Citylink Public Meeting Reminder

A reminder that Citylink is holding a public meeting next week to get your input on their job performance.

Citylink is a partnership between Kootenai County, the State of Idaho and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. The Tribe continues to evaluate the needs of the fixed-route public transportation service in Benewah and Kootenai Counties. So, they're asking you for feedback regarding bus routes, bus stops, bus accessibility and any other information pertinent to the transit system.

The meeting is next Monday, Nov. 2 from 4-6 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Library, 702 E. Front Ave.

The meetings is free and open to the public, so if you've got something to say, go do it.

It's KMPO Newsletter Time Again

It's been a busy October here at KMPO. So busy that I almost didn't get the October newsletter out in October. I scraped through and got it done though, although it may not be entirely accurate. Just kidding, of course its accurate; it's been personally picked apart by all 15 KMPO/SRTC employees.

So get yourself caught up on what we've been up to at KMPO by clicking here.

Public Transportation Roundtable This Thursday

A reminder that KMPO's quarterly Public Transportation Roundtable meeting is this Thursday, Oct. 29 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The purpose of the Roundtable is to promote continued coordinated planning and development of integrated public transportation services within and through Kootenai County. That's a mouthful.

Here's a look at the agenda. And yes, Roundtable meetings are open to the public so feel free to come observe.

Senate Aiming For 6 Month Extension Of Transportation Bill

'18 months' has been our mantra around the KMPO office for the past several months, but now we apparently need to change it to 'six months.' According to the blog 'CQ Politics' out of Washington, D.C., the Senate is scrapping plans for an 18-month extension of surface transportation law and is now working instead on a six-month extension. Here's the story.

Dog Causes Freeway Accident, Sheriff Says, "That Could've Happened Here."

Capt. Ben Wolfinger of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department sent the article below out to local media today in response to an incident here earlier this month that caused a lot of public outcry. A sheriff deputy shot a small dog to death on Interstate 90 in Post Falls after several attempts to catch it, as they were worried it might cause a vehicle accident.

Well, that's exactly what happened in the Boise area today; a dog running loose on the freeway caused a multi-car crash. Here's the story from Boise.

So did this incident change anyone's mind as to how the incident here should have been dealth with?

Drunk Driver Crashes Recliner. Yes, You Read That Right

Okay, I've heard it all now. A Minnesota man is in trouble with the law... for crashing his recliner while driving drunk. That's right, I said 'recliner.' He was driving a recliner equipped with a motor, cupholder, and stereo. Sounds nicer than my car. Here's the news report. I'm wondering how they kept a straight face.

Here's the story from 'Action 13 News'.

I'm ripping off the Spokesman's 'Huckleberries' blog right and left this week. Yesterday I posted their picture of one of the new bike racks in Coeur d'Alene's midtown area. Well here are pictures of the other two new racks. The woman in the one by the rack that looks like a chain is the artist herself, by the way.

It's Official Now; The Ribbon's Been Cut

All the bigwigs were out for yesterday's ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of Coeur d'Alene's Midtown Improvement project. Here's Mayor Bloem doing the deed, and which KMPO Board member is that in on all the action? Al Hassell of course.

Here's an article on the ceremony and what it took to get Midtown looking this spiffy.

The Funny Part Is That The Cat Talks Back

So what do you haul on your bike? Books? Your laptop? Maybe a child if you have a baby seat? Well, I stole this off John Speare's 'Cycling Spokane' blog as a sample of something different you can haul- pets! Well, people with normal pets anyway. If I tried this with my cat Bob, he'd chew his way out of that plastic carrier, kill me, then drag the bike off to a pawn shop sell in order to buy some catnip from Canada.

Bike Racks Going In On 4th Street

So here's a look (stolen off the Spokesman's 'Huckleberries' blog I might add) at one of the bike racks being installed as part of the 4th Street Renovation Project in Coeur d'Alene this week. Rumor has it that all the racks are 'artsy' like this fish-inspired one. I see a field trip in my future to check them all out and take more pictures.

Non-Motorized Plan In Final Stages

Here's an update for you: work on the Regional Non-Motorized Plan is wrapping up. We're proofing our draft right now and adding some pictures and other small items to make it pretty, then it will go out to the public and to the Kootenai County Area Transportation Team (KCATT) and the KMPO Board in November for review and comment. Check back 'cause I'll post a link to it here.

Play The Driving Concentration Game

I blogged earlier this week about how it's Teen Driver Safety Week. Well, today I found this website by the 'Century Council' (according to them they're distillers drunk driving and underage drinking) devoted to making underage driving safer. Among other things on the site, they have the 'Concentration Game' below you can try. Let's just say I didn't do so good.

Tell Citylink How They're Doing

Here's early notice of some public meetings that Citylink will host next month to give the public a chance to comment on local bus service.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe, which operates Citylink, is evaluating bus routes, bus stops, bus accessibility and any other information pertinent to the transit system and wants to hear from you how they're doing.

