Submitted by Ken Watts
Approximately 70 members of the Island Park/Fremont County community met twice to discuss a design solution for improvements to US 20 Ashton to SH 87 near the Montana border. A decision was made to form a proposal committee. 17 members of the community agreed to be on the committee. The proposal was developed over several months and is about 50 pages long. It is not practical to publish the entire proposal in the Island Park News. However the executive summary from the proposal can be published for your use and information. Ken’s Korner is publishing a 3 part series that will contain the entire executive summary. The entire proposal is being sent to decision makers in the area and the State and will also be sent to news outlets across the State. The following is the third part of the series: 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recreation is the economic engine for Island Park. However, this purpose/need does not require a 4 lane freeway. A freeway would cause environmental and economic damage to the area. Idaho should not spend $700,000,000 of vital State highway funding for a four lane freeway over build that will primarily benefit Montana trucking and the National Park Service/Yellowstone National Park/West Yellowstone, Montana while risking very significant environmental and economic damage in the State of Idaho. The residents of the greater Island Park area adamantly oppose a four lane freeway. They support a Super 2 highway design because the environmental and ecological risk to the area is much reduced. The economic risk to the area is also much lower if the highway stays within the current footprint. Studies done in several states indicate that Super 2 highways reduce accidents by nearly 50%. When coupled with the existing low accident rate, a Super 2 highway would have a very low accident rate. The community has considered several solutions for the various intersections located in the Island Park area. It is proposed that improvements to the intersections be done in a phased approach with simple improvements such as right turn merge lanes at the busier intersections done as early as 2023. Near term improvements would be the addition of traffic signals, roundabouts, or compact overpasses at the busier intersections within the next five years. Intersection improvements should be prioritized based on community needs. The community supports the current US 20 Ashton to SH 87 highway improvements that are being done by ITD. These improvements are: tree cut back, rumble strips, wider shoulders, wider stripes, more signage, and left turn arrows. These improvements should be augmented by additional improvements such as solar lighting at wildlife hot spots, merge lanes, deceleration lanes, and more message boards to enhance safety. There are many community opinions on setting speed limits on US 20 Ashton to SH 87. The one shared opinion is that speed limits should be reduced and enforced. The community does not support the 85th percentile method of setting the speed limit. In this method, the most reckless drivers/speeders set the speed limit. Nationally this method is falling out of favor. Safety should be the basis for setting speed limits, not mobility. There is growing evidence that higher speed causes more accidents. Lower speeds, that are enforced, would reduce wildlife vehicle collisions. In 2018, The Fremont County Board of County Commissioners passed Resolution 2018-13 which speaks to the need and support for reduced speed limits and demands coordination between relevant state and federal agencies and the county for all future highway design concepts. Such high level coordination has not occurred in the US 20 PEL. The community adamantly opposes a four lane freeway in the Island Park area and supports a Super 2 (passing lanes) design. A Super 2 highway design provides additional safety, attains the required level of service for two decades and beyond at a greatly reduced cost. US 20 Ashton to SH 87 has low traffic volume most of the year. It would be fiscally irresponsible for the Idaho Transportation Department Board to consider construction of a four lane freeway which would cost over $700,000,000 when a much lower cost option is available. The funding can be better spent in locations where there is high traffic volume throughout the year and the benefits go primarily to Idaho.
