Yes, Virginia, “The Government” Really is Here to Help

You’ve probably heard the laughter surrounding the statement, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Yes, it does seem that nearly every time people talk about “the government,” or “the government” is in the news, it is painted in a bad light – stories of partisanship, bumbling bureaucrats, or squabbling among agencies.

This paints a dismal picture of how government functions. I’m here to dispute that. The presentation of the COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards earlier this week reminded me once again of all the good work “the government” (elected officials, staff, contractors, and volunteers) does for its citizens.

The first two awards presented highlight government projects that succeeded through the cooperation of several different agencies with different goals and different ways of looking at things, yet had one thing in common: they wanted to do what was best for their citizens.

The Leadership by Example, Canyon County award was presented jointly to Canyon Highway District #4, the City of Middleton, and the Middleton School District for their collaborative efforts to build the new Emmett Road dual roundabouts in Middleton near the new Middleton High School. They saw a potential safety issue near the school and worked together for a solution.

Leadership by Example, Ada County, was awarded jointly to the Ada County Highway District, the City of Boise, and Valley Regional Transit for their cooperative efforts in developing the State Street Transit and Traffic Operations Plan. In addition to these three, numerous other agencies were involved in the project. It was a large collaborative effort serving many different, and often competing, interests, yet they worked to find solutions beneficial to all.

Our special Transportation Champion awardee, Congressman Mike Simpson, was recognized for his efforts in supporting transportation on a federal level and a state level (in both of Idaho’s Congressional Districts) – working to do what needed to be done, regardless of political boundaries.

Similarly, Leadership by Example, Elected Official winner Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas consistently demonstrates leadership locally in Caldwell, regionally through COMPASS and other organizations, and nationally as chair of the Youth Council Committee for the National League of Cities. He doesn’t check his vision or leadership at the city limits.

Even our private business and individual awards demonstrate how government can work as an entity of the people. Leadership in Private Business winner Allied Waste is recognized for its pollution prevention efforts in its truck fleets, which collect waste under contract with many of the local government agencies in both Canyon and Ada Counties. While Allied Waste is a private business, its efforts benefit us all.

Finally, LaRita Schandorff, winner of the Leadership by Example, Individual award demonstrates the importance of the role of private individuals in government. LaRita is the volunteer chair of the Nampa Bicycle and Pedestrian Citizens Advisory Group, and in this role as a private citizen she works closely with the City of Nampa, including helping craft the Nampa Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. She is truly a citizen leader.

I’m excited to be able to share these good stories of how government does “work.” Congratulations to our winners and thank you for all of your efforts on behalf of all of us. Visit www.compassidaho.org/comm/awards.htm to learn more about all of our winners.

What will 2040 look like?

Close your eyes and use your imagination. What do you think the Treasure Valley will look like in 25 years?

That is a question we’ll be asking Treasure Valley residents next year as COMPASS undertakes a scenario planning process to develop a preferred future growth scenario upon which to base Communities in Motion 2040.

However, that is also a question we’re asking elementary age children in the Treasure Valley to answer now as part of the Communities in Motion 2040 Youth Art Contest.

COMPASS develops, or updates, a regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties every four years. These plans look 20+ years into the future and are used to prioritize transportation and other projects based on public input and how the region is likely to grow.

Communities in Motion 2035 is the current regional-long range transportation plan. The next version of the plan, Communities in Motion 2040, is being developed and is scheduled to be complete by September 2014.

COMPASS strives to include individuals throughout the valley in its planning process. However, typically, most people that choose to become involved are not the ones who will be most affected by a long-range plan.

For example, in the year 2040, I’ll be 74. I assume I’ll still live in the area, but likely (hopefully?) won’t still be working. On the other hand, my children will be 37 and 38 years old. It is their generation that will be the commuters, homeowners, and business-people when Communities in Motion 2040 reaches maturity.

To engage children their age and encourage them to think about the future of our valley, COMPASS is holding an art contest in which elementary age students are asked to draw or paint what they think their neighborhood, community, or city will look like in 25 years.

Entries are being accepted now and are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, December 16. Information has been sent to local schools and is also available online (scroll down to “Public Participation and Outreach”).

Winners will be announced in early January. Winning entries will be displayed at the COMPASS office, at COMPASS and community events throughout the valley, and on the COMPASS web site at www.compassidaho.org. I’ll also announce the winners here in my blog.

I’m excited to see the future as imagined by our children. Who knows? The seemingly wildest ideas may be those that come true.

And the Nominees for Leadership in Motion 2011 Are…

Who are the nominees for Leadership in Motion 2011? You tell me.

Now is the time for you to submit your nomination, or nominations, for this year’s COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards. The awards recognize businesses, individuals, and projects that have demonstrated leadership in supporting the goals and vision of the Treasure Valley’s regional long-range transportation plan, Communities in Motion.

We seem to be bombarded with bad news on a daily basis – the federal deficit, two wars, and the ongoing recession, just for starters. Let’s take this opportunity to turn that around and focus on good news in the Treasure Valley. What innovative projects have been completed or are underway that will improve our local transportation infrastructure? What private businesses are going above and beyond for the future of the valley? Whose work is helping fulfill the goals of Communities in Motion?

