Submitted by Ken Watts
The first draft of the “community” proposal for the design of US 20 Ashton to SH 87 has been completed by the proposal committee (17 members of the community). In an effort to inform people about the contents of the proposal, Ken’s Korner is publishing sections of the proposal. It is hoped that you will provide feedback and offer your ideas to the committee so that the proposal can be improved. This week the Elk Run portion of the section on intersections is being published for your use. This section was chosen because the City and County are currently considering changes to this intersection. 7.0 INTERSECTIONS The purpose of this section is to put forth community 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 done as early as 2023. Simple improvements could be right turn merge lanes at the busier intersections. Near term improvements could be the addition of stop lights, roundabouts, or compact overpasses at the busier intersections. Near term would be within the next five years. Intersection improvements can be prioritized based on community needs. The intersection at Elk Creek is likely the highest priority, followed by the intersections at Mack’s Inn and Robin’s Roost. 7.5 ELK CREEK The intersection of Yale-Kilgore Road and US 20 at Elk Creek is one of the most congested intersections in Island Park during some hours of the summer tourist season. It does need improvements to relieve congestion and improve safety even though there are few accidents at this intersection. The first improvement should be a long radius right turn lane, with no stop sign, going south on US 20 from Yale-Kilgore Road. This change would include a long merge lane to allow blending of traffic on US 20. This small change would improve traffic flow dramatically especially when people are traveling south after a holiday weekend. This change would also allow left turning traffic to clearly see traffic coming from the south on US 20. Currently right turning traffic blocks the view of left turning traffic causing considerable left turn anxiety and potential safety issues. This minor improvement should be done in 2023 and can be done under categorical exclusion and at a low cost. It will greatly improve traffic flow. It will also support other near term improvements. ITD has stated that they are willing to do other improvements on this intersection in the near term (2028 or earlier) if the City and County agree on a solution. Brandon Harris, County Road and Bridge, supports installing a traffic light at this intersection…. The traffic light could be programmed in many different ways. For example, it could be set up to operate when traffic is heavier and give preference to traffic on US 20. It could be set up to flash yellow on US 20 and red on Yale-Kilgore Road when traffic is lighter. Another option is to allow the light to change when vehicles are on Yale-Kilgore Road at the intersection…. Snowmobiles and ATVs must have access to Elk Creek Station for fuel. Recreational vehicles are an economic driver for this business area. The stop light will provide safer access and crossing. Some members of the community support a roundabout at the Elk Creek intersection. A roundabout may result in fewer crashes and lower energy crashes because of the low speeds in a roundabout. If drivers use the roundabout properly, traffic can keep moving slowly. The roundabout would have to be large because some trucks using the road are near 100 feet long and weigh 110, 000 lbs. when loaded. The roundabout would also have to be well lit so that it can be easily seen. A third option that was considered by the subcommittee is a compact 2 lane overpass. In this design, Yale-Kilgore Road would be sunken a few feet and US 20 would be raised a few feet to keep the overpass closer to grade. Concrete retaining walls would be used to keep the shoulders on US 20 narrower. The intersection would have typical interchange entrances and exits. The design will allow for recreational vehicles to easily and safely pass under US 20. There is plenty of distance between the two wetlands to accommodate the compact interchange. This intersection design would safer than a roundabout or an intersection with a traffic light. This design improves mobility and allows for higher speeds on US 20 at the intersection. For the near term, a traffic light at the existing intersection makes the most sense and would be very cost effective. It reasonably addresses mobility when programmed correctly.
