Transportation Board Subcommittee on

 

Additions to and Removals from the State Highway System

 

March 15, 2000

 

Transportation Board Vice Chairman Jack Combo and Member Monte C. McClure, Local Highway Technical Assistance Council Administrator Joe Haynes, Assistant Chief Engineer of Development Steve Hutchinson, Transportation Planning Administrator (TPA) Charles Rountree, Senior Transportation Planner Garry Young, and Secretary to the Board Sue Higgins, met at 3:35 PM in the Division of Motor Vehicle Conference Room, Transportation Department, Boise, on Wednesday, March 15.

 

Staff proposed changes to Board and Administrative Policies B- and A-09-06, State Highway System – Additions and Removals.  The main revision incorporates the establishment and responsibilities of the Subcommittee.  Minor title changes were made and out-of-date terms and references updated.  The Subcommittee provided additional comments and suggested distributing the revised policy to the Transportation Board at its meeting on March 16-17 for comments before continuing the internal update process.

 

At the February Board meeting, a letter from the City of Lewiston requesting Board consideration to add Snake River Avenue to the state’s highway system was presented.  The consensus of the Board was to have Board Member Bruce Sweeney and District 2 Engineer Jim Carpenter meet with City officials to discuss this issue and relay information from that meeting to the Subcommittee for consideration.  The City’s objective is to get this road rebuilt as soon as possible.  Member Sweeney and DE Carpenter discussed various options, and suggested the most feasible alternative at this time is to request a project in the STP-Urban Program.  The City was agreeable to pursuing that option, so the request to add Snake River Avenue to the state’s system has been put on hold for the time being.

 

Some discussion was held on the need for criteria to address urban routes.  Mr. Young expressed concern with a state route that serves just within one municipality.  The Subcommittee concurred that it is difficult to justify a state route within one city.  Mr. Young added that the Department has “spur” and “business route” designations.  TPA Rountree said the route would have to be in the state’s best interest to qualify as a state highway.  One example may be for national defense.  Mr. Haynes questioned an intermodal justification, i.e. connecting to an airport.  He also suggested looking at the statutory goals.  TPA Rountree stated that there are very few requests for adding city routes to the state’s system.  The consensus of the Subcommittee was to not develop separate criteria for urban routes.

 

Valley County officials sent Mr. Young a letter requesting an evaluation of Warm Lake Road for inclusion on the State Highway System.  The consensus of the Subcommittee was to have Mr. Young perform a perfunctory evaluation and notify Valley County of this action.

 

The meeting adjourned at 5 PM.

 

___________signed________________

Respectfully submitted by:

SUE S. HIGGINS

Secretary to the Board