanic probably isn't an authority when it comes to electric cars.

That's why some electric vehicle enthusiasts shared their cars with North Idaho College automotive technology students this week; to familiarize them with alternative engines.Here's the story.

You Know What They Say About Karma

This video doesn't exactly address transportation, but I think the message could be applied to how we choose to get around too. I thought it was kind of fitting and maybe a friendly warning to those of us who spend a little too much time letting the car idle or driving to the store that's two blocks away, instead of walking or biking.

Riverstone Evicts City Link Park & Ride

City Link is looking for a new home for it's park and ride services, after being evicted from the Riverstone development. Riverstone's developer says the parking spots being used by bus riders are needed for patrons of the new businesses opening up at Riverstone. Here's more on this story.

Man Flies 22 Miles Using Jet Pack. Incredible Video!

You thought they were just a gimmick used on 'The Jetsons,' but a Swiss man has become the first person to fly solo across the English Channel using a single jet-propelled wing.

That's right, the man ignited jets on a wing on his back, jumped out of the plane that had taken him up, and flew 22 miles in less than ten minutes! Here's the video, and it's amazing!

October Is Walk Your Child To School Month

October starts next week, which means National Walk You Child To School Month is also coming right up. So instead of taking the easy way and driving your kid the few blocks it takes to get them to school, try walking instead. It's better for your health, your wallet, and the environment. And if you have any questions or need more information, here's a link to the International Walk Your Child To School website.

Citizens Question If Corridor Project Will Cause Congestion

Citizens who attended a community forum on the downtown Coeur d'Alene education corridor project had lots of questions about how it will affect traffic in the area. Many are worried the corridor will create congestion in the Fort Grounds Neighborhood. Here's coverage of the meeting from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

Just Because I Was Bored...

Did you know that the average salary for a pizza delivery driver in Coeur d'Alene is $11,000? Neither did I. Was browsing the web when that fact popped up on the 'Simply Hired' website.

And I was surprised. They may get paid $11,000 per year, but how much of that goes back to buying gas? I did a little research and found that the average U.S. driver goes through 500 gallons of gas per year (and pizza delivery people aren't considered average drivers so they would use more than that). At the current price of around $3.60 a gallon for unleaded, that comes to $1800. So that brings them down to about $9,000 a year! Yikes, hope they're getting free pizza so they can at least eat.

Fall Means Falling Leaves, Not Falling Snow!

Let's not rush things! I know Monday was the first day of fall, but someone up above is trying to skip that season and go right to winter. A freak snow storm in the Cascades this week left several inches of snow on the pass.
Here's a look, from the WSDOT blog.

Forum Includes Discussion Of Vehicle Registration Fee Increase

Lynn Humphreys, chairman of the Post Falls Highway District, spoke at a forum last night at Post Falls City Hall on the proposed $24 local option vehicle registration fee increase.

His take: That funding shortfalls for road projects have gotten to be a "runaway train" and that if the proposal fails, some lesser-travelled roads in the county will likely revert back to gravel because funding isn't there to maintain them.

Here's the Coeur d'Alene Press' coverage of the story. and Here are some frequently asked questions about the fee increase from the KMPO website.

US95 Freeway Project Delayed

Plans to improve U.S. Highway 95 between Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint into a four-lane, divided freeway are being delayed.

Escalating costs, concerns about the economy, and uncertain federal highway funding all have contributed to the delay in the completion of the 31-mile freeway project. Here's more on this story.

Few Donations For Traffic Signal

The Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center has come up short of its $200,000 goal to pay for a traffic signal at the Ramsey and Golf Course Road intersection. So far, it's only landed a $25 donation from a private resident and a $5,000 pledge from another.

Here's the story.

Borrowing Against Future Funding: Good Or Bad Move?

If you've been dying to get your two cents in, this is your chance. The Spokesman-Review's 'Huckleberries' blog today is taking an unofficial survey asking 'Did Idaho leaders make the right choice to borrow against future federal highway payments to cover road projects?'Here's the link to voice your opinion.

US 2 Paving

Contractor's crews will begin paving U.S. 2 from Sandpoint to Dover tomorrow. Work is expected to be completed by Oct. 14.

The old pavement surface will be ground down for a full-width resurfacing with new asphalt. U.S. 2 will be reduced to one lane weekdays from the Dover Bridge to 5th Street in Sandpoint. The speed limit will be 35 mph through the work zone corridor.

You're Being Watched In School Zones

Slow down when driving through area school zones, more than 300 drivers have been ticketed for speeding in school zones in the Spokane and Kootenai County area since Sept. 2, and officers are looking for more speeders. Here's your warning.