Weigh in on the future of transportation in Idaho with new survey

POCATELLO – Eastern Idahoens have the chance to make their priorities for the future of transportation known to the agency that oversees its development and expansion.

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is currently in the process of gathering public opinion ahead of its development of the 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan. People who visit ITD’s website have the opportunity to fill out a survey until Jan. 10.

But this isn’t like any other survey. This gathers information on how Idahoens currently get around, what their transportation needs are and what types of transportation they most want to see prioritized.

“We absolutely hope to never create what I call shelf documents, where things just sit on the shelf and gather dust. … When we complete this process, this will give us some direction for where the state of Idaho is going at large … and it should dictate to us what our priorities will be as it pertains to funding future transportation projects,” said Chris Peirsol, the transportation planner for District 5.

EastIdahoNews.com interviewed Peirsol at ITD’s open house in Pocatello. While all of the scheduled open houses for the developing long-range transportation plan have already taken place, people can still submit their feedback through this online survey.

In order to adapt to current transportation needs, ITD updates its long-term planning every five to ten years. Peirsol stated that the last major refresh occurred ten years ago, culminating in the release of the 2040 Long-range Transportation Plan.

“It keeps you constant with change (and) that’s incredibly important,” Peirsol said. “I never want things to get stale. We live in a fast-paced, fast-changing environment, and I want to make sure we’re current both technologically speaking, and just with the wishes of the citizens of Idaho in general,” Peirsol said.

While the majority of Idahoens use personal vehicles as a primary means of transportation, the survey questions recognize that there are other forms of transportation, like walking, cycling and public transportation.

Some questions asked on the survey include:

What do you value most in a transportation network?

• Safety: get where you need to go without significant risk
• Mobility: get where you need to go easily and quickly
• Economic opportunity: support the movement of goods and services
• Reliability: get where you need to go consistently and have alternate routes available during disruptions like natural disasters or crashes
• Multimodal options: get where you need to go the way you want without depending solely on a personal vehicle
• Other (please specify)

How should ITD invest funds in the transportation system? Rank from highest priority to lowest priority.

• Operating and maintaining the existing network (plowing snow, striping, guardrail and sign repair, etc.)
• Preservation of existing infrastructure (keeping pavements and bridges in good condition)
• Restoration of existing infrastructure (replacing roads and bridges at the end of their lifecycle)
• Expansion (capacity improvements such as adding new lanes, widening roads and bridges, etc.)
• New revenue for modes not currently eligible (public transit, passenger rail, etc.)

If you had $100, how would you invest in the following areas?

• a. Preserving and maintaining existing infrastructure to keep the transportation system open and in good condition.
• b. Constructing safety improvements (wider shoulders, guardrail, enhanced signage, turn bays, signalizing intersections, rail crossings with lights and gates, etc.)
• c. Expanding and/or adding roads to the current road network?
• d. Adding new routes
• e. Improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• f. Enhancing public transit services
• g. Improving public airports
• h. Update infrastructure to be compatible with emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles

If people want a say in Idaho’s transportation future, Peirsol says it’s important to respond to the survey.

“What are your priorities? Where would you like to see ITD go?” Peirsol asks. “I think you’ll get an assortment of different answers, depending on where you are, throughout the state. We want to hear from the citizens and see what’s important to them.”

Take the survey here.