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Submitted by Ken Watts
Approximately 70 members of the Island Park/Fremont County community met twice to discuss a design solution for improvements to US 20 Ashton to SH 87 near the Montana border. A decision was made to form a proposal committee. 17 members of the community agreed to be on the committee. The proposal was developed over several months and is about 50 pages long. It is not practical to publish the entire proposal in the Island Park News. However the executive summary from the proposal can be published for your use and information. Ken’s Korner is publishing a 3 part series that will contain the entire executive summary. The entire proposal is being sent to decision makers in the area and the State and will also be sent to news outlets across the State. The following is the second part of the series: 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The traffic studies being used by ITD are old, incomplete, not conducted during high traffic volume months and contain many fudge factors to try to make them relevant. In addition, the studies are often contradictory. New, detailed, comprehensive traffic studies are needed that are done by contractors who are independent and cannot bid on the construction contracts. US 20 Ashton to SH 87 is a seasonal recreational highway. According to JUB Engineers, traffic volume varies by 500% from summer to winter. Traffic volume is high a very small percentage of time. The accident rate is below the State average and about 1/3 the national average. This highway is safer than most. ITD’s purpose and need statements for US 20 from Ashton to SH 87 are incomplete. Their purpose and need statements are done at the project level. They address things like congestion, travel time, and safety. But what is the purpose and need for this highway segment? There are three primary uses for this highway. First, this highway segment provides a primary travel route for southeastern Idaho traffic and provides the sole travel artery for local Island Park and Fremont County residents living in the larger Island Park community. Second, US 20 provides one of many ways for tourists to travel to and throughout the area to enjoy many recreational activities including two state parks, as well as providing access to the pass-through traveling public to and from Yellowstone National Park/West Yellowstone, Montana. Third, US 20 is a freight route that allows goods and services to be provided to the Island Park area, and serves as a shorter alternative route to I-90 for travel beyond to Montana and also into Canada. These needs can safely and efficiently be provided for all users of the roadway by upgrading the current footprint, while providing economic benefits to Fremont County and the community of Island Park, without destroying it. When considering the focus of purpose for all Idaho roadways, ITD should remain committed to Idaho’s road “safety, mobility, and economic opportunity”, not Montana’s. By proposing a 4 lane highway, ITD is principally focusing on the economic benefits beyond Idaho and will spend precious Idaho transportation resources and tax dollars in doing so. Such a massive footprint will cause many detrimental impacts to the city and larger community of Island Park which is bisected by the existing roadway and insults the ecological and pristine nature of Island Park. Recreation is the economic engine for Island Park. Tourist and recreational traffic do provide economic value, when Island Park is the destination of travelers. Trucks and Yellowstone tourist traffic mostly pass through the larger recreation area and certainly through the city of Island Park. Including the freight route and Yellowstone tourist traffic elements into the purpose and need for this roadway add marginal economic value to Idaho and very little to Island Park. Submitted by Ken Watts.
Approximately 70 members of the Island Park/Fremont County community met twice to discuss a design solution for improvements to US 20 Ashton to SH 87 near the Montana border. A decision was made to form a proposal committee. 17 members of the community agreed to be on the committee. The proposal was developed over several months and is about 50 pages long. It is not practical to publish the entire proposal in the Island Park News. However the executive summary from the proposal can be published for your use and information. Ken’s Korner will publish a 3 part series that will contain the entire executive summary. The proposal is being sent to decision makers in the area and the State and will also be sent to news outlets across the State. The following is the first part of the series: 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Idaho Transportation Department has initiated the Planning and Environmental Linkages process for upgrades to US Highway 20 from Ashton to State Highway 87. ITD quickly down selected the design options for the highway to only include four lane options with virtually no involvement from the public on the selection committee. January 2020 notes from an ITD Board meeting reveal that the Chief Operating Officer for ITD stated that ideally this highway should be four lanes and subsequent board meeting notes progressively reveal ITD D6 positioning to pursue multiple lanes leading up to October 2021 and the PEL initiation. These comments are considered pre-decisional which is prohibited by the National Environmental Policy Act. ITD had completed a study in 2020 that determined that adding passing lanes was an acceptable approach for meeting the highway purpose and need to 2042 and beyond. This study was withheld from the public. A public records request was used to get the study. Residents of the Island Park and Fremont County were very displeased with the conduct of the PEL process. A community meeting was held in June of 2022 to discuss the highway design. The meeting was attended by about 70 people and elected representatives. The people, by a show of hands, unanimously opposed a four lane freeway in the Island Park area. There was near unanimous support for a “Super 2” highway design that adds passing lanes and widens shoulders. This information was given to ITD but ITD continued the four lane march in spite of the adamant public opposition. The community held a second meeting in September 2022 to discuss the situation. At that meeting, the attendees (~70) agreed to prepare a community proposal (this proposal) for the highway. The proposal would recommend a Super 2 highway design based on the design work already completed by JUB Engineers in 2020, at a cost of $3.24M to the State of Idaho. The proposal would be prepared for the ITD Board because the Board controls the highway funding. Submitted by Ken Watts
