ITD Response to Draft ITIP Comments on the Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study

See Original Email (Redacted)

This is the Idaho Transportation Department’s reply to the Draft ITIP – ITD Spending Reduction Letter. The comment it answers is in that post.

From: Robert Beachler, Idaho Transportation Department
Date: September 4, 2026
Subject: Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study ITIP Comments

All Concerned,

Thank you for providing comments on the Draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program for Fiscal Years 2027-2033.

As you noted in the Draft ITIP, ITD is addressing reductions in transportation funding from the Idaho Legislature by moving projects into the Unfunded category based on revenue projections. Recent years have included major increases in transportation investment with General Fund (GF) transfers to the Strategic Initiatives Program Fund (SIPF). These funds were only authorized for project delivery and construction, and this allowed ITD to accelerate projects related to capacity and modernization. The Idaho GF transfer to SIPF was not authorized for next year, and it will impact ITD’s ITIP. This change over the next seven years totals more than $1 billion, or about one-third of planned design and construction.

ITD and the Idaho Transportation Board are intentionally investing in the transportation network by focusing first on projects that are critical for ITD to keep the network functioning and in good repair. Many projects with a primary focus on expansion will pause until more funding becomes available for further design or construction. We will advance options to allow the continued planning and preliminary development of capacity projects at least for the next year until more is known.

Growth

Idaho has been one of the fastest-growing states in the nation over the last quarter-century. The 2020 Decennial Census counted 1.84 million Idaho residents, up 17% from 1.57 million in 2010 and 42% above the 2000 count of 1.29 million. Since 2020, Idaho has been growing faster than almost anywhere else in the country. The state crossed the 2 million mark in 2024, gaining 162,000 residents in just four years, which is a 9% jump compared to 3% nationwide and 2% across the West. Between July 2023 and July 2024, roughly 30,000 more people called Idaho home. Idaho’s growth story is largely due to migration. Of the 162,000 new residents since 2020, about 142,000, or nearly 9 in 10, moved here from somewhere else, with most coming from other states.

In 2010 the population of Kootenai County was 138,495 which has grown to 194,941 residents based on 2025 population estimates. The Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization (KMPO) has analyzed historic growth trends and is projecting the population of Kootenai County to reach 339,542 residents by 2050. The objective of the long-range planning efforts like the Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study is to plan for transportation investments that address this future growth.

Defund I-90 Expansion, Projects KN 23349 and 24395

I-90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States and spans 3,100 miles from Seattle, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts. Its function is to provide a high-speed, controlled access arterial to facilitate long-distance travel, regional commerce, and national defense without interruptions.

The Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) for the I-90 section between SH-41 and US-95 is currently 61,000 vehicles per day and is projected to double by 2045. These I-90 widening projects address these projected traffic volume increases. This four-mile two lane segment of the interstate comes to a stand still when there are crashes and makes emergency response extremely difficult because there are not enough lanes for traffic to clear the incident. These widening projects also replace aging bridge structures and are designed to meet future capacity needs for their 75-year service life. Contrary to your statement, these projects will deliver meaningful traffic relief for Interstate traffic where volumes are projected to double in 20 years. The two I-90 widening construction projects from SH-41 to US-95 are under contract and began construction in 2025 and will be completed in 2029.

Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study (KN 23349)

The Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study was initiated by ITD and KMPO in 2022 and will be completed by the end of 2026. This study has followed the Planning & Environmental Linkages (PEL) process and has actively engaged the residents of Kootenai County and local communities to develop and screen transportation alternatives for the study area over the last three years. The Study will be completed in 2026 and will serve as a foundation for a future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed alternatives to address future growth.

US-95 Interchange (KN 24395)

The US-95 Interchange was constructed in 1960 and is functionally obsolete and does not meet the demands of current or future traffic volumes. The I-90 and US-95 Interchange is the first interchange to advance from the I-90 Corridor Study, with a design focused on expanding capacity, improving safety, and accommodating future traffic growth. Since 2021, several open houses, surveys, meetings with interested parties, and other public involvement opportunities took place as part of the I-90 Corridor Study. The feedback gathered during those efforts has helped shape the proposed design for the I-90, US-95 Interchange project.

ITD held the first open house for this project in March 2025 to showcase the proposed design, visual examples of key sections, and meet with the public to answer questions and gather feedback. The project team updated the proposed design based on feedback from the public to retain better access to Appleway Avenue and presented this revised design at an open house in November 2025. These revisions were aimed at enhancing mobility through the area and allowing better access to local businesses. The existing US-95 interchange does not provide pedestrian access across the interchange, and the proposed US-95 interchange will provide Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliant facilities.

ITD respectfully disagrees with your assertion that the reconstruction of the US-95 Interchange will not improve overall traffic flow or safety until fundamental deficiencies on US-95 are corrected. The proposed interchange implements several of your recommendations including a grade separation over Appleway Avenue, a critical crossing that does not meet current design standards for spacing; the US-95 corridor is an access-controlled highway with public road spacing at half mile. In 2016 ITD received a US Department of Transportation FASTLANE grant to remove a traffic signal at Canfield Ave and construct new signals at Wilbur Ave and Miles Ave at half mile spacing to optimize traffic flow. The FASTLANE projects also added turn bay capacity at signalized intersections and constructed median islands to restrict through traffic. District 1 recently completed a US-95 Signal Cabinet Upgrade Project which replaced signal cabinets and controllers that provide adaptive signal technology and uninterrupted backup power supplies,. The US-95 signal cabinets are interconnected with fiber optic cables and can be monitored and managed remotely from D1 Traffic Engineering section.

