Because inquiring minds want to know!

What do you want to know? Are you interested in how traffic congestion impacts how long it takes you to get from “Point A” to “Point B”? Or, are you more interested in how walkable our schools are, how many people are riding the bus, or how well the region is doing in preserving its existing farmland?

COMPASS has a new tool to help you find the answers to all of these questions and more. Visit the NEW COMPASS online dashboard (www.compassidaho.org/dashboard/) to pick your topic, then drill down into maps, charts, graphs, and more. 

Find regional data relating to the eight planning elements in Communities in Motion 2040, the 17 goals associated with those elements, and performance measures to track progress toward meeting those goals.

When and how can the COMPASS dashboard help you?

• When making decisions that affect your community…Consider current conditions and how they compare to regional (Communities in Motion) and local goals when making transportation, land use, or other decisions. Will your decision help “move the needle” toward meeting regional goals?

• When preparing grant applications…Use the information as presented – or access the data behind it – to provide a snapshot of local and regional conditions and trends to help get that funding you need for your project. 

• When writing articles and reports…Find data and information to provide context or supporting documentation for news articles, professional research, or even school reports. 

• When tracking issues or areas important to you…Whether you’re a parent who cares about access to parks and schools, a health professional concerned about access to healthy foods, or an interested citizen who just wants to see what things look like in your neighborhood, you’ll find data, maps, graphs, and more that tell the story you care about. 

• When providing your comments to COMPASS and other agencies…How does the project or plan you are commenting on fit into the larger picture? Consider Communities in Motion goals and use the dashboard to see where we are now and where we want to be. Does the project or plan you are commenting on help fulfill Communities in Motion goals? 

Finally, I encourage you to a look just because it’s interesting. I find myself going in to the dashboard to look for one specific piece of information, then clicking on all sorts of other topics just to see what’s there. The amount of information in the dashboard is mind-boggling and will continue to expand as we are able to gather and track more and more data. Our goal is to provide a tool that is useful to the community as a whole, so if there are data sets you would like to have added, contact COMPASS and let us know. 

While the dashboard is intuitive and user friendly, even for novice users, it also provides many more powerful functions than meet the eye, including allowing the users to download the data for their own use. COMPASS staff will provide training in the near future to assist users in learning how to access and take advantage of these more advanced functions. Watch the COMPASS website (www.compassidaho.org/comm/publicevents.htm) and email blasts for more details.

Final Installment…Communities in Motion: Why Do You Care?

As you are likely aware, Communities in Motion 2040 was approved by the COMPASS Board of Directors in July. We are now moving from the “planning” stage to the “implementation” stage of the plan.

Throughout the planning process I have shared with you comments submitted by members of the public regarding why they care…or think others should care…about long-range planning in general and Communities in Motion in particular. Since the plan is now adopted, we have wrapped up this exercise, so this is my final blog in the “Why do you care?” series.

Without further ado, here is the final list of reasons submitted by you of why you care:

• Transportation leads to jobs, which lead to higher paying jobs, which is people’s concern.
• Don’t take what we have for granted – it didn’t just happen. Past generations planned and paid for the infrastructure we have today – it didn’t just materialize.
• We need to work together for the greater good – it’s for everyone.
• We should visualize what it would be like without good infrastructure – use our resources wisely so we continue to have it as good as we do now.
• We need to work now to solve/avoid current and future problems – congestion, delay, and lack of mobility, and work to keep access to recreation/outdoors close to home.
• We should maximize our use of limited resources for the greater good.
• People cared before us and built for us.  We should pay it forward with planning and monetary investments.
• We need to raise awareness that resources will be limited in the future, even if they aren’t now.
• I think people should care about transportation, and especially alternative transportation, because every time I ride my bike in a bike lane that is so narrow in places that it isn’t even large enough for the “bike lane” symbol, every time I begin to cross State Street (with the green light and pedestrian “walk” sign lit!), and nearly get run over by an obstinately ignorant right-turning car, and every time I breathe deep in sheer joy at my daily commute on the greenbelt, I am more convinced than ever that we, as a community and a society, must fundamentally change the parameters of how we go about getting from point A to point B.  This earth we inhabit, and indeed our very lives, depends upon it.