Another records request of the Idaho Transportation Department reveals that the Chief Operations Officer does not support freeway interchanges on US 20 Ashton to SH 87. This would mean that all intersections in Island Park, at the busier intersections, would be on grade. This approach would mandate stop lights or roundabouts for safety. It is interesting to note that most of ITD’s high speed, limited access, 4 lane, freeway options included interchanges or bypasses of Island Park. Of course the bypasses will destroy Island Park businesses. Ashton has demanded an economic study be conducted to look at the impacts of the highway redesign. Economic analyses are required by the Planning and Environmental Linkages process. Hopefully Island Park will join Ashton in requesting the required economic analysis. Note that COO McElhinney may also be saying that community support of the freeway is required. Of course members of the community are not supporting a 4 lane freeway, but rather adding additional passing lanes (a Super 2 design). The email on interchanges follows: From: Dan McElhinney <[email protected]> Sent on: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 11:59:51 PM To: Jason Minzghor <[email protected]>; Karen Hiatt <[email protected]> CC: Blake Rindlisbacher <[email protected]>; Amy Schroeder <[email protected]> Subject: US 20 options Thank you for meeting today with Blake and I. We don’t support the PEL alternative for freeway access control and freeway interchanges configuration from north of Ashton to state line - which seems beyond the projected traffic needs within 20 years. We do note with community support that likely the four lanes highway option (two lanes each direction) on existing or adjusted alignment, possibly divided by a median, is more feasible and fundable (sic) for program consideration. Let’s meet again to review the draft PEL project benefits and recent traffic report/crash data north of Ashton in more detail later this week? Also what other interim projects could be considered? We will send a shorter list of questions/topics tomorrow as discussed. Thank you. Dan Dan McElhinney, P.E. ITD Chief Deputy/COO Submitted by Ken Watts
Ken’s Korner supports education, especially science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. STEM education is critical to the prosperity of our country. Fremont County Joint School District #215 is proposing a 20 year, $59,980,000 school bond. The vote on this bond will occur on March 14, 2023. The total payoff cost for this bond is estimated to be $83,507,800 if the interest rate is 3.73%. $46,790, 942 (78%) of the bond is designated for South Fremont High School improvements and expansion. This includes the following: 999 seat auditorium, ticket office, drama classroom, dressing and restroom facility, auxiliary gym with full court sidelines, wrestling room with mats, laundry, renovated weight room, career technical education section featuring classrooms, welding, wood shops, etc., family consumer science, renovation to art, special education, kitchen, and resource rooms, entrance/administrative offices, counseling offices, secure vestibule, and security office. In Ashton, $5,803,431 would be spent for career technical education (vocational education) at the North Fremont High School and other improvements. $6,207,450 would be spent for a multipurpose gym at the Henry’s Fork Elementary School. Therefore a total of $12,010,881 (20%) would be spent in North Fremont. $1,178,177 (2%) is allocated for miscellaneous expenditures (HVAC,ADA, electrical). 0% (none) would be spent to support the Island Park charter school ( a premiere school in the state). It is estimated that the bond will cost property owners $137 per year per $100,000 of assessed property value. In Island Park, small homes are selling for ~$300K, midsized homes are selling for $500K, and larger homes are selling for $1M or more. Therefore the annual assessment would be $411, $685, and $1,370 respectively. Over the 20 year term of the bond, the cost would be $8,220, $13,700, and $27,400 respectively. Some people estimate that Island Park would pay 60 to 70% of the bond costs. This is similar to property taxes. Are Island Park property owners being treated fairly when only 20% of the funding will be spent in North Fremont while 78% will be spent in South Fremont and none in Island Park? Let’s consider the language in the ballot. The ballot does not reveal that a large portion of the funds will be expended on 999 seat auditorium, two gyms, a renovated weight room, a wrestling room, administration offices, etc. This is important information for the voters. It is excellent that funding will be spent on career technical education (vocational education). These are skills that are desperately needed in Idaho and the nation. STEM should be the focus of this bond. |
Making Sense of It All
This blog will help you make sense out of all the information on the website, how it affects IP, our history, and how efforts continue to put IP into various forms of conservation status. Archives
May 2023
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