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Submitted by Ken Wats
The first draft of the “community” proposal for the design of US 20 Ashton to SH 87 has been completed by the proposal committee (17 members of the community). In an effort to inform people about the contents of the proposal, Ken’s Korner is publishing sections of the proposal. It is hoped that you will provide feedback and offer your ideas to the committee so that the proposal can be improved. This week the section on 4 lane freeway issues is being published for your use. This section was chosen because it was sent to the Idaho Transportation Department as part of comments to the ITD December 2022 “public meeting”. 6.0 FOUR LANE FREEWAY ISSUES As stated previously, people at the first ITD public meeting, told ITD not to even propose a four lane freeway. This is a non-starter. The citizens of Island Park oppose a four lane, high speed, limited access, freeway for many reasons. They recognize the many shortcomings of a freeway in an environmentally sensitive, scenic, recreational area. The reasons for opposing a freeway follow: 1. The Island Park Caldera is and extremely sensitive area environmentally because of its high elevation and northern latitude. Repair to environmental damage takes years. 2. ITD mapped out the wetlands adjacent to US 20. There were hundreds of flags along the highway. These wetlands will be damaged by construction of the 4 lanes and lead to ground water contamination. There could be threatened species in these many wetlands. 3. The four land freeway will require at least 5 (maybe more) new bridges across pristine, blue ribbon trout streams. Construction of these bridges will certainly lead to the generation of sediment in the streams. This could lead to generational damage to the fishery. The construction could lead to the release of invasive species. 4. Fishing is an economic driver for the area 12 months out of the year. The area is home to the threatened Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. People come from around the world to fish for this magnificent fish. 5. The Island Park Caldera is a scenic recreational area. The view scape will be compromised by a 4 lane freeway. The recreational value of the area will be diminished because the area will not be viewed as natural. 6. A 4 lane limited access freeway will reduce recreational access along the entire highway segment. Rafting access at the Buffalo River crossing would be lost, for example, as would fishing access at other crossings. 7. Access to the Targhee Forest will be compromised at many locations. This will hurt hunting and fishing access. 8. Recreational crossings will be severely reduced and compromised. This includes crossings for ATVs and snowmobiles. Snowmobiling is an economic driver for Island Park businesses in the winter. 9. ITD’s four lane freeway proposals will require the development of an open pine aggregate mine which will destroy vegetation, be unsightly, and lead to ground water contamination. 10. An extremely expensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be required for a 4 lane freeway construction project. 11. Extremely expensive lawsuits are anticipated if ITD proceeds with a 4 lane freeway. 12. Wildlife movement will be impacted negatively by a four lane freeway. 13. A four lane, high speed freeway will increase the incidence of wildlife vehicle collisions. 14. 4 of 5 Fremont County voters opposed wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and fencing in an advisory vote. 15. The Idaho Legislature passed a Legislative Memorial opposing wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and fencing on US 20 in Fremont County. 16. Private and business access will be reduced along the freeway. 17. The Harriman State Park deed could be compromised by a four land freeway. 18. The traffic study used by ITD is woefully inadequate and out dated. 19. The purpose and need statements are not qualified and do not address the purpose and need for the highway segment upgrade. 20. The primary purposes of this highway segment are to serve Montana freight transport and Yellowstone National Park/West Yellowstone, Montana. 21. The benefit of a four lane freeway in the Island Park Caldera is minimal to Idaho and the citizens of Idaho. 22. The accident rate on US 20 in the Island Park Caldera is below the average for a road of this type in Idaho and about one third of the national average. 23. ITD may have to purchase private land and invoke eminent domain to take land. 24. ITD will require acquisition of new forestland right of way necessitating the creation of a new Targhee Forest Management Plan. 25. New frontage roads will affect the road density allowed on the Targhee National Forest requiring a forest plan revision. 26. The City of Island Park would be physically divided by a four lane freeway. 27. The footprint of an expansive 4 lane freeway may require expanding the right of way on both sides of the existing highway and will potentially destroy the existence of The City of Island Park. 28. The “Longest Main Street In America”, a unique historical recognition, would cease to exist. 29. The historical features of the Island Park Caldera will be compromised or destroyed. 30. US 20, Ashton, Idaho to State Highway 87, has higher traffic volume about 5% of the hours in a year. 31. ITD estimates the cost of the four land freeway at $700,000,000 in 2021 dollars. 32. The community of Island Park does not support a four lane freeway. 33. The community supports building more passing lanes (Super 2 concept) on the existing road. 34. A Super 2 design concept reduces accidents by 45%. 35. The current safety pull outs along the existing highway will be removed. 36. A Super 2 design would cost about $100M in 2020 dollars. 37. Studies performed by the Idaho Transportation Department show that a Super 2 highway design meets the required level of service for at least 20+ years into the future. 38. The City of Island Park, as Idaho knows it, would be lost forever. The Island Park community expresses opposition to the construction of a four lane, high speed, limited access freeway in the Island Park Caldera and supports the construction of the Super 2 highway proposed by the community. Submitted by Ken Watts