More detail about the awards, past winners, and the nomination process can be found online at www.compassidaho.org/comm/lim-awards.htm.

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, September 16, 2011; awards will be presented at the COMPASS Board meeting on Monday, December 19, 2011.

Please take a moment to submit a nomination. The process is quick and easy. A few minutes of your time will help us honor the people, businesses, and projects that are helping the Treasure Valley continue to be one of the best places in the US to live and work. Let’s share the good news.

Transportation Improvement Program: Maintenance and Preservation

The past few weeks I’ve blogged about three of the many transit and roadway projects in the DRAFT Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for fiscal years 2012 – 2016. I hope you have, or will, take time to look through the draft TIP, as the projects I’ve discussed are just the TIP of the iceberg (yes, pun intended). Other, equally important items in the TIP include the purchase of buses and commuter vans, improvements at intersections, and improvements and additions to sidewalks and other facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

However, one critical item that can get lost in the discussion is the process of maintaining and repairing our roads and bridges. The draft TIP allocates over $88 million (in current dollars) to maintenance and repair over the five-year period, not including rebuilding the Broadway Bridge that I discussed in my earlier blog.

I am highlighting maintenance and repairs for several reasons:

1. Road maintenance is expensive, but lack of maintenance is even more so. Lack of proper maintenance can lead to additional expense in the future. Fixing roads and bridges later is more expensive then maintaining them now. In addition, driving on poorly maintained roads increase wear and tear on your car, meaning you end up paying more for repairs, tire alignment, etc.

2. Road maintenance and repair are slowly consuming larger and larger portions of the overall transportation budget. As costs increase, but revenues and maintenance needs do not, there is less and less money for larger projects, such as adding new lanes or improving an intersection. For many agencies, the emphasis has shifted from “build more” to “take care of what you have.” I predict that you’ll see maintenance grow even more as a percentage of the overall transportation budget in the years to come.

3. Maintenance and repair are extremely important to maintain our transportation system. No, they are not exciting, so they typically don’t get a lot of press or fanfare. No one hosts a ribbon cutting for chip sealing. On the contrary, many people complain about routine maintenance being done near their home or place of business. Think of road maintenance like brushing your teeth. Tooth brushing is routine maintenance for dental health. If you don’t brush regularly you can face significant dental work, and the high cost that goes with it, in the future. The same is true for our transportation system.

As you read and comment on the draft TIP, you’ll notice two groups of categories that contain most of the maintenance projects: “Roadway (Maintenance)” and “Bridge” under “Grouped Projects.” Within each of these you’ll see total dollars allocated to road maintenance and bridge maintenance. Within those groups you will find lists showing the projects that are likely to be funded in those groups.

You have until Monday, July 25, 2011, to make comments on the draft TIP. Please take a few minutes to review the projects and provide your input. You can do so by clicking here.

Transportation Improvement Program: Treasure Valley High-Capacity Alternatives Analysis

If you’ve been following my blog the past few weeks you are aware that the draft Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for fiscal years 2012 – 2016 is open for comment through Monday, July 25, 2011. Please take a few minutes to review the projects and provide your input. You can do so by clicking on the link above.

At COMPASS one of the most common comments we hear is, “There should be a train between Caldwell and Boise. Why hasn’t anyone thought of that?!”

Trust me, we have.

Communities in Motion, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties, identifies the need for some sort of “high capacity” transit between Caldwell and Boise. That could be some type of train, or it could be something else. However, moving from an identified need to constructing a high-capacity transit system is not a simple process.

COMPASS and Valley Regional Transit conducted studies to explore the feasibility, costs, and benefits of a high capacity service, which were good first steps. However, if we hope to use federal dollars to eventually build the system, we must also conduct an official “alternatives analysis,” known as an “AA.” It will determine the best route and mode of transit for the conditions in our region. We cannot simply decide we want a certain type of transit in a certain location. We must evaluate multiple options to find the best solution.

COMPASS has been actively pursuing funding for an AA for several years. In 2008, 2010, and 2011, we requested federal high-priority grant appropriations (earmarks) to conduct the AA, but did not receive funding. COMPASS also applied for a federal “TIGER II Planning Grant” to conduct the analysis. We did not receive that funding either.

An AA is now included in the TIP in “preliminary development,” meaning the AA will be funded in the near future. At this point there is no plan (or money) for actual construction. The draft TIP allocates $1 million to conduct an AA. The next update to Communities in Motion (due in 2014) will be used to help decide if the AA should focus on potential corridors south of the Boise River (e.g., the rail corridor, the interstate) or north of the Boise River (e.g., Highway 44/State Street).

One million dollars is not enough money to conduct the entire required detailed analysis. However, it gives us a starting point. We will carefully choose how that money is spent to conduct portions of the analysis that have the longest “shelf life.” That is, we’ll focus on those items that will remain valid for the longest time. We want to avoid a situation where the first parts of our analysis become too old to use before the last parts are finished.

While the AA is a necessary step, it is not our biggest hurdle, nor is the funding to build the system the biggest issue. The elephant in the room is that there is no funding to operate such a system. Until we have a dedicated funding source to pay for day-to-day operations, the rest is moot.

That is another issue altogether, and one we’ll continue to work on. In the meantime, we will begin by laying the early groundwork for a high capacity transit system through the AA process.