It’s all about the people…even when it’s not

We humans are self-centered by nature. Despite our best intentions to the contrary, we tend to care the most about those things that directly impact us.

This is reflected in our transportation planning – efforts typically focus on planning for a transportation system to move people. However, moving people isn’t the only role of our transportation system. Transporting freight – moving goods – is vital as well.

While at first glance freight may not seem to have the personal impact of making an intersection safer or shortening your commute, it is no less relevant to our daily lives. Without freight transportation, the grocery store shelves would be bare and that item you ordered online would never arrive. 

Freight is one of the four transportation components that will be addressed in Communities in Motion 2040 2.0 (CIM 2040 2.0), the next long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties. Much has been done already to kick start this effort. I’m excited to share some of this progress with you: 

• 2015 Agricultural Freight Study: This study provides an overview of regional and local agricultural freight movement in and around Ada and Canyon Counties. In addition to providing valuable data, the study helped COMPASS cultivate relationships with freight producers and increase our understanding of overall freight issues. Both of these will lay the groundwork for future freight planning.

• Freight data collection: In late 2015, COMPASS collected data on traffic volume and types of vehicles – classified by number of axels – at over 70 locations in the two counties. These data will feed into the freight component of CIM 2040 2.0.

• Freight Advisory Workgroup: A Freight Advisory Workgroup has been formed to advise and provide input on freight-related issues and needs, and to help integrate freight into our long-range transportation planning. 

• The Masters of Public Administration Capstone Class at the Boise State University School of Public Service conducted a Treasure Valley Freight Policy Study on behalf of COMPASS to assess the barriers and opportunities concerning freight transportation within the Treasure Valley.

The progress we’ve already made toward freight planning is just one example of the work we’re doing behind the scenes to ensure the Treasure Valley is ready for the future. We’re doing similar work on all four transportation components – bicycle/pedestrian, public transportation, and roadways, in addition to freight.

In future blogs, watch for “snapshots” of each of the four components of CIM 2040 2.0. Want to learn even more? Our 2016 education series will focus on these components as well – plan now to attend! 

What’s in your camera?

The holidays are over and I’m willing to bet that you have a camera (or phone) full of photos.

As you sort through them, deciding what to keep, consider what pictures you can submit to the Treasure Valley: On the Go! photo contest:

 

• Did you snap a shot of the traffic jam of shoppers on Black Friday? Submit it!
• What about a walk in the snow? Submit it!
•  A semi hauling Christmas trees? Submit it!
•  Valley Regional Transit’s “Stuff the Bus” event? Submit it!

Don’t have any holiday pictures to submit? That’s OK.

COMPASS will take submissions for the Treasure Valley: On the Go! photo contest through July 31. You still have plenty of time to take, and submit, that perfect transportation photo – roadways, public transportation, bicycling or walking, or hauling freight.

In August, the public will be invited to vote on their favorites; the winners will be used in a 2017 Treasure Valley: On the Go! photo calendar and in the next regional long-range transportation plan – Communities in Motion 2040 2.0.

Find contest rules, links to submit photos, and more here.

I look forward to seeing your photos!

Why are we still talking about this?

Transportation funding.

In case you hadn’t noticed, this is a recurring theme in my blogs, not to mention a significant portion of all COMPASS communications…emails, website, conversations, social media… You get the picture.

The question you may be asking yourself is “why?” The Idaho Legislature raised gas tax and registration fees to address the transportation funding shortfall, and Congress just passed a five-year transportation authorization and funding bill (the “FAST Act”) on December 4.

We have new transportation funding, so why don’t I just shut up already?

The answer is simple: it’s too important an issue to simply sit back and say “we’re done.”

The new funding generated by the 2015 increase in Idaho gas tax and registration fees amounts to about $9 million per year for local transportation agencies in Ada and Canyon Counties. While $9 million is a lot of money, and a much-needed boost, it still leaves the two-county area with a $150 million per year transportation funding shortfall.

While the five-year federal FAST Act provides some stability to transportation funding, it does not solve our transportation funding woes either. The bill keeps the federal fuel tax at 1993 levels and makes up for funding shortfalls with one-time injections of general funds. It does not include long-term solutions to increase transportation funding, keep up with inflation, or compensate for decreasing revenues from increasingly fuel efficient vehicles.

So, with the 2016 Idaho Legislative session set to start in a few weeks, I am continuing to beat the “we need more funding” drum.