The first draft of the “community” proposal for the design of US 20 Ashton to SH 87 has been completed by the proposal committee (17 members of the community). In an effort to inform people about the contents of the proposal, Ken’s Korner is publishing sections of the proposal. It is hoped that you will provide feedback and offer your ideas to the committee so that the proposal can be improved. This week the section on requirements is being published for your use. This section was chosen because it was sent to the Idaho Transportation Department as part of comments to the ITD December “public meeting”. Next week, the community’s objections to a four lane freeway will be published. 5.0 COMMUNITY REQUIREMENTS The community proposal subcommittee has developed a list of design requirements that should be met by the highway design. The list follows:
Submitted by Ken Watts
The first draft of the “community” proposal for the design of US 20 Ashton to SH 87 has been completed by the committee. The committee consists of 16 members of the community from Fremont County. The draft is now being reviewed to develop consensus on the solutions that were put forward. In some cases there were several solutions proposed that had merit. An example is solutions for the busier intersections in Island Park. There was lively debate on this topic. In an effort to inform people about the contents of the proposal, Ken’s Korner will begin publishing sections of the proposal. It is hoped that you will provide feedback and offer your ideas so that the proposal can be improved. The audience for the proposal is the Idaho Transportation Board (they hold the money) and local elected officials who represent us. There are 17 sections in the proposal so you will see many articles over the next few months. There was considerable committee discussion on speed limits. The article last week provided facts, from multiple sources, about safety and speed. This week’s article will cover camera systems to monitor speed on the highway. The committee is adamant that speed limits must be enforced but there is realization that there is not enough law enforcement officers to do this. Automated camera systems are a way to accomplish force multiplication and help reduce speeding. The following is information on these systems is from NHWA. “Among enforcement methods, speed cameras stand apart because they don't require the presence of an officer. By deploying cameras, communities are able to enforce speed limits much more consistently than they can using traditional enforcement. Most speed cameras measure the speed of a vehicle at a single spot. Fixed cameras use either radar or detectors embedded in the road surface to measure a vehicle's speed. Mobile cameras are placed at the roadside in marked or unmarked police cars, containers, poles, etc., and use radar or laser to measure speeds. Some communities require mobile cameras to be manned. In either fixed or mobile systems, if a vehicle is traveling faster than a predetermined speed, the date, time, location and speed are recorded along with a photo of the vehicle. More recent technology can measure average speeds over a certain distance. In this case, cameras located at two or more points record time-stamped images of all vehicles that pass them. Automatic license-plate recognition is used to match individual vehicles so that average speeds between the two points can be calculated. Time-stamped pictures of speeding vehicles are used as evidence of speeding. Point-to-point speed cameras have been used to enforce speed limits in countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom. Speed cameras usually are programmed so they will not be activated unless a vehicle is traveling significantly faster than the posted limit — typically 10 or 11 mph faster, although in certain places such as school zones the tolerance may be lower. Automated speed enforcement can substantially reduce speeding on a wide range of roads. IIHS studies of cameras on residential roads in Maryland, on a high-speed roadway in Arizona and on city streets in the District of Columbia found that the proportion of drivers exceeding speed limits by more than 10 mph declined by 70, 88 and 82 percent, respectively, six to eight months after cameras were introduced (Retting et al., 2008; Retting et al., 2008; Retting & Farmer, 2003).” Some people do not like the idea of speed cameras watching them. But let’s face it, cameras are watching us all the time. Do you have a Ring doorbell?? The community proposal asks for an ITD test case for speed cameras on US 20. Submitted by Ken Watts
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. US 20 Ashton to SH 87 is a seasonal recreation highway and traffic volume varies by over 500% from January to July. In addition, conditions vary widely throughout the year. Ice and snow are often present. Wildlife cross the road more often in the spring and fall. This highway passes through multiple business areas and there are higher traffic volume intersections. Truckers are reported to support more consistent speed limits in the area. There is a huge amount of information available regarding setting speed limits. Much of this information is new. There is growing evidence that higher speed causes accidents. Published information follows that inform us on the topic of speed limits and leads to a community solution on this topic. The following information is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “More than 11,000 deaths — 29 percent of all crash fatalities — occurred in speed-related crashes in 2020. High speeds make a crash more likely because it takes longer to stop or slow down. They also make collisions more deadly because crash energy increases exponentially as speeds go up. Raising speed limits leads to more deaths. People often drive faster than the speed limit, and if the limit is raised they will go faster still. Research shows that when speed limits are raised, speeds go up, as do fatal crashes. Enforcement of speed limits helps keep speeds down. Traditional enforcement, which relies on police officers to measure speed with radar or other technology, has been joined recently by speed cameras. Speed cameras have been shown to reduce speeds and crashes. Dangers of speed: Speed has a major impact on the number of crashes and injury severity (Elvik, 2005). It influences the risk of crashes and crash injuries in four basic ways:
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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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