While we have completed our four-year exercise of continually asking “why do you care?” that doesn’t mean that question, or the answers to it, are any less important. As was stated by more than one person above, past generations cared about the future and we have benefitted from that. It is now our job to do the same for our children and grandchildren.

Why does COMPASS have so many different plans?

In July, the COMPASS Board adopted Communities in Motion 2040, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties. Now COMPASS is asking for your comments on proposed changes to the Transportation Service Coordination Plan for Ada and Canyon Counties. This has raised a lot of questions. Are they the same thing? If not, how are the two plans different? How do they relate to each other? Why does COMPASS have so many different plans in the first place?

Let me answer these in order.

1. Are the two plans the same thing? No. While they are both transportation plans for Ada and Canyon Counties, Communities in Motion 2040 and the Transportation Service Coordination Plan for Ada and Canyon Counties are not the same thing.

2. How do the two plans differ? Basically, Communities in Motion 2040 is a long-range plan that discusses all transportation modes for all individuals and the Transportation Service Coordination Plan is a shorter-range plan specifically to address the public transportation needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities. Additional differences and similarities are shown in the side-by-side comparison below:

	Communities in Motion	Transportation Service Coordination Plan
Area covered	Ada and Canyon Counties	Ada and Canyon Counties
Time frame	Long term; plans to the year 2040	Short term; plans for the immediate future
Focus	All modes of transportation for all populations	Public transportation for older adults and individuals with disabilities
Purpose	To plan a transportation system to meet future needs based on projected growth in population and jobs within projected financial constraints	To improve current transportation services for older adults and individuals with disabilities; specifically to coordinate transportation access, minimize duplication of services, and facilitate the most appropriate cost-effective transportation possible
Required	By the US Department of Transportation for any area with a population over 50,000 to received federal transportation funds	By the Federal Transit Administration (part of the US Department of Transportation) to receive federal transportation funds specifically for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

3. How do the two plans relate to each other? Communities in Motion 2040 sets the stage and establishes a vision, goals, and performance metrics that are then reflected in the Transportation Service Coordination Plan. For example, the Transportation Service Coordination Plan prioritizes near-term public transportation projects for older adults and individual with disabilities that align with the goals and vision of Communities in Motion 2040. In addition, performance metrics established for the Transportation Service Coordination Plan mirror those developed for Communities in Motion 2040.

4. Why does COMPASS have so many plans? While multiple plans may seem duplicative, they do serve different needs and plan at different levels of detail and for different time periods. Developing strategies to meet immediate needs for public transportation services for specific populations, such as in the Transportation Service Coordination Plan, is very different than planning for all populations across all modes of transportation to meet needs 26 years into the future, as Communities in Motion does.

To put this in a personal perspective, just as you may be separately, but simultaneously, planning for your retirement and your next vacation – different goals with unique needs and different time frames – different transportation plans, even plans developed at the same, fulfill distinct, yet equally important, roles.

I encourage you to take a few moments to review and comment on the Transportation Service Coordination Plan particularly if you are a public transportation provider or have a tie to the plan’s target populations of individuals with disabilities and older adults. Comments will be accepted through Tuesday, September 9, 2014.

Who are the real heroes? Take time to nominate a local hero for a Leadership in Motion award.

I am a sports fan. I am also a father.

I am duly impressed by the athleticism and talent of our nation’s professional athletes. Many of these – for good or for bad – serve as role models, even “heroes,” to our children. While these individuals are impressive athletes, and many are also impressive human beings, they provide an unrealistic ideal for our children to strive for, and a perception that a person must be rich, famous, and “the best” at something to make an impact.

