Local Highway Technical Assistance Council Joint Senate and House Transportation Committees January 28 2010.

Local Highway Technical Assistance Council

Joint Senate and House Transportation Committees

January 28 2010

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Early History The Legislature has been dealing with Transportation since day one.

1863: 1st Territorial Legislature passed Council Bill 7 giving County Commissions taxing authority for roads.

1891: Idaho’s 1st Legislature continued the tradition of improving the road system by funding survey work

1893: The Legislature authorized a basic state road system again using the County Commission model

1913: The Legislature enacted the first vehicle registration (70% to County Commissions to pay off bonds)

1923: The Legislature enacted the first fuel tax at 2 cents per gallon of motor fuel

1925: County share of the distribution of fees was increased to 90 % to repay local bond used to construct state highways.

1913-1930: Locals normally covered at least 2/3rds or more of State Highway Construction costs in their County Source: “Idaho’s Highway History 1863-1975”; 1985 and “Highway Financial

Practices and Trends in Idaho”, S.E. Johnson Director; 1942

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Recent History of the Local Share of the Highway Distribution Account

Year Percent1983 33.33%1984 32.33%1988 34.20%1991 35.77%1999 38.00%

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Rational Allocation Process The Legislature has established a rational process over

the years to allocate limited public resources Locals currently receive 38% of the net Highway

Distribution Account (Approximately $124 million in 2008)

Independent studies support this split based upon vehicle miles traveled on the state and local transportation system

Cities receive 30% of the local share based on their proportion of population

Counties and Highway Districts receive 70% based on: 10% shared equally to each county, and sub-districts 45% based upon the proportion of registered vehicles 45% based upon the proportion of improved road miles

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Local Elected Officials

Elected local highway officials are responsible to spend limited public resources efficiently and effectively

They are charged with managing the local transportation system. Most do this using: Transportation Plans 5 year Capital improvement plans Pavement Management Plans

They are accountable and must answer to their constituents at the ballot box

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What is LHTAC doing to help? Promoting Best Management Practices

Created a series of technical manuals on uniform standards and procedures: Examples

Highway and Street Guidelines for Design and Construction

Speed Limits & Speed Zones in Idaho

Use of Public Right-of-Way-Standard approach Policy

Highway Right-of-Way Acquisition Without Federal Funds

Guidelines for Completing the Annual Road and Street Finance Report

Manual on Transportation Plans

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Best Management Practices, continued…

Partnering with ITD to develop a local roads GIS base map Providing turn-key pavement management systems to local Highway

jurisdictions

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Best Management Practices, continued…

LHTAC funds and promotes transportation planning including policy objectives, prioritized capital improvement plans, pavement management plans and, regional cooperation.

Local road miles with transportation plans: 84 % of Cities, 86% of Highway Districts and 90% of Counties

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Best Management Practices, continued…

Providing assistance and training to LHJ’s on how to fill out the Road and Street Finance Report.

Providing training to LHJ’s on a wide variety of topics from basic math to operation of road building equipment through our Technology Transfer Center

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Preliminary Suggestions for Local Highway Performance Measures Overall goal-improve 1/20th of the local paved

highway system each year

New Road Construction- Measure: lane miles constructed New Bridge Construction- Measure: square feet of deck Road Reconstruction- Measure: lane miles reconstructed Maintenance, Chip Seal- Measure: lane miles chip sealed Maintenance, Seal Coat- Measure: lane miles of seal coat Maintenance, patching-Measure: square feet patched Gravel Road Grading-Measure: lane miles graded

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LHTAC Project Selection Process

LHTAC administers 4 programs Local Federal-aid Incentive program

($10 million dollars annually) Local Federal Bridge program ($5

million) Local Off-system Bridge program $3

million) Local Rural Incentive program ($2.2

million)

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LHTAC Project Selection Processcontinued…

State-wide selection process for both programs

Criteria is primarily derived from the 1997 Idaho Transportation Planning Task Force recommendations

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LHTAC Project Selection ProcessContinued

State-wide selection process for both programs

Criteria is primarily derived from the 1997 Idaho Transportation Planning Task Force recommendations

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Questions?• Lance Holmstrom, LHTAC

Administrator M.U.P

Address: 3330 Grace StreetBoise, Idaho 83703

Phone: (208) 344-0565

Website: LHTAC.org