ITD recognizes that there are opportunities to increase mobility along the US-95 corridor and PEL Alternative development and screening process identified Alternative B, the expansion of US-95 to six lanes that would address congestion on US-95. However, Alternative B is not a stand-alone alternative but was retained as an “Element” to be combined with other alternatives. It didn’t perform well for the whole study area on its own, but it does improve US-95 congestion and helps overall performance when combined with other alternatives.

Many capacity and expansion projects will be moved from a designated program year for construction to what we call “Early Development.” This means that funding is not available for construction. This shift into Early Development retains the project in the ITIP, although unfunded, rather than canceling projects and removing them from the ITIP.

KMPO and District 1 Have Not Delivered Modern Solutions

Beginning in Fall of 2023 the Rathdrum Prairie Area Transportation Study held five public meetings to solicit input from the residents of Kootenai County to identify existing problems, suggest alternative alignments, and potential solutions. Over 50 alternatives were generated by public meeting participants that were evaluated in Level 1 screening. Many of these improvements were identified as future Elements or low-cost improvements that can be made by the respective city, highway districts, or ITD. Many of these Elements included dedicated turn lanes, geometric and intersection improvements.

Road Diets / Lane Reconfiguration (Four-to-Three Lane Conversions)

There are currently no three or four lane arterials within the study area that could implement Road Diets. These types of lane reconfigurations are applicable in heavily developed metropolitan areas to support urban renewal and redevelopment.

Access Management / Reduction of ingress and egress points

ITD agrees that Access Management plays a critical role in maintaining corridor mobility. Access onto the State Highway System is governed by the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) 39.03.42 - Rules Governing Highway Right-of-Way Encroachments on State Rights-of-Way. The purpose of these rules is to regulate the access to the State Highway System, so the access matches the intended traffic function designation of each highway and corridor. The rule establishes standards and guidelines for encroachments on state highway rights-of-way; including but not limited to: definitions, safety, maintenance, applications, permits, access spacing, design standards, turnouts, and unauthorized/nonstandard encroachments. Section 400. LOCATION AND DESIGN STANDARD FOR APPROACHES is used by ITD to determine access spacing for signalized road spacing, public road spacing, and approach spacing based on Highway Types; Area Type - Rural, Transitional, Urban; and distance from existing approaches. ITD must comply with IDAPA 39.03.42 standards and guidelines for access control and approach spacing. Freeways and Highways have the highest level of access control where highway access is accessible only at interchanges or locations specified by the Department. Properties adjacent to Freeways and Highways area served by frontage roads.

Turn-lane geometry, grade separations, and signal management

ITD agrees that improving roadway geometry improves mobility. As part of the Alternative Analysis during the PEL process grade separations were evaluated and were not moved forward due to high-cost construction, right-of-way acquisition costs, and impacts to businesses. ITD has implemented advanced signal management along the US-95 corridor with recent signal cabinet upgrades, fiber optic interconnection, advanced radar vehicle detection, and signal timing plans for different periods of the day. Congestion on US-95 during peak hours is because the highway is at capacity.

In regard to your requested actions

It has been noted your request to defund any further expenditures on I-90 lane additions beyond what is contractually unavoidable. As stated earlier, the construction for the I-90/US-95 Interchange has been moved to Unfunded.
Your request to terminate 23349 in its current form would be counterproductive. The area Study is almost complete and will provide important information for future planning processes.
Key Number 24395 has been moved to Unfunded.
As stated earlier, ITD has implemented in 2016 ITD received a US Department of Transportation FASTLANE grant to upgrade signal spacing , removing signals, and installing signals to maintain half mile spacing to optimize traffic flow. The FASTLANE project also added turn bay capacity at signalized intersections and constructed median islands to restrict through traffic. Signal timing was adjusted. A change order was added, and existing turn lanes were also extended. District 1 recently completed a US-95 Signal Cabinet Upgrade Project which replaced signal cabinets and controllers that provide adaptive signal technology and uninterrupted backup power supplies, ITD has maximized the capacity of the existing US-95 corridor and currently are working to maximize the existing SH-53 corridor.
ITD project development design goals emphasize safety, mobility, and system performance to minimizing right-of-way needs. Project category costs and construction years are published in the Draft ITIP document: https://apps.itd.idaho.gov/Apps/Fund/itip2027/draft/FY27_Draft-ITIP.pdf
Funding for KMPO planning activities is a statutory requirement under 23 U.S. Code § 134 - Metropolitan transportation planning
(c) General Requirements.-
(1) Development of long-range plans and tips.- To accomplish the objectives in subsection (a), metropolitan planning organizations designated under subsection (d), in cooperation with the State and public transportation operators, shall develop long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs through a performance-driven, outcome-based approach to planning for metropolitan areas of the State.
(2) Contents.- The plans and TIPs for each metropolitan area shall provide for the development and integrated management and operation of transportation systems and facilities (including accessible pedestrian walkways, bicycle transportation facilities, and intermodal facilities that support intercity transportation, including intercity buses and intercity bus facilities and commuter vanpool providers) that will function as an intermodal transportation system for the metropolitan planning area and as an integral part of an intermodal transportation system for the State and the United States.
(3) Process of development.- The process for developing the plans and TIPs shall provide for consideration of all modes of transportation and shall be continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive to the degree appropriate, based on the complexity of the transportation problems to be addressed.

Respectfully,

Robert Beachler
Idaho Transportation Department
District 1 Planning & Scoping Program Manager
600 W Prairie Ave
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815