What about all of the quiet, local, unsung heroes? Those that make a positive difference in our daily lives, and the lives of generations to come, by volunteering in the community, going the “extra mile” at work, or choosing to run for office? What about those who through hard work and perseverance turn what seemed like an unachievable goal into reality? Do our children look up to them as heroes or role models? Do we?

We should.

While these people may not be rich or famous, or don’t have a line of shoes that bears their name, they are the leaders that impact our lives, and the lives of future generations. They are the ones who must make the tough – and sometimes unpopular – decisions for the greater good; not just the “good” of their agency, boss, or those that voted for him or her. That takes true courage – the makings of a hero.

The COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards program is designed to recognize and honor those who are our true local “heroes” – volunteers, professionals, and elected officials who are making a difference. In addition to the “people” awards, Leadership in Motion also recognizes businesses/nonprofits and government-sponsored projects that move us toward the future, and toward the goals established in Communities in Motion 2040, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties.

While our children likely won’t suddenly be clamoring to replace the poster of their sports hero with a poster of a mayor, planner, or engineer, or want to buy the coolest loafers because a commissioner was seen wearing them, maybe we can make a dent in how we view our heroes – our leaders – by taking the time to nominate someone, or a business/nonprofit or project, that has had a genuine impact on our valley.  

Nominations for COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards can be submitted here and will be accepted through 3:00 pm, Tuesday, September 30, 2014. Awards will be presented at the COMPASS/Valley Regional Transit holiday luncheon on Monday, December 15, 2014.

The TIP takes a turn toward maintenance

As part of the process of updating Communities in Motion, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties, the COMPASS Board of Directors chose to focus federal funding allocated through the Communities in Motion 2040 plan on maintaining the current transportation system.

The FY2015-2019 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), open for public comment through September 9, 2014, is the first TIP developed under this new direction from the COMPASS Board. This focus on maintenance affects the projects you will see – or not see – in this draft TIP. Understanding what this means, how the funding process works, and why the COMPASS Board made this decision will help you as you review and comment on the draft TIP.

First, it’s important to understand what types of projects are in the TIP, how they are funded, and which types of funding the “focus on maintenance” applies to. There are many, many types of funding…I’ve greatly over-simplified and lumped them into three categories:

1.  Federal Surface Transportation Funding (STP). This is the largest, and most flexible, “pot” of federal funding the area receives. By “flexible,” I mean it can be used for the widest variety of projects. It is this STP funding that the “focus on maintenance” applies to; the funds are split between roadway/bridge (82%), public/alternative transportation (15%), and planning/special projects (3%). Some STP funds are also taken “off the top” for specific purposes.

2.  Other federal funds. These include a myriad of federal funds, many of which are dedicated to specific types of projects, including Federal Transit Administration funds for public transportation projects, funding for safety projects, and funding for bicycle, pedestrian, and other alternative transportation projects. While the STP funds are very flexible, these funds are generally not, and are not included under the “focus on maintenance” direction. However, because STP funds are flexible, the same types of projects funded with these “other” funds can often also be funded with STP funds. So, for example, in the TIP you will see some public transportation projects funded with STP funds (therefore, they are maintenance projects) and other public transportation projects funded with Federal Transit Administration funds (they may or may not maintenance projects).

3.  Local/state funding. Very broadly, these are all funds that are not federal funds. They come from state fuel tax, local property tax, registration fees, and more. Some, but not all, of these projects are listed in the TIP, based on a variety of criteria including type, size, and location of the project.

Next, it’s important to understand how “maintenance” is defined in this context. “Maintenance” goes far beyond filling potholes. Simply put, in this context, a “maintenance” project is any project that does not expand the existing transportation system. The funds can be used to improve safety, rebuild bridges, replace or maintain buses, resurface roads, and, yes, fill potholes. In addition, certain projects that are “opportunistic” can be done within the focus on maintenance. For example, completing a missing portion of a bike lane or sidewalk could be included in a road maintenance project, even though these projects are technically adding something “new.” It is just simply the practical thing to do to be the most efficient with the funding we have.

