It's HALLOWEEN! Have a Safe and Happy Halloween - Be Careful Out There and Watch for Pedestrians!

It's all over the news, "Halloween" is one of the most dangerous nights of all, for pedestrians.  

Sunset tonight is at approximately 5:31 p.m.

If your driving please Slow Down and WATCH for Pedestrians!!!

Glow sticks, flashlights and refelective gear could make the difference when keeping people safe Halloween night.

Have a HAPPY & SAFE Halloween!

West Coast Electric Highway with Fast Charging Vehicle Stations are Coming

In case you missed it, I know I did!  It may be awhile, before we see any electric vehicle fast charging stations in or around the Coeur d' Alene area, but an "electric highway" along I-5 in the Seattle area, in our neighboring state, is already in the works and is touted to be in operation before the end of January 2012. The project was developed as part of the West Coast Green Highway.  The first charging sites will be placed along I-5 north of Everett and south of Lacey.  Additional charging stations will be added along US 2 reaching central Washington.

Washington State Governor Gregoire issued an executive order that directs the state to develop and seek federal funds to implement a project for the electrification of the West Coast Green Highway.  WSDOT is also on board. The project is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Energy with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars administered by the Department of Commerce through the State Energy Program.  It will be the first border to border highway to offer fast charge technology.  The electric highway will support mass-produced plug-in electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Volt that are now rolling off the assembly lines.

So if you own an electric car, are thinking about buying one and are planning to go on a trip along the I-5 corridor, you may be in luck!  To read more....see the attached link.  We will update the blog on this when we hear more..

http://westcoastgreenhighway.com/electrichighways.htm

CDA Illegally Parked Vehicles - Move them By November 14th and Be Glad you Don't Live in Lithuania

If you haven't moved your inoperable vehicle off the Coeur d'Alene streets by November 14th, 2011, you may find it missing in action along with a towing fee and other possible fines. At least it's not being crunched first and then towed off, as it is in Lithuania below :)

HOORAY The KMPO BLOG is Back Up & Running

HOORAY!!!!!! The KMPO Blog is BACK UP and RUNNING!!! Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization is now located in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Check back frequently for posts related to all modes of transportation!

For all your regional, national and world transportation news, please visit the Spokane Regional Transportation Council Blog.

It's Official

KMPO has cut ties with Spokane Regional Transportation Council. Here's the story from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

CDA Bicycle Commuter Challenge

In a town the size of Coeur d'Alene, competition is tough between the three bicycle shops.

But they're finding a way to work together for the good of the community, instead of just competing for business. The 'Bicycle Commuter Challenge' is aimed at getting more people out of their cars and onto their bikes. And it involves prizes for people who take the challenge.

The Coeur d'Alene Press has the story on how the Bicycle Commuter Challenge works.

I Love Craigslist

My mother has some health issues that affect her balance so riding a bike is hard for her. I went to a nice gentleman's house to look at an item advertised on Craigslist yesterday and saw this beauty. She wasn't for sale and she needs cleaned up, a chain and a tune up but the guy agreed to sell gave her to me cheap. Hopefully this will get mom back on the bike.

KMPO Board Special Meeting

Well here it is folks; the KMPO Board has called a Special Meeting for Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. at Post Falls City Hall, 408 N. Spokane Street.

The purpose of the meeting is to take action on terminating a contract for administrative and technical staff services and the hiring of a staff member.

Here's the agenda. As always, these meetings are open to the public so feel free to attend.

Auto Sales Increasing, Car Size Decreasing

It makes complete sense; as gas prices go higher, Americans are opting for smaller cars.

New models that get 35 mpg or better led most major automakers to stronger April sales. In fact, auto sales are up overall and have been the past three months, signalling a recovery for the auto industry and possibly the economy.

The Coeur d'Alene Press has the details, although I suspect one of them is incorrect. The story states that the average gas price last year at this time was $1.06! Holy cow, that's some cheap gas.

Motorcyle Awareness Rally Planned For Saturday

A rally is planned for Saturday in Coeur d’Alene to boost motorist awareness of motorcycle and scooter riders.

ABATE of North Idaho, a motorcycle education group, will host the Motorcycle Awareness Parade and Rally at 10 a.m. at the Kootenai County Courthouse, 451 Government Way. A ride down Sherman Avenue will begin at 11 a.m.

The event is part of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

And I Thought I Was Running Late This Morning

Jenny from our office and I were doing traffic counts this morning at the crazy intersection of SH 41 and Seltice and we saw someone sitting in their car brushing their teeth! While driving! So that brought up lots of questions- where do you get the water? Where do you spit? How do you rinse your toothbrush off afterwards?

If you've ever brushed your teeth while driving and have any insight, let me know. And please don't do it again. That can't be safe.

Citylink Numbers Stay Strong

Citylink continues to go strong. The ridership numbers from last month show a drop in numbers on a couple of the routes, but an overall increase in riders from the same time period last year. Here are the numbers.

Board Considering Creating Independent Agency

There's been a lot of speculation lately as to what is happening with KMPO. The KMPO Board currently contracts with Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC), the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Spokane County, for day-to-day operational and administrative needs.