I’ve been told not to expect any sort of funding increase from the Legislature this year. Last year’s increase was a long, hard battle that no one relishes repeating anytime soon. That said, there are things that can be done:

• Authorize local option sales tax authority.
• This allows local funding for local projects and provides citizens the opportunity to vote on whether or not they want to tax themselves.

• Continue to look at ways to diversify transportation funding mechanisms, beyond the traditional fuel taxes and registration fees.
• As part of this discussion, we need to consider how diversified revenue streams could fund public transportation and other alternative transportation modes that fuel taxes cannot fund.

• Increase funding and flexibility for local transportation agencies.
• The “surplus eliminator” (additional funding contingent on a general fund budget surplus) provides support for state projects; let’s expand its benefits to local agencies.

 Let’s continue to have this conversation. It’s too important to put on the back burner.

Don’t Let the Treasure Valley Fall through the Cracks.

A bright spot in a dark winter day

Today is the first day of winter. Technically, it’s the darkest day of the year.

However, at COMPASS, it’s just the opposite. Yesterday, alongside COMPASS Board Chair Mayor Garret Nancolas, I had the privilege of honoring our 2015 Leadership in Motion award recipients. Presenting our annual awards is one the brightest spots in the year for me.

Two common threads linked all of this year’s award winners: persistence and longevity. These were exhibited through projects that took perseverance and years of hard work, to people who have stood the test of time and have the accomplishments to show for it, to a local nonprofit receiving its second Leadership in Motion award for its ongoing service to the community.

These all serve as a reminder that great things take time, hard work, and patience. As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Neither was the Treasure Valley. 

Let these recipients serve as an inspiration and a beacon of light for you. Learn more about each recipient at http://www.compassidaho.org/comm/awards.htm.

Congratulations to our 2015 Leadership in Motion recipients:

Leadership in Government, Canyon County

·         City of Nampa

o   Library Square

Leadership in Government, Ada County

·         Boise State University

o   Elder Street Park and Ride

Leadership by Example, Nonprofit

·         Boise Bicycle Project

Leadership by Example, Elected Official

·         Mayor John Evans, City of Garden City

Leadership in Practice, Professional

·         Dyan Bevins, P.E., Ada County Highway District

It takes two…

Last winter and spring, you probably heard a lot about work in the Idaho Legislature to increase transportation funding. In April, after a lot of wrangling, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill to increase the gas tax and raise registration fees to help address Idaho’s significant transportation funding shortfall.

Now, you may be hearing about transportation issues at the federal level – funding, transportation authorization bills (or the lack thereof), and more.

It seems confusing. Why are both the state and federal governments involved in funding transportation? Can’t just one or the other handle it?

Just as with many parts of our system of government, states and the federal government share the burden and jointly reap the benefits of funding our transportation system. The system recognizes that as “united” states, our transportation and infrastructure needs do not stop at state lines – our national and local economies depend on everything from freight to tourists easily moving around the country. We also recognize that the need and ability to pay for infrastructure varies greatly from place to place. For example, in rural Idaho, we have stretches of highway running hundreds of miles with very small local populations. On the other hand, along the densely populated eastern seaboard, the ratio of population to road miles falls on the other end of the spectrum.  

Everyone pays the same federal fuel taxes, whether you live in Florida or Idaho. The taxes collected by the federal government are then re-distributed back to the states. In Idaho, we benefit greatly from this model. For every $1 our residents pay in federal fuel tax, Idaho gets $1.65 back. In fact, 54% of the funding for Idaho’s transportation system is federal. On one hand, this is a tremendous benefit to the state; on the other hand, it underscores how reliant we are on federal funding as compared to our own state funding. The national average for federal funding is only 24%.

When it comes to state taxes, each state can choose how much to tax and how to levy that tax, depending on its needs, population base, and desires of its citizens. In Idaho, our state transportation funding comes mainly from fuel tax and registration fees. Meanwhile, Oregon is experimenting with a voluntary vehicle miles of travel tax (see blog below). As a state, they are able to try a new way to tax to see if it works for them.  

Both federal and state funding have their benefits and drawbacks. It would be tough for Idaho to fund its transportation system alone, and equally difficult to fund it with nothing but federal funds.  

So, where does that leave us with regards to the ongoing discussions regarding transportation funding and policy?

As a state, we can’t wait for Congress to act to solve all our transportation needs. Our legislature needs to take responsibility, as it did last spring. On the other hand, we also cannot let Congress ask states to shoulder the burden alone. Just because Idaho, and other states, recently raised fuel taxes or made similar changes, Congress can’t simply say “problem solved” and move on.

We must be vigilant on both fronts and be part of the conversation to ensure transportation funding needs are met today and in the future.   