Finally, it’s important to note that this doesn’t apply to any projects that were already in the TIP. The TIP is a five-year budget, so projects often first appear in the TIP several years before they are scheduled to begin. For example, a project scheduled for this year (2014) may have first appeared in the FY2010-2014 TIP, which was adopted by the COMPASS Board in November 2010. The focus on maintenance only applies to new projects in FY2015-2019 TIP (and future TIPs), so the shift is gradual. While most new projects in the FY2015-2019 TIP are maintenance, many projects that were already scheduled/budgeted are not. More maintenance projects will be added each year as existing capital (e.g., construction) projects are completed.

  

Over 90% of the new projects in the draft FY2015-2019 TIP are maintenance projects, funded with STP funds, as described above. The remaining 10% are paid for with other federal and local funding sources.

Now that we’ve discussed what this means and how it is applied, we have the bigger question of “why” – with our rapidly growing population, why did the COMPASS Board choose to focus federal funding on maintenance? Why not focus on new projects? While I do not want to attempt to speak for each Board member, three main reasons were the center of the discussion:

1.  We need to maintain what we have before building something new. Just as a person likely wouldn’t spend money to repaint his car if he couldn’t afford to change the oil, the Board felt it was important to first make sure we are keeping what we have in good working order.

2.  Preventive maintenance costs less than fixing something that is “broken.” Using the same car example, it is much less expensive to pay to change the oil on a regular basis than to forgo maintenance and have to replace a ruined engine. Spending money on preventive maintenance now costs less than having to completely rebuild or replace a section of roadway or bridge later. 

3.  “New” things must also be maintained. Just as happened with some highly publicized “free” car giveaways, winners of those free cars were not able to keep them because they couldn’t afford the costs of owning and maintaining the car. The same is true with public infrastructure. Costs don’t end when something is built or acquired…ongoing costs are just beginning. 

I hope this will help you as you review the draft TIP, and notice a decrease in construction and other capital projects and an increase in maintenance. Please take a few minutes to review and comment on the projects in the TIP – maintenance and otherwise – and tell us if you agree with the proposed projects. Click here to review and comment; comments are due no later than Tuesday, September 9, 2014.

COMPASS is asking for your comments…yes, again!

I’ve been asked why COMPASS seems to “always” be asking for public comment on something…“these” goals, “those” projects, and “this,” “that,” and “the other” plan. Why does COMPASS reach out to the public so often…and, why are we doing it again now?

The short answer is “it’s required.” Federal law requires that metropolitan planning organizations such as COMPASS solicit and consider public feedback when developing a long-range transportation plan (ours is called Communities in Motion) and a Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). COMPASS also solicits public input into other projects and plans as well.

However, there is much more to it than filling a requirement. Most transportation projects are big – they cost large sums of money (your tax dollars), they are often disruptive when under construction, and they have the potential to impact the landscape of an area and the quality of life of the residents who live there for many, many years. Decisions about these large, impactful projects should never be taken lightly or without input from those who will be affected.

People are often surprised when they suddenly see orange stakes driven in the side of the road, bulldozers starting to move dirt, or a new bus route they didn’t know about. It is COMPASS’ goal to keep that surprise to a minimum by keeping people informed of what is coming, and to answer questions and consider input about projects, before they start.

We ask for public input in a variety of different stages in the planning process. For example, earlier this spring we asked for input on the draft Communities in Motion 2040 plan. That plan sets long-term goals and transportation priorities for the region. In addition to asking for input into the draft plan itself, we also asked for feedback on key decisions before they were made. Those key decisions were the “meat” of the plan; by asking for input on those throughout the planning process we were able to develop a plan with the public input, instead of developing a plan then asking “what do you think?” once it was done.

