Submitted by Ken Watts, Island Park
On February 24, 2022, the Idaho Transportation Department posted a status update on the US-20 Ashton to SH-87 planning. This was a significant update because it contained a “Preliminary Traffic Operations Report”. The Report is based on data that is four years old. The data was collected by JUB Engineers in “September” 2018 for most of the road segments from Ashton to SH-87. No traffic data was collected from Ashton north to Sheep Falls Road nor from Island Park Lodge north to SH-87. JUB Engineers applied a “fudge factor” to the data to predict traffic volume for the high traffic months of June, July, and August because their data was collected in September. Horrocks Engineers, who authored the traffic study, also applied a “fudge factor” to the data to “project” the 2018 data to 2021. This factor was a linear 3.4% per year increase in traffic. So they added about 10.2% (a guess) to the traffic volume on the road segments. It is very disappointing that ITD elected not to share the JUB Engineers traffic data at any of the public meetings held in Island Park or Ashton. This was critical data. It is even more disappointing that ITD held the road design alternatives workshop in Island Park and Ashton prior to publishing the Preliminary Traffic Operations Report. This was critical information that could have been used by the public to suggest alternatives. Adding to the disappointment is the fact that ITD has done the first “down selection” of the alternatives without public involvement. In addition, the public was told that ITD was “starting from scratch” on this project but is now using old data from 2018! This report was authored and stamped by Benjamin Burke from Horrocks Engineers. Mr. Burke is a former employee of ITD District 6 and was involved in the controversial Targhee Pass Project on US-20. The report uses the horizon year of 2050. Yes, 28 years into the future using 2018 data. The report is based on 3.4% traffic growth for 32 years. No justification is provided for projecting 3.4% growth for the next 28 years, only the first 4 years. The conclusions are based on the four peak traffic months, not on the yearly average. The peak traffic hour of the day was also used to make the traffic volume look worse. It is very important to review the conclusions and recommendations that were made in the Preliminary Traffic Operations Report by Horrocks Engineers. They are as follows: “Many of the existing US 20 project segments currently meet the recommended minimum standards for LOS (Level of Service). However, as traffic volumes increase, the LOS of more segments will drop below the minimum standards. In the horizon year of 2050, most segments will not meet the minimum standards for LOS without increasing the number of lanes. Improving the highway to a four-lane configuration will bring the LOS up to, or above, the recommended minimum standards for most of the segments. For those segments that are still estimated to operate below the recommended minimum LOS with the added lanes, minor adjustments to the roadway characteristics, including increasing the free-flow speed and decreasing access density are recommended.” So let us summarize what we know: the traffic data is incomplete and old, the planning year (2050) is 28 years away, the traffic growth rate is not based on any facts after 2021, peak traffic months and hours were used, the level of service with the current road is OK now, the report calls for a four lane road, increased speeds, less access, and road configuration changes, ITD has done a preliminary down selection of alternatives with no public involvement, the JUB Engineers data was withheld from the public at the workshops, etc. The Island Park Chamber of Commerce and the Island Park Mayor and City Council better read this report. It has profound implications for our community. (More on Horrocks Engineers next week!)
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