A VMT tax in Idaho? Lessons from our neighbor to the west

Did you know that in 1919, Oregon was the first state to institute a fuel tax? Now, in 2015, they are the first state to institute a vehicle miles of travel (VMT) tax – or, as they call it in Oregon, a road usage charge.

Within 10 years of instituting a fuel tax, every state in the nation had followed Oregon’s example. Will the nation again follow Oregon’s lead and establish a VMT tax? Will Idaho?

I honestly don’t know, but I do know that we need to revisit the way we fund our transportation system and a VMT tax is one way of doing that. The concept of a VMT tax is simple: drivers would be charged a fee based on the number of miles they drive, instead of (NOT in addition to) the amount of fuel they purchase. With this type of tax, everyone pays the same amount per mile, tying the amount paid in “transportation tax” directly to the amount of use.

Maureen Bock, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Colleen Gants, PRR (a consultant working with ODOT), shared insight into Oregon’s new road usage charge – OReGO – as part of the COMPASS education series in September. I’d like to share a little of what they discussed – focusing on the “why” and “how” of the program.

Why? Oregon instituted its OReGO program to address declining gas tax revenues, a disparity between revenues and expenses, and social equity issues.

Declining gas tax revenues:

• Changes to the nation’s vehicle fleet
• The number of hybrids and electric vehicles on the road is increasing rapidly
• Less fuel (or no fuel at all!) is consumed by hybrid and electric vehicles than traditional gas/diesel-powered vehicles

• Stricter fuel efficiency standards
• Traditional gas/diesel vehicles are getting more and more fuel efficient
• As standards become even more strict, this trend will continue

• The bottom line: less fuel used means less fuel tax collected

Disparity between revenues and expenses:

• Fuel taxes are typically priced per gallon
• A price per gallon method of taxation doesn’t increase with inflation
• For example, the federal gas tax has been 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993. That 18.4 cents could buy much more in 1993 than it can today

• Construction costs are increasing

• The bottom line: stagnant or shrinking fuel tax revenue can’t keep up with costs

 Social equity:

• Middle- and upper income individuals benefit from increased fuel efficiency as they purchase new vehicles, while lower-income individuals tend to drive older, less fuel efficient vehicles

• The bottom line: lower income individuals pay more in fuel tax for the same usage than middle- and upper-income individuals

 How? How does the OReGO system work? Why was it set up as it was? 

• The OReGO program is voluntary and limited to 5,000 participants. Currently, about 1,000 are enrolled.

• To allow for flexibility and to address privacy concerns, participants have a choice in service providers – much as someone chooses their cell phone or cable provider. Different providers offer different types of service. For example, a participant can choose a provider that tracks miles only (no GPS to track where they drive) or they can choose a provider that collects more data and provides feedback to the driver. Regardless of the provider, all that ODOT ever sees is the total number of miles driven. The “extra” information is only shared with the participant

• Costs to the participant vary depending on the type of vehicle they drive. OReGO charges a flat rate of 1.5 cents per mile. Someone driving a gas guzzler will likely save money with OReGO, as they use more fuel per mile, and thus pay more in fuel tax, than the flat rate per mile charge. On the other hand, an owner of a hybrid likely will pay more with OReGO, as they use less fuel – and therefore pay less in fuel tax – than the flat rate per mile charge.

• As I said above, OReGO replaces fuel tax for participants…they are not double taxed. However, the way the program is currently set up, participants do pay fuel tax at the pump, then later the amount they paid in fuel tax is compared against the road usage charge and they are either invoiced or reimbursed the difference.

One big drawback of a VMT tax is the cost to administer the program. VMT taxes are collected from individual vehicle owners, while fuel taxes are collected from gas stations. More “users” (individuals vs gas stations) means more work to collect the taxes, which makes it more expensive. It’s unknown how many vehicles would need to be enrolled in a VMT program for it to make money, but the number is likely in the millions. For now, with 1,000 enrollees in Oregon’s voluntary program, it is far from breaking even.

Will a VMT tax solve our transportation funding woes? It’s hard to know, but the fact that Oregon – and others – are exploring how it works is a step in the right direction. Something needs to change. Our current method of paying for our transportation system is not keeping up with transportation costs or societal trends.

What do you think? Is a VMT tax worth exploring, or is Oregon wasting its time? Do you think Idahoans would jump on board if given the chance? Submit a comment below to share your views.

Want to learn more? Link to a video and slides of ODOT’s OReGO presentations at www.compassidaho.org/comm/publicevents_2015_ed_series.htm. 