The Board is moving toward severing that tie however and creating an independent agency. It's not clear at this time what the timeframe would be to do so, but the contract between KMPO and SRTC states that KMPO must provide 90 days notice before an official split. At this time we have not received that notice.

Here's an article from the Coeur d'Alene Press today that contains some additional information.

New Interim Transportation Manager For KMPO/SRTC

KMPO has a new interim Transportation Manager. KMPO contracts with Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC), the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Spokane County, for day-to-day operational and administrative needs. SRTC operates at the pleasure of the KMPO Board.

The SRTC Board recently decided to take the agency in a new direction. That new direction eventually led to new leadership as well. At a meeting last week, the Board approved hiring Mark Rohwer as the Interim Transportation Manager to lead SRTC while a search is conducted for a permanent Executive Director.

“There is a lot happening in transportation right now,” says SRTC Board Chair Gary Schimmels. “That means a lot for this agency to keep up with and a lot of opportunity for it to grow. The Board is grateful to Mr. Rohwer for returning to his transportation planning roots to help guide that growth while getting the agency through this transition phase.”

Rohwer had a long history at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) - Eastern Region (32 years!) before retiring in 2009. In his role at WSDOT, he collaborated with Metropolitan Planning Organizations such as SRTC, providing him knowledge of how MPOs function and how to move forward as an agency. He's also a long-time resident of the area, so he has a good idea how things work around here and the political climate.

It's expected to take approximately three months to appoint a permanent Executive Director at SRTC.

I Can't Say They Didn't Warn Me

I bought the tire below this weekend to replace the flat, shredded one on my wheelbarrow. Look what the new one says on it. Hmmm... good to know. Guess I won't try my luck on it on the highway after all.

KMPO Workshop Today

The KMPO Board has called a Workshop for today at 10 a.m. at Post Falls City Hall, 408 N. Spokane Street.

The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the development of an Independent Operating Management followed by an EXECUTIVE SESSION pursuant to I.C. 67-2345(1)(a) to consider hiring a staff member.

Here's the agenda if you want to check it out. As always, all KMPO meetings are open to the public so feel free to attend if you are interested. The Executive Session, obviously, is not open to the public.

A Good Way To Kill Some Time On Friday

It's Friday, there's not a lot going on in transportation news, and it's snowing outside. To cheer us (and by 'us' I mean 'me' of course) up, let's go to my happy place: Mexico. That's right, I'm fortunate enough to have friends with a place in Puerto Vallarta, so I just got back from a cheap vacation there. So that it doesn't sound like I'm talking about myself though, and because this is a transportation blog, let's talk about transportation in Mexico.

To start with, we made a point to get everywhere by bus if possible. See those people huddled against the rock wall in the picture? That was the bus stop across from our hotel. Standing on 95 waiting for the bus isn't looking so bad anymore is it?

Once you got on the bus (assuming you lived to do so), there was lots to see. Many bus drivers decorate their buses with curtains, decals, fuzzy dice, etc. and they also provide you with music at high decibels; usually traditional Mexican mariachi music or techno. I've never been a techno fan but there's one beat I just can't get out of my head now.


Some buses even had live music. These were two musicians who jumped on at our stop and played and sang all the way downtown. When they got to the transfer point, they jumped off our bus and got on another, presumably to sing and make more money.

Many of the bus stops weren't even marked, you just had to know where they were. This one was marked with this shrine though. I'm not sure if that's to show that someone died there (probably because it was right next to a high speed two-lane highway) or if it's just a convenient place to worship while you wait for the bus.

While the buses were very popular there, many people created their own mass transit.

This one is hard to see because it was taken from a moving vehicle, but that's a man and woman on a motorcyle with a baby between them. I also saw pregnant women in the back of pickup trucks and people lying on top of loads to keep them from blowing out. Apparently bungee cords aren't popular in Mexico.

The pedestrian 'walk' signs there were really cool. They were animated and actually showed someone walking, although it looked more like he was doing the electric slide.

Okay, I'm done talking about myself- I mean transportation in Mexico- now. Don't we all feel better now?

Kootenai County Construction Map Available

I'm assigning you a goal for this year; beat road construction by being prepared for it. That's right, no more waiting in congestion caused by road construction projects. Instead, you'll finding an alternate route and getting where you're going on time. So how are you going to do that? With the 2011 Kootenai Area Construction Map that KMPO just completed.

The map shows major construction projects that will impact traffic countywide this year. It includes descriptions and the timeframe for each project. You can even print it and keep it in your car if you like.

Here's the link to it.

Buy A Home- Get A Free Car

Everyone knows the real estate market, along with the economy, is in the dumps right now. But one Chicago builder has found a way to move his inventory of homes; by giving a free car with purchase. The New York Times has the story.

While the home buyers in that community are loving that deal, others are calling it a way to promote urban sprawl and criticizing the builder for creating 'life-draining commutes.' Here's an article from Grist that references the 'empty, angry hours spent on the road and in traffic.'

So what's your take on this? If you were looking for a home, would you buy one far from home because a car was being thrown in?