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.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
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
Categories |