Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the Rathdrum Prairie Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study.
The goal of the meeting is to explain the purpose of the study and to get your ideas on how to improve the transportation system in the study area.
How to Navigate:
- Click on the arrows on the bottom left and right side of your screen.
- Use the navigation menu at the left of the screen to revisit any part of the meeting.
- The pages are intended to be viewed in order to provide information about the study. However, you may use the tabs on the left side of the page to select any page.
How to Participate:
- Click through the slides to learn more about the project.
- Comments
- Provide your comments at any time by clicking the “ COMMENT" button at the top right of the screen.
- You can close the form to continue through the slides. Please make sure to hit the “Submit” button to confirm that your comment is sent to the project team.
- The entire session should take less than 15 minutes to complete.
Introduction
How will transportation across the Rathdrum Prairie cope in light of recent & projected future growth?
To answer that question, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and community partners are initiating a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study to evaluate the state highway and local roadway system within the Rathdrum Prairie, stretching from Interstate 90 north to State Highway 53 and from the Washington state line east to Government Way. This effort is looking at optimizing existing corridors and exploring potential new routes that will mitigate congestion, enhance connectivity, and improve mobility throughout the region.
Recommendations from the PEL study, and the public and agency input received, may be adopted, or incorporated into future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies.
Your input matters and will help shape the future of transportation in Kootenai County
Your feedback, ideas and input shared with the study team will help ITD identify transportation issues and potential solutions in the focus area.
What is a PEL?
A PEL is a transportation planning study outlined by FHWA that identifies:
- Transportation Issues and Priorities
- Environmental Resources and Concerns
- Stakeholder and Public Concerns
The PEL study follows federal guidelines in order to confirm that PEL analysis can be used in future NEPA clearance documentation.
| A PEL is a good option when: | Rathdrum Prairie PEL Study | |
|---|---|---|
| Problems in multiple jurisdictions, on multiple corridords, need to be solved, such as safety concerns, traffic congestion, or infrastructure deficiencies and geographical area may not have key logical terminal. | The PEL will consider multimodal connections and capacity improvements as well as potential new roadway linkages. | |
| There is not identified funding for the project, but federal funding is a possibility. | Partial funding for design is anticipated in the next 5-7 years, but those funds would only address improvements for a prioritized portion of the study area. | |
| There is a need to gauge public interest and/or gather support for a project and collaborate to develop alternatives. | Provid improvements that serve all types of travelers, including local commuters, freight, and regional tourism. | |
| The study will incorporate previous transportation and land use planning documents and recommendations. | Current infrastructure will not appropriately provide for future growth as identified in adopted local (cities, counties, and metropolitan planning associations [MPO]) land use and comprehensive plans. | |
| There is a desire for agency input and awareness of the project before NEPA begins. | Consider new infrastructure impacts to local roads through coordination with cities, counties, highway districts, and the MPO. | |
| There is a need to identify and screen alternatives that improve safety and mobility for all users, support local land use plans, and minimize impacts. | Identify resources and level of analysis to focus on environmental concerns and allow agencies to proactively avoid, minimize, or mitigate. |
Click image to enlarge
Watch this video to learn more about the steps that take place during a PEL Process.
Click the image below to view a higher quality PDF.
Area Traffic
Use the tabs below to view the area traffic and crash data.
Level of Service explainer
- Historical Conditions (2018)
- Historical Conditions (2022)
- Historical Conditions Change in AADT (2018-2022)
- Existing Conditions
- Future Conditions
- Historical Conditions (Crash Data)
Historical Conditions — 2018
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Where are we in the process?