In the title of this post, I tell you we are asking for comment again. This round of comments is not on Communities in Motion; it is on projects in the TIP and related documents and on the Transportation Service Coordination Plan. While Communities in Motion is a long-range planning document, the items we’re looking for input on now focus on more discrete projects and decisions.

In the draft TIP, we’re asking for your feedback on federally funded and “regionally significant” projects scheduled for the next five years. These are based on priorities set in Communities in Motion, but move from broad priorities to actual, on-the-ground, projects. For example, when developing Communities in Motion 2040, the COMPASS Board established a priority to focus federal funding allocated through Communities in Motion on maintaining the current transportation system. You can see that reflected in the draft TIP, as nearly 90% of new projects added this year (primarily scheduled for 2019 and beyond) are maintenance projects. The remainder are safety and planning projects, as well as some transit and pedestrian projects that are funded through specific transit and bicycle/pedestrian programs. (The “focus on maintenance” direction from the COMPASS Board does not affect projects that were budgeted/scheduled in the TIP prior to this year.) 

We are also asking for your feedback on the air quality conformity demonstration for Northern Ada County for the projects in the draft TIP. The process tell us that the projects in the draft TIP “conform” to air quality plans – that is, they will not worsen air quality. The draft TIP also contains the FY2015 federal program of projects proposed for funding by Valley Regional Transit.

In addition to the draft TIP and related documents, we are also asking for your input into proposed changes to the Ada and Canyon County Transportation ServiceCoordination Plan – a document that provides guidance on how to allocate federal funds designated for public transportation to serve seniors and individuals with disabilities. Again, this moves from broad goals to improve transportation services in Communities in Motion to the specifics of “how” to do that for specific populations.

While I can certainly understand if you are feeling “comment fatigue,” I encourage you to take a few moments to review the materials provided and share your feedback. Taking a few minutes now to be aware of what’s coming and have your say certainly beats an unexpected surprise later.

It’s Done!...Or is it just the beginning?

It’s done!  After four years of hard work, countless meetings, and input from hundreds of Treasure Valley residents, Communities in Motion 2040 (CIM 2040) was adopted by the COMPASS Board of Directors on Monday, July 21, 2014.

I’d like to thank everyone who dedicated their valuable time to help make CIM 2040 a reality. Staff from COMPASS member agencies spent numerous hours sharing professional expertise, reviewing data and technical information, and providing input on plan drafts.

I’d also like to extend a special “thank you” to those members of the CIM 2040 Planning Team and CIM Leadership Team who were not COMPASS member agency staff. These team members represented elements we had not addressed in CIM before – housing, economic development, farmland, and more – and brought valuable new expertise to help COMPASS develop a plan that takes a broader look at the future of the valley.

Now what?

Our staff will take a big, deep breath, then continue to the next phase of planning. Initially, three things will happen in tandem:

1. The CIM 2040 document will be finalized and a companion summary document will be prepared. Both of these will be printed, distributed, and posted to the COMPASS website. Please let COMPASS know (info@compassidaho.org) if you would like a hard copy of the full plan or the summary and we’ll make sure you get one when they are available.

2. We will continue the planning process by beginning to work on the update to CIM 2040: CIM 2045. In fact, some of the behind-the-scenes work on this has already begun. CIM 2045 is anticipated to keep the same goals and vision for growth as CIM 2040, but will update the financial forecast, growth allocations, and transportation needs based on changes that have occurred since they were developed for CIM 2040.
 
3. Most importantly, we will be implementing the plan. This plan was developed to be used as a guide and a decision-making tool, not simply to fulfill a requirement and then gather dust.

Implementation will take several forms. First, COMPASS and others will begin work on specific tasks that have been identified to help meet plan goals. I’ll discuss some of these specific projects in upcoming blog posts.