Expanded public transportation…unfunded, but not forgotten

Public transportation is sorely underfunded in Idaho. It does not receive any dedicated state funding; it must rely solely on federal funding, contributions from local governments, and fares and advertising revenues.

However, that does not mean it is forgotten. COMPASS has been working diligently to plan for a future public transportation system – what is needed, when, and steps we need to take to get there.

The next long-range transportation plan, Communities in Motion 2040 2.0 will integrate four transportation components into one complete transportation system: bicycle and pedestrian networks, freight, roadways, and public transportation. While work on some of the other components has received more fanfare (see my blog below about bicycle and pedestrian planning), COMPASS has been laying the groundwork for the public transportation component of Communities in Motion 2040 2.0.

COMPASS contracted with Kittelson and Associates to develop a technical analysis for establishing the future needs for the public transportation system in Ada and Canyon Counties. The analysis recommends criteria for developing public transportation routes, taking into account the patterns of regional population and economic growth, development activity, transportation infrastructure, relevant urban design principles, and the need to make effective use of available funding.

COMPASS, with its Public Transportation Workgroup, produced a systematic step-by-step process for developing the public transportation system for 2040, including identifying key milestones necessary to develop any future high capacity public transportation corridors (e.g., bus rapid transit or light rail). This process identifies steps such as prioritization of key corridors, preservation strategies, funding requirements, and targeted investments. Phasing strategies, corridor prioritization, and mode choices (e.g., bus vs rail) will be developed as the public transportation component of Communities in Motion 2040 2.0 is fleshed out in 2017. If a high capacity corridor is identified as a near-term priority in Communities in Motion 2040 2.0, COMPASS will use the strategic process to guide necessary planning.

In tandem with developing this process, COMPASS and the Public Transportation Workgroup have been evaluating how to make the best use of funds allocated to study options for a future high capacity corridor, such as for bus rapid transit or rail. Funding had been budgeted in FY2018 for this study, but based on the findings of the technical analysis and resulting process I described above, it was determined that FY2018 is premature. These funds will be set aside to use when the timing is right, as determined through Communities in Motion 2040 2.0.

So, the next time you hear someone say “No one cares about public transportation in the Treasure Valley,” or “Hey, hasn’t anyone ever thought of light rail?” you can assure them that COMPASS – all of our member agencies – care and that, yes, “someone” has thought of light rail. Enhancements to our public transportation system – from an expanded bus system to projects as large as bus rapid transit or light rail – don’t happen overnight and they don’t happen without a way to pay for them. They take dedicated funding and a lot of careful, deliberate planning.

I’m confident that someday we will have funding for a more robust public transportation system. When that day comes, we will be ready.

A giant leap for bicycle and pedestrian planning

The kids are heading back to school. For many of us, that signals the end of summer, but – despite homework and busy back-to-school schedules – it’s really not. In fact, this time of the year often provides the nicest weather to get out and be active. As I write this, we’re socked in with smoke from wildfires, but that will soon pass and we’ll be able to enjoy the warm, sunny days that are late summer and fall in the Treasure Valley. If you get outside, you know that on those sunny days, every mile – every foot – of the greenbelt and other pathways seems to be in constant use.

While it is great to see so many people using our pathways, we don’t know a lot about how they are being used. How many people are biking and walking? What routes do they use? Where are they going? Are they biking to work? Running for exercise? Walking the dog? Are people using the pathways every day, rain or shine, or just on sunny weekends?

COMPASS has recently purchased a set of 12 permanent bicycle/pedestrian counters to help us answer some of these questions. The counters will be able to tell us how many people are using Treasure Valley pathways, as well as how and when they are using them.

The permanent bicycle/pedestrian counters, the first of their kind in Idaho, are being installed over the next few weeks. The locations for the counters were chosen with the help of a 40-member Active Transportation Workgroup. The counters will be spread throughout the valley on or near dedicated biking and/or walking paths to gather information from diverse areas, including both large and small communities. Check out the map to see if there will be a counter along your favorite bike or walking route (click to enlarge).

While the permanent counters will focus on dedicated biking and walking paths, we have not forgotten about bike lanes, roads, and intersections. To capture data from those, COMPASS has purchased portable bicycle/pedestrian counters. These portable counters can be used to capture a lot of information about a small area, then be moved to do the same in a different area. When several portable counters are used together, we will be able to measure all the bicycle and pedestrian movements at an entire intersection at one time, which will provide valuable information.