So, they're inviting you to a couple of free meetings that will be held on two consecutive Mondays in November:

Date: Monday, November 2, 2009
Time: 4-6 PM
Location: Coeur d’Alene Library, 702 E. Front Avenue

Date: Monday, November 9th 2009
Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Benewah Wellness Center, 1100 “A” Street, Plummer, ID 83851

An Invitation From The City Of CDA

The Midtown Improvement and Place-Making Project will hold its ribbon-cutting ceremony this Thursday, October 22nd, at 11:00 a.m. and everyone is invited! Please join Mayor Bloem, Council Members, and representatives of 4th Street businesses at the intersection of 4th Street and Montana Avenue to celebrate this event.

The three-phase project – a major revitalization effort – included enhancement of the midtown area. The first phase began at Foster Avenue and ended at Miller Avenue. The second phase started in late June and began at the alley north of Lakeside Avenue and proceeded north to Foster Avenue. The final phase started in late July and began from Miller Avenue north to Harrison Avenue.

Always on or ahead of schedule, the project, supported by the City of Coeur d’Alene, the Lake City Development Corporation (LCDC), and Local Improvement District (LID) funds, is an eclectic blend of specialty shops, restaurants and residences, paved intersections and public art, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, and tree-lined streets.

By the way, one of the discussions going on over at the Spokesman's 'Huckleberries' blog is what bloggers like most about the 4th Street project. So far answers have ranged from the new bus shelters to the street trees and wider sidewalks. Take a look and voice your own opinion.

CDA Leaf Pickup Delayed

Don't rake your leaves into the street just yet. The Coeur d'Alene Street Department is experiencing some delays in starting the annual fall leaf pickup.

Here's the story from the Coeur d'Alene Press.

Next Week Is Teen Driver Week In Idaho

Next week is Teen Driver Safety Week in Idaho, meaning law enforcement and other agencies will be taking a close look at the behavior of teenagers behind the wheel. The article below came from the Idaho Falls Post Register, but I would've had to pay to link to it, so I just cut and pasted it.

IDAHO FALLS - Teen drivers will be the focus of next week's statewide "Youthful Driver School Zone Campaign."

Idaho Falls police officers will be doing extra school zones patrols Monday through Friday to encourage drivers to obey speed limits and ensure all passengers are wearing seat belts, Sgt. Dave Frei said.

Bonneville County deputies will also be patrolling school zones, Sgt. Doug Metcalf said.

The campaign will be held in conjunction with National Teen Driver Safety Week, which looks at teen drivers and the risks involved with passengers in the vehicle.

"Statistics show a teen driver with one passenger doubles the risk of a fatal crash," Frei said. "A teen carrying three or more passengers quadruples the risk."

According to Idaho Transportation Department data, drivers age 15 through 19 were involved in 296 fatal or serious injury crashes statewide in 2008.

There was one 2008 highway fatality involving a teenager in Bonneville County. There were four in 2007.

The goal is to educate teens about safe driving and, as a consequence, to reduce accidents, Frei said. Officers will also be on the lookout for traffic violations committed by adult drivers.

An Office of Highway Safety grant will pay for the overtime of 33 Idaho Falls police officers.

Clear Your Calendar For The Next Roundtable Meeting

Here's early notice of KMPO's next Public Transportation Roundtable meeting:

When: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Where: Coeur d'Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., Cda, ID
Time: 10:30 am to noon

The agenda hasn't been finalized yet so check back here in a couple days to see if I've posted it yet. The purpose of the Roundtable is to promote continued coordinated planning and development of integrated public transportation services within and through Kootenai County. The Roundtable meets quarterly.

Report Says Stimulus $ Saved Almost 500 Jobs

The first report on Idaho’s federal stimulus money spending is out, and it shows that the money spent so far, $12.8 million, has created or preserved almost 500 jobs.
Here's more from the Spokesman-Review's 'Eye on Boise' blog.

Less Gas Stops, More Bathroom Breaks When Urine (Get It?- You're In) This Car

Jeff from our office is home sick today, but apparently not too sick to surf the web and send methis article, along with a note saying, 'At $140 a tank, I am going to start saving my urine now.' And even worse, the tagline for this article is 'Mazda's latest four-wheel-drive likes a wee drink.'

That's right folks, it's the first car to use a urine-like solution to reduce tailpipe emmissions. So what, exactly, is a 'urine-like solution?' According to the article, it's a special man-made liquid similar to human urine to reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The compound, called AdBlue, is a mixture of roughly one-third pure urea and two-thirds demineralised water.

Before I get in trouble here for posting anything questionable (more questionable than the above anyway), I'm going to say, just read the article and tell me if you'd buy this car.

Should Google Create Bike Maps? Cast Your Vote

Apparently Google is considering creating maps of the best bicycling routes in any particular area, because the idea has been posted on their 'Suggest It' page where the merits of possible new developments are weighed by the public.

If this seems like a good idea to you, go to the Google site and “vote” by clicking the 'Suggest It' button. The bike route mapping is under the heading 'Route Information.' If Google is flooded with requests, the proposed feature could become reality.