Second, COMPASS will be monitoring performance and providing feedback to COMPASS member agencies and other stakeholders through our performance monitoring report, development review checklist, and online dashboard. This will help us track progress to see if our collective actions are in line with the plan and moving the proverbial “needle” in the right direction. This performance information will also feed into CIM 2045. 

Finally, we will continue to work with our member agencies as they implement projects funded through the CIM implementation grants. The cities of Kuna, Melba, and Middleton received grants in FY2014; learn about their projects here and see what great things are already happening to implement CIM 2040.

Implementation of any long-range plan will never be complete; it is a process. There will always be new opportunities and new challenges as we forge our way ahead. I hope you’ll stay engaged as we move forward and our local communities continue to be “Communities in Motion.”

Highway Trust Fund Bankruptcy: Look Beyond the Cries of “Wolf!”

If you follow transportation issues in the news – heck, even if you don’t – you’ve probably seen the headlines:

Federal Highway Trust Fund Going Bankrupt!

Transportation Projects Coming to a Halt!

It seems often we hear dire warnings, then nothing bad seems to happen, so after a while we ignore them, likening them to the boy who cried “wolf.”

Will Congress do something to shore up the trust fund before it goes bankrupt later this summer? I honestly don’t know.  

My concern is that if Congress does act, they will create a short-term “fix” – enough to avoid an immediate crisis, and once again make it appear we cried “wolf!” for no reason, but not enough to truly solve the problem.

What is the problem? How did we get here? The underlying issue is simple – the Highway Trust Fund was designed to be an user-pay fund, but while costs have increased, revenues have not.

Think of the trust fund as your salary. When you got your first job, your expenses were small – rent, a car payment, food, and miscellaneous expenses. As you matured, your expenses grew – you got married and had children, leading to the need for a bigger car, larger house (with all the maintenance that goes with it), increased trips to the grocery store, and more. Even your routine expenses cost more due to inflation.

But – here’s the kicker – your employer prides himself on being fiscally conservative, so he has chosen to not give raises; good work earns you a nice pat on the back instead.

Your employer boasts about his fiscal conservativeness, but you are in a quandary: more expenses + same salary = you can’t afford to pay your bills and eventually become a burden on society.

The Highway Trust Fund is in the same boat. Inflation has increased the costs of everything from labor to supplies, but the federal fuel tax hasn’t increase since 1993. What cost $100 in 1993 costs $158.85 today! In addition, people are driving less and they are driving more fuel efficient vehicles, which means less gas purchased, and less money into the trust fund.

By underfunding our transportation system, it too becomes a burden on society.  Freight haulers must go out of their way to avoid bridges with weight restrictions, leading to extra costs in fuel and time. Deliveries are late due to detours and roads in poor repair, leading to less efficient commerce. Workers are stuck in traffic or can’t catch a bus, due to lack of ability to keep up with demand.

Most proposals I have seen to shore up the Highway Trust Fund are short-term “fixes,” but do not address the underlying problem. We need a long-term solution by returning to a true “user pay” system:

1. Raise the fuel tax.

2. Index the fuel tax to inflation, so we aren’t having this argument in the future – Congress won’t have the unpleasant task of raising taxes; the taxes will raise themselves.

3. Implement a tax on electric, hybrid, and other vehicles that are less reliant on gas so that they pay an amount equivalent to their use of the roads.

We need to stop boasting about being fiscally conservative and instead boast about being fiscally sound. Our future depends on it. 

Communities in Motion: Why Do You Care? Part XI

The process of developing Communities in Motion 2040 is drawing to a close. We collected public comments on the draft plan from March 3 – April 27, and received 114 comments during that time.

Thank you to everyone who submitted comments, participated in a discussion group, attended an in-person or virtual open house, or just took the time to look at the materials and become familiar with what the plan is all about. If you’d like to read the comments we received, visit www.compassidaho.org/prodserv/cim2040.htm#PublicParticipation.

