You probably have heard that $500,000 of the cost of this project is paid
for by a state grant. Actually, it is federal money that is passed through
and administered by the Idaho Transportation Department.
This funding comes from the "Enhancements" program of ISTEA. The
Enhancements program was designated by Congress to fund bicycle and
pedestrian projects, landscaping projects, historical preservation project,
and other projects that do not add directly to motor vehicle traffic
capacity. In other words, "enhancements" to our transportation
infrastructure.
The Moscow Mountain View project was approved by a statewide committee to
select projects to be funded in this very highly competative program. We
won approval for the project, based on local funding.
If the local funding doesn't come through, the project cannot be built. In
that case, ITD has the authority to plow the $500,000 back into the regular
highway construction program. They also could put it back into Enhancements
projects, but I would presume they would do the former.
So, one way of looking at it, from a statewide perspective, is: if you vote
against this project, you are voting to take money out of state funding for
bicycle and pedestrian projects and put that money into highway motor
vehicle lane construction.
Please, vote for the Mountain View project on Feb. 6.
Fritz Knorr
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>will someone please tell why i should vote for the mountain view
>project. It seems to be a major bailout for developers who have plopped
>a lot of houses on the hills just east of the street, made a killing, adn
>now want all of us to pay for the disaster they caused.
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>dale goble
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