The data collected will be used to help inform bicycle and pedestrian planning in the Treasure Valley. COMPASS will use the data as we develop a Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan for Ada and Canyon Counties and our member agencies can use the data for their local plans. The portable counters will allow COMPASS to assist members by collecting data from specific locations to assist with specific local planning efforts.

These data will fill a gap in what we know about bicycle and pedestrian use. We currently have a method to examine the “supply” side of bicycle and pedestrian facilities – we can map exiting facilities, such as bike lanes and sidewalks, and measure the characteristics that make them more or less appealing for biking and walking.

This new data will help us examine the “demand” side of the equation. Are people using the existing sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths? Are they using other routes that we haven’t anticipated?

We will soon be able to look at the two types of data together to see where we have gaps and where we should plan for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the future. The permanent counters will also help us to track trends over time, to see if and how the numbers of users change by time of day, day of week, and month of year.

This is an exciting step forward for COMPASS and for the region. We have a lot of anecdotal information on bicycle and pedestrian use that we will soon be able to confirm – or deny – with this new data. While each bicyclist or pedestrian we count may just be taking one small step, these new counters are a giant leap forward in bicycle and pedestrian planning for our region.

Who’s making the Treasure Valley’s future brighter? Honor them with a nomination for a COMPASS Leadership in Motion award!

Where do you see yourself in 2040? Do you think you’ll still be living in the Treasure Valley? I do.

As I look forward, I have confidence that the Treasure Valley will continue to be a vibrant, wonderful place to live.

How do I know that? I am privileged to know and work with many of our local leaders – from elected officials to professionals to volunteers – on a daily basis. I witness the dedication and hard work each puts forth as they do their part to make our future brighter. I am also fortunate enough to see the results of their labors. I get to watch as forward-thinking people move projects from ideas to completion.

Each December I have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on these amazing leaders and projects as the COMPASS Board chair and I present the Leadership in Motion awards.

But, before we can do that, we need your help.

Think about who, or what project or business, is making the Treasure Valley a better place by implementing Communities in Motion, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties, then nominate them for a Leadership in Motion award. The process is simple and quick.

Are you skeptical of how a transportation plan could lead to a brighter future? There is a lot more to Communities in Motion 2040 than you might think. Transportation impacts all aspects of our lives, from our health to our housing costs – issues that directly affect quality of life. Communities in Motion examines these connections and sets goals that address many of the issues that impact, and are impacted by, transportation.

I encourage you to look at who won last year and to review the Communities in Motion 2040 goals as you consider who, or what, to nominate. Many types of projects and people are implementing Communities in Motion through their good works even outside of the transportation profession. Anyone may submit a nomination and anything or anyone (other than COMPASS staff) is eligible to be nominated.

Nominations for COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards can be submitted here and will be accepted through 3:00 pm, Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Need some help? Click to watch a short video on how to submit a nomination.

Awards will be presented at the COMPASS/Valley Regional Transit holiday luncheon on Monday, December 21, 2015.

Treasure Valley: On the Go! photo contest

I am constantly “on the go,” and I bet you are too. Whether you’re taking a vanpool to work, walking your kids to school, zipping around town on a Boise GreenBike, or driving an 18-wheeler, you are using the Treasure Valley’s transportation system.

In the next update to Communities in Motion (Communities in Motion 2040 2.0) we’ll be focusing on how the individual components of our transportation system – roadways, walking and biking, freight, and public transportation -- work together to support the Treasure Valley, and we need your help.

COMPASS wants your photos that show the many ways Treasure Valley residents are “on the go.” We’ll then use your pictures in a 2017 Treasure Valley: On the Go! calendar to help spread the word on how all parts of our transportation system fit together.

So, what do we want you to do? 

• Take photos of any or all of the four transportation components that will be the focus of Communities in Motion 2040:
• Roadways
• Walking and biking
• Public transportation
• Freight (rail, trucks, and/or farm freight) 

• Send them to us any time before July 31, 2016. Use your camera to capture how you are “on the go” during all seasons, from your snowy bike ride in January to your leisurely drive in the convertible in June. 

• Vote on your favorite photos in September 2016. 

• Be famous! COMPASS will include the winning photos in its 2017 Treasure Valley: On the Go! photo calendar. 

Be part of the conversation. The Treasure Vallet: On the Go! photo contest and calendar will kick off our discussion with you - Treasure Valley residents - on how you want to see these individual transportation components.

Be creative! Be artistic! Be serious! Be silly! But most of all, be involved!

Get all the details: www.compassidaho.org/prodserv/CIM2040_20_photocontest.html.