This is my eleventh, and second-to-the-last, installment in my series of blogs about why people care, or should care, about long-range transportation planning in general and Communities in Motion in particular. I’ll publish my final installment the first week of October. At that point, Communities in Motion 2040 will have been adopted and we’ll be moving into the implementation phase of the plan. We’ll also already be looking forward to the next update to the plan, Communities in Motion 2045.

But, before we get to that, I present to you the latest list of why people should care about Communities in Motion 2040, as submitted by you: 

• It’s about down-stream effects – this is our shot at setting aside/preserving corridors for future.
• People should be interested in future needs and use of scarce resources, whether it’s transportation, housing, health etc.
• We should care about our transportation options as/when we get older.
• If we can’t afford to do it today, how will we be able to afford to do it tomorrow? We have to find a way to fund our transportation infrastructure!
• Because sitting in traffic sucks!
• Transportation makes the world go round…
• Efficient transportation is GREENER!

This is your last chance to share why you think Communities in Motion 2040 is important and why people should get involved ― why you care. To add your thoughts to the conversation, email aluft@compassidaho.org and we’ll post your ideas here. Watch for the last installment of the list in October!

The Invisible Antidote

I’ve often heard people comment that there are two seasons in Idaho: winter and road construction.

It certainly is road construction season in the Treasure Valley. Dozens of projects are underway; likely the most visible to most of us are rebuilding the Interstate 84 interchanges at Meridian Road, Broadway Avenue, and Gowen Road.

However, there are also many other projects underway or planned that are not visible and lack the fanfare of large construction projects, yet make our transportation system run more smoothly all the same. These types of projects are generally called “Transportation System Management and Operations,” or TSMO, and provide a variety of services that many of us don’t really notice or think about, but we definitely all benefit.

For example, have you ever seen the yellow “incident management” trucks along I-84 that assist motorists who run out of gas, have a flat tire, or have car trouble? Incident management is one example of a TSMO program that quickly gets those motorists back on the road – and off of the shoulder – to help keep traffic flowing freely and safely.

Do you follow the Ada County Highway District (ACHD) on Twitter to get tweets about traffic incidents? Have you seen the Idaho Transportation Department’s lighted signs over the interstate and state highways that tell you when traffic is backed up? Have you noticed how the traffic lights stay green longer on certain roads after big events, such as a concert at the Idaho Center or a BSU football game, to help get traffic out of the area more quickly? These are all examples of TSMO that already are in use in Ada and Canyon Counties.

While these are fairly visible TSMO projects, many others are equally important, but much less visible, such as establishing agreements across agencies for sharing fiber optic infrastructure, integrating additional local agencies into the regional traffic management center to improve communications, or establishing policies to install conduit (tubes for running wires or cables) whenever road construction occurs, whether the conduit is needed then or not, so that roads don’t have to be torn up later to add it after the fact. These are certainly “behind the scenes” projects and may seem boring or inconsequential, but the improvements they bring to our transportation system are wide-reaching all the same.

COMPASS recently completed a 10-year plan for TSMO projects in Ada and Canyon Counties. The plan identifies 30 regional strategies ranging from providing real-time parking availability information to drivers to upgrading surveillance and security on public buses, to implementing a regional emergency alert system to be used for natural disasters and other regional emergencies.  

This 10-year plan was developed simultaneously with Communities in Motion 2040 (due to be presented to the COMPASS Board for adoption in July). This timing was intentional; the TSMO plan specifically supports the goals of Communities in Motion 2040 and outlines numerous projects that focus on maintaining our current transportation system – the focus of federal funding in Communities in Motion 2040 – and helping that existing system work better, all with a significantly lower cost than traditional road construction projects.

While they may not warrant a ground breaking or ribbon cutting ceremony, the next time you see an incident management truck helping a motorist or notice conduit laying in a construction site ready to be buried, consider how these behind-the-scenes projects are helping get you to your destination a little more quickly, smoothly, and safely.